Hints for Setting Technology

When and Where to Set Technology

In general, different parts need different technology. So it is the best time to set technology after planning parts in the part library. You can set technology on parts separately in the part library before they are nested onto sheets together.

If there is just a single kind of parts, or a few different kinds of parts and they are intended to be applied with a same group of technologies, then you can do that in nest results after nesting.

On the other hand, some technologies, which will change the original drawing elements, can only be set in the drawing window before the parts are added to the part library.

Contour Type

A part is generally composed of a bunch of closed contours, the largest contour found counts as the outer contour, all the others are inner contours. Contour type is an attribute of a contour identifying if it is an outer contour or an inner contour. Some technologies, i.e. lead-ins and lead-outs, kerf compensation, are set on parts according to contour types.

The software automatically recognizes outer and inner contours when importing a parts file.

The picture on the left shows importing a part into the drawing window (we set lead-ins, shown in white, on the part for presenting the contour types clearly). The outer contour starts cutting from the outside, the inner contours start from the inside. The picture on the right shows importing a part directly into the part library, same results.

Import into the Drawing Window
Import into the Part Library

While constructing a part, the software treats all contours as separate ones. By default, all closed contours count as outer contours no matter one contour is included in another or not, and all open contours count as inner contours. The software reconsiders their contour types when they are added to the part library as a whole, a part.

The picture on the left shows constructing a part in the drawing window (we set lead-ins as above). All of the two contours count as outer contours. The picture on the right shows that the small circle counts as an inner contour after they are added to the part library.

Construct in the Drawing Window
Add to the Part Library

If you want to go machining directly from the drawing window after constructing, e.g. in the case of machining a demo or a single part, select the command Identify Inner/Outer contour in Home>LeadLine to tell the software to reconsider contour types.

Identify Contour Type

For a complex part, you can select the command Sort in Home to set processing sequence and tell the software to reconsider contour types with the option Identify inner/outer contour checked at the same time.

Identify Contour Type in Sort

Alternately, if you want to set contour types in a reversed way, you can select the command Sort in Home with the option The outmost is inner contour checked.

And, you can select the contours first and then select the command Outer Outer or Inner Inner if you want to set contour types mandatorily in some special cases.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *