and Manufacturing

302 Computer Aided Design

N090 Y-60
YO-Tool nose radius compensation OFF
NI00 G40 X0 TO1 M05-Compensation value for tool TOl cancelle
N110 GO0 Z50 profile
-Different tool is used for internal
N120 M06 TO2
S600 M03
N130 X200 Y-120 Z200
GO1 Z-5 F100
N140 Y-100-Cutter compensation ON
NI50 G42
N160 GO2 10 J-60
NI70 G0 Z50 MO5
G40 X0 YO TO M02
N180

PROGRAMMING
14.2 COMPUTER ASSISTED PART
for complicated point-to-point and contour prof
Computer assisted pat programming is used
the part programmer defines the wo
applications. In computer assisted part programming, This toolpa
sequence and tool path.
piece geometry and then specifies the operation
of cutter movement. Figure 14.12 shov
specification involves a detailed step-by-step sequence
the cutter offset of a contour part programming.

Part outline Cutter path

.--=~~,
~~------
-

Cutter radius
Cutter

Fig. 14.12 Cutter offset of a contour part programming.

The computer's job in computer assisted part programming consists of the following sIp

Input translation
Arithmetic calculations
Cutter offset computation
Post-processor lation

The part programmer enters the program in an NC language. The input ran form
instructions contained in the program into computer usabi
component converts the coded fa

processing. The arithmetic calculations unit of the system consists

for further part
for solving the mathematics required to generac
comprehensive set of subroutines 1ents.

are called the various part programming language statche

by
surface. These subroutines
from the part outline because the tool path is defintes
The actual tool path is different
cutter that machining
centre of the cutter. It is at the periphery of the
path taken by the
 NC Part Programming and Computer Aided Part Programming 303
place. The purpose of the cutter offset compensations is to offset the tool path from the desired
part surface by the radius of the cutter.
The post-processor is a separate computer program that has been written to prepare the

punched tape for a specific machine tool. The input to the post processor is the output from the
other three components, a series of cutter locations and other instructions. The output of the
post-processor is the NC tape written in the correct format for the machine on which it is to
be used.

14.3 COMPUTER ASSISTED NC PART PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES

An NC part programming language consists of a software package plus the special rules,
conventions and vocabulary words for using that software. Table 14.5 shows a list of part
programming languages.

TABLE 14.5 List of Part Programming Languages

Program Developed by Features

ART MIT/IITRI/CAM-I P.C
ADAPT IBM C
AUTOSPOT IBM
CINTURN Cincinnati Milacron T
COMPACT-II MDSI P,C
EXAPT-I TH-Aachen P

EXAPT-III TH-Aachen
EXAPT-III TH-Aachen
GENTURN General Electric
MILTURN Metal Institute, Netherlands
NEL 2PL Ferranti P
NEL 2C Ferranti

NEL 2CL Ferranti

PROMPT Weber
NEL APT NEL C

SPLIT Sun strandd C

UNIAPT United computing co P,C

14.4 APT LANGUAGE

Automated programmed tool (APT) is the most widely used NC part programming language. A
great number of computer systems have been developed for NC programming. The APT system
is available on many computers and is widely used by many manufacturers of NC systems.
APT language consists of English like statements and it shows how they can be formulated
the cutting tool through its of machining operations. APT 1s not only a
command sequence
NC language, it is also the computer program that performs the calculations to generate cutter
positions based on APT statements.
 Aided Design and Manufacturing
304 Computer
APT is a three-dimensional system that can be used to control up to

used to control a variety of different machinng operations. There are overe

five axes.
A
vocabulary. Nords in thecan APT
To program in APT, the work part geometry must first be defined. Tha.
to various point locations and along surt aces of the work parts to ca e
tool is
operations. The viewpoint of the part programmer is that the work piece rer
piece remains stationa
diree
the tool is instructed to move relative to the part.
There are four types of statements in the APT language:

14.4.1 Geometry Statements

These define the geometric elements that comprise the work part. They are also
also s0ometin
sometimes cal
definition statements.
When the tool motions are specified, their description is in terms of points and u.
Therefore, the points and surfaces must be defined before tool motion commands canssurface
The general form of an APT geometry statement is e vn
Symbol = Geometry type/descriptive data

e.g. Pl = POINT/5.0,4.0,0.0

The statement is made up of three sections: The first is the

symbol used to identif,
geometric element. A symbol can be any combination of six or fewer alphabetic and nuner
characters. At least one of the six must be an alphabetic character.
The second section is an APT
vocabulary word that identifies the type of geometryelee
The third section of the
geometry statement is the descriptive data that defines the eleme
precisely. These data may include quantitative dimensional and positional data, previously deie
geometry elements and other APT words.
To specify a point
P2 POINT/INT OF, LI, L2
To specify a line

L3 LINE/P3, P4
L4 =
LINE/P5, PARLEL, L3
To specify plane
a

PLI =
PLANE/P1, P4, P5
PL2
To specify a circle
=
PLANE/P2. PARLEL, PL

CI
Rules for
=
CIRCLE/CENTRE, PI, RADIUS, 5.00
formulating APT geometry statement
.Coordinate data must be
specified in the order x. y, z.
Any symbol used as
descriptive data
u s l y defined.

A symbol can be used to

must have been
define only one
previousiy planes
ent

Lines defined in APT are of geometry element

infinite length in both directions.
indefinitely and circles defined in APT are Sinu
complete
circles.
 NC Pare Pragmming amd Comynar Hided Pat renmine

14.4.2 Motion Statements

These are used to descrite the path akes by he auting o

form of a motirn statement Mefiun ummandidecripeive daa
The general

The statement consists of two sections separatet y a slash.

The fins eczion s the hasic
motion command. which teils the
terd whar teo dr The secnnd section comprise deseriprive tati
he onl m u e gven
which tells the tord where to gn At the beginning ot the motin statements.
a This poine is likely to he the tarzen print. the iocation where the
starting point.
sperrater 1
positioned the tord at the start of the joh
FRIM/TARG
FROM-2D -2090

Point-10-point motions
comnands: GOTO and GODLTA. The GOTO
Satemet
There are only two basic PTP motion
data
instructs the tool to go to a particular point location specifies in the descriptive
GOTOCSTOP
GOTo20,7.9.90
The tonl can he direcet
The GODITA Command is useful in drilling and related operations
to a particular hole location with the f O statement
Contouring motions
must be
commands somewhat nore complicated because the tonis position
are
Contouring
continuously controlled throughout the
move. Figure 14.13 illustrates the three surtaces
APT im
this controi, the tool is directet
contouring motions that guide the cutting tod. To accomplish
aong three surfaces:

(a) Drive surface: This is the surface that guides the side of the cutter

Check surface
Cottet
Drive surface

Cutter

Part srface

14.13 Three surtaces in APT contouring notions that guido the custing too
Fig.
 Manufacturing
Computer
Aided Design and
306
the surface on which the bottom of the

Dart cutter rides.

is
(b) Part surface: This surtace of the work Trides
may not be an actual
surfacemay or
drive surtace for the purpose of maintainin. prOga
define this plus the
nust
mus

control of the tool.

sthe tool in
tinuous pah
This is the surface that stops the movement of
(c) Check surface: forward movement of the tool. ts curem
direction. It checks the
which the check Surface can be used. This is deto
There are several ways in
modifier words within the descriptive
data of the motion statement. The three ermined byby ApAPT
words are TO, ON and PAST. Figure
14.14 depicts the use of APT modifier w odifie
nodi
in moim
statements. A fourth modifier word is TANTO. This is used when the drive surfaca
to a circular check surface. In this case the cutter can be brought to the point oftana
the circle by use of the TANTO modifier word. Figure 14.15 shows the use of the APr.
word TANTO.
PT modifier
Drive surface Stopping location-
/ of cutter

Part
surface TOT Cutter
trajectory
TO TC
Check surface
(a) TO (b) ON (c) PAST
Fig. 14.14 Use of APT modifier words in motion statements.

Cutter trajectory
Stopping location
of cutter

PLI

Drive surface Check surface

C1
Fig. 14.15 Use of the APT
modifier word TANTO.
The APT contour
motion statement andpart
surfaces and the commands the cutter to move along
movement ends when the
the use of the APT
motion words.
tool is at the check
surface. Figu 1416 inte
nterpres

There are six motion

command words:
GOLFT GOFWD GO UP
GORGT
GOBACK
In
commanding the cutter, the GODOWNN
the tool reaches the programmer must
s c o m i n gf r o m

new check 1st

turn or what? surface does keep in mind
mind where
wnere it upwa
wan

The tool is directed the next

movement involve a ght urn or a
ofthe
urn
or
an

accordingly
by one of the six motion ords. In the
u s e

wo
 GOUP

GOLPT GOPORWARD

Prenent ool
OBACK
position
GORGT

GODOWN
Previous
tool position

Flg. 14.16 Use of the APT motion words

work piece remains

words, it is for the programmer to assume the viewpoint that the
helpful of motion
relative to the piece. To begin the sequence
stationary and the tool is instructed to move The statement
manner as for PTP moves.
commands, the FROM statement is used in the same
surface and check surface.
following the FROM statement defines the initial drive surface, part
The sequence is of the following form:
FROM/TARG
GO/TO, PL1,TO,PL2,TO,PL3
The symbol TARG
14.17 shows the initialization of APT contouring motion sequence.
Figure instructs
where the operator has set up the tool. The G0 command
represents the target point
to the intersection of the drive surface (PL1),
the part surface (PL2) and the
the tool to move
cutter is tangent to PLland PL3, and
the bottom of
check surface (PL3). The periphery of the
location is defined by use of the modifier
word. To the
the cutter is touching PL2. This cutter
be specified in the order: drive surface first,
three surfaces included in the GO statement must
check surface last.
part surface second, and
Note that the GO/TO command is different from
the GOTO command. GOTO is used only
of contouring motions.
for PTP motions. Go/TO is used to initialize the sequence

PL3

PL3

PLI PL2

(A). PTARG
(starting location
of cutter)

Fig. 14.17 Initialization of APT contouring motion sequence.

 308 Computer Aided Design and Manufacturing

Post-processor Statements
14.4.3
must be written that control the operation of the
To write a complete part program, statements
the machine tool. These are called post-processor
spindle, the feed and other features of statements are:
statements. Some of the common post-processor

COOLNT MACHIN TURRETT

END RAPID
FEDRAT SPINDL
The post-processor statements and the auxiliary statements are of two forms: either with or
without the slash. The statements without the slash are self contained. The APT words with the
slash require descriptive data after the slash.

14.4.4 Auxiliary Statements

The conplete APT program must also contain various other statements, called auxiliary
statements. These are used for cutter size definition, part identification and so on. Some of the
common auxiliary statements are:

CLPRNT INTOL
CUTTER OUTTOL
FINI PARTNO
The offset calculation of the tool path from the part outline is based on the CUTTER
definition. For example, the statement
CUTTER/.500
would instruct the APT program that the cutter diameter is 0.500 in. Therefore, the tool path must
be offset from the part outline by 0.250 in.

The MARcO statement in APT

The MARCcO statement in APT is like a subroutine. The MARCO subroutine is defined by a
statement of the format.

SYMBOL= MACRO/parameter definition

TER MAC" signifies the termination of MACRO subroutine. To activate the MACRO0
subroutine within an APT program, the call statement should be used.
The syntax of CALL statement is:
CALL/symbol, parameter specification

14.5 NC PART PROGRAMMING USING CAD/CAM

A CAD/CAM system is a computer interactive graphics system equipped with software to

accomplish certain tasks in design and manufacturing and to integrate the design and
manufacturing functions. One of the important tasks performed on a CAD/CAM system is NC
part programming. In this method of part programming portions of the procedure usually done