CAM
Tree, right-click the Job
folder, such as the 
Milling Job or Turning
Job, and click Machining Order.In this Topic Show
The Machining Order dialog box allows you to specify how the tool changes in the program are optimized. This provides dynamic control of the posting order for all operations in the job. The machining order can be optimized by Individual Feature, Individual Tool Per Machine Setup or Individual Tool. In addition to the optimization types, you fully customize the order of operations for the program.
NOTE: This topic explains the Machining Order for Milling, Turning, or Mill Turn jobs. To learn about the Machining Order for Wire EDM jobs, view the Machining Order Dialog Box - Wire EDM.
To access the Machining Order dialog box:
CAM
Tree, right-click the Job
folder, such as the Milling Job or Turning
Job, and click Machining Order.View the Machining Order dialog box
In order to fully understand the Machining Order, there are some terms that must be clarified. All features are created in the CAM Tree, from a Machine Setup. The Machine Setup defines the machining origin (and other settings) for all features contained in the Machine Setup. Any job can have one or more Machine Setups with one or more features in each. Each feature is used to define and create operations for a specific geometry, such as a Hole feature. The feature is performed using one or more operations. For example, a Hole feature can be composed of a Center Drill operation, a Drill operation, and a Chamfer operation. In conclusion, a job can have one or more Machine Setups, which can contain one or more features, which contain one or more operations.
When selecting Individual Tool, the Machining Order is optimized by completing all possible operations with each tool before changing the tool and moving on to the next operation. This is done across all features to reduce the number of tool changes. This method is useful, for example, when drilling operations of different sizes are performed with multiple drilling features. All center drill holes are drilled before changing the tool. Then all drill holes of the same size are drilled before the next tool change. This process is repeated until all features are completed.
When selecting Individual Feature, all operations are performed for each feature before moving on to the next feature. This method does complete all possible operations with each tool before making a tool change as in Individual Tool, but it does not complete similar operations with the same tool across multiple features. This method is useful when one feature operation must remove stock material before the next feature operation can start.
When selecting Individual Tool Per Machine Setup, the Machining Order is optimized in a manner similar to Individual Tool. The difference is that each possible operation for each tool is performed, before a tool change, across all features contained in a Machine Setup group. This method is useful when using a different Machine Setup for each side of a part.
The machining order group contains the Operation list that shows all of the operations for the current job that are set to Post (Yes). When you select an optimization type at the top of the dialog box, the posting order is updated to that optimization type. You can then select operations in the list under Machining Order and use the Move Up and Move Down arrows to reorder the operation list.
(Move Up)
- moves the selected operation up one level.
(Move Down)
- moves the selected operation down one level.
Important notes about the Machining Order:
The operation list contains columns that display the Operation name, Feature name, Index/Wrapping group name, Machine Setup name, and the Tool Number for each operation. You can click the title of each column and drag it left or right to reorder the informational columns.
In this example, two Tap Hole features are created in the CAM Tree. Even though each Tap feature is a different size, the center drill and chamfer tools used for each feature are the same size. The operations of each feature are shown next:
The following shows the features and their operations that are used for our example.
Tap Hole Feature 1 Operations:
Tap Hole Feature 2 Operations:
The order of operations when using Individual Feature is shown next.
Center Drill 1
Drill 1
Chamfer 1
Tap 1
Center Drill 2
Drill 2
Chamfer 2
Tap 2
Notice that the order is the same as the Tap Feature 1 and Tap Feature 2 operations combined.
The order of operations when using Individual Tool is shown next.
Center Drill 1 and 2
Drill 1
Chamfer 1
Tap 1
Drill 2
Chamfer 2
Tap 2
You can see that for Individual Tool, the Center Drill operations for each feature are performed together. Notice in step 3 that even though the chamfer tool is the same size for each feature, both chamfers can't be performed at the same time because Drill 2 has not yet been performed. The reason that both Drill operations are not completed before the Chamfer operations is that the original order of operations, shown in Tap Feature 1 and Tap Feature 2, is still followed.
The following lists show the same Tap Hole Feature 1 and Tap Hole Feature 2 in one Machine Setup, and then Tap Hole Feature 3 is added in a separate Machine Setup.
Tap Hole Feature 1 Operations:
Tap Hole Feature 2 Operations:
Tap Hole Feature 3 Operations:
The order of operation for Individual Tool Per Machine Setup is shown next.
Center Drill 1 and 2
Drill 1
Chamfer 1
Tap 1
Drill 2
Chamfer 2
Tap 2
Center Drill 3
Drill 3
Chamfer 3
Tap 3
Notice that the order of operations is optimized like Individual Tool, within each Machine Setup. The operations of one Machine Setup are completed before moving on to the next Machine Setup.
