Copying a Manufacturing Program

When programming the machining of a part containing several identical areas, you can define a Manufacturing Program on a first area, and then duplicate it on the other areas.

Before you begin:

A Manufacturing Program can contain:

  • Tool Changes
  • Machining Operations
  • Auxiliary operations such as Machining Axis Changes, PP instructions, Copy Operators, Tracut Operators, Machine Rotation and Machine Instructions.

Copy Program:

  • Copies the Tool Changes, Machining Axis Changes and PP instructions.
  • Creates the Copy-Transformation for the associated Machining Operations.
  • Ignores the other auxiliary operations, as well as APT Import operations.

  1. Create one Machining Axis System for each area on which you duplicate the initialManufacturing Program as explained inCreating Machining Axis Systems.


  2. Create a Manufacturing Program on a first area of the part to machine.
    • Optional: Change the default machining axis system to one you have created.


  3. Click Copy Program and an activity in the Activities Process Tree.
    The Copy Program dialog box is displayed.
  4. Define the conditions of the copy:
    1. Place the pointer in No selection to the right of Manufacturing Program.
      The dialog box disappears.
    2. Select the Manufacturing Program from the Activities Process Tree.
      The dialog box reappears and is updated as soon as you select a Manufacturing Program.
    3. Select Positioning type from the list.

      In this release, only Axis to Axis is supported.

    4. Place the pointer in No selection to the right of From.
      The dialog box disappears.
    5. Select the machining axis attached to the Manufacturing Program you want to duplicate.
      The dialog box reappears and is updated as soon as you select a machining axis.
  5. Click Multi-Selection to the right of To. In the dialog box that appears:
    1. Click Machining Axis System to add a machining axes to your selection. Double-click anywhere in the work area to revert to the Axis To Axis dialog box.
    2. Select a machining axis and click to remove it from your selection.
    3. Use the arrows to order your selection.
    4. Click Close to revert to the Copy Program dialog box.
  6. Click OK.
    The Manufacturing Program is duplicated and transformed once for each machining axis selected in To.