The Electrode Wizard - Design allows you to select your product and define an electrode for use with EDM. You can do this in a number of ways depending on the contents of your model.
To define an electrode using the Electrode Wizard - Design:
- Select the objects in your model as required and click Wizard tab > Electrode panel > Create:
- If the model does not contain an active solid, the Select Product and Electrode Objects page is displayed. Select the objects from the model that represent the product and, if applicable, the electrode. If you only select a product, the Select Region to Make Electrode page is displayed, as described below. If you also select an electrode, a query dialog is displayed, also described below.
- If the model contains an active solid which is the product, but no electrode object, the Select Region to Make Electrode page is displayed. The Electrode Wizard - Design then takes you through steps to define the electrode using the Extension Distance Options and Specify Electrode Blank pages.
- If the model contains an active solid which is the product, and you have pre-selected a solid from which you want to create the electrode (see
Registering a solid as an electrode), a query dialog asks if the electrode solid includes a base: Click:
Yes if the electrode object includes a base. The Specify Electrode Blank page is displayed and you can modify the options.
No if you want the Electrode Wizard - Design to create a base. An alternate Specify Electrode Blank page is displayed. This allows you to specify the shape, dimensions, material and other options and automatically draws the base in the graphical window.
- Add a holder to the electrode using the Specify Electrode Holder page.
- Enter general information on the electrode, generate fill-in surfaces, and generate setup sheets using the General Options page.
- Create a family of electrodes from the electrode you have defined using the Electrode Family page.
- Export the electrode and create a summary spreadsheet using the
Export Options
page. You can export to:
- PowerMill.
- Other CAM software.
And include:
- EDM data-transfer files.
- Inspection points for PowerInspect.
If you click Finish at any stage, the wizard creates an electrode using the current settings.
If you click the
Exit
button, you exit, with the objects you have already created.
If you click Cancel, any objects created as part of the electrode are removed.