Simulating Mill-Turn Machines

You can simulate multi-turret and multi-spindle machines, verify and modify NC tool paths for travel limits and collisions. Mill-turn machines might have a linear axis on the workpiece spindle (X, Y, Z) but not on the turret. Simulation for this type of machines is also supported.

Machines with multiple turrets can include operations parallel to each other which are simulated simultaneously when you simulate the part operation.

  • For machines with multiple turrets and one single spindle: since the job mounted on the spindle is machined by more than one turret, two or more operations are parallel.
  • For machines with multiple turrets and multiple spindles: since the jobs mounted on the spindles are machined by different turrets simultaneously, more than one operations are parallel.

Before you begin: Open a Mill-Turn machine with two or more turrets assigned to the manufacturing program.

Turrets: The following types of turrets are supported for Mill-Turn machines:

  • Rotational turrets with several tool mount points with all tools attached during machining. These turrets must be modeled with X, Z, and C axes being the indexing rotary axis. These turrets cannot have any additional axes.
  • B-axis/4-axis milling head with one tool mount point, with the possibility of a tool change during simulation. These are modeled with multiple DOF (Degree of Freedom) normally X, Y, Z, B. This turret must be a single kinematic chain.
  • C-axis head with one tool mount point.

Spindles: Spindles are modeled with only one rotary DOF and one linear DOF. This DOF can be used during simulation for indexing the job.

Notes:
  • The simulation does not currently support indexing turrets that have the axis of the rotation of the rotary joint for Indexing, that is at an angle, which is neither parallel nor perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the spindle.
  • Mill Turn machines with interchangeable heads are simulated, only if a Head Change operation is created in the corresponding manufacturing program. For more information, see Simulating Milling Machines with Interchangeable Heads.
  • When an interchangeable head with programmable joints is mounted on a Mill-Turn machine, make sure you create machine instructions to position and lock the joints at the correct values.
  1. From the Activities Process Tree, double-click a manufacturing program.
  2. In the Manufacturing Program dialog box that appears, select a turret from the Turret Name list.

    The list appears only if a Mill-Turn machine with two or more turrets are assigned to the Part Operation. For more information, see Mill-Turn Machining User's Guide: Working with Multi-Turret Turning Machining: Setting Up Environment for Multi-Turret Turning Machining.

    • For Rotational turrets with several mount points, specify the tool mount location for the tool.
    • Tools are mounted at the beginning of the simulation and for every tool change operation, turret indexing ensures that the right tool is selected. After indexing, inverse-Kinematics is applied to the two translational axes.
    • For every tool the proper gauge-length should be set using the Turning Tool Change dialog box. This helps in appropriate tool mounting on turrets.

  3. In the left side of the work area, select Resouce Configuration View and do one of the following:
    1. To assign tool assemblies, right-click a tool mount point and select Assign.
    2. To unassign a tool assembly, right-click a tool assembly assigned to the tool mount point and select Unassign.
    Note: Tools are mounted on turrets or adaptors based on the defined tool mount point. Make sure that tool mount points are defined such that the final tool orientation matches the tool orientation during tool path replay.
  4. For each manufacturing program, define one or more tool changes.

    Tool change occurs at the tool change point defined on each turret. Tools are associated with the stations on various turrets. This is done either at Tool Change level.

    1. Open Turning Tool Change dialog box.

      The Mounting station displays all available free tool mount ports of selected turret, like Empty, t5, T8,T6,T4,T1. Once a turret is assigned to a manufacturing program it is reflected in the Activities Process Tree. So, each manufacturing program has a turret associated with it.

      Activities Type Resource name
      Manufacturing Program.1 Manufacturing program Turret2

  5. Once the process is ready, mount the jobs on various spindles using Workpiece Automatic Mount .
  6. Launch the machine simulation.
    For more information, see Creating a Simulation Object.