STEP NC
Tool path programming in an intelligent Step NC Manufacturing Context
Adopted and edited from a presentation made by:
Raphaël LAGUIONIE - Matthieu RAUCH – Jean-Yves HASCOET
Institut Recherche Communications Cybernetique Nantes (IRCCyN) France.
Scope
Introduction & Applications
Step_NC: A new approach
– Lacks of curent G-code
– A new vision: Step_NC
– Machining strategies in a Step_NC file
– The Korean Step_NC prototype
Pattern strategies
– A new method to build toolpaths
– Proposition of integration in Step_NC standard
Validation of the proposition
– Implementation in PosSFP (Shop Floor Programming System)
– Development of a Step_NC numerical chain
– From the CAD model to the machined part…
Conclusion
Introduction
The STEP-NC AP238 Standard
The STEP-NC AP238 standard is the result of a ten year
international effort to replace the RS274D (ISO 6983) M and G code
standard with a modern associative language that connects the CAD
design data used to determine the machining requirements for an
operation with the CAM process data that solves those
requirements.
Enabling e-Manufacturing for Mechanical Parts
STEP-NC allows manufacturing organizations to seamlessly share
machining and measurement information between machines and
over the Internet. The emerging STEP-NC technology is yielding
process improvements including a 15% reduction in machining time.
The automated measurement and compensation enabled by STEP-
NC promises to yield parts that meet higher accuracy requirements
for less cost. The integrated simulation and verification enabled by
STEP-NC promises to guarantee that every part will be made
correctly and that production will stop whenever cuts are about to
be made that do not meets design requirements.
Resources: Step Tools, Inc. http://www.steptools.com/library/stepnc/
Working Steps & Advanctages
Working Steps
STEP-NC changes the way that manufacturing is done by defining data as
"working steps": a library of specific operations that might be performed on
a CNC machine tool. In other words, it breaks down every machining
operation into the steps required to perform the operation. In the past, CNC
machine tools had to be programmed using G and M codes (from ISO 6983),
which were instructions that only told the machine what moves to make,
without any semantic content that referred to the part being processed.
STEP-NC will make G and M codes obsolete.
Advantages
With the concept of "working steps" in place, the manufacturing process
becomes streamlined. Now, a machine tool can receive a file with STEP-NC
data, "know" what it means, and proceed milling the piece without any more
instructions. There will be no more programming the machine tool for each
individual piece. Moreover, the benefit of the standard goes further. With a
set of standard "working steps" in place, all manufacturers will be able to
share information reliably and instantaneously. A STEP-NC converted CAD
file that is completed on the east coast can be sent over the internet to a
machine shop on the west coast and they can immediately start milling the
part.
Resources: Step Tools, Inc. http://www.steptools.com/library/stepnc/
Applications
Step NC will enable:-
• Smart Process Control
• Smart Process Monitoring
• Smart Manufacturing
The current programming standard : G-code
M216
G0 Z25
G0 X50
Y60 G1
X95 M02
CAM Post-processor G-Code
• Based on principles of the 60’s
As many configurations • Ambiguous semantics in some cases
as CAM softwares /
• Vendor-specific extensions
machine tools
• Difficulty of changes on the machine tool
• more than 4500 today
• Impossible Feed back
• Use of post-processors
Step_NC: a new approach
Benefits of Step_NC
A new vision of the numerical chain
Total
Total integration
integration of
of Design
Production
Production
Planning
CAD-CAM-CNC
CAD-CAM-CNC
CAD CAM
CNC
No
No information
information
lost
lost Step_NC
Implementation
Implementation of of aa Simulation
single
single file
file
Bidirectional
Bidirectional •• No
No more
more post-processors,
post-processors, no
no G
G&&M
M codes
codes
data
data flow
flow •• Machine-unspecific
Machine-unspecific program
program
Step_NC: a new approach
Comparison G code – Step_NC
Curent Standard : G codes Step_NC Standard
Toolpaths Description of
description entities
CAD/CAM CAO/FAO
Design bidirectional
NC planning data flow
Post-Processeur
Step_NC
Shoop floor
Step_NC: a new approach
CNC in Step_NC numerical chain
Step_NC
CAD
Simulation
CAM
CNC
Machine tools characteristics
Part
machining
Read of Operations scheduling Axis
Step_CN file Toolpaths generation command
Entity Machining
geametry parameters Data process estimation
Worplan Tools Etc.
Step_NC: a new approach
Structure of a Step_NC file
Step_NC: a new approach
Korean prototype of Step_NC numerical chain
PosSFP :
Feature
recognition
Choice of machining Step_NC file
Machining entities
strategies attributes generation 11
Step_NC: a new approach
Study situation in Step_NC development
Interpreted Step_NC programming
First step :
Operations scheduling
Step_NC Interpretation Post processing G-code Read File
Toolpaths generation
file File
Step_NC Interpreter
Interpreted Axis
command
Part machining
programming G-code CNC
Integrated Step_NC programming
Evolution Machine tool characteristics
with :
Step_NC Interpretation Operations scheduling Axis command Part machining
Integrated file Toolpaths generation
programming CNC
Résultats de mesure ou
autres données pièce
Advanced Step_NC programming
Goal : Machine tool characteristics
Operations scheduling
Step_NC Interpretation Axis command Part machining
Toolpaths generation
file
Advanced
programming Process data
estimation
CNC
Step_NC: a new approach
First step : Contribution to standard development
Enrichment of strategies proposed in Step_NC :
Contour Contour
Unidirectional Bidirectional spiral Center milling
parallel
Bidirectional-contour Contour-bidirectional Explicit
All others strategies
Pattern strategies : GUIDE CURVE + PATTERN
Exemples of strategies built on pattern curves :
Trochoïdal Plunge
milling : milling :
Pattern strategies : a new method to build toolpaths
Validation of this proposition of integration
Reading Toolpath
PosSFP tools generation Adaptation
CAD Step_NC Strategy
Toolpaths Machining
part File parameters
Step_NC
Step 1 : Step 2 : Step 3 :
Implementation of Building of reading Machining
trochoidal milling in : tools and toolpaths test parts
- Step_NC Standard generators
- PosSFP
14
Integration of pattern strategies in Step_NC
Conclusion & More Benefits of Step NC
• Interest of pattern strategies Pattern strategies
• Generation simplicity
• Few attributes needed to generate a complete toolpath
• Easy portability
• Compatibility with Step NC standard and high level programming
• Enrichment of Step NC possibilities
• Creation of an interpreted Step NC numerical chain Step NC
• First Step through advanced programming
• possibility to work with Step NC on conventional means
- G-code programming is no more the solution
Advanced Step NC
- Bidirectional data flow
- 1 single file (no lost of data, no redundancy, etc.)
- Less correction time
- Step_NC file portability
- Total integration of CNC – feed-back to design and NC planning
- Capitalization of shop floor feedbacks and experiences
- New possibilities for toolpath generation and machining strategies
- Ability of real-time adaptation and optimization
Conclusion
of toolpaths and machining parameters
