It is important to understand how workpiece models are used
in manufacturing assemblies.
Workpieces represent unmachined
stock material, for example:
• Stock Billets
• Castings
Workpiece Features:
• Enable machining simulation of
workpiece.
• As-machined versions.
• No machining outside workpiece
boundaries.
• Workpiece display.
Workpiece Options:
• Create an automatic workpiece.
• Assemble using same model
option.
• Assemble with inherited features.
• Assemble with merged features.
• Create a manual workpiece.
Workpiece Models
Figure 1 – Workpiece Example
Figure 2 – Automatic Workpiece
Workpieces represent the unmachined stock material. They are optional
components within a manufacturing model; however, if they are used, then
you can simulate the machining of workpieces when creating NC sequences.
Workpieces can be standard stock billets or they can represent castings.
Using workpieces provides you with a number of capabilities:
• You can simulate the cutting tool machining the workpiece.
• After creating each toolpath, you can update the workpiece to display an
as-machined version of the workpiece.
• Unless you specify otherwise, there is no machining outside the workpiece
boundaries.
• The workpiece is displayed in green to help you visually distinguish
between the workpiece and the reference model geometry. In addition,
when the display style is set to shaded, the workpiece is displayed as
semi-transparent. This enables you to view the reference model geometry
which would normally be obscured by the workpiece.
Workpiece Options
You can assemble or create a workpiece in a manufacturing model. A
number of options are available:
• Create an automatic workpiece – Enables you to create a rectangular or
round workpiece depending on your requirements. A dashboard interface
enables you to easily control the size and position of the workpiece relative
to the reference model.
• Assemble a workpiece using the Same Model option – Enables you to
assemble an existing part into the manufacturing model as the workpiece.
• Assemble a workpiece with features inherited from a selected part – The
new workpiece inherits geometry and feature information from the selected
part. At any time, you can specify the geometry and the feature data that
you want to modify on the workpiece without changing the original part.
Inheritance provides greater freedom to modify the workpiece without
changing the original part.
• Assemble a workpiece with features merged from a selected part – In this
case, a new workpiece part is created. The new workpiece contains an
external merge feature, and this feature contains all geometry and datum
features which have been copied from the originally selected part. All layer
information is also copied into the new workpiece.
• Create a manual workpiece – Enables you to create a new workpiece in
the manufacturing model by manually creating features and geometry as
required.
Stock Boundary
In the case where the workpiece has no geometry or in the case of assembly
machining, the system cannot make the necessary assumptions for AREA
and GROOVE turning. In these cases, the area boundary must be explicitly
defined using the STOCK BOUNDARY option. The STOCK BOUNDARY
option can also be defined outside of the NC step if you want to modify, either
by extending or contracting the workpiece boundary.
