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Hi, I suspect you misunderstand the proposal?
When you reply "in that case I'd just use a translation", is exactly what the request is for. The ability to make a translation (meaning it doesn't exist in the Fusion Manufacturing GUI today).
Is this clearer now?
So I am requesting an "operation", whos purpose is basically to allow a GUI operation to translate the distance. Meaning, yes, i can write down those distances by hand, however, that's error prone, will not update as the model updates and the kind of crazy solution that logically ends with: Well, why do you need Fusion, just do everything by hand?
It's possible that the "just do the maths" bit is bothering you? The issue is the combinatorial explosion of jaws, machining positions, etc. I have only two double vices, yet I have a bunch of different jaws I can place in each position, each has a slightly different height, etc. It is certainly an old school method to write a setup sheet and expect the machine operator to diligently setup every machine to the micron. However, even that still doesn't allow for recutting some softjaws and replacing them, or a set of serrated first op jaws to be renewed (leaving to a z height shift) and it requires huge diligence from the operator. Similarly it doesn't provide a good solution to setting a workstop to place the part in precisely the required offset from a vice jaw side. In summary it doesn't scale well in my opinion
Consider Fusions current approach. I centre the part on the 1st op jaws, which means they are 24.252mm from the X left of the jaws. I have my WCS set to the bottom left corner of the vice say, which means that the operator needs to sanity check that they placed the raw stock at position X24.252, Y126.823, Z45.334 - this is not so easy, especially for that operator to check that the drilling op to Z45.433 is not going to colllide with the jaws or not?
The alternative is to build the job say referenced to the part corner/middle/etc. Now we drill to Z0.1, we move across the part from X0 to X100, etc. However, this part is in a WCS which doesn't exist in the physical space of the machine. So still we have a problem
My proposal to reduce the setup time on the machine and reduce error rates, is as per the original proposal. The part is programmed in a part specific WCS. However, that WCS is initialised based on an offset from a fixed point on the machine. Note that we use probing extensively and this is used to automate refining the final location of the stock, the initialisation simply needs to get us close. So this automates dealing with a softjaw being inserted differently and perhaps moving a few microns, or a workstop being set somewhat arbitrarily, or a 1st op jaw being replaced/renewed, etc
This immensely reduces the risk for me on setups, plus reduces the setup time. I can reset an old job without needing to scruitinise a setup sheet. Softjaws can be replaced and any relocation error gets compensated for. Workstops can be placed approximately and probed to initialise the job. Probing also helps reduce the error in say placing the part in the wrong vice, etc on the table. Yet also makes it feasible to swap the setup to a different vice with a small manual change to the NC code if needed.
There is a risk this proposal comes across as in some way complicated. I would encourge you to look at the existing functionality for "Overriding WCS offset". This already works somewhat as above, only a) It doesn't solve the maths problem and b) only works for probing, it cannot be used for general offsetting duties
The problem with "the maths" is that your fixed reference point and the stock all exist in real locations on the machine. However, Fusion's "deriving WCS" ends up existing in a space which you can't see, touch or easily validate. The proposal here gives a way around this, which also updates as the model updates (eg you could swap in different vice jaws, re-create the softjaws in a new location, the posted code will automatically handle updating the offsetting of the WCS)
Fusion