You can use the software to specify locations on your part where the end effector makes contact. These are the fixture contact points. You can do this by one of the following:
Use your mouse to click a point location on the feature.
Type the point's XYZ and IJK locations in the Create/Modify Fixture dialog box.
The software treats these fixture points as Auto features, and the rules governing Auto feature usage and creation apply here as well. For information on how to measure these feature types, see the "Creating Auto Features" chapter in the PC-DMIS Core documentation.
For example, if you are going to hold the fixture onto the part with the fixture's pin:
Select Circle from the Feature list.
Take three hits on the CAD model.
Based on these hits, the software defines the circle to which your fixture element is attached.
To create a new fixture contact point:
Select the Insert | Hardware Definition | Fixture menu option to open the Create/Modify Fixture dialog box. The Points area contains a table of different point values that you define.
Specify the feature type from the Feature list. This identifies the feature type to which you will connect the fixture. The available feature types include:
Surface Point
Edge Point
Circle
Square Slot
Round Slot
Notch Slot
If you don't specify a feature type, PC-DMIS assumes you are using surface points.
Define a fixture point using one of these methods:
Manually Define the Fixture Point:
In the table of values, on an empty row, in the Name box, type a name for the fixture point. If you don't define a name, PC-DMIS automatically generates one for clicked features.
Type the point's location (in part coordinates) in the row of X, Y, and Z boxes.
Specify the vector of the connection point that points away from the surface towards the module or fixture column by completing the I, J, and K boxes.
Click to Define the Fixture Point:
In the Graphic Display window, click on the CAD model to automatically generate a point at that location based on the clicked CAD data.
If you select a feature type other than the Surface Point, click the Add Point button. PC-DMIS adds the point with all its information to the points list and immediately clears the information in the Points area. This allows you to add additional points.
If you chose Surface Point, PC-DMIS inserts the point you click on the CAD directly to the fixture. For all other feature types, after you click on the part to define the feature, click the Add Point button to add the point into the table of point values.
Continue to repeat the above steps until you have defined all the desired fixture points.
If desired, select an existing module from the Module list. The module defines the type of geometry used on the fixture column to connect the column to the part. A display of the selected module appears in the Module Preview area. If you need to create a new module, you must first create it on the Modules tab in the Fixturing Setup dialog box. See the "Fixture Properties - Modules" documentation.
If you don't select a module from the Points area, PC-DMIS assumes that the part is placed directly on the column sphere.
Type the measured offsets for the selected module in the second row of the X, Y, and Z boxes.
If the connection point for the module is a sphere, then select the Sphere check box. In the Sphere box, type a value for the sphere's diameter.
Select the orientation of the module from the Module Direction list. The available orientations include:
Front X+
Right Y+
Back X-
Left Y-
This represents the orientation direction (not necessarily the location) of the module in the Machine Reference System. Remember that PC-DMIS uses part coordinates for the fixture, but modules must be specified in the Machine Reference System. Therefore, if the axis correspondence in the lower portion of the dialog box of the fixture changes, you need to change the module orientation as well.
Click Apply to update your fixture definition.
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