Defining Tool Change Position

You can define priorities for axes during the definition of a tool change point. This helps to achieve realistic simulation of the machine for tool change activities. This definition of priorities is available for both turrets and milling machines. In a real NC machine, some axes involved in the tool change activity can be specified as high priorities for motion. An axis or set of axes having a given priority participate simultaneously in the motion while the remaining axes are stationary. An example is a indexing turret where, during a tool change, the linear axes move together to retract and then the indexing axis moves to change the tool.

Before you begin: Define Tool mount point on a NC resource.
See Also
Defining Mount Points
  1. From the Resource Creation section of the action bar, click Tool Change Position .
    The Tool Change Position Editor dialog box appears.
  2. From the Name list, select a tool change point.
    The axes values appear for the selected tool change point.
  3. Modify the axis as required in Axis Value frame.
  4. Select Activated or Deactivated for specific parts in the Activation frame.
    If you select Activated, the axis becomes activated and participates in simulation. If you select Deactivated, the axis becomes deactivated and does not participate in simulation.
  5. Use the To Toolchange and the From Toolchange tabs to set the tool-change priorities.

    When the machine has to return from the tool change position to the next machining operation, the set of motions that the machine performs involves the axes priorities defined on the machine.

    The From Toolchange tab page shows the set the priorities to use when the machine has to move from the tool change location to the next operation. Similarly, the To Toolchange tab page shows the priorities to use when the machine has to move from an operation to the tool change location.

    Move the slider bars, on the right side of dialog box, to set the priority for the corresponding axis. Moving the slider bar to the right lowers the axis priority and moving the slider bar to the left increases the priority. The value of the priority appears just above the slider bar. You can set priority values for deactivated axes as well. The priority of an axis is applicable for activated axis during simulation.

  6. Click Associate Mount Points to associate the tool change point with one or more existing mount ports.
    The Assign Mount Ports dialog box appears.
  7. Select the desired mount ports, and click OK.
  8. Click OK to close the Tool Change Position Editor dialog box.

    All modifications that have been made are saved. Alternatively, clicking Cancel forgets any changes that have been made.

    The axes having the lowest priorities start moving first. The axes having next higher priorities start moving next. This behavior continues until all the axes involved have completed their motion.