Toolpath Associativity

[PBoulanger]

I have a problem which I hope has a simple solution. I've got a part programmed with 90+ operations, mostly drilling, boring and 2D contours. All use absolute positions for Top of Stock and Depth parameters, set by selecting from the geometry. I need to translate the part Z-.007" to accommodate a change in the fixture. After doing the translation, I notice that none of the operations have the new Top of Stock or Depth values in the parameters, before or after regenerating.

Question: Shouldn't these values update when the geometry changes? I thought that's what associativity meant?

I sure hope it's something I'm forgetting to do, I'd hate to have to go into each operation to reset the Top of Stock and Depth parameters.

Using MC 7.2c, and I have been assured by other programmers that this has worked in the past.

Thanks in advance for any help.

[Luther_Heggs]

As long as your depths in the parameters were set to 'Incremental' you should have no problem. If they were set to 'Absolute', select all your operations in the Operation Manager and use the 'Edit common parameters' under the right mouse Options menu to change them.

[PBoulanger]

Sorry, MC version 7.2c. That lovely little feature came along with version 8. Thanks anyway Luther.

Upon further investigation, I noticed that the toolpath associativity works fine if the geometry is translated in the X and/or Y axis. Still no luck if it is only translated in the Z-axis.

[stevec]

you can edit your nci file NC UTILSEDIT NCI and then XFROM the ops you want to move. or you can reset your tool offsets at the machine -.007.

[bc0169]

you can also use t/c plane and set your origine to the top of the piece in the first operation.If this is were you set your g54 or what ever and if you didn't leave it checked in all the other operations cause it is only necesary in the first one.

Good luck i hope this works

[CycleTimeCharles]

Wouldn't adjusting the fixture offset at the machine be alot easier?

[Charles Davis]

Personally, I've found that the software NOT updating depths is better than updating them whenever the operation is regenerated.

Geometry depths seldom change once the parts in the manufacturing phase. However, it's common to drive the tool a little deeper or shallow than the geometry. For example, when cutting the outside profile, run the tool deeper so when you flip the part and fly cut, you don't have a thin layer of material hanging on.

Seems that when the software would auto update the depths, I was always having to go back and reset my depths.

Does anyone out there agree?