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1. 0 010 55 000 Goto 8 Look under Simulation settings EH to change the simulation speed and simulation accuracy gt To create the post processed output In this exercise we will post process all of the toolpaths at once 1 In the Mops tab right click on the root folder Machining Operations to open the popup menu Select Post All 85 Getting Started with VisualTurn X i 18 e Setup Ej Tools 3 Mops Stock EJ Machine Setup ae Machining Operations Set MCS Generate All H E OD Roughing zy Post All mL OD Finishing Post ake MCU Face Finishin B j Information Delete All Del 2 Browse to the desired output directory and assign a file name for the output The default extension is nc Then double click on the post processor you want to use such as Fanuc 1 Select Post Processor X Select Post Processor Dunapath E scella ExtraT ech Fadal FadalTransfer Fagor Fanuctm Fanuclim Fanucd Tm est Fanuce Fanuczlm Fanucs Fanuch FanucbhB Flashcut Folken Foti ee Post Processor Fanuc Output File C Tutorial 1 nc E Do not display this dialog again 3 When complete the post output file will open in the default text editor Notepad by default This file contains all the G code for your toolpaths 86 Version 1 0 Note You can post individual toolpaths by right clicking on their name in the Mops tab and sel
2. Select Start amp End Points Star 0 Stat 0 End X 0 Endz 0 Lb 5 With the Mouse select tool for Start and End select the start and End points as shown below Make sure the End Snap is turned on 6 Clicking the Mouse Select minimizes the Turn Finishing dialog Cut Containment Jw Select Start amp End Points Star 0 j Statz E End x 0 Endz 0 83 Getting Started with VisualTurn Start Point Selection End Point Selection 7 Once you have selected the Start and End points the cut containment should have the coordinate values for Start and End Cut Containment Select Start amp End Points obs Start 0 Start Z End X 1 00100 Endz 8 With the other parameters set to default we will now click generate to create the Front Facing toolpath 84 Version 1 0 9 Rename the Operation to Face Finishing 10 Switch to the Stock tab and select Face Finishing to Simulate Tutarial 1 vtp MecSoft Turn 1 0 Fie Edit View Measure Stock Tool Feeds Speeds Turning Hole Making Post Process Reports Preferences Utilities Help 0 c6 hg XE Defaut f Select t Ex elect geometry p jo Browser a X X GH n M 4 B ok ll Setup B Tools Mops J Stock P f Turn Cylinder Stock ee M E OD Roughing HE 9 OD Finishing 2 gq Face Finishing ELE E i t T M ia Q Finish
3. Display Grid Toggles the display of the construction grid Hide Toolpath Toggles the display of the toolpath associated with the current machining operation Display Next Z Displays the toolpath for each level This button is disabled for VisualTurn Measurement Bar One of the steps in the next part of this tutorial is to measure the part Measuring tools can be found on the Measure menu and on the Measurement bar View Toolbars Measurement FEFE When a measurement is calculated it is displayed in the bar at the top of the screen gt m b Eg ir Vertex 2 063 0 301 0 167 Vertex Coordinates Displays XYZ coordinates of a selected point 136 Version 1 0 Measure Distance Measures the distance between two points The point coordinates and the distance between them will be displayed Measure 3 Vertex Radius Measures the radius of an arc spanning 3 points The point coordinates and their arc radius will be displayed and the arc will appear temporarily Measure Arc Radius Measures the radius of an arc or circle Part Bounding Box Calculates the dimensions of the bounding box around the part Part Center Calculates the coordinates of the center of the part Status Bar The Status Bar located at the bottom of the screen 1s used to display information about the current activities Simulate Groove Toal D 010 0 000 Goto 160 BBR Lie Le e pw INCH 5 628 0 000 3 452 The left most
4. Associates Version 1 0 Table of Contents WELCOME TO VISUALTURN n esis ae ieee 5 APON SI DDDE istos Potete astute teo da etate eas ic ero MU E RI EAR D IM auton MN CE ica E RU quee Ene 5 COMPUTER REQUIREMENTS csccccscsscccecesccscceccesccsecescesccuacesccscceceesccsecescsscceacescoscseacussssececcescseccesseseseceuss 5 INSPATEIEING VIS UAE ORIN do cd ain ed aaah akc ceed DL MEI benoit tien Glue 6 RUNNING AIR VEI QS 9 VISUALTURN USER INIERENJAC D d eos ded Sus a vo Fea 10 VISUALTURN BROWSER WINDOW ve e eter eset eed desee obtenta laetos tenuto Prid des tes vU eda 11 NISUALTURN BY 2 Med 5 7 ret ga er EE 11 VISUALTURN WORK Fl aaa 12 SCENARIO E 13 PROGRAMMING WORKFLOW e aad e 13 POSTSPROGDSSINO re ce Rei eR ey poe Ar IM MR a IM UE Vee T 14 MACHINING 15 TURNING OPERATION hea cto aco aac at crs ah 15 HOLE MAKING OPERATIONS sadn a a aai 20 KEY CONCEPTS IN VISUALTURN PROGRAMMING 2 ccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccceccscccccess 22 TURNING COORDINATE SYSTEM Ju ees dnte esos oae oad aide
5. Getting Started with VisualTurn amp Tutorial 1 vtp MecSoft Turn 1 0 4 E oj x Fie Edit wiew Measure Stock Tool Feeds Speeds Turning Hole Making Post Process Reports Preferences Utilities Help D c X EO a mw QS 7 Select _ c 9i nin ZEN a Bs Setup E Tools Le Pops g Stock Ds ie Turn Cylinder Stock a CURRENT TOOL INFORMATION TOL INFORMATION V e FEE The simulation settings set to 3 quarter view 4 Ifyou don t see the stock make sure the Hide Stock toggle icon in the View bar is not pressed 5 To change simulation setting click on the Simulation Settings on the Stock tab For more help look under simulations settings in the user manual Tip Stock is used for simulation and its display involves data intensive rendering This can slow down VisualTurn s performance Therefore we recommend turning off the stock display when not needed 60 Version 1 0 Note You must define a stock model before creating Roughing and Groove Roughing operations All other operations can be created without first creating a stock model Creating Tools S To create the roughing tool 1 Select Tool Create Select Turn Tool or click the Create Select Turn Tool icon on the Tools tab of the Browser stock Create Select Drill Tool 2 In the Select Create Turn Tool
6. ID Rough Note You can double click on any tool to open its definition window This is an easy way to make changes if needed 98 Version 1 0 S Selecting the Tool for ID Roughing Operation 1 Under the Mops tab click on Create Select Turn tool 2 From the tool select dialog pick the ID Rough tool and click select tool This will make the Rough tool as the active tool and shows up in the status bar at the bottom of the screen Setting Feeds and Speeds You can set toolpath feeds and speeds and customize these settings for later use To set the feeds and speeds click on Set Feeds Speeds on the Mops tab This launches the Feeds Speeds dialog 99 Getting Started with VisualTurn Set Turning Feeds Speeds Spindle Speed Constant Surface Speed C55 Spindle Speed 5 120 RPM Max Spindle Speed RPM Tool Motion Feed Hates IPR C IPM Plunge Feed Ff 0018 E Inte Approach Feed Af 0018 E inzrev Engage Feed Ef 0 02 I nirev Cut Feed 0 02 Retract Feed Ff 0 025 ire Te Departure Feed 010 0 025 E In rev Transfer Feedrate Tf f Use Rapid C Set ll invrev Feeds amp Speeds Considering Stock material as Aluminum and Tool material as HSS for the above example S Clearance Plane 1 Clearance levels are set by clicking the Clearance Control button on the Mops tab Browser Sip pE Setup Ej Tools C3 hions EJ Machin
7. Set Turning Feeds Speeds E X Spindle Speed Constant Surface Speed C55 Spindle Speed 5 280 m RPM Max Spindle Speed 100 Tool Motion Feed Hates IPR C IPM Plunge Feed Ff 0018 E in rev Approach Feed Af 0018 inzrev Engage Feed Ef 0 02 I in re Cut Feed 0 02 Retract Feed Ff 025 in rev Departure Feed Df 0 025 In Tey Transfer Feedrate Tf f Use Rapid Set fe 04 in rew The various different values that can be set are as follows a Spindle Speed The rotational speed of the spindle in RPM If the Constant Surface Speed 1s turned on the controller would automatically calculate and adjust the spindle speed based on the current diameter of the work piece If this calculated spindle speed is greater than the maximum spindle speed specified the spindle speed would be reduced to the maximum speed a Max Spindle Speed The maximum rotational speed of the spindle in RPM a Plunge Feed The approach feed rate before the tool starts to engage in material a Approach Feed The pre engage feed rate that prepares the tool just before it starts engaging into material as it starts cutting These tool motions are dependent on the machining method 41 Getting Started with VisualTurn Engage Feed The feed rate as the tool starts engaging into material By default this value is 75 of the Cut Feed Q Cut Feed The feed ra
8. displayed as a cylinder positioned at the reference point of the lathe machine Its color can be set in the Color Preferences 90 Version 1 0 amp Tutorial 2 tp 1 MecSoft Turn 1 0 File Edit View Measure Stock Tool Feeds Speeds Turning Hole Making Post Process Reports Preferences Utilities Help Dahl o Em A ac 04 c4 9 oco xm E EI Select t 51 giect gemet E S oa Bip n lh x B e m e n se B Tools 63 e Stock Turn Part Cylinder Stack EN ag tr E A n onp aoe __ E T T EE T D DrillTooli DrilTooli 0 500 0 000 500 0 000 To create Drill Tool 1 Switch to the tools tab and click on create select drill tool Create Select Turn Tool Stock Create Select Drill Tool 2 Create a standard drill and set the tool diameter to 1 Flute length to 5 Total length to 6 Leave the other parameters at default Click Close to exit the dialog 9 Getting Started with VisualTurn Create Select Drill Tool ool Mame rir ogl Haterial H55 z 21 Tool Number EH a Holder Diameter Adiust Register Jm RUE E older Length 1 5 Cutcom Register rm Flute Coolant Mane Length Comments Tip Angle k Tool Diameter E Select Tool Save as Wey Save Edits Delete Close Help S To create a drilling operation 1 Switch to the Mops
9. 33 EE e n ib setup B Tools Mops GJ Stock Es E 5 8 Turn Part Cylinder Stock g OD Roughing EEE EJ g OD Finishing D ote cowl Turn Groove Roughing 1 fmi _ Ce t ES o 9 o 9 r1 CURRENT TOOL INFORMATION soto 214 Creating the Groove Finishing Toolpath Next we will create a Groove finishing toolpath to finish the groove feature on the part S To create the Groove Finishing operation 1 Return to the Mops tab 2 Select the Groove Insert tool 3 Select Turning Groove Finishing 4 Set the Approach type to Outer Diameter Stock to 0 119 Getting Started with VisualTurn Turn Groove Finishing Global Parameters Finishing Parameters EntryE xit Approach e mayen Global Parameters Tolerance 0 001 Stock 0 Compensation None 5 Specify a containment region by setting Cut Containment Check at Start End Points Select the containment as shown below Note Green Indicates start point and Red indicated end point 6 Leave remaining parameters in the other tabs as they are and click Generate located at the bottom of the window Groove finishing toolpath will appear once the computation is complete If the toolpath is not displayed make sure Hide Toolpath is not selected Display Toolpath 7 Switch to the stock tab select Turn Groove Finishing and click gt to Simulate 120 Version 1 0 Creating t
10. File Open or click the Open Part File icon from the Standard bar Select the Tutorial 2 vtp file from the Tutorials Note To turn on Grid Display click on Display Grid from the View bar 88 Version 1 0 amp Tutorial 2 vtp MecSoft Turn 1 0 10 x File Edit view Measure Stock Tool Feeds Speeds Turning Hole Making Post Process Reports Preferences Utilities Help OD f e cx Oh c Defaut Ee Select t EIEC qeometny mmi C Browser X X ER e LIA TH y o9 D ais Setup Tools Mops p Stock Fo nm a 1 amp Setup Bee RS Surfaces Meshes B Curves T 2 Stock NN Pt tt ttt tee te tt tt fe Pit tt tt o PEt tt ttt l le CURRENT TOOL INFORMATION E 2 Use the point select tool from the geometry bar to create a point at 0 and Z 13 Point coordinates can also be specified using the command bar as 0 0 13 X Y Z 3 The point created is as shown below 89 Getting Started with VisualTurn Pit Putt LLL LL HL La LLL LL LL LL LE LLLL LE IL LL LL LI LLLLL End 4 Click Create Load Stock from the Setup tab of the Browser and select Part Cylinder Stock Part Bound Turn Cylinder Stock x Radial Offset T He Axial Offset 5 Set Axial and Radial offset to 0 6 The stock model is created To display the stock click the Stock tab of the Browser The stock is
11. Lithography both ASCII and binary format files Surfaces can be imported from IGES or Rhino 3DM Faceted triangulated models can be imported from VRML Raw Triangle DXF DWG facet data or Rhino Mesh Non faceted geometry once imported is immediately converted and stored as triangulated data Imported geometry is stored internally as a VisualTurn part file This allows for much faster part loading time S To load a part 1 Select File Open or click the Open Part File icon from the Standard bar 2 From the Open dialog box select the Tutorial 1 vtp file from the Tutorials folder in the VisualTurn installation folder The imported part appears as shown below 55 Getting Started with VisualTurn Tutorial 1 vtp MecSoft Turn 1 0 E mi File Edit View Measure Stock Tool Feeds Speeds Turning Hole Making Post Process Reports Preferences Utilities Help car ed 5 0 9 Ele CI Select geomet Ex 9 Py _ gg Browser a DR Eh a amp v Setup Tools Mops Stock p Ef setup _ Ej s Surfaces Meshes a CURRENT TOOL INFORMATION TOL INFORMATION e VisualTurn also allows you e Create 2D profiles using the CAD features e Import 3D CAD files in standard format However these 3D files have to be sliced to reduce them to 2D profiles Note Refer to our CAD section for help on creating 2D pro
12. Model Setup Stock represents the raw stock from which the part will be manufactured Stock geometry can either be created within VisualTurn or imported from an external file Stock can also be created within VisualTurn by entering the length and radius of the cylindrical stock or as the bounding cylinder of the part You can also define stock as an offset both in the radial and axial direction of the part geometry to simulate casting or forging raw stock model Note Stock can be created only after part geometry is created or loaded in VisualTurn You must define a stock model before creating Turn Roughing and Groove Roughing operations All other operations can be created without first creating a stock model To create stock models select Create Load Stock from the Setup tab to select the stock type This tool is also available on the Stock tab of the Browser er Create Load Stack 1 65 Surfaces Meshes 9 Meshi Cylinder Stack a Curves Part Cylinder Stack Turn Cylinder Stock y Part Offset Stock Revolve Stock Import Stock The various types of stock models that can be created in VisualTurn are described below Cylinder Stock In this type of Stock model user can specify the Radius Outer and Inner and Length Major and Minor for the stock Turn Cylinder Stock X 26 Version 1 0 Part Cylinder Stock Here a cylinder that encompasses the part completely in the Z and the X axis
13. OFF 4 Set the Approach type to Outer Diameter and Stock to 0 80 Version 1 0 Turn Finishing X Global Parameters Finish Parameters Entry E xit Approach Type Global Parameters Tolerance 0001 B Stack 0 E Compensation Hane 5 With the default set of values in the Global and Finish Parameters click Generate 6 Rename this operation OD Finishing S To simulate the outer diameter finishing toolpath 1 Switch to the Stock tab Select OD Finishing Mox 3E 2 Click to Simulate 81 Getting Started with VisualTurn Creating Face Finish Toolpath A finish toolpath can be created to remove the steps left by the roughing process and to bring the stock equal to the part In this exercise will use the Finishing method To Create the Face Finishing Toolpath 1 Return to the Mops Tab 2 With the Finish Tool selected under Machining Methods Select Turning Finishing 3 Set the Approach Type to Front Facing and Stock to 0 82 Version 1 0 Turn Finishing Global Parameters Finish Parameters xit Approach 7 sete a Global Parameters Tolerance 10 001 Stack jo a Compensation None 4 As we have created finishing operation on outer diameter of geometry only the front face remains we will specify a containment region by setting Cut Containment Check at Start and End Points Cut Containment
14. Region Resolves the 2D profile into First quadrant of the lathe coordinate system X and Z axes a Create Load Stock Create load a stock material from the list of stock types l CAM Preferences Set up Machining and Color Preferences P CAM Utilities Access to Post Processor Generator DNC to Machine G Code Editor and MCU 131 Getting Started with VisualTurn Tools Tab Toolbar This tab lists all tools currently defined in the file If you have created machining operations the toolpath will appear in the Tools tab underneath the tool it uses You can rename and delete tools but you cannot delete a tool that is used in a toolpath Double click a tool icon to edit its parameters B Create Turn Drill Tool Launches the Tool Creating dialog to create Turn Drill tools amp Load Tool Library Load tools from External Library 82 Tools Info Lists information on all tools Save Tool Library Save current tools to library Mops Tab Toolbar Mops stands for Machining Operations All toolpaths you create are listed here in order of creation Within each toolpath folder you can edit its various components such as tool regions or cut parameters by double clicking the relevant icon Right clicking on a toolpath name provides several options including simulation generation and post processing If you make any changes to a toolpath s parameters the yellow folder icon for that toolpath will turn red This indicates that the tool
15. This is ten grid lines away or you can look at the cursor location indicator at the lower right corner 49 Getting Started with VisualTurn _ LLLI 3 Hide the grid and all coordinate systems and you should be able to see the point clearly S To create a part profile Region 1 Set to the Top View 2 Draw a 2D profile of the part using the CAD tools available from the geometry bar to the right of your screen a For Example Switch to the Lines category and select Polyline ZUS nR Ad o Foints Linez Arcs b While the Polyline mode is active start with the origin and choose the points of the part profile in succession This would start building the part profile Right Click to indicate the end of the polyline Version 1 0 c You may use a combination of lines polylines and arcs to create geometry 3 Make sure the 2D profile be closed touches X and Z axes in the First Quadrant of the lathe coordinate system 4 Use the chain join tool from the edit curves tab on the Geometry toolbar to join 2 or more lines curves surfaces Edit Curves Curves Arcs Nes Points Oe ere 5 The part is now ready for programming pk Pp Example of a 2D profile created in VisualTurn 6 The above 2D profile can be selected as a region for creating turning operations 7 Region for Hole Machining Operations a A point region to indicate the starting location of
16. Turn Park Cylinder Stock ERE Standard Dri n dard Dril DP Eq 4 Drag Bore t E gm ID Roughing 3 a _ fn t E B i ES 8 9 D E EoreTooli 1 750 0 000 aoto 520 Note You can also try clicking Step simulation to view a set number of tool motions at one time Tips You can change the color of the stock and cut stock by selecting Preferences Color Preferences and clicking the color box for Cut Stock Color The toolpath now has a simulation complete icon next to its name in the Stock tab Creating the Inner Diameter Finishing Toolpath Once the roughing toolpath is generated a finish toolpath can be created to remove the steps left by the roughing process and to bring the stock equal to the part In this exercise will use the Finishing method S To create the Inner Diameter Finishing toolpath 1 Return to the Mops tab 106 Version 1 0 2 Activate the Finish Tool Create Select Turn Tool A Tools In Librar Maternal HSS ID Rough ini a Mame JID Finish ID Finish Testa ool Number 3 55 a TANIE ma Tool Offset Register fo E Cutcom Register fo E 0125 c Coolant Hone Thickness Comments Relief Angle 20 Lead Angle is Onentation C OD Forward C OD Backward ID Forward C ID Backward Select Tool Save as New Save Edits Delete Close Help 3 Select Turning Finishing amp setup B tools Mops
17. User Interface VisualTurn adheres to the Windows standard for user interface design All functions can be accessed from the menus and common functions are accessible via toolbar icons Most user interface settings are modal VisualTurn remembers these settings and they remain active in subsequent operations unless you change them The main VisualTurn user interface objects are described below Standard Bar File load save layer and Command Window Enter values selection control and more manually or displays calculated values 1D x Turning Hole Making Post Process Reports Preferences Tutorial 1Completed vtp 1 MecSoft VisualTurn 1 0 Evaluation Copy Nile Edit View Measure Stock K Base Tool Feeds Sp eds ilities Help m X Ha a ca cx BR NE Defa ug 7 Select geometr nimi HH Geometry Bar Create edit points curves and surfaces S ul wn F aa fis Setup Tools G Mops stock g m Turn Cylinder Stock OD Roughing gq OD Finishing Pen Face Finishing Measurement Bar Measures dimensions z Curves wser Displays geometry machining operations tools and stock removal simulation g eeo 10eesgmgJonoso Edit Curves Finish Tool 0 010 55 000 EH EA View Bar Zoom pan rotate standard Status Bar Displays current function or views display hide funct
18. VisualTurn1 0 entry 130 Version 1 0 Appendix III Description of the Browser toolbar buttons This appendix provides a short description of each of the toolbar buttons in the browser window Setup Tab Toolbar The Setup manager displays the three types of geometry that can be created and manipulated in VisualTurn Surfaces Meshes Curves and Stock The first icon represents the Part For an imported part the full path is indicated If the part consists of surfaces each surface is represented as a Mesh You can click on each mesh name to highlight its corresponding surface Curves in the model are regions used to define machining boundaries If you have created machining operations the toolpath for the respective curve will appear underneath it Lastly the Stock icon indicates the type of stock You can double click or right click to create a different type of stock or delete the stock or export it to an stl file A red star next to this icon indicates that the work in progress stock model corresponding to this operation needs to be created Machine Setup Define the machine tool by specifying its tool change position and travel limits Set Post Options Set the path for the post processor files and program to be used for displaying the posted file ae AI Convert XY to ZX Convert part geometry from normal XY to ZX lathe coordinate system Slice a 3D Part Use this to create a 2D profile of the 3D geometry Resolve Part
19. bar stock All the turning operations as mentioned above except Part Off can be carried on the Outer Diameter Inner Diameter or the Front Face of the work piece Hole Making Operations Hole making operations in a 2 axis turning machine are always performed axially That is only holes that are aligned with the rotation axis of the part and also on the front face of the part can be created An example of an axial hole is shown below The part is chucked on the lathe as usual and the hole making tool is moved along the axis of rotation to create the hold 20 Version 1 0 The various types of hole making operations available in VisualTurn are described below Drilling The following drill cycles are available Standard Used for holes whose depth is less than three times the tool diameter Deep Used for holes whose depth is greater than three times the tool diameter especially when chips are difficult to remove The tool retracts completely to clean out all chips Counter Sink Cuts an angular opening at the end of the hole Break Chip Similar to Deep drilling but the tool retracts by a set clearance distance n Tapping A Tap cycle is used to drill threaded holes in the part clockwise or counter clockwise ein Boring A Bore cycle is used to form shapes inside a hole The following boring cycles are available Drag The tool is fed to the specified depth at the controlled feed rate Then the spindle is stop
20. field displays the current command and any prompts or help information associated with this command If you place the cursor over an icon its description will appear here The next field indicates the active tool if any The name of the tool followed by the diameter and corner radius 1s displayed The next field indicates the progression of toolpath simulation Goto displaying the number of the motion being simulated When the simulation 1s complete the last motion number will be displayed The icon fields are snaps that can be toggled on and off Grid Snap snaps to grid points t Ortho Snap constrains lines to be horizontal or vertical d Origin Point Snap snaps to the origin End Point Snap Mid Point Snap Center Point Snap Intersection Point Snap 137 Getting Started with VisualTurn Quad Point Snap snaps to 0 90 180 and 270 degree points of circles and arcs The second to last field displays the work units inches or mm The last field shows the current location of the cursor as X Y Z coordinates These values update as the cursor moves Geometry Bar Geometry bar comprises of 6 tool tabs each of which 1s described below Each tool in the first four categories Points Lines Arcs and Curves is described below Toolbars are shown rotated 90 degrees Points SUTaces Edit Curves Curves Arcs Lines P Points n 2 oo nnn goo a n Ogn nn n m El Point
21. geometry 3 Now select the 2D profile and click ER Resolve Part Region This resolves the 2D profile in the First Quadrant of the lathe coordinate system Positive X and Z axis 110 Version 1 0 You may now save the file and start creating VisualTurn machining operations 4 Stock Part Cylinder Stock or click Create Load Stock from the Setup tab of the Browser and select Part Cylinder Stock 5 Set Axial and Radial offset to 0 Part Bound Turn Cylinder Stock X Radial Offset m He Axial Offset S Select the tool to create the operation 1 Select Tool Create Select Turn Tool or click the Create Select Turn Tool icon on the Tools tab of the Browser 111 Getting Started with VisualTurn B 9 stock Create Select Drill Tool 2 Create the tools with the following parameters a Diamond Insert Name OD Rough Inscribed Circle 0 25 Tip Radius 0 01 Orientation OD Forward b Groove Insert Name Groove Insert Total Length 1 5 Length 1 25 Tip Radius 0 0625 Program Point Left c Thread Insert Name Thread Insert Length 0 5 Tip Radius 0 Nose Angle 60 deg Width 0 26 Thickness 0 125 d Part off Insert Name Part off Insert Length 2 Width 0 125 Thickness 0 125 Click save as new tool when you create a new tool 3 Now that all the tools have been created click close to exit the create select tool dialog The tools tab should list the create
22. indicate any areas of uncut or over cut material EJ Create Load Stock As you ve already seen this tool is used to create various types of stock material Generally a stock is created automatically depending on the type of toolpath you create but you can always change the stock gt Simulate The simulation will be run for the entire toolpath and the end result of the material removal will be displayed Pauses Stops the simulation Step The simulation will be performed for a specified number of toolpath motions To set the step value open the Simulation Preferences the last icon on the toolbar and adjust the Maximum Display Interval Step Z Levels Shows the resultant stock after each Z level This feature is disabled in VisualTurn gt gt Simulate to End Jumps to the end of the simulation Rewind Jumps to the start of the simulation amp Compare Part Stock Performs a visual comparison of the stock material against the part model You can color code areas based on the amount of material remaining or overcut Simulation Settings Opens the Simulation Preferences in which you can set various properties of the simulation and display 133 Getting Started with VisualTurn Appendix IV Description of other toolbar buttons This appendix provides a short description of each of the buttons found in various toolbars of VisualTurn other than the ones in the browser For the description of the latter please r
23. nitryE sit Approach Type Global Parameters Tolerance 0001 B Stock Compensation None 5 User must specify a containment region by setting Cut Containment Check at Start and End Points Select the containment as shown below 6 In the Roughing tab set the Cut Direction to Bi Directional and leave remaining parameters in the other tabs as they are and click Generate located at the bottom of the window 117 Getting Started with VisualTurn Turn Groove Roughing X Global Parameters Houghing Entry E xit Cut Direction Bi Directional Top OF Cut Overlap f Use Stock Model C Specify 144436 zl nl Distance 0 0625 Step ver Total Cut Width 4 Ll Step Cut X Tool Diameter Distance 8 T Number of Steps 2 Step Down First Plunge Depth 0 125 Next Plunge Depth 0 125 Cancel Save Help The window will disappear and an hourglass cursor will appear on the screen When the computation 1s complete the groove roughing toolpath will appear 7 Switch to the stock tab select Turn Groove Roughing and click gt to Simulate 118 Version 1 0 Tutarial 3Lompleted vtp MecSoft Turn 1 0 oj x File Edit view Measure Stock Tool Feeds 5peeds Turning Hole Making Post Process Reports Preferences Utilities Help DH hg k 74 i m Default Ey a el 7 Select geometry ES a bm MH
24. of the stock and cut stock by selecting Preferences Color Preferences and clicking the color box for Cut Stock Color The toolpath now has a simulation complete icon next to its name in the Stock tab X HM X b 44 35 ET ll setup Ej Tools Oops 2 Stock gd Turn Cylinder Stock Qq4 OD Roughing Creating the Outer Diameter Finishing Toolpath Once the roughing toolpath is generated a finish toolpath can be created to remove the steps left by the roughing process and to bring the stock equal to the part In this exercise will use the Finishing method ES To create the Outer Diameter Finishing toolpath 1 Return to the Mops tab 2 Activate the Finish Tool by clicking on the create Turn Drill tool from the Mops tab 79 Getting Started with VisualTurn Create Select Turn Tool Tools In Librar Maternal HSS Rough Tool Finish Tool Finish T aal Too Tool Number 1 EX Hh Tip Angle Tool Offset Register fo Cutcom Register fo E 0125 c Coolant Hone Thickness zd Comments Relief Angle 20 Lead Angle is Onentation f OD Forward C OD Backward C ID Forward C ID Backward Select Tool Save as Hew Save Edits Delete Close Help 3 Select Turning Finishing Machine Setup Hole Making ed Machining Operations Fi Groove Roughing Sek MCS Groove Finishing m L3 OD Roughing Follow Curve Threading Parting
25. post process all of the toolpaths at once 1 In the Mops tab right click on the root folder Machining Operations to open the popup menu Select Post All 2 Browse to the desired output directory and assign a file name for the output The default extension is nc Then double click on the post processor you want to use such as Fanuc 1 End of Tutorial 2 109 Getting Started with VisualTurn Tutorial 3 Grooving Threading and Part off In this tutorial you learn to create Groove roughing finishing and parting off operations The stepped instructions are accompanied by explanatory and introductory text Reading this text will help you understand the tutorial methodology and provide information about additional options available However if you prefer to work straight through the steps without any additional reading look for the following symbol Don t forget to save your work periodically You may want to save the file under a different name so that the original file will be preserved Creating the OD Roughing Toolpath We will first create a OD roughing operation to remove most of the material from the stock S Steps for creating the OD Roughing toolpath 1 Select File Open or click the Open Part File icon from the Standard bar Select the Tutorial 3 vtp file from the Tutorials folder 2 From the setup tab click on the Slice 3D Part on the Setup bar of the Browser This generates a 2D profile of the 3D
26. tab 2 Click on the Set MCS icon in the Mops tab of the Browser Bar or Double Click on the Set MCS under Machining Operations EJ Machine Setup B Machining Operations 92 Version 1 0 3 For this example set the MCS origin to the Stock Box and Zero Face to Right Most face of the part Click OK 4 Click on Create Select Drill tool and select the Drill tool 5 We will leave the feeds and speeds with the default settings Clearance Plane is set to automatic by default 6 From Select regions use single select to select the point that was created for the drilling operation 7 Select Hole Making under machining methods and choose Drilling 8 Set the drill type to standard and drill depth to 5 and leave the rest with default set of values and click Generate The toolpath is now generated 93 Getting Started with VisualTurn Turn Drilling Cut Parameters Engage Retract Drill Types Standard Global Parameters Drill Depth Add Tool tip to Drill Depth D well v Off Time 6 sec C Rev 2 H ipm Optional Parameters verme sl Counter Sink Dia E Step Increment 01 Cancel Save Help 9 Switch to the stock tab select the Standard Drill operation and click gt to simulate S To create a boring operation 94 1 Switch to the Mops tab 2 Click on Create Select Drill tool and create a bore tool with the following parameters Diameter of 1 75
27. this operation we will not be using a containment Rectangle Cut Containment Select Containment Rectangle Comer 1 lt Comer 4 a 0 k xi Comers Comers 2 fe 8 In the Roughing Parameters tab set the Cut Pattern to Linear uncheck Final Cleanup Pass and set Depth per Cut to 0 1 73 Getting Started with VisualTurn Turn Roughing Global Parameters Turm Roughing Entry Esit Cut Pattern Linear Cuts C Offset Cuts Cut Pattern Cut Direction ZigZag Positive Negative Final Cleanup Pass Top Of Cut f Use Stock Model Specify 15 Depth per Cut Distance Depth of Cut Cut Depth ES iin C MumaofPasses 1 Cancel Save Help 9 Leave the remaining parameters in the other tabs as they are and click Generate located at the bottom of the window The window will disappear and an hourglass cursor will appear on the screen When the computation is complete the roughing toolpath will appear Note See reference section for help on setting up Entry Exit parameters 74 Version 1 0 amp Tutorial 1 tp MecSoft Turn 1 0 Ioj File Edt View Measure Stock Tool Feeds Speeds Turning Hole Making Post Process Reports Preferences Utilities Help leh te 3 xc Ca XE Defaut ge 0 Select geomet 23 g Py ES Q Q Q e Browser EJ Machine Setup er Mach
28. tool with a relatively large nose radius These rough operations can be followed by subsequent roughing operations either using the same tool or a smaller tool Final finishing of the part can then be performed by using one or more Finishing operations Finishing operations typically use tools with smaller nose radius so as to obtain a better surface finish and tighter tolerance levels Depending on the geometry of the part and or machining operations desired Groove Roughing Groove Finishing Follow Curve Threading and the Hole Making operations can be considered After completing all the machining operations the final part 1s cut off from the rest of the bar stock by using the Part Off operation Once all of the operations are completed you can go back and review the operation sequence re order and or change operations if desired simulate the material removal and post process the toolpaths The Browser can be used to manage these operations Programming Workflow Once the part is loaded the typical workflow is reflected in the layout of the tabs and toolbars of the Browser window The workflow is designed to allow the user to work starting from the left most tab and ending at the right most tab Additionally each of the functions in each of the toolbars corresponding to each tab is also best accessed in order from left to right Thus the user typically would start with the Setup tab and access each of the buttons optionally in the t
29. 2 ok T jx Program Point Left Center Right K Thread Insert Cut Off Insert part off Selecting the Drill tool brings up the dialog shown below Again use the toolbar at the top of the tools dialog to select the desired tool type Create Select Drill Tool E x Mame Dri colt Maternal H55 Tool Number Adjust Register Cutcom Register Coolant Mane Comments Select Tool Save as New Save Edits Delete Close Help 37 Getting Started with VisualTurn The supported drill tools include Mame Dioon 7 ES Diameter Tip Angle IH Tool Diameter 0 5 Standard Drill Mame i j W Holder Diameter W 4 Tool Diameter Reamer Tool 38 Name Cantari Holder Diameter H Holder Length 5 a 25 Flute x Li ve Tool fa np Lenath NE l Taper Angle Te Langth Ma 0 25 120702 Tip Dia Tip Angle 23 Tool Diameter 05 Center Drill Tool Hare apT Holder Diameter H P B E H p Tap Tool Version 1 0 Name Bere T ool Name ora T ool f 4 2 W Holder Diameter W W Holder Diameter H s ticis m Holder Length fF Length al is 025 Shank 025 Shank e 2 Dia Dia Tool 4 1 25 Lenath Length Flute 25 af F
30. B Machining Operations Set MECS 6 This gives the user different options to set the machine zero The user can set the zero to the left right face of the part stock box or pick the point directly 7 For this example set the MCS origin to the Stock Box and Zero Face to Right Most face of the stock Click OK 66 Version 1 0 Selecting the Tool for Roughing Operation 1 Under the Mops tab click on Create Select Turn tool Browser Create Turn Drill Tool 67 Getting Started with VisualTurn 2 From the tool select dialog pick the Rough tool and click select tool This will make the Rough tool as the active tool and shows up in the status bar at the bottom of the screen Create Select Turn Tool 2008 Tools In Librar Maternal HSS Rough Tool Rough Tool Finish Tool oah Tool Tool Number 2 zx Inscribed Circle Tip Angle 55 ES d Tool Offset Register fo 8 da Cutcom Register 0 E a Coolant None 7 Thickness 0125 Ip Radius Comments Relief Angle 20 Lead Angle Onentation f OD Forward C OD Backward C ID Forward C ID Backward Select Tool S Setting Feeds and Speeds You can set toolpath feeds and speeds and customize these settings for later use To set the feeds and speeds click on Set Feeds Speeds on the Mops tab This launches the Feeds Speeds dialog Considering the Stock material as Aluminum and the Tool material to be HS
31. Creates a point by selecting it on screen or entering its coordinates Points are used as references for other region tools Mid Point To create a point at the midpoint of a line click this icon and select the endpoints of the line Center Point To create a point at the center of a circle click this icon and then select three points of the circle H Point Grid Specify the number of spaces between points in U and V then select the opposite corners of the grid Bolt Circle Creates a circular array of points Points on Curve Creates a specified number of points evenly spaced along a selected line or curve Lines Surfaces Edit Curves Curves Arcs Lines Points ALO OD gt Line Segment Creates a line by selecting two points 138 Version 1 0 Polygon Polyline Select the vertices of the polygon If you want to close the region move the cursor close to the start point of the region and select it Right click to finish Rectangle Creates a rectangle by selecting its opposite corners Rounded Rectangle Creates a filleted rectangle first select the opposite point then set the rounding radius Line at Angle Creates a line at a set angle from a specified baseline Line from Mid Point Creates a line that extends the same distance on either side of a selected point Tangent Line Creates a line tangent to a curve or collinear to an existing line Normal Line Creates a line perpendicular to a cu
32. ECSOFT CORPORATION AND ITS SUPPLIERS MAKE NO WARRANTIES EXPRESS OR IMPLIED AS TO THE NON INFRINGEMENT OF THIRD PARTY RIGHTS MECHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE IN NO EVENT WILL MECSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ANY CONSEQUENTIAL INCIDENTAL OR SPECIAL DAMAGES INCLUDING ANY LOST PROFITS OR LOST SAVINGS EVEN IF A MECSOFT CORPORATION REPRESENTATIVE Getting Started with VisualTurn HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBLITY OF SUCH DAMAGES OR FOR ANY CLAIM BY ANY THIRD PARTY Some states or jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental consequential or special damages or the exclusion of implied warranties or limitations on how long an implied warranty may last so the above limitations may not apply to you To the extent permissible any implied warranties are limited to thirty 30 days This warranty gives you specific legal rights You may have other rights which vary from state to state or jurisdiction to jurisdiction For further warranty information please contact MecSoft Corporation s Customer Support 5 GOVERNING LAW AND GOVERNING PROVISIONS This Agreement will be governed by the laws in force in the State of California excluding the application of its conflicts of law rules This Agreement will not be governed by the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods the application of which is expressly excluded If any part of this Agreement is fou
33. Edit View Measure Stock Tool Feeds Speeds Turning Hole Making Post Process Reports Preferences Utilities Help D E X Bs Blea QE Xm Ele e Select geomet E 9 Py FE nnn 9 x dg alk Setup B Tools Mops Gau Stock ng g Turn Park Cylinder Stock g OD Roughing EEE EJ gP OD Finishing EE gH Turn Groove Roughing Aq og Turn Groove Finishing P E 57 og Turn Threading soul Turn Parting Off 9 T EX bal AE P y J Part OFF Inserk D 125 2 O06 Goto 5 F S To create the post processed output In this exercise we will post process all of the toolpaths at once 3 In the Mops tab right click on the root folder Machining Operations to open the popup menu Select Post All Browse to the desired output directory and assign a file name for the output The default extension is nc Then double click on the post processor you want to use such as Fanuc 1 End of Tutorial 3 125 Getting Started with VisualTurn Where to go for more help In addition to the features described in this guide VisualTurn has many more features designed to make it easier for you to create toolpaths and G code VisualTurn s complete on line help provides reference information for each of VisualTurn s features and functions If you need additional help or if you have any questions regarding VisualTurn first try the FAQ section on our web sit
34. Flute length 5 5 Tool length 6 5 Shank Dia 1 75 Holder Diameter 2 3 From Select regions use Single select the select the point that was used for the drilling operation 4 Select Hole Making under machining methods and choose Boring 5 Set the bore type to drag and drill depth to 5 75 and leave the rest with default set of values and click generate The toolpath is now generated Turn Boring Cut Parameters EngageRetract Global Parameters Drill Depth E Dwell Off Approach Distance Optional Parameters Tool Orientation Cancel Save Help 6 Switch to the stock tab select the Drag Bore operation and click gt to Simulate Version 1 0 95 Getting Started with VisualTurn Tutorial 2 tp MecSoft Turn 1 0 m x File Edit view Measure Stock Tool Feeds speeds Turning Hole Making Fost Process Reports Preferences Utilities Help coh te ac ca c4 h E Xm Cefaut ZI select _ a _ Q e Si nin zi B o Tools Le Mops E Stock ao Turn Park Cylinder Stack Pee gH Standard Drill ud T Drag Bare BoreTooll BoreTooll 1 750 0 000 750 0 000 The simulation settings are set to 3 quarter view Creating the Inner Diameter Roughing Toolpath Once the boring toolpath is generated a rough toolpath can be created to remove more material to bring the shape closer to net shap
35. Getting Started with VisualTurn Version 1 0 VisualTurn MecSoft Corporation Version 1 0 End User Software License Agreement This MecSoft Corporation s VisualTurn End User Software License Agreement that accompanies the VisualTurn TM software product Software and related documentation Documentation The term Software shall also include any upgrades modified versions or updates of the Software licensed to you by MecSoft MecSoft Corporation grants to you a nonexclusive license to use the Software and Documentation provided that you agree to the following 1 USE OF THE SOFTWARE You may install the copy on multiple computers You may not have more than the legally purchased number of licenses of Software running concurrently at one time 2 COPYRIGHT The Software is owned by MecSoft Corporation and its suppliers The Software s structure organization and code are the valuable trade secrets of MecSoft Corporation and its suppliers The Software is also protected by United States Copyright Law and International Treaty provisions You must treat the Software just as you would any other copyrighted material such as a book You may not copy the Software or the Documentation except as set forth in the Use of the Software section Any copies that you are permitted to make pursuant to this Agreement must contain the same copyright and other proprietary notices that appear on or in the Software You agree not to mod
36. S for the above example 68 Version 1 0 Bs Setup A Tools d Set Feeds Speeds 21 23 Machining Operations Set MES Set Turning Feeds Speeds X Spindle Speed Constant Surface Speed C55 Spindle Speed 5 220 RFH Max Spindle Speed 250 RPM Tool Motion Feed Hates IPR C IPM Plunge Feed Ff 0018 E in rev Approach Feed Af 0018 ES Inte Engage Feed EF 0 02 In Te Cut Feed ET 0 02 iney Retract Feed RI 0 025 A dev Departure Feed Df 0 025 E Inl rev Transfer Feedrate Tf Use Rapid C Set es Once you have set the Speeds and Feeds click OK to continue These feeds and speeds will be used during the post processing of the toolpath 69 Getting Started with VisualTurn Creating the Outer Diameter Roughing Toolpath In this type of toolpath VisualTurn uses stock geometry and part geometry to determine the machining region The safe machining region is the region in which the tool can safely traverse removing stock Once this machining region is determined a tool traversal pattern such as a zigzag or offset machining cut pattern can then be applied to remove stock Regions are curves that already exist in the model or curves you create within VisualTurn In the Setup tab of the Browser you will see that one region already exists in this file S Setting Clearance Plane The clearance plane is a plane from which the approach motions start and r
37. T 2000 ME or XP with at least 256 MB RAM OpenGL compatible graphics card displaying at least 64 000 colors Approximately 50 MB of hard disk space Getting Started with VisualTurn Installing VisualTurn To install VisualTurn software follow these instructions 1 Insert the CD ROM into the CD ROM drive 2 The setup program will automatically launch once the computer detects the CD 3 If the program is not automatically launched browse the CD using the Windows Explorer program and double click on the Launch program found in the CD This will launch the screen shown below INSTALL DRIVERS INSTALL VISUALTUBIN INSTALL XPERT Di Step 1 Install Drivers Required VisualTurn ships with a hardware security device called the security key or dongle This is either 25 pin connector that connects to the parallel port of your computer or a USB key that plugs into any USB port on your computer You will have to install the drivers to allow VisualTurn to communicate with this security device as the first step Click on the Install Drivers button on the installation screen and follow instructions to install the drivers Version 1 0 rS Li x EY Sp MEN gt EF d oy USB Port Security Key Parallel Port Security Key Note Plug the hardware key into your computer only after you complete installation of all software Once you have installed the drivers you can attach the key to your
38. at the reference point of the lathe machine Its color can be set in the Color Preferences If you are unable to see the stock make sure the Hide Stock toggle icon in the View bar is turned off Version 1 0 Setting up the Machine Coordinate System Before we start machining the machine co ordinate system has to be set This allows us to define the program zero with respect to which the tool paths are calculated and output The program zero is variously called work datum program reference point and work zero etc This point defines the coordinate origin of the program All program points output to the machine tool are described with respect to this point In typical shop floor practice this program zero point is set at a position such that the X coordinate of this point is on the axis of rotation and the Z coordinate of this point is flush with the right most face of the work piece or stock VisualTurn allows the user to specify this program zero point conveniently by using a dialog To set the program zero or to set the MCS follow these steps 1 Click on the Set MCS icon in the Mops tab of the Browser Bar or Double Click on the Set MCS under Machining Operations Browser x ll Setup Ej Tools 2 Stock EJ Machine Setup B Machining Operations Set MECS 2 This gives the user different options to set the machine zero The user can set the zero to the left right face of the part stock box or pick the point direc
39. can be created The user can additionally specify a Radial Offset and or Axial Offset for the stock Part Bound Turn Cylinder Stock X coed Part Offset Stock User needs to select a 2D part region before creating a Part Offset Stock User can then specify offset value to create the stock model The part region will be revolved around the Z axis after an uniform offset applied to the region 2D Part Region Part Offset Stock x coed 27 Getting Started with VisualTurn 28 Revolve Stock User needs to select a 2D profile before creating a Revolve stock The above curve is used to create a revolve stock for this example 2D Profile Import Stock User can import STL solid models ASCII and binary for stock geometry Surfaces can be imported from IGES or Rhino 3DM Faceted triangulated models can be imported from VRML Raw Triangle DXF DWG facet data or Rhino Mesh Note that in order for the import stock to work correctly it needs to be a water tight model Gaps between faces of the model will result in problems during the creation of the stock model Tip Stock is used for simulation and its display involves data intensive rendering This can slow down VisualTurn s performance Therefore we recommend turning off the stock display when not needed Stock Model Display The stock model is created and switches to the Stock tab of the Browser The stock 1s displayed as a cylinder positioned
40. ccecosceccecececcececcececcececescecscececeececeececesseceseecesuscess 119 CREATING THE THREADING TOOLPATH ccccceccscecccceccecececcecscececeececeececessecseececcscecescecssscesescuseecess 121 CREATING THE PARTING OFF TOOLPATH cccceccscccecceccecesccceccececsecescesceccscascesssceecescscescuscecuscaseeceecs 124 WHERE TO GO FOR MORE e o rao e bae sa oe aae eae 126 APPENDIX I NETWORK INSTALLATION OF VISUALTURN ee eee eee eee rne ere reo eoee 127 APPENDIX II TROUBLE SHOOTING VISUALTURN INSTALLATION 128 APPENDIX III DESCRIPTION OF THE BROWSER TOOLBAR BUTTONS 131 SETDD E 131 TAP TOOLE A 132 MOPS TAB TOOLBAR bd e bets cetera ica UP EUR Reker de 132 133 APPENDIX IV DESCRIPTION OF OTHER TOOLBAR BUTTONS 6 134 Ry 134 135 MEEASUBEMBPNT DAR a 136 SEXTUS IA xtate alU Us E ELI I mM LUE OMIM A MM PUE EIE 137 OEONBLIRY BAR S E en A NE LE mM en d 138 Version 1 0 Welcome to VisualTurn Welcome to VisualTurn and thank you for choosing one of most powerful and easy to use 2 Axis turn packages on the market today VisualT
41. computer e If you have a parallel port security key and if you have any other device such as a printer connected through the parallel port disconnect the device s and connect the VisualTurn security key to the port Then reattach the connector of the original device s on top of the security key the device s will continue to operate as before e Ifyou have a USB port key attach the key to any free USB port on your system Make sure that the VisualTurn hardware key is connected to the computer VisualTurn will not operate correctly if the security key is not connected to the computer Step 2 Install VisualTurn Required Once you have installed the hardware key drivers and attached the key to your computer you can install the VisualTurn product by clicking on the Install VisualTurn button on the main installation screen Follow the instructions to complete the installation The install program will install all the files necessary for the proper functioning of VisualTurn but also will make necessary registry modifications on your computer Note Make sure you have privileges to modify the system registry before you install VisualTurn Step 3 Install Other Products Optional Once you have installed VisualTurn you can optionally install MCU and or Xpert DNC These are two third party products that are included with VisualTurn e The MCU or Meta Cut Utilities product is a back plot viewer that allows the user of VisualTurn to view th
42. d tools as shown below lb Setup A Tools E Mops Stock Note You can double click on any tool to open its definition window This is an easy way to make changes if needed 112 Version 1 0 S Set the Machine Co ordinate System 1 Click on the Set MCS icon in the Mops tab of the Browser Bar or Double Click on the Set MCS under Machining Operations 2 For this example set the MCS origin to the Stock Box and Zero Face to Right Most face of the part Click OK 3 Under the Mops tab click on Create Select Turn tool and tool select dialog pick the OD Rough tool 4 We will leave the feeds and speeds with the default settings Clearance Plane is set to automatic by default To create the Outer Diameter Roughing toolpath 1 Once you have the tool selected and feeds and speeds set you now have to select the region 2D profile of the geometry 2 Goto Select Regions and use single select to select the 2D profile Current Selection Palyline 3 Select Turning Roughing or click the Machining icon on the Mops tab of the Browser and then select Roughing operation The Roughing window opens in which you can set parameters for the toolpath 4 In the Global Parameters tab set the Approach type to Outer Diameter the Stock value is set to 0 01 inches This value defines the thickness of the layer that will remain on the part after the 113 Getting Started with VisualTurn tool path is complete Roughing operatio
43. des the direction of feed and moving it along the X axis provides the depth of cut This is shown below VisualTurn Default View VisualTurn uses the Top view as the default view This top view is additionally setup to be aligned with the turning coordinate system That is the origin of the screen is located at the center of the screen and the Z axis goes from left to right and the X axis goes from bottom to top This display setup is not typical in design systems where the Top view is aligned with the XY axes of the world coordinate system This view setup is used in VisualTurn to allow the turning center programmer to work in turning center coordinates rather than in the XY coordinates of the design system It should be noted that this convention might sometimes be disorienting for users who are used to visualizing their design parts in the normal XY aligned display rather than the ZX aligned display Note VisualTurn s Top view is by default aligned with the ZX turning center coordinate system 22 Version 1 0 Part Geometry VisualTurn requires regions curves that define the part geometry Since all parts that can be created in a 2 Axis turning machine are solids of revolutions it is enough to describe the profile that needs to be revolved to create this shape The profile can be created in VisualTurn as a region or curve Furthermore VisualTurn places a further restriction that these part regions need to be constrained to lie only in
44. e 55 I OADINGCA 55 KENNEN 61 CREATING THE OUTER DIAMETER ROUGHING TOOLPATH ccscsceccececcececcscecescecccececsscecescecesescusuececs 70 SIMULATING THE OUTER DIAMETER ROUGHING TOOLPATH sccccccsceccccccecececcccccecsccesescsencseecsencess T1 Getting Started with VisualTurn CREATING THE OUTER DIAMETER FINISHING TOOLPATH ccsccccecececccccecececcecececscececcscscececescsenceseecs 79 CREATING FACE FINISH TOOEPA TH i iiie ecce tva oett e o xD DOR ente vae ples cote eva teles A ings 82 TUTORIAL 2 ID ROUGHING FINISHING AND DRILL ING 88 CRBATING THBAAXDAE HOL D DINI OR IL Tn ID a eae 88 CREATING THE INNER DIAMETER ROUGHING TOOLPATH ccscoccececececcecececececcececsceseccsescececesesesceseecs 96 CREATING THE INNER DIAMETER FINISHING TOOLPATH csceccececececcccececcccccececsceccececsessseecsenceeuecs 106 TUTORIAL 3 GROOVING THREADING AND PART 110 CREATING THE OD ROUGHING TOOLPATH cccscssccscecceccececccceccececceceecesceccecescestsceecescscaccuscesuscasceseess 110 CREATING THE OD FINISHING stets e ect ead edu eben ai alata lhl ule ode 115 CREATING THE GROOVE ROUGHING TOOLPATH cccsccecccscecceccscecceccecesceccscescecseceecescecaecuscecescasenseecs 116 CREATING THE GROOVE FINISHING TOOLPATH ccs
45. e S Steps for Creating ID Roughing Toolpath 1 Select Tool Create Select Turn Tool or click the Create Select Turn Tool icon on the Tools tab of the Browser 96 Version 1 0 Create Select Turn Tool Creake Seleck Drill Tool BoreTooli In the Select Create Turn Tool window click the Diamond tab Change the name to ID Rough Tool and Tip Radius to 0 1 Inscribe Circle to 0 25 Set the Orientation to ID Forward and choose the default values for other parameters and click Save as New While still in the Diamond insert tab create another tool by setting the tip radius to 0 01 inches as finishing 1s typically performed with a smaller radius tool Change the tool name to ID Finish Tool Make sure that the Orientation is set to ID Forward Click Save as New 97 Getting Started with VisualTurn Create Select Turn Tool a Tools In Librar Maternal HSS Melts E ius Tool Number J 25 Tip Angle Tool Offset Register jc m Cutcom Register m 0125 c Coolant Hone Thickness zd Comments Relief Angle 20 Lead Angle is Onentation C OD Forward C OD Backward ID Forward C ID Backward Select Tool Save as Mew Save Edits Delete Close Help 6 Click Close to close the window 7 Now that all tools have been created click the Tools tab in the Browser All the tools are listed ll Setup A Tools E Mops Stock 1 1 DrilToali ep BoreToolt
46. e www mecsoft com Most of the common issues that users face are cataloged here If you still have additional questions visit our Users Forum at our web site to learn from other VisualTurn users You can also contact us via e mail at support mecsoft com 126 Version 1 0 Appendix I Network Installation of VisualTurn If you have purchased a network license of VisualTurn please follow the steps outlined below for the proper installation of the network enabled hardware key 1 2 3 4 5 Install the VisualTurn software on the server machine as well as all the client machines connected to this server Install the dongle drivers on the server as well as all the client machines connected to this server Install Hardware Drivers should be on the VisualTurn CD If you do not find it download it from http www safenet inc com support tech sentinel asp and select Sentinel Super Pro Download and Run Sentinel Protection Installer v7 2 1 Install the Key server installation program RainbowServerlInstaller exe on the server You will find this in the VisualTurn install directory typically C Program Files MecSoft Corporation VisualTurn 1 0 Set an environment variable VMILL LICENSE HOST on each of the client machines to the servers IP Address This can be done as follows a Go to Start gt Control Panel gt System b From the System Properties dialog box that pops up select the Advanced tab c Click on the Environment Va
47. e Setup zr Machining Operations Seb MES 100 Clearance Control Version 1 0 2 By default the Clearance Distance is set too automatic Specify Turn Clearance Control P X lum ID Tum Face Clearance Plane Automatic Part Dist C Stock Max Dist i 5 sto ck T Clearance Plane Cancel Apply Help C Absolute Dist To create the Inner Diameter Roughing toolpath 1 Once you have the tool selected and feeds and speeds set you now have to select the region 2D profile of the geometry 2 Goto Select Regions and use single select to select the 2D profile Selected Regions oY Machine Setup ar Machining Operations Set MES 3 Select Turning Roughing or click the Machining icon on the Mops tab of the Browser and then select Turning Roughing 101 Getting Started with VisualTurn 58 Roughing Hole Making p Finishing D Groove Roughing Pn Groove Finishing EJ Machine Setup ae Machining Operations lip Set 5 J E Standard Drill 7 Drag Bore Follow Curve m Threading Dp Parting 4 The Roughing window opens in which you can set parameters for the toolpath 5 In the Global Parameters tab set the Approach type to Inner Diameter the Stock value to set to 0 01 inches This value defines the thickness of the layer that will remain on the part after the tool path 1s complete Roughing ope
48. e generated G code graphically This can be useful in making sure the posted output is correct before sending it to the machine tool e The Xpert DNC product is a single port DNC product is a communication program that allows you to send G code files via DNC or Direct Numerical Control from your computer to the controller of the machine tool Getting Started with VisualTurn Step 4 Registering VisualTurn Required Upon successful installation you can run the full VisualTurn version 50 times or for 30 days without registering the product After this period VisualTurn will not operate anymore VisualTurn needs to be registered with MecSoft and valid license codes obtained before it can become operable again To register VisualTurn launch the product Once VisualTurn is loaded and ready you will see the Enter License Codes dialog shown below You can alternatively access this dialog by selecting the Help option in the menu bar and choosing Register VisualTurn The Tries Left field indicates the number of times you can run VisualTurn before it starts operating in demo mode Enter License Codes Copyright 1998 2005 MecSoft Corporation License Type Registered Copy Dongle ID 10688636 7 101 1 4000027 0401 385 R Tries Left 0 Days Left Code 0 ES Network Licenses Lett Code 1 221 442179 Request License Codes Register Cancel Help Note This registration dialog can also be invoked from
49. e vertical approach motion and engage feed rate for the engage motion Turn Roughing E X Global Parameters Tum Roughing Entry Esit exit Approach Motion Length AL 0 25 Angle A Tangent C Angle Engage Motion Length EL 0 25 Angle EA C Tangent Angle 45 Cut Transfer f Skim Skin Clearance 5 0 0312 r Clearance Plane Clearance Plane Cancel Save Help The approach can be either Tangential or at an angle to the Engage motion This is followed by the engage motion that can be Tangential or at an angle 44 Version 1 0 Similarly the Exit motion consists of a Retract motion followed by a departure motion The retract motion can be either Tangential or at an angle The departure motion can be either Tangential or at an angle to the Retract motion Turn Roughing X Global Parameters Roughing Entry E si Entry E it Retract Motion Length AL 0 25 Angle RA Tangent Angle 45 Depart Motion Length BL 0 25 Angle LA Tangent C Angle EX Cut Transfer Clearance Plane f Skim Skim Clearance 5 0 0312 zs s C Clearance Plane Cancel Save Help The user can also control the transfer motions during cutting When the cutter has finished cutting in one region and needs to transfer to another region to begin cutting it can eith
50. ecting Post The Post Process icon on the Mops tab can also be used To post multiple toolpaths select each toolpath while keeping Ctrl pressed right click and select Post All End of Tutorial 1 87 Getting Started with VisualTurn Tutorial 2 ID Roughing Finishing and Drilling In this tutorial you learn to create Inner Diameter ID roughing finishing and drilling toolpaths The stepped instructions are accompanied by explanatory and introductory text Reading this text will help you understand the tutorial methodology and provide information about additional options available However if you prefer to work straight through the steps without any additional reading look for the following symbol S Don t forget to save your work periodically You may want to save the file under a different name so that the original file will be preserved This exercise will help you understand and use the drilling module in VisualTurn Under 2 axis turning holes can be drilled only along the Z axis in the center of the part The following types of drilling operations are available 1 Drill Standard Deep Break chip Counter Sink 2 Tap Clockwise Counter Clockwise 3 Bore Drag No Drag Manual 4 Reverse Bore Creating the Axial hole The first operation we will create is to make an axial hole in the center of the part so that we can employ ID tools to create the ID shape of the part S To create a drilling operation 1 Select
51. efer to previous chapter The Standard Bar Before beginning the first commands you should know are on the first few on the Standard Bar These commands are used to load and save files and can also be accessed from the File menu Se Default Ele ele New Creates a new file Open Loads part geometry into VisualTurn This geometry is typically imported from other CAD formats but can be created from within VisualTurn as well Save Saves the current file as a vtp file We recommend saving your work periodically to avoid losing data Cut Selection Removes the current Selection Selection Copies the current Selection Le Paste Selection Pastes the copied Selection Lu Undo Undo Previous Command ra Redo Previous Command Pastes the copied Selection al lt Command Recall Recalls Previous Command 9 Stop Stops the current operation Select Provides Selection choices See Select Regions for details LI Selection Mask Customize selection choices 134 Version 1 0 Layer Manager Controls Layer access and properties iai Layer Displays active layer Properties Properties of selected objects ical CPlane Change Construction plane orientation settings e CSYS Manager Coordinate System Manager MCS and WCS Help Topics Lists Help Topics View Bar The View bar is used for view and display manipulation By default it appear
52. er be instructed to move to the clearance plane and then perform the transfer motion to the next cut location or it could do a skim motion In the skim motion the system automatically determines the safe height by taking into consideration the condition of the regions and using this Skim Clearance S value specified as the height to perform the transfer motions 45 Getting Started with VisualTurn Post Processing Once a machining operation has been generated it can be post processed to a specific machine controller VisualTurn comes with a set of post processors to choose from Each post processor is represented by an spm file all of which are located in the Posts folder under the VisualTurn installation folder You can post process an individual toolpath or all toolpaths at once For an individual toolpath right click on its name in the Mops tab of the Browser and select Post You can also click the Post Process icon on the Mops tab of the Browser E Machine Setup 21 23 Machining Operations Mp Set MCS Oo OD Roughing H E OD Finishing Fa Face Finishing The entire list of toolpaths can be post processed by right clicking the root folder in the Mops tab and selecting Post All You can also output the toolpath in an APT standard Cutter Location CL file APT is a widely accepted Numerical Control Machine standard This CL file can then be used to create a machine specific post processed output through any of the many comme
53. etract motions end After retracting the tool moves rapidly along this plane to the position of the next engage This plane is typically a certain safe distance above the part geometry Clicking the Clearance Control button on the Mops tab sets clearance levels By default the Clearance Distance is set to automatic ll setup Ej Tools hin I Machine Setup e Machining Operations 8 Set MICS Specify Turn Clearance Control D X Tum OD Turm ID Turn Face Clearance Distance Automatic Part Max Dist C Stock Max Dist C Absolute Dist Cancel Apply Help 70 Version 1 0 S To create the Outer Diameter Roughing toolpath 1 Once you have the tool selected and feeds and speeds set you now have to select the region 2D profile of the geometry 2 Go to Select Regions and use single select to select the 2D profile Selected Regions xj 25 J Machine Setup zi Machining Operations 71 Getting Started with VisualTurn 42 Tutorial 1 tp MecSoft Turn 1 0 File Edit View Measure Stock Tool Feeds Speeds Turning Hole Making Post Process Reports Preferences Utilities Help oh BO a 04 c4 k 57 XE befaat mE 5 select Browser X 4 H Dg Current Selection Falyline Rough 0 100 55 000 Taal Q 100 55 000 Wn nmn nium Cl
54. ew Measure Stock Tool Feeds speeds Turning Hole Making Post Process Reports Preferences Utilities Help b Bm k ra E 18 x Default Er sm frl PI Select geometry ES Browser 2 X 8 e bk M b 49 25 ET x C Setup E Tools Ir Mops Stock a 1 f Turn Part Cylinder Stock 828 OD Roughing 5 E og OD Finishing 8 ate ool Turn Groove Roughing c ie h a Turn Groove Finishing B5 Qm Turn Threading ir C 5 a 1 s o 2 Thread InsertiO 000 60 000 Goto 10 123 Getting Started with VisualTurn Creating the Parting Off Toolpath Finally we will create a parting off operation to cut off the stock and remove it from the chuck S To create Turn Parting Off operation 1 Return to the Mops tab 2 Select the Part off tool 3 Select Turning Parting Off 4 Set the Remaining Stub Radius to 0 05 Part Off Position to 0 25 Leave the remaining parameters to default click Generate located at the bottom of the window Turn Parting Off X Part Off Remaining Stub Radius B 005 Part Off Position em aa Multiple Depth Multiple Depth Peck g Peck Hectract R Distance 0 E well v Off Time 2 l C Revolutions T Cancel Save Help 5 Switch to the stock tab select Turn Parting Off and click gt to Simulate 124 Version 1 0 Tutarial 3Lompleted vtp MecSoft Turn 1 0 File
55. f a surface Select one edge and all edges in the chain are automatically selected Bounding Region Creates a rectangular region along the XY plane of the part s bounding box 140
56. files and other CAD tools S To slice a part and resolve part region 3 Once the part is loaded click on the Slice 3D Part on the Setup bar of the Browser 56 Version 1 0 E i Setup a m Surfaces Meshes 4 This slices the 3D file into a 2D profile 3 Select the 2D profile and click Resolve part region to extract the curves to First quadrant of the lathe coordinate system X and Z axes 57 Getting Started with VisualTurn e ERES setup E Tools 4 The resolved 2D curve appears as shown below 5 You may now save the file and start creating VisualTurn machining operations gt To create the stock 1 Select Create Load Stock from the Setup tab of the Browser and select Cylinder Stock This tool 1s also available on the Stock tab of the Browser 58 Version 1 0 er Create Load Stack 4 Mesh Cylinder Stock XH c H ih ni Part Cylinder Stock 4 Turn Cylinder Stock Surfaces Meshes Park Offset Stock Revolve Stock Import Stock 2 Inthe Cylinder Stock window you can enter the radius and length of the stock Enter the values as shown in the illustration below Click OK Turn Cylinder Stock cond 3 The stock model is created To display the stock click the Stock tab of the Browser The stock 15 displayed as a cylinder positioned at the reference point of the lathe machine Its color can be set in the Color Preferences 59
57. first time users get familiar with VisualTurn These are similar to the tutorials presented in this guide in onscreen format To launch these tutorials open the VisualTurn1 0Tutorials chm file and use the table of contents or arrows to browse through the steps FeaturePresentation Contains all the files necessary to run a presentation of features of VisualTurn for first time users 128 Version 1 0 Troubleshooting the Hardware Security Key If you have installed the dongle driver and connected the dongle but VisualTurn is not running properly try restarting your computer If that still does not work do the following For Users with USB Dongle Hardware Key 1 Close VisualTurn and remove the USB dongle 2 Go to http www safenet inc com support tech sentinel asp and select Sentinel Super Pro 3 Download and Run the SSD Cleanup v1 1 4 Restart your computer 5 Go to http www safenet inc com support tech sentinel asp and select Sentinel Super Pro 6 Download and run Sentinel Protection Installer v7 2 1 7 Plug the dongle back in and launch VisualTurn 1 0 For Users with Parallel Dongle Hardware Key 1 Close VisualTurn 2 Go to http www safenet inc com support tech sentinel asp and select Sentinel Super Pro 3 Download and Run the SSD Cleanup v1 1 4 Restart your computer 5 Go to http www safenet inc com support tech sentinel asp and select Sentinel Super Pro 6 Download and run Sentinel Protection Installer v7 2 1 7 Launch Vi
58. h generation methods Note Refer to Tutorial 1 for more information on Slice and Resolve Part Region commands Setting up Imported Geometry As mentioned earlier design systems use the normal Cartesian system for designing parts So parts models will usually have the axis of rotation aligned with the global X axis and the radial direction aligned with the global Y axis When you import such a model into VisualTurn there is an easy way of converting the geometry such that the axes are properly aligned with the turning center coordinate ae system Selecting the Convert XY to ZX 4 button in the Setup tab toolbar of the Browser window will perform this transformation automatically This command works for both 2D amp 3D geometry Follow these steps for performing the necessary transformation Steps for Converting XY to ZX for a 3D geometry 1 Load the 3D geometry into VisualTurn 2 Select Convert XY to ZX from the Setup Tab of the VisualTurn Browser This will orient the curve to the ZX lathe coordinate system Steps for Converting XY to ZX for a 2D geometry 1 Load the 2D geometry into VisualTurn XT 2 Select Convert XY to ZX from the Setup Tab of the VisualTurn Browser 3 Make sure the 2D trace touches the X and Z of the coordinate axis 4 Use the transformation tools from the Edit menu to move the geometry to the 1 quadrant of the lathe coordinate system if necessary 25 Getting Started with VisualTurn Stock
59. he Threading Toolpath We will next create the threads on the OD S To create a Threading operation 1 Return to the Mops tab 2 Select the Thread Insert tool 3 Select Turning Threading 4 Set the Approach type to Outer Diameter 5 Specify a containment region by setting Cut Containment at Start and End Points Select the containment as shown below Note Green Indicates start point and Red indicated end point 6 Set the Thread Depth to 0 05 Thread pitch to 0 05 and thread type to Right Hand Thread 7 Leave remaining parameters in the Thread Cut Params tabs as they are and click Generate located at the bottom of the window Threading toolpath will appear once the computation is complete Note Threading may take longer time to simulate when compared other turning operations as this involves data intensive computation and rendering 121 Getting Started with VisualTurn x Thread Params Thread Cut Params Thread Type Thread Definition Start 1 501 Start 4 94985 End 1 49529 End 2 3011 z 0 05 aly 0 05 zi Dependent Parameters Thread Length TL Major Diameter T aper Angle 2 b488 002 g zs Thread Depth td 0 05 Thread Fitch Hand Right Hand EX Left Hand Cancel Save Help 8 Switch to the stock tab select Turn Threading and click gt to Simulate 127 Version 1 0 Tutorial 3Completed vtp MecSoft Turn 1 0 E iB x File Edit Vi
60. ick on the curve polyline This adds to the Selections Regions dialog Click OK to complete selection Select Turning Roughing or click the Machining icon on the Mops tab of the Browser and then select Turning Roughing G E pet ll Setup B Tools Turning de Machine Setup ier Hole Making r1 Finishing a Machining Operations ud Groove Roughing x Mp Set MCS AL Groove Finishing P Follow Curve Raa Threading Dr Parting OFF Version 1 0 5 The Roughing window opens in which you can set parameters for the toolpath 6 In the Global Parameters tab set the Approach type to Outer Diameter the Stock value 15 set to 0 01 inches This value defines the thickness of the layer that will remain on the part after the tool path is complete Roughing operations generally leave a thin layer of stock but for finishing operations this value is zero Turn Roughing Global Parameters Turn Roughing Entry E sit Approach e mayen Global Parameters Tolerance 10 001 E Stock Compensation None 7 Select Containment Rectangle lets you create containment region if you wish to restrict the toolpath to a certain area only To accomplish this Check Select Containment Rectangle button to enable the pointer that allows you to pick the containment rectangle Click on the pointer to specify the region defined by a rectangle In
61. ify adapt translate reverse engineer de compile disassemble or otherwise attempt to discover the source code of the Software Trademarks shall be used in accordance with accepted trademark practice including identification of trademark owner s name Trademarks can only be used to identify printed output produced by the Software Such use of any trademark does not give you any rights of ownership in that trademark Except as stated above this Agreement does not grant you any intellectual property rights in the Software 3 TRANSFER You may not rent lease sublicense or lend the Software or Documentation 4 LIMITED WARRANTY MecSoft Corporation warrants to you that the Software will perform substantially in accordance with the Documentation for the thirty 30 day period following your receipt of the Software To make a warranty claim you must notify MecSoft Corporation within such thirty 30 day period If the Software does not perform substantially in accordance with the Documentation the entire and exclusive liability and remedy shall be limited to either the replacement of the Software or the refund of the license fee you paid for the Software MECSOFT CORPORATION AND ITS SUPPLIERS DO NOT AND CANNOT WARRANT THE PERFORMANCE OR RESULTS YOU MAY OBTAIN BY USING THE SOFTWARE THE FOREGOING STATES THE SOLE AND EXCLUSIVE REMEDIES FOR MECSOFT CORPORATION S OR ITS SUPPLIERS BREACH OF WARRANTY EXCEPT FOR THE FOREGOING LIMITED WARRANTY M
62. ine tool 14 Version 1 0 Machining Methods There are two major classes of machining operations that can be created in VisualTurn Turning and Hole Making Turning operations are used to remove material from cylindrical shaped stock on a lathe machine to get the desired shapes Hole Making operations are used to create axial hole features in the part Turning Operations Turning operations are operations used to create the shape of the part 2 axis turned shapes can be represented as a surface or solid of revolution Turning operations are used to create the shape out of an initial cylindrical stock model The various types of operations available in VisualTurn are described below Roughing This operation is typically performed to remove material from the stock thus is characterized by larger depth of cuts Typically material is roughed out in multiple cuts This type of machining 1s very efficient for removing large volumes of material and is typically performed with a large radius tool Roughing is typically followed by finishing toolpaths Both part and stock geometry are used to determine the regions that can be safely machined Roughing can be of 3 types OD Roughing ID Roughing and Front Facing Face Roughing Outer Diameter OD Roughing Inner Diame
63. ining Operations Ap Set mcs a Turn Roughing A Rough Tool B Feeds Speeds Rough Tool 0 100 55 000 4 Note You can control the toolpath colors by selecting Preferences Color Preferences If the toolpath 15 not displayed make sure Hide Toolpath is not selected Display Toolpath Look in the Mops tab of the Browser where you can see the toolpath you just created Turn off the Default and Regions layers so that only the toolpath is visible You can see the various different types of motions These are color coded according to the table in Preferences Color Preferences check these colors if there are motions you cannot see 75 Getting Started with VisualTurn Depart Retract Approach motions extend from the clearance plane down into the material aa fo Rapid Transfer Cut motions represent actual cutting of material Depart motions extend from the material up to the clearance plane Plunge Approach Engage Rapid motions are along the clearance plane They are fast because there 15 no danger of collision with material the clearance plane is set a safe distance above the stock Retract motions come before Depart motions allowing the tool to exit the cut material safely Likewise Engage motions come after Approach motions allowing the tool to engage into the cut material safely Right Click on the Machine Operation name i e Turn Roughing to edit it Change it to OD R
64. ions prompt active tools units snaps and cursor location Note You can control the display by selecting View Toolbars 10 Version 1 0 VisualTurn Browser Window The Browser is a dock able window that allows management of various entities or objects that can be created in VisualTurn This window is the principal window through with the user interacts with VisualTurn to program toolpaths By default this window will appear docked on the left hand side of the VisualTurn display when the product first comes up This window can be undocked and move to different locations on the main screen This window has four main modes of operation represented by tabs at the top of the window These are Setup Tool MOps and Stock Selecting each of these tabs allows different views of objects in the VisualTurn database In addition each tabbed view also incorporates a context sensitive toolbar at the top These toolbars are groups of functions that are associated with the type of object s in the tab fs Setup B Tools 6 m Stock Setup amp Surfaces Meshes ah Curves B Turn Cylinder Stock For an in depth description of each of the buttons in the toolbars please refer to the on line help of the product VisualTurn Toolbars VisualTurn comes with a set of toolbars with various functions to help the programming You can turn on off toolbars by selecting View gt Toolbars in the menu bar and selecting the desired toolba
65. lute Len an Length Tool Diameter Tool Diameter 0 05 Bore Tool Reverse Bore Tool Tool Library VisualTurn contains two tool library files DefaultEnglishTools vtl and DefaultMetricTools vtl These files are located in the Data directory under the VisualTurn installation folder These files can be used as they are or you can use them as templates and customize them with your own data With VisualTurn you can save the tools you create to a library which can be accessed by future files Create Save Tool library Once you create a set of tools they can be saved to an external file for future use Select the Tool Save Tool Library button in the Tools tab toolbar of the Browser A IF Stock d m Save Tool Library Specify a folder location and assign a name The default extension is vtl Click Save 39 Getting Started with VisualTurn Load Tool Library Created tool libraries can be loaded at any time into VisualTurn To do this select the Tool Load Tool Library button in the Tools tab toolbar of the browser Select the vtl file you wish to load 40 Version 1 0 Feeds and Speeds You can set feeds and speeds for each operation You can do this before creating an operation by selecting the Feeds Speeds dialog and entering in the desired values Alternatively once the operation is created you can modify the feeds speeds associated with the operation The Feeds Speeds dialog 15 shown below
66. nd void and unenforceable it will not affect the validity of the balance of the Agreement which shall remain valid and enforceable according to its terms You agree that the Software will not be shipped transferred or exported into any country or used in any manner prohibited by the United States Export Administration Act or any other export laws restrictions or regulations This Agreement shall automatically terminate upon failure by you to comply with its terms This Agreement may only be modified in writing signed by an authorized officer of MecSoft Corporation 6 U S GOVERNMENT RESTRICTED RIGHTS Use duplication or disclosure by the government is subject to restrictions as set forth in subparagraph c 1 11 of The Rights in Technical Data and Computer Software clause at DFARS 252 227 7013 or subparagraphs c 1 and 2 of Commercial Computer Software Restricted Rights at 48 CFR 52 227 19 as applicable Manufacturer is MecSoft Corporation 18019 Sky Park Circle Suite KL Irvine CA 92614 6386 USA Unpublished rights reserved under the copyright laws of the United States MecSoft Corporation 18019 Sky Park Circle Suite KL Irvine CA 92614 6386 VisualTurn is a registered trademark of MecSoft Corporation 1998 2006 MecSoft Corporation Trademark credits Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation Pentium is a registered trademark of Intel Corporation Rhino is a registered trademark of McNeel amp
67. ns generally leave a thin layer of stock but for finishing operations this value is zero Turn Roughing x Global Parameters Turn Roughing Entry Exit Approach Type Global Parameters Tolerance 0001 Stock jon B Stock Z jan EB Compensation None 4 We will specify a containment region by setting Cut Containment Check at Start and End Points 5 With the Mouse select tool for Start and End select the start and End points as shown below 6 Clicking the Mouse Select minimizes the Turn Finishing dialog Cut Containment Select Containment Rectangle Comer X jo B Comer 2 jo B zb Cemer 2 X jo Comer Z jo 7 Select the containment as indicated below Turn on end snap to pick the start and end points 114 Version 1 0 8 Inthe Roughing Parameters tab set the Cut Pattern to Linear uncheck Final Cleanup Pass and Depth per Cut to 0 1 9 Leave the remaining parameters in the other tabs as they are and click Generate located at the bottom of the window When the computation is complete the roughing toolpath will appear as shown below Note VisualTurn checks for relief angle protection based on the tool geometry and part geometry 10 Rename the Turn Roughing operation to OD Roughing 11 Switch to the Stock Tab Highlight the OD Roughing toolpath and click Simulate 12 Once the simulation is complete the cut stock model will be displayed This cut model can be used a
68. oL Ur a 27 DEFAULT M DEW cte one teta incola Hed 22 RPT TOPE tu ua A E dE E EE E f dE a UM E d AE d EP 23 24 USING 3D GEOMETRY AS PART GEOMETRY ial ec b eO e Della OR p s dada 25 SETTING UP IMPORTED GEOMETRY cscsscececcececcececcsceceececeececseececeecscesceceececesescesescecessecssseesescesescecasees 25 STOCK tente ec uA LRL MI EAM mee ee 26 SETTING UP THE MACHINE COORDINATE SYSTEM ccsscecccecescececcececcscececcecectsceccsceceececessscesescecescecasees 29 CREATING MACHINING OPERATIONS cccscoscecceccececceccecesceccecescecceceecesseceecestsceecessecescssesescssesescaseuceess 31 TURNING APPROACH TYPES etie A a 33 34 PI OMA UR a 39 EEBDSAND SPEBIS ES E UE 41 COTE RANG Br AND E EE 43 RETRO TERR KEPT 44 POST PROCESSING det eat inis a dar eh dell eek LR MM I tae anh a ET ME Eri M eh dalla CE i EE M dalek tals 46 CAD TUTORIAL FOR CREATING A 2D PROFILE FOR TURNING ee ee ee eee eee eee noeoe 48 ate pa 52 TUTORIAL 1 ROUGHING amp eee eee es
69. oint along the approach direction depending whether Outer Diameter Inner Diameter or Face is machined found on both part and stock geometry This safety distance is set to be the current tool radius You can set the clearance level to be a specified distance from either the part or stock or enter the absolute Z level Specify Turn Clearance Control E B Tum OD Turm ID Turn Face Clearance Distance Automatic Part Dist fo C Stock Max Dist fo C Absolute Dist Cancel Apply Help Turn OD Clearance Control The dialogs for ID and Face approach types are similar The only difference is that the clearance values are computed along different directions That 1s the clearance value will be computed along the negative X axis for ID approach type and along the positive Z axis for Face approach type 43 Getting Started with VisualTurn Entry Exit Entry and Exit determines the way in which tool enters and leaves the part geometry VisualTurn allows the user to specify how the cutter approaches engages retracts and departs when starting and stopping a cut The user can also specify the type of transfer motions to perform while cutting The Entry motion consists of Approach and Engage The user can set different feeds for plunge approach engage cut retract and depart moves The tool moves to the position above the approach point with a plunge feed then uses the approach feed rate for th
70. oolbar that appears when this tab is selected 1n sequence from left to right Once the setup functions are completed the user will then proceed to the Tools tab to create select and save tools to be used in the machining After this the user will proceed to the MOps or Machining Operations tab and commence programming the part Once a program is completed the user can switch to the Stock tab to perform the material removal simulation and or the tool animation to preview the toolpath before sending it to the machine tool 13 Getting Started with VisualTurn Step 1 Setup before programming Step 2 Create select and save tools HO 9 8 0 B dug fs Setup E Tools Stock ll Setup A Tools E Mops Stock Setup E fiv Tools E fllp Surfaces Meshes H Rough Tool 4 Meshi fl Finish Tool eI Curves B Turn Cylinder Stock Step 3 Create machining operations Step 4 Simulate machining operations X i 51 09 gt om EIE L8 EE ll setup Ej Tools Fy Stock ll setup Ej Tools gp Stack Machine Setup 5 8 Turn Cylinder Stack achining Operations 2 OD Roughing WM OD Finishing BE Face Finishing H OD Roughing H OD Finishing mL Face Finishing Post Processing Once the machining operations have been created and verified they can be post processed to create G code files These G code files can then be sent to the controller of the machine tool to drive the actual mach
71. ools are listed EB 9 m ll Setup A Tools E Mops Stock E fiv Tools 4 Rough Tool o Finish Tool Note You can double click on any tool to open its definition window This is an easy way to make changes if needed To see the information of all tools click on the Tools Info icon or right click on the Tools header and select Information or click on the Tools Info from the tools tab 63 Getting Started with VisualTurn S To create the tool library You can save the tools in the list to a library which can be accessed by future files 1 A group of tools can be saved to a library file for future use Select Tool Save Tool Library or click the icon in the Tools tab of the Browser 64 Version 1 0 2 In the default folder should be Tutorials which contains the part file assign the name OD_Turn Tools The default extension is vtl Click Save 3 Right click on the Tools header in the Browser and select Delete lb Setup E Tools fe Mops Fey Stock 4 To replace the tools select Tool Load Tool Library Select the vtl file you just saved and the tools reappear in the file Load Tool Library OOS 65 Getting Started with VisualTurn S To set the Machine Co ordinate System 5 Click on the Set MCS icon in the Mops tab of the Browser Bar or Double Click on the Set MCS under Machining Operations Setup Ei Tools Fey Stock EJ Machine Setup
72. or made active machining operations can be created All turning operations can be accessed using the Machining Operations toolbar button in the toolbar belonging to the Mops tab of the browser as shown below Browser Roughing J Machine Setup Hole Making Finishing B Machining Operations Mss noeuds Groove Finishing Follow Curve Threading Parting OFF 3l Getting Started with VisualTurn All hole making operations can be accessed using the Machining Operations toolbar button in the toolbar belonging to the Mops tab of the browser as shown below Turning Hole Making Drilling Tapping Boring oY Machine Setup r Machining Operations Reverse Boring Note Refer to previous chapter for a detailed description of each of the machining types A description of each of the objects needed prior to creating machining operations is detailed in the following sections of this chapter 32 Version 1 0 Turning Approach Types The approach type of an operation defines the axis X or Z about which the tool will approach the part for machining There are 3 types of approaches that are typically used These are Outer Diameter OD Inner Diameter ID and Front Facing Face In the OD and the ID approach types the tool will approach and retract along the X axis In the case of OD the approach will be along the positive X axis while in the case of ID it will be along the negative X axis In Face approach the tool
73. oughing 76 ll Setup Tools 63 Mops Stock EJ Machine Setup Machining Operations Mg Set MICS mL Turn Roughi Generate Simulate z Post ZE Post to MCU Edit enone Cut Del Version 1 0 ll Setup Ej Tools v Stock EJ Machine Setup 21 23 Machining Operations Mg Set mcs OO OD Roughing Note In order to rename an operation single select on a Machining operation name and use the right mouse Click to rename Simulating the Outer Diameter Roughing Toolpath Now that the first toolpath has been created you can simulate it S To simulate the toolpath 1 To see how the stock looks after this toolpath switch to the Stock tab The cylinder stock box is displayed The toolpath name is displayed with a red X indicating that the simulation has not been run Click on Turn Cylinder Stock to view the stock Sir n S p gt 5 E Setup E Tools 63 Mops a Stock fl Turn Cylinder Stock OD Roughing 77 Getting Started with VisualTurn 2 Highlight the OD Roughing toolpath and click Simulate 420 Roughing Once the simulation is complete the cut stock model will be displayed This cut model can be used as input stock geometry for simulating the toolpath of subsequent machining operations Note You can also try clicking Step simulation to view a set number of tool motions at one time 78 Version 1 0 Tips You can change the color
74. p Roughing Machining Operations af Groove Roughing ut Groove Finishing lip Set mcs m L3 Standard Drill mL Drag Bore H I ID Roughing Threading p Parting OFF P Follow Curve 4 Setthe Approach type to Inner Diameter 107 Getting Started with VisualTurn Turn Finishing Global Parameters Finish Parameters E nitryE sit Approach Type Global Parameters Tolerance 10 001 Stack o B Compensation None 5 With the default set of values in the Global and Finish Parameters click Generate 6 Rename this operation ID Finishing S To simulate the Inner diameter finishing toolpath 1 Switch to the Stock tab Select ID Finishing and click to Simulate 2 Click Simulate 108 Version 1 0 Tutarial 2Lompleted vtp MecSoft Turn 1 0 File Edit View Measure Stock Tool Feeds Speeds Turning Hole Making Post Process Reports Preferences Wn nmn Utilities Help X 0 c6 5 XE Defa Sle M Belect qeomet EX g Py ES nnn p x HE EHE EHE EHE EE EE EE EL E EGG G 8 gt nun SS gp E s CO Setup E Tools Ir Maps P Stock gE Turn Part Cylinder Stack g Standard Drill E Eq g Drag Bore ED pin EL ID Roughing LEE DU 499 ID Finishing E T Ex 9 9 E ID Finish 0 010 55 000 Goto 53 S To create the post processed output In this exercise we will
75. path needs to be regenerated x Create Load Stock Create load a stock material from the list of stock types Set MCS Set the origin of the machine coordinate system with respect to part or at an exact location B Create Select Tool Opens a window in which you can define all turning and drilling tools that will be needed in the machining operations Set Feeds Speeds Defines the feed and speed rates for cutting rapid approach engage retract and depart tool motions Clearance Control Sets the level away from the part for safe rapid tool motion Select Regions Provides several methods for selecting curves that will act as machining boundaries 132 Version 1 0 Machining Methods Choose type of toolpath you want to create Machining methods described in the next section aE r e Machining Operations Info Displays information like machining operation name cut feed machining time for each machining operation al Post Process Sends the toolpath code to the machine Stock Tab Toolbar The commands on the stock tab toolbar tab are used for toolpath simulation For simulation to work you must have stock geometry defined and the stock must be displayed The VisualTurn simulator enables you to view your toolpath in action reflecting what the actual model would look like after machining Simulation can also be used to catch errors The cut stock can also be visually compared with the part model to
76. ped and the tool retracts rapidly No Drag The tool is fed to the specified depth at the controlled feed rate It 1s then stopped to orient the spindle moved away from the side of the hole and then retracted Manual The tool traverses to the programmed point and is fed to the specified depth at the controlled feed rate Then the tool stops and is retracted manually ein Reverse Boring This is simply a Bore cycle in the reverse direction The spindle is oriented to the specified angle and moves rapidly to the feed depth and moved to the part The spindle is turned on and the cycle is started 21 Getting Started with VisualTurn Key Concepts in VisualTurn Programming Before attempting to use VisualTurn there are a few key concepts that are used in VisualTurn that need to be understood Some of these concepts will be familiar to lathe programmers and are explained here because they are essential for the proper use of VisualTurn Turning Coordinate System CNC turning centers use the Cartesian coordinate system for programmed coordinates but they are typically different from that used in milling Turning centers follow the convention that axis of rotation that is aligned with the spindle is designated as the Z axis Secondly the axis perpendicular to this axis along which the tool travels to cut into the stock is designated the X axis Thus the part is rotated about the Z axis of the lathe machine Moving the tool along the Z axis provi
77. preferences set Note that any selected regions remain active until deselected so when you want to activate different regions be sure to deselect any you do not want The following region tools are available Single You can select existing regions by picking them manually Multiple regions can be selected by pressing Ctrl Rectangle Selects all regions within a defined rectangle Polygon Selects all regions within a defined polygon All Selects all regions defined in the model None Deselects any selected regions 24 Version 1 0 Using 3D Geometry as Part Geometry VisualTurn has the capability of extracting 2D profile from a 3D geometry Since VisualTurn uses wire frame geometry regions to define the part geometry created or imported 3 D geometry cannot be used directly Using the Slice and Resolve Part Region tools provided in the Setup tab toolbar of the browser window the user can easily create 2D geometry that can then be used as input to the VisualTurn toolpath generation methods The Slice button slices the input 3D model with and infinite XZ plane and creates one or more regions curves in VisualTurn The Resolve Part Region button extracts a part region that is completely inside the first quadrant of the ZX coordinate system by either trimming the region against the axes and or extending the ends of the regions to the closest axes Once resolved these part regions can then be used as part geometry for the VisualTurn toolpat
78. r A description of each of these toolbars and their buttons is described in the Appendix of this document View Measure Stock K Base Tool Feeds Speeds Turniri Standard Bar C Zoom In View Bar C Foor Qut Measurement Bar C Zoom Status Bar Center Geometry Bar Fit Browser P Repaint Command Window 11 Getting Started with VisualTurn VisualTurn Workflow The manufacturing process aims to successively reduce material from the stock model until it reaches the final shape of the designed part To accomplish this the typical machining strategy is to first use large tools to perform bulk removal from the stock roughing operations and then use progressively smaller tools to remove smaller amounts of material pre finish operations When the part has a uniform amount of stock remaining a small tool is used to remove this uniform stock layer finish operations Load Part amp Stock Create Roughing Simulate Material Operations Removal Create Pre Finish Operations Create Finishing Operations Output Toolpaths to Machine This machining strategy 15 what you program using VisualTurn You can also simulate material removal to visualize how the stock model will look at any time during the process This provides valuable feedback that can help you choose the most appropriate machining strategy 12 Version 1 0 Typical Scenario Rough machining can be done by Roughing operations using a turning
79. rations generally leave a thin layer of stock but for finishing operations this value is zero Turn Roughing Global Parameters Turn Roughing E ntry E sil Approach Global Parameters Tolerance 0 001 Stock E T Compensation Mane 6 In the Roughing Parameters tab set the Cut Pattern Type to Linear uncheck Final Cleanup Pass and Depth per Cut to 0 1 102 Version 1 0 Turn Roughing X Global Parameters Turm Roughing Entry Esit Cut Pattern Linear Cuts C Offset Cuts Cut Pattern Cut Direction ZigZag Positive Negative Final Cleanup Pass Top Of Cut f Use Stock Model Specify 15 Depth per Cut Distance 01 C Passes 1 Depth of Cut Cut Depth ES iin Cancel Save Help 7 Leave the remaining parameters in the other tabs as they are and click Generate located at the bottom of the window The window will disappear and an hourglass cursor will appear on the screen When the computation is complete the roughing toolpath will appear 103 Getting Started with VisualTurn 2 lO x Tutorial 2 tp MecSoft Turn 1 0 File Edit view Measure Stock Tool FeedsfSpeeds Turning Hole Making Post Process Reports Preferences Utilities Help DSA BB naa Oh Ow cfu 0 0 select geometry i an ib _ B E Pe E OO S
80. rcially available APT post processors Post Processor Problems If only two built in posts APT CLS and Roland CAMM GL are displayed in the selection dialog then your Post folder is not set correctly Try the following 1 Select Post Process Set Post Options 2 Click the Browse icon to change the folder where post processor files are located 3 Select the Posts folder located in the VisualTurn installation folder Program Files MecSoft Corporation VisualTurn 1 0 Posts 4 Set the Program to use for displaying output file as notepad or WordPad 46 Set Post Processor Options X Set Post Processor Options Folder where post processor files are located Program Files MecSoft Corporation VisualTurn 1 0 Posts m M Show Selection Dialog when Post Processing Post Process in Batch Made Output Listing Files Program to use for displaying output file ONC Program xdncedit exe Cancel Help If you are not able post process the toolpath 5 Under Post Process Set Post Options e Make sure Show Selection dialog when Post Processing is checked e Make sure Post Process in Batch Mode is not selected e Make sure Output Listing Files is not selected Version 1 0 Post the machining operations making sure you are browsing to the Post folder in the VisualTurn installation folder For the output file at the bottom make sure there is a valid file name valid path 47 Getting S
81. revalutian e amp 45 000000 6 Hit Enter and a surface of revolution is created 53 Getting Started with VisualTurn S To change display settings 7 The part is located on the Default layer If you want to change the color of the part you must change the color of this layer Click the Layers icon D c mue gler select geometry y 69 Ce Defaut 4 Inthe Layer Manager click the Color box to select a new color for the part Layer Manager gt Layer Active Visible Objects Detault 7 15 54 Version 1 0 Tutorial 1 Roughing amp Finishing In this tutorial you learn to create roughing and finishing toolpaths to program a designed part The stepped instructions are accompanied by explanatory and introductory text Reading this text will help you understand the tutorial methodology and provide information about additional options available However if you prefer to work straight through the steps without any additional reading look for the following symbol CS Don t forget to save your work periodically You may want to save the file under a different name so that the original file will be preserved Loading a Part Model Part refers to the geometry that represents the final manufactured product You can create parts within VisualTurn but it is more typical to import geometry created in another CAD system You can import solid models of Stereo
82. riables button at the bottom d Inthe Environment Variables dialog click on the New button under System variables e Inthe New System Variable dialog box that pops up define Variable Name VMILL LICENSE HOST Variable Value IP Address of the server machine Hit the OK button 6 Now plug in the dongle parallel USB to the port To work across different subnets please do the following in addition to the above instructions open the UDP port 6001 in any router installed on the network this will allow the communication to go across 127 Getting Started with VisualTurn Appendix II Trouble shooting VisualTurn Installation If you have followed the installation steps outlined in the installation section correctly and are unable to load and run VisualTurn correctly follow these troubleshooting steps to correct the problem Troubleshooting the Software Installation Make sure that the software was correctly installed To do this you can browse to the installation folder of VisualTurn and make sure that the file VisualTurnl1 0 is present Also make sure that all the folders described in the following section are correctly installed If you detect an incorrect installation un install the software completely and re install the software using the product CD again You can un install the software by selecting the Add or Remove Programs option under the Control Panel settings of your computer VisualTurn Installation Folder VisualT
83. rious turn tool types such as Turning inserts grooving threading and parting off tools can be created The supported types are Mame Diamond Insert Mame Triangular Insert Inscribed Circle Tip Angle ip Radius Thickness Relief Angle 20 E Lead Angle is Relief Angle 20 Lead Angle Orientation Orientation OD Forward OD Backward OD Forward C OD Backward C ID Forward C ID Backward C ID Forward C ID Backward Diamond Insert Triangular Insert Mame Circular Insert Mame Triaon Insert Mose Ange Inscribed Circle a Thickness 0125 monis ps Relief Angle 20 Lead Angle rientatian DD Forward C DD Backward C ID Forward C ID Backward Circular Insert Trigon Insert 35 Getting Started with VisualTurn Mame Parallelogram Insert Thickness 05 Relief Angle 20 Lead Angle Orientation f OD Forward C OD Backward C ID Foward C ID Backward Parallelogram Insert Mame Groove Chamber Insert otal wich 2 0 25 nes 0125 2d Groove Chamfer Insert 36 Mame Groove Insert 5 2 mie 3 E Thickness 0 062 2 0 25 Program Point Left C Center Right Groove Insert Mame Groove Hound insert Total Length Length 9 Thicknezs Width 0 25 H Groove Round insert Version 1 0 Mame Thread Insert Maze Angle Part Off Insert Vilicih Mame ar nze 0 12 Thickness 0 12 T Thicknezs 01
84. rve or line Line Tangent to 2 Curves Creates a line tangent to two curves or a curve and a line Line Normal to 2 Curves Creates a line normal to two curves or a curve and a line Line Tangent and Normal Creates a line tangent to one object and normal to another Arcs Surfaces Edit Curves Curves Arcs Lines Points PAVED OG Circle Center Radius Creates a circle by selecting its center and a point on the circumference Circle Start Diameter Creates a circle by selecting two opposite points diameter endpoints 3 Point Circle Creates a circle by selecting three points on its circumference Circle Tangent to 3 Creates a circle tangent to three objects Arc by Center Start and Angle Creates an arc by selecting the arc center start point and end point Arc Start End and Point Creates an arc by selecting its endpoints then setting its radius 139 Getting Started with VisualTurn 3 Point Arc Creates an arc by selecting the start point a point on its circumference and the endpoint Curves Surfaces Edit Curves Curves Arcs Lines Points Pomp d 4 Text Creates a text string Spiral Creates a flat coil Helix Creates a 3D coil Single Flat Area Region Creates a region bounding a single flat area All Flat Area Region Creates bounding regions around each flat area Extract Edge Curves Creates a region along a chain of edges This is useful for creating a region along the outer boundaries o
85. s input stock geometry for simulating the toolpath of subsequent machining operations Creating the OD Finishing Toolpath We will next create a OD finish operation to finish all accessible areas on the OD of the part S To Create OD Finishing Operation 1 Return to the Mops tab 2 Select the OD Rough tool 3 Select Turning Finishing 4 Set Approach type to Outer Diameter 115 Getting Started with VisualTurn Turn Finishing X Global Parameters Finish Parameters Entry E xit Approach Type I3labal Parameters Tolerance 0001 B Stack 0 E Compensation Hane 5 We will specify a containment region by setting Cut Containment Check at Start and End Points 6 With the Mouse select tool for Start and End select the start and End points as shown below End 7 With the other parameters set to default we will now click generate to create the OD Finishing toolpath 8 Rename the Mop to OD Finishing 9 Switch to the Stock tab and select OD Finishing to Simulate Creating the Groove Roughing Toolpath Next we will create a Groove roughing toolpath to rough out the groove feature on the part S To create the Groove Roughing operation 1 Return to the Mops tab 116 Version 1 0 2 Select the Groove Insert tool 3 Select Turning Groove Roughing 4 Set the Approach type to Outer Diameter Stock to 0 01 Turn Groove Roughing 1 X Global Parameters Roughing E
86. s vertically along the left side of the screen but you can dock it anywhere Lilzi Bar x AQAaganAA F 9 9 BI Each of the view functions is described below Zoom In Doubles the displayed size Zoom Out Halves the displayed size Zoom Box Zooms in on an area you specify by defining a rubber banded rectangle Center View Centers the view about a selected point Fit View Fits the entire part into display extents Repaint View Repaints or refreshes the view Dynamic Pan View Pans the view by holding and dragging the mouse ka Dynamic Zoom View Zooms the view by holding and dragging the mouse Move the mouse up to zoom in move the mouse down to zoom out 135 Getting Started with VisualTurn Dynamic Rotate View Rotates the view by holding and dragging the mouse The rotation follows the mouse movements as if there were an imaginary trackball at the center of the view Dynamic Rotate View About Z Rotates the view about the Z axis and the origin point Top View Displays the top view the ZX plane Right View Displays the right view the YZ plane Front View Displays the left view XY plane el Iso View Displays the model in isometric projection View to CPlane Sets the view so that the construction plane is parallel to the screen r1 Shade Part Toggles the display of part geometry between shaded and wireframe modes E Hide Stock Toggles the display of the stock geometry
87. sualTurn 1 0 If the above method does not work download the Sentinel Medic from the Rainbow website http www safenet inc com support tech sentinel asp and select Sentinel Super Pro Install it and go to Start gt Programs gt Rainbow Technologies gt Sentinel Medic Click Find SuperPro and send the following information that appears on the screen to support mecsoft com so that we can identify and fix your specific problem 1 System Driver Info 2 Status 3 Description 4 Medic Says 129 Getting Started with VisualTurn Troubleshooting VisualTurn Display If you are experiencing problems with the way VisualTurn appears on the screen try the following For Windows ME 2000 and XP 1 Right click anywhere on the desktop and select Properties from the menu 8 Open the Settings tab and click Advanced 9 Open the Troubleshoot or Performance tab and set Hardware acceleration to none If you are still having problems reinstall the video drivers of your video card Or you can try another video card to see if the problem is specific to your card If VisualTurn opens as a minimized window and closes when maximized this happens on rare occasions typically on computers with defective display cards it is probably due to bad window coordinates stored in your computer s registry Try the following to eliminate this problem 1 Press Windows R button 2 Type in regedit and click OK 3 In HKEY CURRENT USER Software delete the
88. tandard Drill ME LO Drag Bore s de H ID Roughing fie t 3 e 3 j Q ID 100 55 000 EZ Note You can control the toolpath colors by selecting Preferences Color Preferences If the toolpath is not displayed make sure Hide Toolpath is not selected Display Toolpath 8 Right Click on the Machine Operation name i e Turn Roughing to edit it Change it to ID Roughing Now that the first toolpath has been created you can simulate it 104 Version 1 0 S To simulate the toolpath 1 To see how the stock looks after this toolpath switch to the Stock tab The cylinder stock box is displayed The toolpath name is displayed with a red X indicating that the simulation has not been run 2 Select the ID Roughing toolpath and click Simulate alh E E Standard Drill W Drag Bore M ID Roughing Once the simulation is complete the cut stock model will be displayed This cut model can be used as input stock geometry for simulating the toolpath of subsequent machining operations 105 Getting Started with VisualTurn Tutorial 2 tp MecSoft Turn 1 0 10 x File Edit View Measure Stock Tool Feeds Speeds Turning Hole Making Post Process Reports Preferences Utilities Help Die amp k 724 E 18 x Default Er sm frl El Select geomet ERI _ _ a c Br in ni amp ET elo se Tools G gy Stack n 3 5 8
89. tarted with VisualTurn CAD Tutorial for creating a 2D profile for Turning As you have seen you can import a ready made part into VisualTurn If you want to create your own part from scratch from within VisualTurn the Geometry Bar contains all the CAD tools you need S To set up the grid 1 Start a new file switch to Top view and display the grid The default grid spacing assuming you are working in inches is 1 2 If you wish to change the grid settings select Preferences Grid Preferences to edit the grid spacing and grid extents Choose grid spacing to 1 0 for this tutorial Preferences Utilities Help Part Units Tolerances all Machining Preferences Command Preferences nad Display Preferences 2 Lighting Preferences EH Color Preferences Customize 48 Version 1 0 Set Grid Preferences X Set Grid Preferences Grid Spacing 5 il E Grid Extents Z Ez 50 Grid Estenta x Ex 50 Cancel Apply Help 3 To create geometry with respect to the grid you must be able to snap to grid points In the lower right part of the screen make sure Grid Snap is activated ETF OK OMe S To create point regions 1 As you ve already seen in previous exercises all geometry tools are in the Geometry Bar located by default on the right side of the screen In the Points category click Point Point 2 Place the first point at 10 to the right of origin
90. te used when the tool 1s cutting Retract Feed The feed rate as the tool stops cutting By default this is equal to Engage Feed a Departure Feed The post engage feed rate that prepares the tool just as it stops cutting a Transfer Feedrate Specifies the feedrate of transfer motions air motions You can either use the Rapid setting of the tool or set a custom feed rate Customizing Feeds Speeds You can also load values from an external table by selecting Feeds Speeds Load Feeds Speeds from the dropdown menu at the top Feeds Speeds Turning Hole Making E Set Feeds Speeds Load Feeds Speeds This will load the feeds and speeds from an external text file located in the Data folder under the VisualTurn installation folder Values for the feeds and speeds can be customized by the user For more information please refer to the on line help of the product Tool 42 Version 1 0 Clearance Plane The clearance plane is a plane from which the approach motions start and retract motions end After retracting the tool moves rapidly along this plane to the position of the next engage This plane is typically a certain safe distance above the part geometry The Clearance plane dialog is accessed by clicking the Clearance Control button on the Mops tab toolbar EJ Machine Setup zr Machining Operations By default Automatic option the clearance level is calculated by adding a safety distance to the maximum radial p
91. ter ID Roughing 15 Getting Started with VisualTurn Face Roughing Cut patterns Two types of cutting patterns are available Linear parallel to the Z axis Offset parallel to the part region Roughing Linear Roughing Offset 16 Version 1 0 Finishing This operation is performed after roughing operation Only the part geometry is taken into consideration in this machining operation and is offset to calculate the finishing tool path This operation is characterized by smaller depth of cuts to obtain tighter tolerances and better surface finish OD Finishing ID Finishing Face Finishing 17 Getting Started with VisualTurn a Groove Roughing This operation is performed to machine grooves on the part The grooves are typically used to slide fit one part into another to obtain the required assembly in Groove Finishing This operation is used to finish the grooves This operation is performed after the Groove Roughing operation 18 Version 1 0 Follow Curve This operation is performed in difficult to reach areas The tool is driven about the curve with no offsets applied to the curve pss Threading This operation 1s performed to machine threads on the part Threads are used as fasteners for assembly purposes 19 Getting Started with VisualTurn E Part Off This operation is performed to cut off the finished part from the rest of the
92. the Help item in the VisualTurn menu bar To obtain license codes you must register the product using the Web form available at www mecsoft com You can automatically launch this web form by selecting the Request License Codes button in the dialog If you have purchased the product directly from MecSoft Corporation you will have to provide the purchase invoice number before you can be licensed If you have purchased the Version 1 0 product through an authorized MecSoft reseller please obtain the license codes from your reseller In addition to this information make sure you also provide the Dongle ID that 15 shown on the registration screen Network Installation of VisualTurn If you have purchased a network license of VisualTurn please follow the steps outlined in Appendix I for proper installation of the network enabled hardware key Troubleshooting VisualTurn Installation If you have followed the installation steps outlined in the installation section correctly and are unable to load and run VisualTurn correctly follow the troubleshooting steps outlined in Appendix II to correct the problem Running VisualTurn Click on the Windows Start button and select Programs Point to the program group containing VisualTurn The name of this program group will be VisualTurn 1 0 unless you specified otherwise during setup Once you locate the program group select it and then select VisualTurn 1 0 Getting Started with VisualTurn VisualTurn
93. the drilled hole or b The above 2D profile can be select to create a drilled hole Visual Turn analyzes selected the 2D curve and determines the drill point where the 2D curve intersects the Z axis at X 0 51 Getting Started with VisualTurn Creating Surfaces In this final section the curves will be used to create the surfaces of the part S To create the revolved surface 1 Select the 2D curve created from the above example 2 Click on Surface of Revolution surfaces and you would be prompted to enter select the start point of the axis of revolution Note If no curves are selected and you pick Surface of Revolution VisualTurn prompts you to select a 2D curve and right click the mouse button when the selection is complete Surface of Revolution Fick curves to revolve and hit right mouse when done CUES Edit Curves SUTaces 22 Version 1 0 Surface of Revolution Fick start paint of axis of revalution or enter coordinates xy and z 3 Pick the origin point as the start point and you would be prompted to enter select the end point of axis of revolution eurtace of Rewolution Fick end paint of axis of revolution ar enter coordinates xy and z 4 Select the end point see below EN HHHH 5 Enter the start angle as 0 0 and end angle as 360 Jourtace of Rewolution Enter start angle of revolution s4 U 000000 aurtace of Revolution Enter end angle of
94. the first quadrant of the ZX plane That is one end point of the region must touch the X axis and the other end of the profile should touch the Z axis VisualTurn will be unable to process a part region that does not follow these restrictions uu Valid part region Region correctly positioned in the first ZX quadrant touching both the X and Z axis uu uu Invalid part regions Region is not touching the X axis and or Z axis Note Part regions need to be constrained to the first quadrant of the ZX coordinate system 23 Getting Started with VisualTurn Part Regions can be imported or can be created within VisualTurn using the Geometry creation and editing tools of VisualTurn You can select a part of the region or the whole region for machining purposes The Geometry Bar contains all the tools you need to create regions in addition to other types of geometry It 1s located to the right of the graphics area If you do not see this toolbar select View Toolbars Geometry Bar Selecting Regions Regions must be selected in order for them to be used in an operation Creating a region does not make it active you must use one of the Select Regions tools before creating the toolpath Region selection tools can be accessed from the Select Regions icon These tools are also available in the Mops tab Single 1 Rectangle ee oe Polygon Al None When selected a region 1s highlighted in yellow depending on the color
95. tly 3 As mentioned above the general shop floor practice 15 to set the MCS origin to the Stock Box and Zero Face to Right Most face of the part Click OK 29 30 Getting Started with VisualTurn This should align the MCS with the rotation axis and the right most face of the stock model Note Tool X and Z offsets that are required for each tool in the tool turret of a CNC turning center have to be measured from this point These tool offsets are necessary to be programmed in the controller correctly for proper cutting of the part when using an automatic tool turret in a CNC turning center Version 1 0 Creating Machining Operations VisualTurn allows users to create machining operations for turning and hole making operations The user needs to make sure that all setups described previously have been completed before proceeding to creation of machining operations Additionally the user first needs to select the following items before proceeding with the program creation l 2 3 4 5 Stock model if programming a roughing operation Correct tool for the operation Choose the correct feeds and speeds setting Choose the clearance plane specification Part Region that defines the part to be machined 4 stock model is a pre requisite only for creating Turn Roughing and Groove Roughing operations All other operations can be created without first creating a stock model Once all of these items have been created
96. urn installation creates a main installation folder whose name and location you can specify during the installation process or accept the default location of C Program Files MecSoft Corporation VisualTurn 1 0 This folder contains the VisualTurn executable and dll files There are also several subfolders in the installation directory Data Contains tool library files DefaultEnglishTools vtl and DefaultMetricTools vtl These files can be used as they are or you can use them as templates and customize them with your own data You will also find a speeds feeds amp material library file called VTFeedsSpeedsEng txt and V TFeedsSpeedsMet txt For more information on how to modify these tool library files please refer to VisualTurn s online help Examples Contains various example files that you can experiment with There are files from other CAD systems you can import as well as VisualTurn files vtp The vtp files contain saved machining operations that you can study and modify Help Contains the online help files used with VisualTurn You can open these files directly from this folder or access them within VisualTurn Posts Contains the standard set of post processor spm files Additional post processor files can be obtained from MecSoft Corporation If you receive additional spm files be sure to place them in this folder so that VisualTurn will recognize them Tutorials Contains a tutorial and several part files to help
97. urn is a unique Windows based CAM product that seamlessly integrates toolpath generation and cutting simulation verification in one package that is both easy and fun to use VisualTurn s machining technology capabilities enable you to produce toolpaths that you can send to the machine with utmost confidence A simple and well planned user interface makes VisualTurn suitable for use on the shop floor VisualTurn is a machining program targeted at the typical lathe machinist It 1s ideal for machining cylindrical parts on the lathe It can import Rhino STL IGES STEP DXF DWG VRML and Raw Triangle files Solid models surface models and faceted models can be imported into VisualTurn and a wide selection of tools and toolpath strategies to can be defined when generating toolpaths These toolpaths can then be simulated and verified and finally post processed to the controller of your choice About This Guide This guide is designed to introduce first time users to VisualTurn 1 0 The first part describes aspects of the user interface machining strategies and turning types This is followed by several tutorials designed to familiarize you with the main features of VisualTurn In addition to the information provided in this guide see the context sensitive online help for more comprehensive explanations You can also look at the models included in the Tutorials folder Computer Requirements Intel Pentium compatible computer Windows 98 N
98. will approach and retract along the negative Z axis The approach type is a necessary parameter and will have to be defined in every turn operation in VisualTurn An example of setting the approach type in the VisualTurn turn finishing dialog is shown below Turn Finishing X Global Parameters Finish Parameters Entry E xit Approach Type BF ae Global Parameters Tolerance 0 001 B Stock jo Compensation None Cut Containment Select Start amp End Points Stam 9 1 f End X T P Cancel Save Help 33 Getting Started with VisualTurn Tools VisualTurn supports numerous types of turning and drilling To access the tools creation command switch to the Tools tab in the browser window and select the first button in the toolbar Create Select Turn Tool Fig Stack Create Select Drill Tool Selecting the Turn tool brings up the dialog shown below Use the toolbar at the top of the tools dialog to select the desired tool type Create Select Turn Tool Ball Tools In Librar Maternal HSS Inscribed Circle _ Tip Angle 2 Ez Tool Offset Register fo Cutcom Register wy Coolant None Thickness 0 125 ip Radiu EY Relef Angle po B Lead Angle eS Onentation OD Forward C OD Backward C ID Forward C 1D Backward is Select Tool Save as Mew Save Edits Delete Close Help 34 Version 1 0 Va
99. window click the Diamond tab Change the name to Rough Tool and Tip Radius to 0 1 Choose the default values for other parameters and click Save as New 6l Getting Started with VisualTurn Create Select Turn Tool Tools In Librar Maternal HSS Hough Tool Mame ae L Tool Number 1 55 Tip Angle Tool Offset Register fo Cutcom Register fo E 195 25 Coolant None Thickness zd Comments Relief Angle 20 Lead Angle is rientatian OD Forward C OD Backward C ID Forward C ID Backward Select Tool Save as Mew Save Edits Delete Close Help To create the finishing tool Finishing 1s typically performed with a smaller radius tool 1 While still in the Diamond tab change the tool diameter to 0 01 inches 2 Change the tool name to Finish Tool 3 Click Save as New 62 Version 1 0 Create Select Turn Tool Tools In Librar Maternal HSS Rough Tool Finish Tool Finish T aal Too Tool Number 2 FR Tip Angle Tool Offset Register fo Cutcom Register fo E 0125 c Coolant Hone Thickness zd Comments Relief Angle 20 Lead Angle is Onentation OD Forward C OD Backward C ID Forward C ID Backward Select Tool Save as Mew Save Edits Delete Close Help 4 Click Close to close the window 5 Now that all tools have been created click the Tools tab in the Browser All the t

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