Devices

Any CNC-Machine can be divided into several simple movable elements called Devices. These devices consist of mechanisms that control movement by various means such as gear trains, transistor switches, belt or chain drivers, linkages, cam and follower systems, brakes and clutches, and with structural components such as frame members and fasteners. The Device is defined in the same way as any other mechanical element of the machine.

In Machine ID Editor, the default view of each device in the Machine tree is shown as mounted on the machine axes (Device on Axis) set in a strict order.

SolidCAM enables you to define the following devices:

Turret used for tool holding

Table used for Part fixing

Tail Stock used for long part support (parallel to rotary axes)

Steady Rest used forlong parts support (hugs the part)

Bar Feeder used for raw material holding

Part Catcher used for part collecting

Custom Device used for other devices that were not predefined

Turret and Table are included in the machine by default. These two machining elements are required in order to define one submachine consisting of a cutting tool on the Turret and a workpiece on the Table. The tool path is defined according to the relative movements between these elements.

Adding a New Device

To add a new device, do one of the following:

1. Right-click any header in the tree and choose the device name from the Add menu.

2. Drag a Device from the Devices pane and drop it in the Machine tree.

The editing is available only in the Device on Axis mode.

Common main parameters

The definition of all devices (Turret, Table, Tail Stock, Steady Rest, Bar Feeder, Part Catcher and a Custom Device) require the following general information:

Name	Enter the device name. The Turret and Table names are used in the Submachine pair definition.
Device Number	Enter the device number. If your machine has several devices of the same type (e.g., a Mill-Turn machine with several turrets), each device should be assigned with a unique device number.
Catalog No.	Enter the catalog number of the device. You can refer to the Machine Catalog Number.
Options	Double-click the Value field to manage the Options parameters of the device.
CoordSys	Double-click the Value field to manage the CoordSys parameters of the device.
Number of Axes	Displays the number of axes on the current device (for information only).

All devices, except for Turret, are also defined by the following main parameter:

Motion Direction

Set the normal vector to the ‘working face’ of the device (Pallet in the case of a Table).

All other parameters (i.e., Options, CoordSys, etc.) are described separately for each device.