About Lock or Unlock Mechanism

This section describes the behavior of the Locking or Unlocking of mechanisms. These following topics are discussed.

This page discusses:

General Information

Locking or Unlocking a Machining Operation and tool paths has several uses. The commands are available from the context menu of the Activities Process Tree.

It is useful to lock a computed Machining Operation:

  • To prevent the tool path from being removed (for example, if the design or operator changes)
  • To allow the NC Programmer to determine what was machined and how it was machined based on the replay of the locked tool path.

Tool Path Stability

The Lock Tool Path command offers a means for ensuring the stability of a computed NC tool path from one release to another.

Knowing that tool path variations may be introduced from one release to another due to algorithm enhancements or maintenance interventions, this command reduces NC programmer time and effort by eliminating the need to re-calculate and re-validate previously computed NC data.

When Lock Tool Path is used, the computed tool path data is stored in the model. If a Machining Operation is not modified from one release to another (that is, if geometry, parameters, and so on are unchanged), it is not re-calculated: the previously stored tool path data is read.

Commands Available Depending on the Machining Operation Lock State

The Machining Operation is not locked and its tool path is not locked. Available commands are Lock and Lock Tool Path.

The Machining Operation is not locked but its tool path is locked. Available commands are Lock and Unlock Tool Path.

The Machining Operation is locked (Tool path and Machining Operation parameters), available command is Unlock.

Notes:
  • This identifies a locked Machining Operation.
  • This identifies a locked tool path.

Lock and Unlock Machining Operations

The context menu of a computed Machining Operation gives access to four lock or unlock commands.

Note: Lock and Lock Tool Path changes to Unlock and Unlock Tool Path.

Lock: Locks the tool path and the machining operation parameters.

Unlock: Unlocks the tool path and the machining operation parameters.

Lock Tool Path: Locks the tool path only.

Unlock Tool Path: Unlocks the tool path only.

Notes:
  • You cannot change the parameter values of a Machining Operation when it is in a locked state.
  • However, if the units are modified, the parameter values are automatically converted.
  • A locked tool path does not take into account any changes you make in the machining operation parameters, such as tool changes. This applies in particular when you compute a tool path, then modify the machining operation parameters, and lock the tool path after the modifications. Unlock the tool path before making any changes so that they are taken into account in the tool path.

Lock and Unlock Manufacturing Programs

The context menu of the Machining Operation gives you access to four lock or unlock commands.

Lock Children
Locks the child nodes in Machining Operation as follows:
  • The child node is not locked and its tool path is not locked: the command locks the tool path and the Machining Operation parameters.
  • The child node is not locked but its tool path is locked: the command locks the Machining Operation parameters (the tool path is already locked).
  • The child node is locked: the tool path and Machining Operation parameters are already locked.
Unlock Children
Unlocks the child nodes in Machining Operation as follows:
  • The child is not locked and its tool path is not locked: the tool path and Machining Operation parameters are already unlocked.
  • The child is not locked but its tool path is locked: the command unlocks the tool path (the Machining Operation parameters are already unlocked).
  • The child is locked: the command unlocks the tool path and Machining Operation parameters.
Lock Tool Path
Locks the tool path of the child nodes in Machining Operation) as follows:
  • The child node is not locked and its tool path is not locked: the command locks the tool path.
  • The child node is not locked but its tool path is locked: the tool path is already locked.
  • The child node is locked: the tool path is already locked.
Unlock Tool Path
Unlocks the tool path of the child nodes in Machining Operation as follows:
  • The child node is not locked and its tool path is not locked: the tool path is already unlocked.
  • The child node is not locked but its tool path is locked: the command unlocks the tool path.
  • The child node is locked: the tool path is protected by the Machining Operation lock. You cannot unlock the tool path only. You have to unlock the Machining Operation.