Note: Ensure
Enable Turn/Mill UI is selected in the
Machine Design Settings dialog to access the lathe design options.
Unlike milling machines, setting up a machine design file for even a simple lathe without live tooling can be quite difficult. Some of the complicating factors are:
- Many lathes have slant-beds, which makes even linear motion complicated (BASIC script).
- Tool blocks must be defined to work with turrets, which requires several UCS mates per type of tool block.
- Many machines have sub-spindles that require additional specification and clearances.
The following is a suggested order for the required steps.
-
Prepare solid model.
-
Define parent/child relationships.
-
Specify movement.
- Ignore slant-bed, pretend it is straight XYZ and ignore collisions.
- Ignore sub-spindle, and do not try any transfers or cutting on the sub-spindle initially.
- Fake a Y motion if necessary. If the machine does not have a Y motion, the components (chuck/turret/sub-spindle) must align
exactly. Sometimes this is hard to achieve so it may be simpler to add a Y motion to the turret assembly to correct for this. This does not affect the simulation in any significant way.
-
Set top-most table.
- Ignore sub-spindle (the top-most table applies only to the main spindle).
-
Set tool location.
- Tool blocks - do not define any, just put one temporary tool location on the bottom of the turret like a milling machine, and ignore how the tools look with respect to the turret.
- Ignore the lower turret if there is one.
-
Add slant bed.
-
Add toolblocks. This is easier if you have a working example of a machine with similar toolblock types. Study the locations and orientations in the working model carefully. Add one toolblock at a time.
-
Add sub-spindle.
- Add lower turret (Tool location and
Tool block)
Tip: You may find it useful to save key versions of a turn/mill machine design file as you progress. If you change something that breaks a motion that was working in a prior version, you can revert back to that version.