Associate an APT File to an NC Lathe Program

task target This task shows you how to associate an APT file to an NC Lathe program using the NC Manufacturing Review workbench. 

This association consists in creating a tool path for each operation by extracting the necessary information from the APT file. This allows verification and simulation of these operations.
task target No sample is delivered for this scenario: you can use any CATProduct that includes one or more V4 models with NC Lathe sets. Also you must have a APT source file generated by the CATLATH utility for the imported NC Lathe program.

Note that CATLATH must be executed with the PPRINT processing option set to PPRINT (that is, *PPR or *PPRINT keyword set to 1). 
This is to allow identifying the part of the tool path corresponding to each operation and so to be able to define the tool path of each operation.  Identification is processed by means of the PPRINT OPERATION NUMBER statements.
scenario 1. Select the V4 program in the specification tree.
2. Select Associate Output NC File to a Program . The dialog box for selecting the NC file appears.
3. Select the NC file to associate to the program.

The tree is updated with tool paths defined on the machining operations.
 
  • The machining operations with Computed status have their own tool path which can be replayed and, if a stock geometry is linked to the Part Operation, simulated.
  • APT association must be done in a CATIA session working in the same units as those in which APT was generated.
  • The APT association can only be done on V4 type programs.
  • The APT association can only be done whenever there is a PPRINT OPERATION NUMBER statement and there are as many entities in the program as PPRINT OPERATION NUMBER statements in the APT (except the first one, which defines CATIA0).
  • A 'continue' statement followed by a PPRINT OPERATION NUMBER statement may present a problem. Example :

PPRINT OPERATION NUMBER : 6 
PPRINT *** TOOL NO SF8-1093-10 6.00DIA. .125CRAD. .625LOC. 4.500SL$ 
PPRINT OPERATION NUMBER : 7 
PPRINT *************************************************************** 

You should remove all unnecessary 'continue' statements before APT association.

  • APT association is not possible for files containing OUTPUT PROFILE, TOOL FLANK OUTPUT, TOOL CENTER OUTPUT, or NURBS statements.

end of task