8.

An Introduction to Pro/MANUFACTURING
(for Release 2001)
This tutorial is prepared for the technical elective and graduate course MECH410/520 Computer-
Aided Design, as an extension to the Tutorials to Pro/ENGINEER CAD/CAE/CAM System.
A brief introduction to CNC milling and automated tool path generation was introduced in the
lecture. The slides used are posted before this tutorial. The users of this tutorial are assumed to
be familiar with the basic concepts of part modeling, CNC machining and automated CNC tool
path generation, or have taken the Computer-Aided Manufacturing course. The users are also
assumed to be familiar with the Part and Assembly Modes of Pro/ENGINEER.
This tutorial is constructed using an existing mechanical part as shown in Fig. 1. You can
download its Pro/ENGINEER file from the web. Chevy Z Chen, a Ph.D. candidate at UVic and
an expert on sculptured part CNC machining, is the main contributor to the tutorial, to whom we
owe deep gratitude.

(a) (b)
Figure 1. Part Model
In this tutorial, this part model and the model of the workpiece are selected in the Manufacturing
Mode, followed by various setups, to produce the NC instructions of a milling machine to rough
mill the block workpiece into the designed part.
We begin this tutorial by outlining the general steps that one has to follow to automatically
generate the NC program for machining a mechanical part based on given part model and
workpiece model. The process is organized into five major areas, each with detailed instructions
for Pro/MFG operations. The process is illustrated in Figure 2.

Note: In this tutorial, the sign “→” indicates the next command is on a different menu, and the
sign “|” sign means the next command is on the same menu.

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 Design Model Workpiece

Manufacturing Model Machine Tools

(Workcell)

Fixture Setups Set Up Manufacturing Database

Tools
Set Up Operation
Pro/MFG

Define NC Sequence

Create CL data Files (APT) Procedure In-

Process Model

Post-Process

Drive NC Machine Tool

Figure 2. Pro/MFG Process

Preparation
Download and copy the part file example.prt into your own directory. All files generated by
Pro/MFG will be in your home directory. It is advantageous to set up the Pro/E working
directory as home directory by File→Set Working Directory …, choose your home directory.

First define a manufacturing model. A manufacturing model consists of a design model and a
workpiece. At the end of the manufacturing process, the geometry models of the workpiece and
design will become coincident.

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Create a Manufacturing Model by Loading the Part
From File→New …, select Manufacturing from the left column: “Type”, and NC Part from right
column: “Sub-type” in New menu. At the bottom of New menu, type in the part name into the
Name window such as example; then click OK. Make sure no other file in the current working
directory shares the same name. Select example.prt in Open menu, and click Open. A part made
by two connected quarter-cylinders will appear in the window as shown in Figure 1b. A Menu
Manager menu will appear beside the right-upper corner of the EXAMPLE (Active) window.

Create a Workpiece for Manufacturing Model

From the MANUFACTURE in Menu Manager menu, select Mfg Model→ MFG MDL |
Create→ MFG MDL TYP | Workpiece. In the Enter Part name window, enter a name for the
workpiece: workpiece. Then FEAT CLASS menu is shown in Menu Manager.

Now make a workpiece model. The way to build this workpiece is exactly the same as those
models you made in previous tutorials. One suggestion is to make the workpiece using the
smallest block that contains the design model. Here the smallest block is a 100 x 100 x 60
Aluminum stock. The workpiece model formed is shown in Figure 3.

(a) (b)

Figure 3. Workpiece Model

Selecting feature creation method

From the Menu Manager, choose FEAT CLASS → Solid, SOLID → Protrusion, SOLID
OPTS → Extrude, Solid, Done, PROTRUSION: Extrude window appears. In Menu
Manager window, choose ATTRIBUTES → One Sides, Done.

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Selecting a sketching plane and a reference for sketching.
Sketching plane is the plane for 2-D section drawing, which is a square in this work; the
second is to select a horizontal or vertical reference for sketching. Choose SETUP SK PLN
→ Setup New, SETUP PLANE → Plane, GET SELECT → Pick, left click the plane name
tag DTM3 (or DTM6) in working window, A red arrow will point outside the screen,
choose DIRECTION → Okay, SKET VIEW → Top, SETUP PLANE → Plane, GET
SELECT → Pick, left click DTM2 (or DTM5) in working window, the sketching plane is
parallel with the screen. References window is shown, so do several drawing function
icons.

Sketching the 2D section of the workpiece for extrusion on plane DTM3 (DTM6)
Before drawing, references must be specified. Move the cursor to a point on DTM4, and
left click. A dash-doted line represents a reference. Similarly move the cursor to a point on
DTM2 (DTM5), and left click. Another dash-doted line represents another reference. Two
references are listed in References window. Click close in that window. Select sign “□”
from the function icons, and at the tip of cursor there is a cross when the cursor is inside
EXAMPLE window. Click a point close to label “DTM6”, and drag the cursor right and
down to a point in the lower and right corner of the window. Left click, and a blue
rectangle is shown with its dimensions.

Modifying the dimensions in gray

Use the eleventh icon from the top in the function list; change the dimensions so that the
dimensions of the square are 100 by 100. Move the cursor to the dimension, which should
be modified, and click that dimension. Modify Dimensions window is shown. Input the
correct value for that dimension, and click the check mark “√”. The dimension is then in
red. Change the dimensions so that the origin point is in the center of the square and the
side of the square is 100. Click the check mark “√” to continue with this section.

Extruding the 2D section to form the solid

In Menu Manager, SPEC TO → Blind, Done, enter depth value as 60 in command window
and enter. Click OK button in PROTRUSION: Extrude window. The workpiece is created
in green.

Viewing the created 3D solid model

The workpiece can be displayed in four styles, wireframe, hidden line, no hidden, and
shading. Two ways can change the style among them. The first is to use the main menu
Utilities → Environment, Environment → Display Style. The second is to use the desktop
icons to toggle different view options.

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 If you want to change the view point, zoom in/out, or pan the model, press the Ctrl button
on the keyboard, and press the left, middle, and right mouse button at the same time to
zoom in/out, to rotate, and to pan the workpiece respectively.

Click MFG MDL→ Done/Return, now the workpiece for the design part is built.

Operation Specifications
An operation includes a series of NC sequences performed at a particular workcell in a particular
setup and using a particular coordinate system for cutter location (CL) data output.

In Menu Manager, MANUFACTURE→ MFG Setup→Operation (For the first time, you do not
have to choose Operation), Operation Setup window pops up automatically.
To define NC machine, click the machine icon, Machine Tool Setup window will pop up. Enter
the parameters as shown in the table.
Machine Name Victor Machine Type Mill
Number of Axes 3 Axis CNC Control FANUC
Location ELW133 Spindle: Maximum Speed 3000 RPM
Travel: X-Axis -10000 – 10000 Y-Axis -10000 – 10000
Z-Axis -10000 – 10000
Click Apply → Close.

To define Reference, click the cursor button, Menu Manager→MACH CSYS→Select→GET

SELECT→Query Sel, choose CS0, Query Bin window will show CS0, click CS0 and Accept.
To define Retract, click the cursor button, Retract Selection window is shown. Choose Along Z
Axis, and in the panel of Enter Z Depth, input 70, click OK to close the window.
Click Apply to close Operation Setup window.

In the MFG SETUP menu, Tooling→SEL MENU→Victor, Victor: Tools Setup window is
shown. Input the cutter parameters as shown in the following table.
Name T0001 Type Milling
Unit INCH
Cutter Diameter 2 Length 4
Click OK to close the window. Click Done/Return to MANUFACTURING menu.

NC Sequence Generation
NC sequences the workpiece contain making a rough volume cut and profiling the surface in
finishing machining. In this tutorial, only the rough milling volume sequence is shown.

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From the MANUFACTURE→Machining→NC Sequence→Machining→Volume→Done. A new
menu appears. NC SEQUENCE→Seq Setup→SEQ SETUP→Tool, Parameters, Volume→Done.
Victor: Tools Setup window is shown. Since the tool, T0001, is going to be used, click OK to
close the window.

In the menu, MFG PARAMS→Set, Param Tree window is shown. Enter the parameters:
CUT_FEED 10 STEP_DEPTH 5
STEP_OVER 1 SCAN_TYPE TYPE_1
ROUGH_OPTION ROUGH_ONLY SPINDLE_SPEED 1000
CLEAR_DIST 0.1
Click File (Main menu in Param Tree window)→Exit, Parame Tree window is closed. Click
Done to DEFINE VOL menu.

DEFINE VOL→Create Vol, Enter name for the milling volume [Quit]: volume1, and return.
CREATE VOL→Gather→GATHER STEPS→Select→Done. GATHER SEL→Surfaces→Done.
GET SELECT→Pick, pick the two curved surface, click Done Sel. Click FEATURE
REFS→Done Refs. VOL GATHER→Done. CREATE VOL→Done/Return. NC
SEQUENCE→Play Path→Screen Play. PLAY PATH window is display. Click ►button to
show the tool paths.
The NC sequence is now complete. You can simulate the tool path and material removal by using
the Play Path command. The options available for Play Path are:
• Screen Play: Showing the path of the tool as a red line (Figure 4).
• Show File: Showing the cutter location (CL) data file in an Information Window
• NC Check: Simulating the machining process.
• Gouging Check: Checking the machining, if it happens, showing the place of gouging.
NC SEQUENCE→Play Path→Screen Play→Done. A moving tool is shown along the tool paths
to cut the workpiece. Choose CL Control→Done, NC SEQUENCE→Done Seq.

Figure 4. CNC Tool Path for Rough Milling

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Summary
To define a manufacturing process, the following steps and procedures are needed.

• Create or retrieve a manufacturing model.

• Set up a manufacturing database:
(1) Define the workcells that will be used for the manufacturing process.
(2) Define the fixture setup(s) that may be created or assembled.
(3) Perform an up-front manufacturing parameter setup, if desired.
• Set up an operation:
(1) Supply an operation name, if desired.
(2) Specify the workcell that will be used to create the NC sequences. If workcells have
already been defined, you may activate one or create another.
(3) Select or create the coordinate system to be used as the origin for the CL data output.
(4) Specify the operation parameters.
(5) Define the FROM and HOME points, if desired.
• Define the NC sequence for the operation:
(1) Specify the type,
(2) Select or create a tool to be used,
(2) Set up the manufacturing parameters,
(3) Select or create a coordinate system to define the orientation of the workpiece on the
machine,
(4) Define the retract plane,
(5) Specify the geometric references for the NC sequence, and
(6) Define the Start and End points, if desired.
• You can simulate the workpiece material removing or machining process.
• You can modify the generated NC sequences by changing tool, parameter, cut motion, etc.
• You can also generate CL Data file and post-process this file to yield the MCD file.