CAD Equals Part

[UKCHAMP]

What is "CAD Equals Part", and how/when do you use it?

[louisd]

Gotta be honest with ya. I've never used it with any success. I always click on model (offline) using program mode, align to model offline, then execute those via manual alignment points online. CAD = part this way, 100% of the time, all the time.

[AuRules]

What Louisd said, never used it ither. If you got the model that's all you need.

[NinjaBadger]

You can use it in the following situations...

1) Import a CAD model and (if necessary) transform it to put the co-ord system where you want it. Place your part on the table, pick up the joystick and measure features to make your alignment (ensure it's in the same place as it is on your model). When you click CAD =Part the model and measured features will snap together.

2) Working without CAD, make an alignment on your part. Hit CAD=Part, and the feature theoreticals used in the alignment will be corrected to how they're specified in your alignment.

i.e. Measure a plane on a part and it might have MEAS and THEO values like 224.786, 325.812, -460.22 and a vector of 0.0007832, 0.0002387, 0.9998532. Assuming you've levelled to the plane in ZPLUS and set Z origin on it, Click CAD=Part and the theo's will be corrected to 224.786, 325.812, 0, vector 0,0,1.

[Matthew D. Hoedeman]

CAD=PART is for alignment features that you don't have cad data for but have XYZIJK info for.

Now, you DON'T have to use CAD=PART in this case, but if you don't use it, then you have to manually type in each and every X, Y, Z, I, J, & K value for every feature you use for your alignment.

I get dedicated precision fixtures for every part we make (well, we make the tools that make the parts, check the parts to make sure the tools make the right part, then sell the tools to stamping companies) but I never get CAD data for the fixtures (maybe 1 fixture out of 500 I get CAD data for).

So, I set the fixture on the table the way I want it set up, I import the part CAD data, I 3D rotate the IMAGE (not the data, NO transform!) to match the way the fixture sits on the table, then use F5 to sat CAD/MACHINE axis.

Next thing is to measure a plane on the top of the base (remember, these are precision, SUPPOSED to be within +/-0.002" everywhere!), then the edge of the base, then a dimensioned 'feature' on the base, be it a bushing or tooling ball.

I know the XYZ value for the bushing or tooling ball, it is marked (stamped, labeled, etc.) right on the base.

I do the alignment, LEVEL to the plane (in the correct axis), ROTATE to the edge (in the correct axis) and set the XYZ origins on the appropriate features I measured. I then do AXIS OFFSETS for the values on the fixture, then do CAD=PART.

CAD=PART sets all those XYZIJK values to the correct nominals based upon what I did in the alignment.

Here is an example of BEFORE and AFTER using CAD=PART

RAW MEASUREMENT DATA WITHOUT ANY ALIGNMENT IN THE PROGRAM:

TOP-OF-BASE=FEAT/PLANE,RECT,TRIANGLE
            THEO/-311.27,626.039,405.847,-0.0001561,-1,0.0000086
            ACTL/-311.27,626.039,405.847,-0.0001561,-1,0.0000086
            MEAS/PLANE,3
            HIT/BASIC,NORMAL,-363.857,626.048,464.658,-0.0001561,-1,0.0000086,-363.857,626.048,464.658,USE THEO = YES
            HIT/BASIC,NORMAL,-207.432,626.023,455.759,-0.0001561,-1,0.0000086,-207.432,626.023,455.759,USE THEO = YES
            HIT/BASIC,NORMAL,-362.52,626.046,297.123,-0.0001561,-1,0.0000086,-362.52,626.046,297.123,USE THEO = YES
            ENDMEAS/
REAR-EDGE  =FEAT/LINE,RECT,UNBND
            THEO/-373.057,630.134,297.122,-0.0006058,0,0.9999998
            ACTL/-373.057,630.134,297.122,-0.0006058,0,0.9999998
            MEAS/LINE,2,WORKPLANE
            HIT/BASIC,NORMAL,-373.057,630.134,297.122,-0.9999998,0,-0.0006058,-373.057,630.134,297.122,USE THEO = YES
            HIT/BASIC,NORMAL,-373.153,630.132,455.351,-0.9999998,0,-0.0006058,-373.153,630.132,455.351,USE THEO = YES
            ENDMEAS/
CENTER-REAR=FEAT/SPHERE,RECT,OUT
            THEO/-348.169,614.038,446.142,0,-1,0,11.999
            ACTL/-348.169,614.038,446.142,0,-1,0,11.999
            MEAS/SPHERE,5
            HIT/BASIC,NORMAL,-347.877,613.623,452.123,0.048652,-0.0692539,0.996412,-347.877,613.623,452.123,USE THEO = YES
            HIT/BASIC,NORMAL,-354.14,613.621,445.797,-0.9959093,-0.0695787,-0.05765,-354.14,613.621,445.797,USE THEO = YES
            HIT/BASIC,NORMAL,-348.456,613.62,440.161,-0.0478385,-0.0696716,-0.9964223,-348.456,613.62,440.161,USE THEO = YES
            HIT/BASIC,NORMAL,-342.189,613.62,446.223,0.9974748,-0.0697226,0.0135178,-342.189,613.62,446.223,USE THEO = YES
            HIT/BASIC,NORMAL,-348.839,608.079,445.988,-0.1116071,-0.993419,-0.0257417,-348.839,608.079,445.988,USE THEO = YES
            ENDMEAS/

WITH AN ALIGNMENT without using CAD=PART

TOP-OF-BASE=FEAT/PLANE,RECT,TRIANGLE
            THEO/-311.27,626.039,405.847,-0.0001561,-1,0.0000086
            ACTL/-311.27,626.039,405.847,-0.0001561,-1,0.0000086
            MEAS/PLANE,3
            HIT/BASIC,NORMAL,-363.857,626.048,464.658,-0.0001561,-1,0.0000086,-363.857,626.048,464.658,USE THEO = YES
            HIT/BASIC,NORMAL,-207.432,626.023,455.759,-0.0001561,-1,0.0000086,-207.432,626.023,455.759,USE THEO = YES
            HIT/BASIC,NORMAL,-362.52,626.046,297.123,-0.0001561,-1,0.0000086,-362.52,626.046,297.123,USE THEO = YES
            ENDMEAS/
REAR-EDGE  =FEAT/LINE,RECT,UNBND
            THEO/-373.057,630.134,297.122,-0.0006058,0,0.9999998
            ACTL/-373.057,630.134,297.122,-0.0006058,0,0.9999998
            MEAS/LINE,2,WORKPLANE
            HIT/BASIC,NORMAL,-373.057,630.134,297.122,-0.9999998,0,-0.0006058,-373.057,630.134,297.122,USE THEO = YES
            HIT/BASIC,NORMAL,-373.153,630.132,455.351,-0.9999998,0,-0.0006058,-373.153,630.132,455.351,USE THEO = YES
            ENDMEAS/
CENTER-REAR=FEAT/SPHERE,RECT,OUT
            THEO/-348.169,614.038,446.142,0,-1,0,11.999
            ACTL/-348.169,614.038,446.142,0,-1,0,11.999
            MEAS/SPHERE,5
            HIT/BASIC,NORMAL,-347.877,613.623,452.123,0.048652,-0.0692539,0.996412,-347.877,613.623,452.123,USE THEO = YES
            HIT/BASIC,NORMAL,-354.14,613.621,445.797,-0.9959093,-0.0695787,-0.05765,-354.14,613.621,445.797,USE THEO = YES
            HIT/BASIC,NORMAL,-348.456,613.62,440.161,-0.0478385,-0.0696716,-0.9964223,-348.456,613.62,440.161,USE THEO = YES
            HIT/BASIC,NORMAL,-342.189,613.62,446.223,0.9974748,-0.0697226,0.0135178,-342.189,613.62,446.223,USE THEO = YES
            HIT/BASIC,NORMAL,-348.839,608.079,445.988,-0.1116071,-0.993419,-0.0257417,-348.839,608.079,445.988,USE THEO = YES
            ENDMEAS/
ALIGN01    =ALIGNMENT/START,RECALL:STARTUP, LIST= YES
            ALIGNMENT/LEVEL,YMINUS,TOP-OF-BASE
            ALIGNMENT/ROTATE,ZPLUS,TO,REAR-EDGE,ABOUT,YMINUS
            ALIGNMENT/TRANS,XAXIS,CENTER-REAR
            ALIGNMENT/TRANS,YAXIS,CENTER-REAR
            ALIGNMENT/TRANS,ZAXIS,CENTER-REAR
            ALIGNMENT/TRANS_OFFSET,XAXIS,-1166.982
            ALIGNMENT/TRANS_OFFSET,YAXIS,412
            ALIGNMENT/TRANS_OFFSET,ZAXIS,-1470.282
            ALIGNMENT/END

At this point, to have the alignment features show up around your cad data, you would have to hand type in all the correct XYZIJK values OR you can use CAD=PART and you get this:

TOP-OF-BASE=FEAT/PLANE,RECT,TRIANGLE
            THEO/1203.855,-399.993,1429.964,0,-1,0
            ACTL/-311.27,626.039,405.847,-0.0001561,-1,0.0000086
            MEAS/PLANE,3
            HIT/BASIC,NORMAL,1151.304,-399.993,1488.808,0,-1,0,-363.857,626.048,464.658,USE THEO = YES
            HIT/BASIC,NORMAL,1307.723,-399.993,1479.814,0,-1,0,-207.432,626.023,455.759,USE THEO = YES
            HIT/BASIC,NORMAL,1152.539,-399.993,1321.272,0,-1,0,-362.52,626.046,297.123,USE THEO = YES
            ENDMEAS/
REAR-EDGE  =FEAT/LINE,RECT,UNBND
            THEO/1142.001,-395.908,1321.277,0,-0.0000087,1
            ACTL/-373.057,630.134,297.122,-0.0006058,0,0.9999998
            MEAS/LINE,2,WORKPLANE
            HIT/BASIC,NORMAL,1142.001,-395.908,1321.277,-1,-0.0001561,0,-373.057,630.134,297.122,USE THEO = YES
            HIT/BASIC,NORMAL,1142.001,-395.911,1479.506,-1,-0.0001561,0,-373.153,630.132,455.351,USE THEO = YES
            ENDMEAS/
CENTER-REAR=FEAT/SPHERE,RECT,OUT
            THEO/1166.982,-412,1470.282,0.0001561,-1,-0.0000087,11.999
            ACTL/-348.169,614.038,446.142,0,-1,0,11.999
            MEAS/SPHERE,5
            HIT/BASIC,NORMAL,1167.278,-412.416,1476.263,0.0492664,-0.0692549,0.9963817,-347.877,613.623,452.123,USE THEO = YES
            HIT/BASIC,NORMAL,1161.011,-412.418,1469.94,-0.9959331,-0.0697337,-0.0570473,-354.14,613.621,445.797,USE THEO = YES
            HIT/BASIC,NORMAL,1166.691,-412.418,1464.301,-0.0484312,-0.0696705,-0.9963937,-348.456,613.62,440.161,USE THEO = YES
            HIT/BASIC,NORMAL,1172.963,-412.417,1470.359,0.9974937,-0.069567,0.0129129,-342.189,613.62,446.223,USE THEO = YES
            HIT/BASIC,NORMAL,1166.313,-417.96,1470.128,-0.1114676,-0.9934361,-0.0256828,-348.839,608.079,445.988,USE THEO = YES
            ENDMEAS/
ALIGN01    =ALIGNMENT/START,RECALL:STARTUP, LIST= YES
            ALIGNMENT/LEVEL,YMINUS,TOP-OF-BASE
            ALIGNMENT/ROTATE,ZPLUS,TO,REAR-EDGE,ABOUT,YMINUS
            ALIGNMENT/TRANS,XAXIS,CENTER-REAR
            ALIGNMENT/TRANS,YAXIS,CENTER-REAR
            ALIGNMENT/TRANS,ZAXIS,CENTER-REAR
            ALIGNMENT/TRANS_OFFSET,XAXIS,-1166.982
            ALIGNMENT/TRANS_OFFSET,YAXIS,412
            ALIGNMENT/TRANS_OFFSET,ZAXIS,-1470.282
            ALIGNMENT/END

Which is easier? Clicking 1 button when you are finished with your alignment or typing in a TON of XYZIJK values?

Note: ALL the individual hits also update to the correct XYZIJK values per the aligned values and are no longer to MACHINE values.

[Mike Ruff]

I use CAD=PART in every program I make. It isn't necessary, but I prefer it.

My steps:

1. Use Solidworks to put the origin where I want it on the model and build an assy with any fixturing I may be using.

2. Save assy as a .step file and import into PC-DMIS.

3. Create manual features and manual alignment WITH CAD=PART.

4. Switch to DCC mode and set CLEARP/.

5. Highlight and copy manual features and manual alignment.

6. Create DCC features and alignment using Paste with Pattern with no offset or rotation. 1 instance only. This way the manual alignment and DCC alignment are the exact same.

7. Add clearplanes and add hits to circles in DCC features as necessary and continue with the program.

This way the manual features are still on the model, not out in space somewhere. Def more than one way to skin a cat, but I like to copy and paste rather than having to recreate the DCC features when they are going to be identical to manual features. I also don't need to create any setup sheets or instructions since all you have to do is look at the CAD at the beginning of the program to see how the part is loaded and aligned.

[VinniUSMC]

If you have CAD, you shouldn't ever need CAD=PART. Program your manual hits on the CAD and then your manual features will not be out in space.

Manual features show up out in space because when you machine learn them, they are in machine coordinates. If you program them directly on the CAD, they are already in CAD coordinates, and then you don't need CAD=PART.

[UKCHAMP]

Thank you everyone.