This menu is used to configure the machine environment in order to enable machining simulation. For machining operations, the user will need to define the tools and fixtures first.
When you click on the Tooling menu, the user will be prompted to set up the tool.
The Tool Tree displays all tools required for the machining process.
Under “Tool to be mounted”, you will find tools that are currently unmounted.
Under “Magazine Spindle/ Turret”, you will see the machine’s tool magazine, which lists tools that are already mounted.
To mount a tool, drag and drop it from its Tool Support location to the appropriate Pocket in the magazine. Insert a tool holder for each of the tools if they haven’t yet been defined.
The Machine sub-tab shows the setup of the machine.
The selected pocket must correspond to the actual pocket on the physical machine to ensure the tool number matches the one used in the NC program.
Tooling User Interface & Manipulations
Ribbon: Provides settings for the graphics display, collision detection, validate and move to the control menu and validate and call the post-processor
Tooling tree tab: Two tabs are present; the main Tooling tab for all the settings of the tool on the machine and the Machine tab for display functions of the machine components.
Tooling tree: The tree lists all the tool mounting axes on the machine. It is segregated into the list of tools to be mounted and the racks/turrets/spindles on which the tools can be mounted.
Graphics window: The 3D model of the machine and its components and tool mounting axes that can be interacted with and manually mount tools and toolholders. This provides a visual understanding of the settings.
Pop-up menus: Various pop-up menus are available with different functions for each sections, such as the tree, tool/toolholder, machine window, etc.
Tool rack: The 3D models of the list of tools to be mounted or already mounted are shown on the rack at the bottom. The user can drag and drop the tools from there to the machine, add toolholders, etc.
Functions menu: This menu provides advanced settings for the tooling and machining process.
Watch a video describing the the interface and their functions.
The MTE Tooling environment is enriched with numerous functions and settings to assist the user but this, on the other hand, can bring in some complexities in the manipulation of the 3D graphics model(e.g.: Multiple axes for turrets in turning).
To navigate through this, it is recommended and also a reminder to make use of the filter and mouse manipulations ( Zoom, rotation, etc.) for better positioning of the 3D models and avoid any sort of visual hindrance.
In the MTE environment, the Tool Rack is a 3D visualization used during the tool preparation stage before machining. It represents a cart with all tools ready for mounting and offers interactive features such as zooming, slider navigation, and tool rotation for detailed inspection. Users can also switch to view only the tools mounted in the machine magazine. After mounting, the Tool Rack can be minimized as it becomes less relevant.
The user can also hide/unhide or make transparent the 3D components, especially for the machine. This though is not possible in the Tooling tree tab. Being in this tab only allows these actions (through a right-click or scroll clicking) on the tools and toolholders.
To hide components on the machine, switch to the Machine tree tab. All the components defined for the machine are listed in the tree. Access the commands to hide or make transparent by right-clicking on the required component.
The user can also manually manipulate the 3D machine. Click and drag on the movable components on the 3D model and they can be moved based on their constraints defined in the kinematics.
Tool Mounting Methods
There are multiple ways to manually mount tool in MTE:
Click here to watch a video tutorial on manually mounting the tool.
Using the Drag & Drop in the Tooling Tree
In the tooling menu, you’ll find a section labeled ‘Tool to be Mounted’. Each tool support in this section contains a tool that needs to be mounted. To manually mount a tool, simply drag and drop it from the ‘Tool to be Mounted’ section to an available tool support on your turret or spindle.
Example: In the provided images, the tool ‘MS RF 123F20-16168.T01’ is dragged and dropped onto Turret 2, Tool Support (1).
Image 1 shows the tool’s initial position in the ‘Tool to be Mounted’ section.
Image 2 displays the tool after it has been placed on the turret tool support.
Image 1
Image 2
Drag & Drop of 3D tool from Rack to Turret/Spindle
In the MTE Tooling Interface, you’ll find a rack at the bottom(shown inImage 3) containing tools ready for mounting. To manually mount a tool, simply drag and drop the 3D model onto the desired turret or spindle tool support, each of which is labeled with a numbered axis system for easy identification.
Image 3
Drag & Drop from Tooling Tree to Turret/spindle.
In the "Tool to be mounted" section (shown in Image 1), you can mount tools by dragging them directly to your turret or spindle. The mounting process is simple:
Select the tool in the tool tree
Drag it while holding the left mouse button
Release the button and click your desired tool support on the turret or spindle
Easily see and modify the useful length and X, Y, and Z gauges for each tool. A dedicated "Gauge Y=0" button allows you to quickly set all Y gauges to zero.
This table displays a list of machining planes, the axes used for each cycle, and possible rotation values. When multiple options exist, a button appears to let you choose.
Identify machining cycles that use intersecting axes. Lock specific axes (spindle or turret) to a desired position, forcing the program to utilize the remaining axis.
Synchronization
Visualize synchronizations with a time diagram by channels. This includes occupancy percentage, spindle and turret information, and allows dynamic setup of synchronizations between cycles.
Commands Editor
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