The Machining Order Dialog Box

Introduction

This topic will explain the Machining Order dialog, will describe where to access it, explain the options found it, and provide an example of its use. This topic will also provide links to related topics.

The Machining Order Dialog Box

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.

To access the Machining Order dialog box:

 

  • In the CAM Tree, right-click the Job folder, such as the Milling Job or Turning Job, and click Machining Order.

The Machining Order Parameters

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.

 

Optimization Types

You can select one of the options below as the default setting. In order to do this, use the Settings dialog. For more information on the Settings dialog, use the previous link. To see specific information on setting the Optimization Types, see The Document Default and Current Document Tabs topic.

 

  • Individual Feature

    All operations are performed for a feature before moving to the next feature. This method simply follows the operation order as defined in the CAM Tree. This method is useful when one feature operation must remove stock material before the next feature operation can start.

  • Individual Tool Per Machine Setup

    Each possible operation which utilizes a particular tool is performed before a tool change, across all features contained in a Machine Setup. This method is useful when using a different Machine Setup for each side of a part.

  • Individual Tool

    The Machining Order is optimized by completing all operations which utilize a particular 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 if each setup is a different part in a different fixture on the machine.

 

Note: For both tool sorting methods, an operation will not be machined if the previous operations in the CAM Feature have not already been run.

 

Probing Operation Handling

This section becomes available when probing operations are present in the CAM Tree. These options only affect the outcome of the Individual Tool Per Machine Setup and Individual Tool optimization types.

 

  • Sort Between Probing Operations - handles all operations between two probing operations as a single group to be handled as a group.

  • Probe Operation Must Follow CAM Tree Sequence (Insert After) - links the probing operation to operation directly before it. The operations are then sequenced and the probing operation is kept before the same operation.

  • Probe Operation Must Follow CAM Tree Sequence (Insert Before) - links the probing operation to operation directly before it. The operations are then sequenced and the probing operation is kept before the same operation.

  • No Probe Operation Influence - does not handle a probing operation any differently than the other operations.

 

 

 

Machining Order

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, or simply drag and drop operations into place.

 

  • (Move Up) - moves the selected operation up one level.

  • (Move Down) - moves the selected operation down one level.

 

Important: On the Machining Order:

• You must confirm that the order you create in the Machining Order is logical for the program.
• The order of operations that are defined for a single feature cannot be changed in the Machining Order. To reorder the operations of a single feature, edit the feature wizard.
• The Machining Order list only displays the operations that are set to Post Yes (in the CAM Tree).

 

The operation list contains columns that display the Tool Number, Feature, Operation, Work Offset, Machine Setup, and Index/Wrapping Group, for each operation. You can click the title of each column and drag it left or right to reorder the informational columns.

 

Example

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:

Example Features

The following shows the features and their operations that are used for our example.

 

Tap Hole Feature 1 Operations:

  1. Center Drill 1
  2. Drill 1
  3. Chamfer 1
  4. Tap 1

 

Tap Hole Feature 2 Operations:

  1. Center Drill 2
  2. Drill 2
  3. Chamfer 2
  4. Tap 2

Individual Feature

The order of operations when using Individual Feature is shown next.

  1. Center Drill 1

  2. Drill 1

  3. Chamfer 1

  4. Tap 1

  5. Center Drill 2

  6. Drill 2

  7. Chamfer 2

  8. Tap 2

 

Notice that the order is the same as the Tap Feature 1 and Tap Feature 2 operations combined.

Individual Tool

The order of operations when using Individual Tool is shown next.

  1. Center Drill 1 and 2

  2. Drill 1

  3. Chamfer 1

  4. Tap 1

  5. Drill 2

  6. Chamfer 2

  7. 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.

Individual Tool Per Machine Setup

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.

 

Machine Setup 1

Tap Hole Feature 1 Operations:

  1. Center Drill 1
  2. Drill 1
  3. Chamfer 1
  4. Tap 1

 

Tap Hole Feature 2 Operations:

  1. Center Drill 2
  2. Drill 2
  3. Chamfer 2
  4. Tap 2

 

Machine Setup 2

Tap Hole Feature 3 Operations:

  1. Center Drill 3
  2. Drill 3
  3. Chamfer 3
  4. Tap 3

 

The order of operation for Individual Tool Per Machine Setup is shown next.

  1. Center Drill 1 and 2

  2. Drill 1

  3. Chamfer 1

  4. Tap 1

  5. Drill 2

  6. Chamfer 2

  7. Tap 2

  8. Center Drill 3

  9. Drill 3

  10. Chamfer 3

  11. 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.

Related Topics

The CAM Overview