NC Prismatic Machine Programmer

The DELMIA 3DEXPERIENCE NC Prismatic Machine Programmer (NPM) Role enables users to program advanced 2.5-axis milling machines and 2 and 4 axes wire EDM machines to create 3D parts.

The 3DEXPERIENCE® platform immerses NC programmers in a realistic virtual workplace as they create, enhance and validate milling and EDM programs. It provides easy access to up-to-date information for machining resources, NC programs and part set-up. The 3D environment immerses NC Programmers in a realistic virtual workplace as they create, optimize, and validate milling programs.  It provides easy access to up-to-date information for machining resources, NC programs, and part setup.

NC Prismatic Machine Programmer provides a full set of features for workpiece setup, cutter tool assembly, and toolpath simulation that include material removal, machine-tool simulation and NC code generation.  NC programmers can capture and leverage enterprise intellectual property and collaborate with other stakeholders as they develop, validate, and optimize NC programs.

DELMIA Prismatic Machining

NC Prismatic Machine Programmer Benefits

Reduce NC programming time

Offers efficiencies with features such as intuitive graphic dialog boxes, traffic light indicators for undefined machining parameters, and a help icon for each parameter. When NC programs are authored or edited, NC Prismatic Machine Programmer takes into account the machine tools kinematic definition. Tool changes and machine rotations are automatically generated and can be visualized in the machining operation definition panel.

Maximize machine tool utilization

Wide range of operations and strategies helps programmers create toolpath programs that minimize non-value-added motion. Optimized NC programs, including high-speed machining features, reduce overall machining cycle time. NC Prismatic Machine Programmer takes in-process parts into account to generate collision-free tool paths.

Mitigate risk to production

3D environment enables programmers to create optimized NC programs in the manufacturing context: NC machine, cutter, tool assemblies, NC accessories and other elements. This provides a better understanding of the Manufacturing cell and ensures that the tool path and machining strategy take the tool’s physical environment into account. It reduces the risk of unexpected issues and production delays.

Leverage intellectual property

NC Prismatic Machine Programmer improves automation and standardization of NC tool path programs. Users can define and store machining processes for multi-pocket operations as dedicated templates, and store them in catalogs for reuse. Company intellectual property is capitalized and re-used to make programming more efficient. The gains in productivity and machining-work standardization are significant.

A single design-to-machining solution to understand engineering changes

Based on the 3DEXPERIENCE® platform, NC Prismatic Machine Programmer provides an unrivaled level of associativity between product engineering, manufacturing processes, and resources. Companies can manage concurrent engineering and manufacturing flows better and shorten the design-to-manufacturing cycle. NC Prismatic Machine Programmer offers the best available support of design changes or design variants and the rapid creation of programs for families of parts. Native implementation links connect machining programs to engineering and manufacturing data. These links can be used to see which machining programs are impacted by engineering or manufacturing changes. Like a new cutter, for example, and to see whether machining data is up to date with respect to engineering changes.

DELMIA Wire EDM Machining

NC Prismatic Machine Programmer Highlights

A Setup Wizard and an immersive, context-based user interface

NPM immerses users in a realistic environment. A toolpath creation wizard and context-based menus are available to help do quick 3D setup and create the NC tool path. Traffic lights signal if parameters need to be defined. If a user clicks on a help icon while editing a parameter, an image describing the parameter pops up in the panel. Users can quickly organize programs in the activities process tree using copy-and-paste functions. Tool changes and machine rotations are automatically generated and can be visualized in the activity process tree.

Manage and program machining resources

NPM lets users manage CNC machines, accessories, tools and tool assemblies. These resources can be retrieved through standard search capabilities, using relevant machining attributes, and instantiated in a manufacturing cell. Users can clearly see the impact of changes on the definitions of objects such as parts or cutting tools across all NC processes and programs. NPM supports default or customized representation of the cutter and tool assemblies that are used for verification, simulation with material removal, and collision checking.

Automatic association of prismatic machining features with part design

Automatically recognizes the prismatic machining features of the product design, significantly reducing toolpath programming time. A manufacturing view of the design part is generated, with all the drilling and milling features to be machined. Through this embedded feature-recognition technology, NPM allows geometrical-machined, feature-creation design parts—even on those with no design feature specifications.

Creation and optimization of 2.5-axis milling, drilling and probing operations

NPM offers a broad range of machining operations for toolpath definition, including pocketing, facing, and contouring. These operations can be defined as multi-level and multi-pass. At the user’s request, the tool path can be optimized for high-speed machining. Point-to-point machining is available, as well as a full set of axial operations from standard drilling to complex boring and chamfering. Several dedicated strategies for hard material are included such as trochoidal milling, concentric milling and spiral morphing. The concentric strategy helps control the radial engagement to maximize the efficiency on the machine while protecting the cutter. NPM offers unique functionalities for creating and verifying milling, drilling, and probing operations. Probing operations are very flexible and can be customized with associated user parameters. NPM extends the 2.5 axis capabilities by offering best-in-class 4-axis pocketing that includes a variety of strategies, island management, and user-defined lead angle on the tool axis for better cutting conditions. This operation also supports non-cylindrical and non-conical surfaces and revolution surfaces going beyond the 180 degrees.

Wire EDM Machining

Simulate, validate, and program wire Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM) processes. Users have the ability to compute the wire EDM path and program the synchronization of each end of the wire to the part contours. Users can implement 2- and 4-axes programming capabilities with dedicated wire EDM strategies, visualize and validate their program strategy, then produce the machine code to be used in the real machine. As with all DELMIA Machining applications, users can save and re-use best practices by creating the wire EDM paths, storing these in a template, and then re-using the same strategy on other parts.

On – the – Go (Disconnected Mode)

The On–the–Go option allows Simulation Engineers to disconnect from the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform for up to 30 days. Once disconnected, the user can continue to use the capabilities of the machining application. Tool Paths, Operations, Profiles and other features can be created and edited while disconnected. Upon reconnecting, automatic data reconciliation will ensure your changes are preserved in the database.

Quick toolpath verification and editing

Toolpath replay allows the generation and verification of individual operations or of the complete program. Users can visualize the in-process part and analyze remaining material. Alternative machining strategies can be tested to obtain collision-free trajectories. The tool path can be replicated, mirrored, translated and locally edited. The Compare Part and Remaining Stock command displays only the differences. NPM Improves toolpath verification by pinpointing lack of material or material in excess.

Advanced simulation capability

NPM has powerful simulation capabilities for toolpath validation. This simulation functionality brings one of the most advanced machine simulation modules to the market to identify potential issues earlier in the process. NPM has the capability to compute gouge volume in the workpiece, making it easier for users to prioritize and process gouges in machining programs. Near misses at user defined safety distance are also identified, and multiple tool change locations are also supported for a more accurate simulation of the machine motions. The simulation context, saved in the 3DEXPERIENCEplatform, allows the user to organize his review in the most convenient way and it also ensures traceability of the validation task. It allows users to program, optimize and validate the machining in the most efficient way. It lets NC Programmers identify toolpath errors earlier in the process and shortens programming time.

High levels of automation and standardization

Machining processes can be defined as dedicated templates and stored in a catalog for re-use. The stored templates can be retrieved and applied to the design features of the part geometry. The company’s intellectual property is capitalized and re-used to make programming more efficient. NC objects and attributes are handled as Knowledgeware objects in order to increase the level of automation and standardization in NC program creation.

Seamless NC data generation

NPM offers seamless generation of APT source and NC Code ISO format through the integrated post-processor execution engine, the library of standard post-processor syntax mapping tables and Post Processor samples. The output formats can easily be customized. Additional files generated by the post-processor are also automatically saved in the same container in the 3DEXPERIENCE® platform, thus ensuring that all relevant outputs for a given part are available at the same location and are up to date. The manufacturing program’s key information can be exported as documentation for reference on the shop floor.