1. Load the Necessary Machine Files
After the sheet has been created, while still in the Sheet
tab, click the Open
folder to load a cutting machine
file and a material file. (This step may be skipped if defaults for
these items were set in Preferences>Default
Values. In such a case, AP100US will automatically open with these
files in place.) Also, if the user loads an existing sheet, that sheet
will automatically load the above mentioned file types that were previously
saved with it.
2. Check & Edit Settings
Check the settings in Preferences>Display
Options (such as Show Cutting Direction), NC
File (set parameters for printing NC file) and Cutting
Options (toggle ON/OFF various cutting options).
3. Verify Material Settings & Values
In the System Setting tab
click on the Edit Material icon
to open the Lead In and Lead
Out panel in the Material Information
window, select and edit values for lead-in and lead-out cuts. (The user
may also hit the <F6> shortcut key to open this window.)
Open the Pierce Location panel for options that allow you to define the piercing for cutting and combination systems.
Choose the Corners panel next for options that allow criteria for placing corner features at different angles to be defined.
The options in the Cutting Microjoints panel allow you to automatically place microjoints on the geometry.
In the Condition Tables panel specify size ranges for the geometry and the condition nodes to apply to each range.
Process Type>Custom Perimeter Cut panel options control what process the system uses to cut the parts.
The CNC Code panel lists the current machine driver and machine file parameters. Options can be turned ON/OFF here.
4. Load Parts onto the Sheet
Open the Open File window
to load parts onto the sheet. To save material, fit as many parts onto
the sheet as possible by using options on the Sheet
tab. The Sheet Wizard can be very helpful
when fitting a large number of parts on multiple sheets.
5. Sequence Sheet / Generate NC code
In the final step open the Cut
Sequence tab and click the Auto
Sequence icon. In that same tab, click Generate
NC Code to finalize. When using newer Amada machines, generating the
NC Code also generates the SY2 file, which is a part pickup definition
file that contains part pickup data.
Cutting Work Flow Video
To view an instructive video for this topic, click Cutting
Work Flow.
Note: This page is intended as a very basic guide to lasing a sheet. Due to the complexity involved and the countless options and variations, it cannot be considered as exhaustive information.