Using the Manufacturing Cell

The Manufacturing Cell is the object that contains the program of a machine, and the resources involved for this program. This is the main PLM object for an NC Programmer.

This task shows you how to:

Before you begin: Have a scenario with a manufacturing cell.

Opening a Manufacturing Cell Without a PPR Context

You can open a manufacturing cell independently from a PPR Context.

Before you begin:

Make sure that you have enabled the Enable PPR Context propagation in database option in the PPR Context tab under Me > Preferences > App Preferences > Simulation > Digital Manufacturing Apps Common Services Simulation and Planning Apps Common Services > PPR Context.

  1. Import a 3D XML file containing a PPR Context.
  2. Open the manufacturing cell only without PPR Context.
  3. Open one of the following machining applications:
    • Prismatic Machining: Axial and Prismatic activities.
    • Milling Machining: Axial, Prismatic, and Surface activities.
    • Multi-Axis Machining: Axial, Prismatic, Surface, and 5x activities.
    • Mill-Turn Machining: Axial, Prismatic, Surface, 5x, and Turning activities.
    • Prismatic and Turning Machining: Axial, Prismatic, and Turning activities.
    The license checking is changed and is computed with the access rights of the machining applications.

The machining application is opened with the machining view displayed.

Managing from the Activities Process Tree PPR Context And Manufacturing Cell

You can manage the resources of a manufacturing process from the PPR Context.

The PPR Context contains:

  • A product called the Manufacturing Cell that includes:
    • One product that contains the machine.
      Note: The manufacturing cell contains only one machine.
    • Products that contain the tools (one product per tool)
    • Products that contain the tool assemblies (one product per tool assembly)
    • Products that contain accessories (one product per accessory).
  • This is the core object for the machining programmer.
  • A product called NC Assembly that contains the part to machine
  • A representation called Machining Programs_Bahavior that contains the programs of the machine.
    Note: This representation is attached to one particular machine, meaning that all the part operations it contains are associated to this particular machine. Changing the machine affects all the associated part operations.
  • Processes and system data optionally created by you. These objects link resource data to the product data. They hold implement links that are used in the PPR Navigator to analyze impacts of engineering changes on the resource data.

  1. Click Content and Simulation and select the manufacturing cell
    The NC Machine Programming Wizard is displayed. A PPR Context is created in the tree. It contains a Manufacturing Cell, that contains the part to machine.



  2. Create a machine NC Programming Wizard.
    A Machining Programs_Behavior node and a product containing the machine are added to the tree.
  3. Create a tool.
    A product containing the tool specifications is added to the tree.

  4. Continue the same way for other resources.
  5. Alternatively, right-click the PPR Context and select Insert Resource > Existing Product or Resource in the context menu. Follow the instructions in the work area to insert the resource.

Search a Manufacturing Cell in the Database and Explore in PPR

You can open a PPR Context and a Manufacturing Cell from a Search.

  1. In the Search box, enter a search string such as prd: PPR* and click Search .
  2. Select the PPR Context in the Search Results and select Open in the context menu.
    The PPR Context and all the related objects are retrieved from the database and displayed in the PPR editor.
  3. For a Manufacturing Cell, enter prd:Manufacturing*.

Manage Inconsistent Links from a Machining Program Representation

This helps you how to manage inconsistent links within a Machining object.

  1. Right-click Manufacturing Cell.
  2. Select Managing Inconsistent Links.

    At first, this checks if some links have been automatically rerouted. If reconnecting is available, reconnecting is performed and an information message appears, Automatic reconnection has been successfully performed.

    The remaining broken links are displayed and sorted by machining objects using the inconsistent links.

  3. Perform a Edit or Delete:

    They are enabled according to the selected line:

    Edit action is available on several links:

    • Link used by part operation
    • Link used by machining operation
    • Link used by machining feature (ex: pattern).

    It is not available for internal features (like Local parameters of tools) and helps to perform a manual intervention by directly editing the feature using the link.

    Edit opens the usual feature edition panel (for example, Machining Operation panel for link used by the operation).

    Delete is not available for the following links:

    • Link to geometry (use edit and take action from edit panel instead)
    • Link from representation to NC machine instance.

    Delete isolates the link.

    It also deletes the associated feature in the following cases:

    • From tool magazine to NC tools
    • From machine configuration to Machine Accessories / Spindle
    • From Turret axis system to turret.

  4. Click X to end.

    If there are inconsistent links of a machining program, see Details for Managing Inconsistent Links.

Start Machine Programming

This describes how to start Machine Programming.

  1. From a product containing a part to machine:
    1. Select Start > Machining > Machine Programming. A PPR Context with an empty Manufacturing Cell is created. An empty Activities Process Tree opens automatically.
    2. Create a generic machine or assign a machine from the database. As soon as a machine is assigned to the Manufacturing Cell, a Part Operation and a Manufacturing Program are created in the Activities Process Tree.
    In addition to the work area that contains a geometric view of the products, and to the Activities Process Tree that contains the machining activities, Machine Programming creates a tree named PPRContext_Productxxx.
    Note: The name may vary according to the environment defined by your administrator.

    The PPR Contextcontains:

    • A resource called the Manufacturing Cell that includes:
      • One single machine,
      • The tools,
      • The tool assemblies,
      • Accessories,
      • A resource called NC Assembly
      • A representation called Machining Programs that contains the programs of the machine. This representation is attached to one particular machine. That is, all the Part Operations that it contains are associated to this particular machine, and taken into account by the Generic Machine dialog box. Thus changing the machine in the Generic Machine dialog box affects all the associated Part Operations.
    • Processes and system data optionally created by you, these objects link resource data to the product data. They hold implement links that are used in the PPR Navigator to analyze impacts of engineering changes on the resource data. See Managing Design Changes and Links.

    Note: The Manufacturing Cell is the main object for the Machine Programmer.
  2. Select Share > Save to save the PPR Context.

NC Assembly Definition

NC Assembly is a Resource of type Manufacturing Setup that instantiates products containing geometric definition required for the NC programmer as the stock, the part, and additional geometry.

Right-click the Manufacturing Cell from the tree, select Insert then select Existing NC Assembly, this aggregates it.
Note: At start of machining:
  • When a part is active: a new NC assembly is aggregated under Manufacturing Cell and the part is aggregated under it.
  • When an NC assembly is active: it is aggregated under Manufacturing Cell.

Product structure commands like insert 3Dpart, replace by version, are available in a product structure, double-click the NC assembly.

Sending a Tool to Library

You can send tool elements to libraries.

  1. Right-click a resource and select NC Resources > Send to Library.
    The Send to Library dialog box appears.
  2. To Create a New Library:
    1. Make sure thatCreate a New Library is selected.
    2. Specify the Library Name and the Class Name.
    3. Click OK.

    Note: Before sending the resources to a library, ensure resources are saved.

  3. To Update an Existing Library:
    1. Make sure that Update an Existing Library is selected.
    2. Select an existing Library Name from the drop-down menu.

      Note: You can also search an existing Library from database .

    3. Select an existing Class Name from the drop-down menu or select Edit to Create a New Class Name to enter a new Class Name.
    4. If you select a Class Name from the drop-down menu, the following options are available:

      • Add selected revision: adds the selected resource revision in existing library class. By default, this option is checked.
      • Replace revisions older than the selected one: replaces all the older revisions of the selected resource existing in library class by the selected resource revision.

      This name must be unique.

    5. Click OK in the information message box displayed at the end of the addition.

      Note: Before sending the resources to a library, ensure resources are saved.