Default Manufacturing Parameters

[ptc-4760992]

Hi i'm just wondering if there's a way to set default parameter conditions for my manufacturing processes.

Eg, setting Coolant to 'Mist' by default,

setting Circular Interpolation to 'Points Only' by default.

These are just a couple of the settings I would like to customize so I don't have to keep changing them in every single process I create. It would also be nice for other people that come and program for my machines, so as not to get mistakes when machining.

I forgot to mention im using Creo 2.0 Manufacturing

This thread is inactive and closed by the PTC Community Management Team. If you would like to provide a reply and re-open this thread, please notify the moderator and reference the thread. You may also use "Start a topic" button to ask a new question. Please be sure to include what version of the PTC product you are using so another community member knowledgeable about your version may be able to assist.

[SteveLucas · Accepted solution]

Nick,

You can set the parameters in the site files for your default values. You can have a different file for each machine also. At least that is where I set parameters for my machines. I have a different site file for each machine with slightly different parameters.

Steve

[ptc-4760992]

Oh awesome thanks so much this is gonna save me sooooo much time!

[Wheelsofsteel]

Just a note on site files

if you make a change to it, or load one after the sequences have been created, it doesn't update the values, this is a bit of a pain, there may be an option to set to force it to regenerate, but I haven't found it yet.

You would think you could alter a site file for a change, load it and regenerate, and everything would be fine, but that isn't how it is working at the moment.

also, the generic site file, doesn't have all the parameters in it that are in the parameter table for the sequences.

you can open the site file with notepad, and then, you can add the missing parameter to the site file, and it will read it.

A good example is the parameter "cut_feed", by default this has been always set as MMPM, which is no good for us who do turning, but pre Creo 2, this wasn't an issue, as long as every thing else was set to MMPR, it didn't matter.

But with Creo 2, this changed, this parameter overrides anything else youu set.

So I have this added to the site file, and now it works fine.

[ptc-4760992]

Hmm so if the parameter I want to adjust isn't In the site file and I want to add it, is it case sensitive?

[Wheelsofsteel]

I don't know, I always had tried to make it the same as it is in the table, best match the case to the parameter to be safe.

oh and I made a blunde in my last post, it is "FEED_UNITS" and not "CUT_FEED" which wasn't in the site file

This parameter now orverides anything else you may set, and it wasn't in the site file.

[ptc-4760992]

Well thats awesome to know that the site files work like that. You guys are seriously gonna save me a lot of time!

[ptc-4760992]

OK, so I just got into work and I found the Site menu through the search tool as I've never used it before.

So once I create a site file, do I have to load it manually everytime I load a new job, or can I save it with a machine so everytime I load a certain machine it will automatically load the site file for that machine as well?

[Wheelsofsteel]

You need to find the SITE file menu, it looks like this

the function are

CREATE - makes a new site file

MODIFY - alters the file already loaded, ( tip, when modifying, don't save from the table, this is only used to create a file with a new name,to save a modified one, use the save form the menu

RETRIVE - this loads from the location it is stored, you need to make sure your option for maunfacturing paramters is set to where you want to store them

SAVE - this is the one to use to resave a modified SITE file

DELETE - to remove from the manufacturing file that you don't need.

ACTIVATE - when you load a SITE file, you need to activate it, you can have multiple SITE files loaded, but only one can be activated at any one time.

SHOW - display the contents of the loaded site file, no editing allowed

The option you need to set is

you will need to play around with them and get the hang of it.

But as I mentioned., this doesn't help exsisting sequences.

What I have is a default template file, that has a SITE file attached, so any new seqeunce can be set to defaults of the SITE file.

[Wheelsofsteel]

Also

The same ruls for parameter sequence apply, ie so for the child to retrive a value from the parent, it must be set with the brakects,

so how it works, if you have a site file.

when you create a new sequence, the sequence parameter table takes the values from the SITE, then any cutting motion takes the value from the sequence table, as long as the brakects are set.

But I still haven't worked out myself how to update exsisting sequences, we used to be able to, so I don't know if this is a bug, or done deliberate, or is controllable by an option.

not perfect, but it helps

[SteveLucas]

Nick,

you sould research how to make start parts that allow you to load machine, site and Parameter files automatically rather than create everything from scratch for every manufacturing job. That is the best way to do it In my opinion.

Steve

[ptc-4760992]

Steve,

That definately sounds like the way to go.

I'll have to look into it more when I get some more free time at work. I did get a start on my site files and already it's looking like fun. I'm sure you know how hard it is to get time to play with the software

Thanks very much for all your help (both of you) this forum should make my creo experience much better with help like this.

Also in your screenshot before I liked your color scheme! Could you post your color file for me to have a look at? I changed my background and everything but it will take a while to get colors for everything to be complimentary. If I could have a look at a completed one I would be very appreciative! Unless there is a post somewhere I couldn't find where people have already posted their color schemes... If not I might make one!

Thanks again,

Nick

[SteveLucas]

Nick,

Send Me an Email so I have your address and I will send you my files. I also have a tutorial on start parts.

Steve