Creating and Using Prismatic Machining Areas

You can create a Prismatic Machining Area and then use this feature in Pocketing and Profile Contouring operations.

Before you begin:
  • The Photo simulation capability is used in this task. To enable this simulation, reference the Design Part in the Part Operation editor.
Related Topics
Defining a Virtual Bottom Plane

  1. Activate the Manufacturing Program and click Prismatic Machining Area in the Prismatic Machining Operations toolbar.

    The Prismatic Machining Area dialog box includes a sensitive icon to help you specify the geometry. Areas of the icon are colored red indicating that this geometry is required.

  2. Click the red Bottom in the sensitive icon then select the pocket bottom in the authoring window.



    The pocket boundary (Guide.1) is automatically deduced from the pocket bottom.



  3. Click OK to create the feature called Prismatic machining area.1.

    This feature references the selected pocket geometry.

  4. Make a machining activity current in the Activities Process Tree, then click Pocketing in the Prismatic Machining Operations toolbar.

    1. Select Prismatic machining area.1 in the Feature list, in the Pocketing dialog box.

      The operation geometry shows the elements referenced by the feature (pocket bottom, guide, and so on).

      Note: Any modification to this geometry in the operation also modifies the geometry of the feature. However, if the feature is used by another operation, it is not possible to modify its geometry in the machining operation editor.

    2. Go to the Tool tab to select a tool, in the Pocketing dialog box.

      See Specifying a Tool Element in a Machining Operation

    3. Go to the Macros tab to specify a Retract macro with a linear retract path of 50mm.

      See Defining Macros on Milling Operations

    4. Simulate the tool path in photo simulation mode to check the Pocketing operation.

      See Simulating Material Removal in Photo Mode



      The pocketing operation leaves some unmachined material in the corners.

    5. Close the Replay dialog box. Click OK to create the Pocketing operation.

  5. Click Profile Contouring in the Prismatic Machining Operations toolbar.

    1. In the Profile Contouring dialog box, select Prismatic machining area.1 in the Feature list.

      The operation geometry is initialized with the pocket bottom and guide elements referenced by the feature.

    2. Select a tool with a 5mm nominal diameter.

      See Specifying a Tool Element in a Machining Operation

    3. Select the Macros tab to specify an Approach macro with a linear approach path of 50mm.

      See Defining Macros on Milling Operations

    4. Simulate the tool path in photo simulation mode to check the Profile Contouring operation.



    5. Close the Replay dialog box. Click OK to create the Profile Contouring operation.

      See Replaying the Tool Path

  6. Click Manufacturing View to display the Manufacturing View.

    In the contextual menu, select the Sort by Machining Features item to see how the Prismatic machining area is referenced by the Pocketing and Profile Contouring operations.



    Note:

    • The tool entry direction for a Prismatic machining area is the normal to the selected bottom. When the same Prismatic machining area is used in another operation, the tool axis takes precedence and the computation is done based on the tool axis.
    • In addition to Pocketing and Profile Contouring operations, Prismatic Machining Areas can also be used for Creating a Prismatic Rework Area for Corners and Channels.