We use Unigraphics CAD/CAM software and I need to know is there any easy ways to program one part and add parameters or macro B variables to the g-code program that will allow the program to run on multiple postions on the tombstone face and allow that same program to be ran on multiple faces. I have used a G52 local offset on Verical machines with success, letting the operator tell the program how many parts to run and how many parts have already been ran using a loop. Which reminds me of why we aren't using that method. They won't run it without that g-code program being ran through vericut. That is yet another issue. How to get the While loop statement to run in Vericut. Can anybody help with this?

I would use your work coordinate system G54-G59. What kind of control are you using? How do you use the position of the tombstome. Is there a bushing or do you just true up a part? If your faces have the same location each time you rotate to that face for example set G54 coordinates to face 1, G55 to face 2 ect. Then program off of the X0Y0.

A bit more information about your parts, were there located, and how you currently run them would help.

Stevo

The controller is a Mazatrol 640M. We always have the operator set up the fixture and find their own zeros for G54, 55, 56, and so on for what they need. We have recently provided offset tapes that set the offset values for different P numbers. In one case P2, P4, P6, P31, P35. Not sure exactly who decided what P numbers are at what angles, but P2 is on the 0 face and it is rotated using B0 in program. P31 is 65.007 degrees, P4 is 270 degrees, P6 is 90 degrees and P35 is 32.5 degrees. They are setting the zeros using G90G10L20P lines with appropriate x,y,z values. This is a better way than what we have been doing it and we still do it the old way, where operators find their own zeros. It just seems like there has to be a better easier way to manage this and run the quantity of parts we want to run with a simple change of a quantity variable and a looping method to go as far as changing the tombstone face if the part quantity requires that to be done. Almost forgot, the P number line is like this, G90G54.1P35, next line G90B32500 . We have started to look at a new way to load parts on a completely different machione using a tombstone zero and known fixture parameters, so all that is need is to have the right program and the right fixture to load and run without having to make any initial part zero adjustments. (It's about time)

We have a Makino MMC with A61 machines which I use rotational macro's quite a bit. Our system is automated, so there's no operator interaction, but I am sure something similar can be done on yours. All of our G54 through G59 values are preset in an offset subroutine. Since are parts from face to face are identical, I use an incremental loop program that changes the WPC value after each face rotation. A GE statement in the cycle loop checks the WPC and goes to the next tool when all the faces have been ran.

As far as getting something like this to verify in Vericut, I doubt it. I don't know of any verify programs that are capable of reading macro's.

The way we have been doing it is by making the program massive and it includes all parts on each face if we are running four faces then they might have one program for that and one for two faces and another for just one face. They are trying to get the run time up so the machines can stay running longer. Any experience telling you this won't improve our production times? Then there's the part about having to make mulitpl fixtures for the same part for all the faces. It almost seems like we lose what we gain by having to make all these fixtures. Do you use any modular fixturing you could recomend? It's true that we might have the machine run longer, but I am almost thinking that we will have more down time between pallet runs loading and unloading parts. I am not sure there's any saving in that besides there not being an extra set of tool changes for each part. I like the idea of using a loop to cycle through the WPC's. It would make loading the programs faster since they would be smaller tapes. I am thinking I could make a text editor script to add the needed variables or maybe add them by hand in the CAM, but it seems hard to get anyone to change here.