UGNX Academy

Blog

  • Siemens NX 1980: Practical Guide to Creating and Managing Program Folders

    πŸ“ Key Takeaways: Master Wang guides you through the creation and management of program folders in Siemens NX 1980, helping you avoid naming conflicts and efficiently organize your machining programs with practical, hands-on techniques. No pure theory, just hard-core workshop knowledge!

    [VIDEO_HERE]

    Hello everyone, I’m Master Wang. Today, we’re going to talk about a seemingly small but crucial function in Siemens NX – Creating Program Folders.

    Programs and Coordinate Systems: The Core Foundation

    Listen up! In NX, the most important things we need to focus on are “Creating Programs” and “Coordinate Systems.” Other things, like the fourth machining method we touched on in previous lessons, might be used less by beginners, and we’ll delve into them later. But Programs and Coordinate Systems are the bedrock of CNC programming. You must understand them thoroughly!

    I won’t break down every single parameter for you; that would be exhausting, and many aren’t practically used. We’ll just focus on the key points, the most essential and useful information.

    Why Do Default ABCDE… Folders Appear?

    You might notice that whenever you create a new program, a bunch of folders like A, B, C, D, E, F pop up. Why is that?

    Templates are at Play

    These are linked to our templates. I mentioned in the first lesson that when we directly insert from modeling into manufacturing, at this position in the Program and Tool Manager, NX automatically generates these default program folders based on the template. So, if you find they’re missing or fewer than expected, it’s likely because I deleted them during a teaching demonstration, not a system error.

    How to Create New Program Folders

    If you want to create more program folders, or if the system doesn’t have what you need, it’s simple:

    1. Click the “Create Program” button.

    2. In the dialog box that appears, you can enter the folder name (e.g., “B”).

    3. Remember! The Program Location must always be set to NC. This is a golden rule; remember it! Always select NC. It represents the highest level of operation, and all programs should be housed under NC, not nested within other lettered folders. If placed under A, then A becomes its parent, and if A is deleted, everything below it is gone too.

    4. Click “OK” to complete the creation.

    Naming Rules and File Duplication

    When creating program folders, there’s a common pitfall: duplicate naming.

    Why Does “-1” Automatically Get Added?

    When you try to create a program folder with the same name as an existing one (e.g., if “F” already exists and you create another “F”), NX will automatically append a -1 suffix to the newly created folder, making it “F-1,” or even “F01-1.”

    This is a mechanism within the software to prevent file conflicts and maintain uniqueness. It handles it automatically for you, but you need to understand why these suffixes appear.

    How to Avoid the “-1” Suffix

    If you don’t want to see these messy “-1” suffixes, make sure the name you’re using for your new folder is unique before creation. If there’s an existing folder with the same name and you don’t need its contents, just delete it first.

    Organizing and Managing Program Folders

    The organization of program folders is also very important, directly impacting your programming efficiency and project clarity.

    Free Drag-and-Drop and Hierarchy

    In NX, you can hold down the left mouse button on a program folder and drag it around freely to adjust its order or hierarchy. But be careful here:

    • If you drag a folder into the “interior” of another folder, it will become a sub-folder. For example, if you drag A inside B, A becomes a subordinate of B. If B is deleted, A will also be gone.

    • To keep a folder at the top level, you need to drag it to the same level as the NC main heading, not inside another lettered folder. When dragging, pay close attention to the blue highlight that appears; it indicates where the file will be placed. Make sure it stops below NC, not to the right or inside another folder.

    Be Flexible, Not Rigid

    For most regular programming tasks, one top-level program folder (like an “A”) is sufficient to hold all operations, keeping things clean and manageable. Of course, if your project is complex, a tiered management system is better, but don’t over-complicate it just for the sake of it – that’ll just create more headaches.

    Remember, whether you have those extra folders or not doesn’t affect your final machining results. The key is how flexibly you use and manage them.

    Looking Ahead: Creating Operations

    Now that we’ve got program folders sorted, in the next lesson, we’ll truly begin discussing Creating Operations. This is the core of programming; every programming task requires creating operations. We usually don’t just click the “Create Operation” button directly. Instead, we right-click and choose “Insert Operation.” Next time, I’ll start with the DB template and, following my teaching sequence, explain all the contents within the templates clearly.

    There are many tutorials out there, but as long as you follow Master Wang’s approach, I guarantee you’ll be able to get hands-on work done after learning!

    Summary: Pitfall Guide

    • Program Location must be NC: When creating program folders, their location should always be below NC to ensure correct hierarchy.

    • Understand the Auto “-1” Mechanism: If you see names automatically suffixed with -1, it’s because a file with the same name already exists. Either delete the old one or accept the system’s automatic numbering.

    • Drag-and-Drop Organization Requires Caution: When dragging folders, be sure to clearly observe the blue highlight indicating the cursor’s position. Avoid accidentally nesting folders inside other program folders, which can lead to hierarchical confusion.

    • Be Aware of Template Differences: If your NX interface differs from mine, and you find a different number of default folders, it’s because you’re using a different template. My tutorial is based on my template; understanding this is sufficient, no need to overthink it.

    • Practice More, Think More: Don’t be afraid to delete files or change settings. Be bold and try things out. With programming, the more you tinker, the more you understand.

    That’s it for this lesson. Thank you for watching, and see you next time!

  • Master Wang Unlocks UG NX 1980 Machine View Tooling Secrets: Practical Skills & Pitfall Avoidance Guide

    πŸ“ Key Takeaways: Master Wang provides a hands-on guide to leveraging Siemens NX 1980’s Machine View function for precise viewing and management of various tools (face mills, end mills). Learn essential tool parameter settings, quick creation and modification techniques, and how to avoid common programming pitfalls in this practical tutorial.

    [VIDEO_HERE]

    Introduction: Tooling Basics Before Programming

    Hello everyone, I’m Master Wang. In our last lesson, we discussed the Program Order View. We’ve already covered those topics, like this specific area here. You don’t need to memorize every single detail of what each function does, but it’s crucial to understand their literal meaning.

    As we delve into programming, you’ll gradually become more familiar with all these various elements, little by little. Eventually, you won’t even need to think about their exact purpose. So, for now, a general understanding is sufficient.

    Core Function: Machine View and Tool Visualization

    Enabling and Understanding Machine View

    This was mentioned before. Let’s look at the option below it, called Machine View. We can simply click on it.

    The main point is that you can see what it means: it displays the Machine View in the Operation Navigator. In essence, it allows you to show the machine and observe how it moves and how the tool operates to machine your part. You can see all the toolpaths and movements.

    However, for our initial learning phase, we haven’t even created a program yet, so this feature isn’t immediately useful. If you want to use it, you would go to Edit, then ‘Load Machine from Library’ to find many different machines. But we won’t go into that for now.

    Understanding the Tool List: Templates and Customization

    What we need to discuss are the items below. You can scroll down; these can be dragged down further. What do all these items mean at the bottom? I believe many of you might already have some understanding and will grasp it quickly.

    This entire section contains all of our tools. Where are our tools located? They are all placed here on the side.

    Why are these tools here? It’s because of the template I created at the very beginning, remember? That template.

    If you wish to add or delete these tools yourself, you need to go into that template to perform the addition or deletion.

    How do you do it? Please refer to my ‘Master Wang’s Template’ tutorial; there’s a ‘Programming Template’ section within it. Go there to see how it’s created.

    In-Depth Analysis of Tool Parameters

    Face Mill E100 Example: Diameter, Length, and Effective Length

    Let’s take a look. The creation method is quite simple.

    Let’s examine what this means. For example, the first one is E100. The meaning of E100, frankly, refers to its diameter.

    Look, if sometimes it doesn’t display, you can click somewhere else, then click on this E100 again, and the tool will reappear.

    The diameter is 100, meaning the entire diameter of this tool is 100 mm.

    At this point, we can double-click to open it, or right-click and ‘Edit’, both work. I’m used to double-clicking to open it.

    Double-click to open. After opening, let’s look at this area.

    The diameter is 100. Clearly, this tool’s diameter is 100 mm. The bottom diameter is 0. These others are also 0; we can ignore them.

    The length is 75 mm. Simply put, the total length of this tool is 75 mm. And the effective length is 50 mm, which means the distance from this point to this point is 50 mm.

    Of course, as you all know, what E100 means is that it’s a face mill, a face mill with a 100 mm diameter.

    Its bottom radius is 0, which means it should typically be E100 R0.8. Usually, the inserts for these tools have a small corner radius of R0.8. So, it’s a tool like E100 R0.8. Why did I set the bottom corner radius to 0? We’ll discuss that later when we get to programming. For now, just understand what this tool represents.

    This face mill has a total length of 75 mm and an effective length of 50 mm.

    You might ask, how can the effective length be 50 mm? Because for insert tools, the insert itself isn’t 50 mm long. The point here is that we can give it an approximate value. You don’t need to create it to be exactly identical to the physical tool. We only need to create the approximate size of the tool, and that’s sufficient.

    Tool Positioning and Machining Simulation

    Now, by default, whenever we open the tool, it will appear in this position. We can click and hold the left mouse button to drag it, or simply click on a specific spot on the screen to place the tool there.

    What is this actually for? Simply put, we can place it, for example, approximately here. Then we can check if a single pass of this tool can cover the entire area. This is the edge, and this is the edge. If it starts cutting from here, moves along, and then comes over, can one pass cover it? Clearly, it can. A 100 mm tool can cover this area.

    Okay, when we reach this position, there’s a significant amount of material here. You also know what this means. It means our tool is too large to machine this corner radius. In such a situation, we would definitely need another type of tool to perform corner cleanup. Just understand this concept.

    We can’t machine all the way to this point, right? If we did, we’d be overcutting this area.

    The purpose of this is simply for reference. It allows us to check if the tool is large enough, or if it’s suitable, if we can use this tool. Just take a look, a rough look. But for the final selection, you also need to check what tools you actually have available.

    You can click anywhere; clicking here or on that corner, both are fine.

    Alright, so this is about how to change or view our tools. Roughly, there’s also the length and effective length. That’s good. Let’s move on.

    Quick Tool Creation and Modification (Critical Pitfalls)

    E-Series Face Mills: Copying, Renaming, and Parameter Modification

    For example, now we have E59, E90, E80, E63, E40. All of these are insert tools (face mills with removable inserts). Any tool starting with ‘E’ is typically an insert-type tool. E25, E21, E20, E17, E16.

    For instance, let’s say we want to create an E15 tool. How do we create it?

    Right-click, Copy. Then directly click Paste. Good.

    Now, this tool and the original one are actually identical. It’s just like copying and pasting any other item, like a folder or anything else. The copied and pasted items will definitely be identical.

    We need to modify the pasted tool. Right-click. Why is there English at the end? Because their names cannot be duplicates.

    For example, for E17, just change the ‘6’ to ‘7’, and press Enter. See, now you have an E17 tool, right?

    Oh, for E15. Right-click, Rename. We’ll take this position, you can drag it a bit, and change it to ‘5’. Okay.

    Can it be used now? We copied it and changed its name to E15. Is this correct? Absolutely not!

    Although its name has been changed to E15, this tool is still a 16 mm tool. Everyone, please, please, please remember this: just renaming the tool’s display name to E15 does not make it an E15 tool. That’s impossible. You must double-click to open it, then go to the Diameter field and enter 15. Good, then press Enter. That’s all. Of course, there are other parameters like tool holder, etc., but for now, we don’t need to worry about them. We just need to make sure the diameter is correctly set. The length and effective length have already been discussed.

    Right-click, OK. Only now is this tool truly an E15 tool. Double-click to open and check again. 15, correct. OK.

    R-Corner Radius Tools: Distinguishing E90R0.8 and E63R6

    Let’s look at the E90 R0.8 below. Actually, this one and the E90 are quite similar. But the R0.8 indicates that at this position, there is a small corner radius. This position has an R0.8.

    Why are these two types of tools so similar? It’s simply my personal habit for future programming; I might need both. We’ll discuss that later. For now, there’s no need to explain it so thoroughly; we just need to understand what these tools mean.

    We also have E63 R6. Everyone knows this type of tool, right? It’s an E63 face mill with an R6 insert. This is an R6 insert, quite large, a round type of insert.

    E63 R0.8 is a square-ish insert.

    These are all self-explanatory, and the differences are quite clear.

    D-Series End Mills: Similarities and Differences with E-Series

    For example, for an E25 R5 tool, we copy it, and then paste it.

    Suppose we want to create an E26 R5. Just create a random one.

    Rename. The first step is to rename it. E26 R5. Delete all the English characters at the end, then press Enter.

    At this point, we double-click to open it. E26 R5. We don’t need to change the ‘R’ value.

    Let’s say, for example, you don’t want to confirm directly now. Suppose you realize you made a mistake with this tool in your work. You can double-click to open it. For example, if you want to create an R4 tool. You change it to 4. You must press Enter. If you change it to 5, you have to press Enter. When you preview this ‘R’ value, for example, if you input 1, press Enter. Okay, now this position is 1. You must press Enter; it’s a habit. Enter. Okay, Enter, Enter.

    R4, Enter.

    Don’t worry about the effective length or anything else; just click OK. But you must rename it from ‘5’ to ‘4’, because you’ve already changed the internal parameters to E26 R4, so the external name also needs to be updated. OK.

    This is a quick way to create a tool. This method of creating tools, I think, is quite convenient; you just copy and paste.

    All tools starting with E are typically insert tools (face mills).

    Now, what about tools starting with D? These are actually end mills. They are not insert tools, meaning they can machine with their side cutting edge as well. I believe everyone has seen this type of tool in the machine shop. You’ve definitely seen them.

    D35 R3 means a 35 mm end mill with an R3 corner radius, very clear. D14 R1.5 means a 14 mm end mill with an R1.5 corner radius.

    For example, how do you create this? The creation method is exactly the same as what we just did.

    Summary: Pitfall Avoidance Guide

    Listen up, Master Wang emphasizes again:

    1. Name vs. Parameters: In Siemens NX, renaming a tool’s display name (label) does not automatically change its actual machining parameters! You must double-click to open the tool properties, manually modify core parameters like diameter, length, and corner radius, then press Enter to confirm, and finally click OK for the changes to take effect. This is the most common pitfall for beginners.

    2. The ‘Approximate’ Rule for Effective Length: For a tool’s ‘effective length’ (or cutting length), especially for non-standard tools or face mills, providing an approximate value that meets machining requirements is sufficient in the model. There’s no need to demand 100% exact match with the physical tool. The software model is mainly for visual simulation and toolpath calculation.

    3. Machine View for Visual Verification: Use the Machine View to visually check if the tool’s size is appropriate, if it can cover the machining area, and if there’s any risk of overcutting. Don’t just rely on software simulation; you need to envision the cutting sparks! While this is virtual, this way of thinking is fundamental to practical machining.

    4. Significance of Corner Radius (R-Value): Understand the meaning of the R-value in tool names (e.g., R0.8, R6). It represents the corner radius of the tool’s cutting edge. Different R-values correspond to different insert shapes and machining characteristics (sharp corner, rounded corner), which are crucial for corner cleanup and contour milling.

    5. E-Series vs. D-Series: Familiarize yourself with common tool prefix conventions in Siemens NX. Typically, ‘E’ series often refers to face mills / indexable face mills (Face Mill) with replaceable inserts, suitable for roughing flat surfaces. ‘D’ series often refers to end mills / ball nose end mills (End Mill/Ball Nose), commonly used for side milling or finish contour milling.

    6. Importance of Templates: Your tool library should be built upon standard templates. The initial tool list comes from your programming template. Learning to manage and customize templates can greatly improve efficiency.

  • UG NX 1980 Process Sequence View Explained

    πŸ“ Key Takeaways: Master Wang is here to guide you through UG NX 1980 3-axis programming! This lesson focuses on the Process Sequence View, showing you how to correctly switch views in the manufacturing module, use the Operation Navigator, and understand how programs run step-by-step. All hard-hitting, practical tips you won’t find in textbooks!

    Introduction: 3-Axis Programming and Environment Switching

    Hello everyone, I’m Master Wang. Starting today, I’ll be systematically covering 3-axis programming, from basic 2D toolpaths to drilling, and then on to 3D machining. This is a complete programming workflow, and we’ll go step-by-step, from top to bottom, to create a full program and deeply understand what each command is used for.

    If you want to review modeling first, you can check out my previous modeling courses. Those courses explain what commands like sketching and extruding do – these are fundamental, and you all need to know them.

    Now we’re mainly focusing on programming. For programming, we usually go to the Manufacturing page. So, just click “Manufacturing” to enter.

    Listen up, the prerequisite is that you must insert my programming template! I already have a template loaded. When we click to enter the manufacturing module, we don’t need to worry about the default options at the top; the third position is the default. For this, we can also default to the DB template. Just click OK. This is the first step, entering manufacturing.

    The Importance of Programming Templates

    At this point, our interface will display some items. The prerequisite is that you must have inserted this programming template. How do you insert it? Look for my “Master Wang Programming Template” link; there’s a video that details where to place the template and how to use it, and even how to create your own templates. That video is straightforward and easy to understand. If you’re unsure, watch it a couple of times.

    In this course, we won’t go into detail about templates; we’ll focus on programming itself.

    Manufacturing Interface Overview and View Switching

    Looking at the manufacturing page, we have the top, left, bottom, and right sections. In fact, these are all small commands. Let’s look at the left side; aren’t these quite familiar? They are actually similar to what we covered in the modeling section.

    Basically, sometimes we will switch back to modeling. Just click this position to switch. Click manufacturing again, and it switches back. Click modeling again.

    Listen up, this is where mistakes often happen!

    Look at the left side: when we’re in manufacturing, doesn’t it look quite similar? However, sometimes, the items in manufacturing are not present in modeling. Manufacturing commands, for example, like creating a geometric body or creating a tool, cannot exist in modeling. Similarly, in modeling, you have commands for creating blocks or cylinders, but these won’t be found in the manufacturing module.

    So, when you can’t find a command, it’s worth switching to the modeling environment to look for it, especially the bottom panel. The bottom panel in modeling has many more options, but in manufacturing, there are fewer, only up to this point. Just these few.

    Therefore, you all can examine it yourselves, especially this particular location, the command area. You can practice switching back and forth to familiarize yourselves with which commands are available where. Once you get used to it, you’ll be fine. Getting accustomed to these commands is key.

    Of course, there are some commands in manufacturing that are not in modeling, and we’ll definitely discuss them. Since this is our first lesson today, we don’t need to go into too much detail. We just need to get a basic understanding of these few commands for now.

    Key View: Operation Navigator

    For the first step, when we’re in manufacturing, this area defaults to displaying the Part Navigator. We definitely don’t need the Part Navigator; we need to switch to the Operation Navigator. Because in manufacturing, what we generally use for programming is the Operation Navigator. You can switch it yourself: this is the Part Navigator, and this is the Operation Navigator. There are constraints and assemblies. So, in manufacturing, we basically always use the Operation Navigator.

    The Secrets of the Process Sequence View

    Alright, once you’ve opened it, do you see? It has this page.

    Regarding the top section, I can’t go through everything one by one right now. We’ll introduce these functions gradually as we go through the programming steps in upcoming lessons. If I were to explain how each one works right now, I believe many of you might not fully grasp it. We need to introduce it bit by bit. However, when we’re just starting, in the early stages, it’s crucial to know how these few are used.

    Also, you need to know how to create a Work Coordinate System (WCS). That’s the G54 WCS. For a machining center, whether we’re datum setting on one side or using four-sided datum setting, you definitely need to know this.

    So, in our first lesson today, we’re mainly talking about these four, these few. This one, and this one, this one, this one – what are they generally used for?

    Basic Programming Operations and Program Sequence

    For some basic skills, like right-clicking, left-clicking, selecting, rotating, moving, and so on, you can refer to the initial lessons in the modeling section to get familiar with them. If you’re just starting and only want to learn 3-axis programming, then I recommend that you at least have some familiarity with UG. You should at least know how to rotate your model, or how to select linked components, or how to deselect components, or how to select just one specific location, like a single face. For these things, I suggest watching our modeling course, especially the first few lessons. You don’t need to watch every single part if you only want to program; it’s not necessary to master everything.

    But at least you should be familiar with these basic operations. For example, if you click here, what happens? Or if you click here, what does it do? You must know these things. I won’t go into detail here. We will mainly focus on programming commands.

    Understanding the Program Order View

    First step, let’s take a quick look at this panel. When the Program Order View is highlighted, this area looks like this. I’ll drag it over a bit; it’s quite long. See? Very, very long.

    This area has a Tool Path, which is actually a folder. You can click it, right-click, and select Insert Operation. This is a normal procedure for us: insert operation. For 3-axis, there are all these commands here. All the commands we need to cover in the future are all in here for programming. For 3-axis, we currently only have 3-axis, so it’s 3-axis. This is 5-axis; if you’re doing 5-axis, watch the 5-axis course. The 5-axis course is almost finished recording. You can just watch the 5-axis course. Of course, if you learn 5-axis, then all these small operations will definitely already be familiar to you. Because if you learn 5-axis, most of the basic 3-axis operations will be covered. So we’ll just look at 3-axis.

    Alright, for example, I’ll just click this command, then OK. I’ll just click OK directly. Take a look. I won’t talk about other things for now.

    To put it simply, this is a program we’ve created. But it’s not actually created yet. We can look at this position. Tool Path, it shows Tool. I haven’t selected a tool yet, but you see, the tool number, that means T0. I’ll briefly explain this; it will definitely be covered in more detail later. For now, we’ll just give a general overview of this command.

    The tool number, which is T0, and then the time, meaning how long this program will take. Alright, let’s just β€” oh, I clicked the wrong small number. Let’s cancel it. We’ll go through it one by one. Typically, when inserting, we need to insert A. This refers to A-sequence, B-sequence, C-sequence, D-sequence, E-sequence. These tool paths.

    Of course, there was also F, but I think I deleted it. I feel these five are sufficient, so I won’t use F. That is, A, B, C, D, E. These tool paths. When we click the small triangle, the small cross, next to A, it further divides into many: A01 all the way to A20. I don’t know if everyone is familiar with what this means.

    When you’re programming in A01, let’s just, I’ll randomly select one. OK. Alright, this program is numbered A01. Then in A02, for example, we insert another operation and create another program, that would be A02. When we post-process, this program will be A01. When we need to run it, we’ll run A01 first, then A02. This is how the operations are arranged step-by-step, from A01 all the way to, say, A20. It’s about machining these programs sequentially. This is what we’ll be programming in the Program Order View.

    These are just folders, just the names of the folders. You all should have some understanding of this. Alright, I won’t go into excessive detail. Let’s take another look, mainly focusing on this area.

    First, insert an operation, select the DB sequence. For example, I’ll just quickly create a simple program, a very simple program. Click, select this face, select tool. This doesn’t matter; you don’t need to follow me exactly. We just need to understand what this means for now.

    Alright, the program is now generated. We can click the play button to see. Okay, the program is complete. Look at this area: Tool Change, this is T10, indicating we are currently using tool number 10, right here. How exactly is this position found? I’ll drag it back a little further.

    Okay, some of your setups might be different from mine. Right-click, then Columns.

    Summary: Pitfall Guide

    • Environment Switching is Fundamental: You must be proficient in switching between the modeling and manufacturing modules and understand the unique functions of each. If you can’t find a command, first check which module you are in.

    • Operation Navigator is Key: In the UG NX manufacturing module, you must use the Operation Navigator for programming, not the Part Navigator. This is crucial for organizing and managing all machining operations.

    • Understand the Logic of the Program Order View: Sequences like A01, A02, etc., represent the execution order of programs. Plan your operation sequence logically to ensure the machining process meets actual production requirements.

    • Utilize Programming Templates Effectively: Using pre-set programming templates can significantly improve efficiency and standardization, reducing repetitive work. If you don’t have one, make sure to learn how to create or import one.

    • Basic Operations are a Prerequisite: Don’t underestimate the basics. If you are not proficient with fundamental UG NX modeling operations (selection, rotation, movement, etc.), it will directly impact your programming efficiency and accuracy. Master these basic skills first.

    • Pay Attention to Tool Numbers (T-numbers): In the Process Sequence View, each tool has a corresponding T-number. This is a critical reference for the machine tool to identify and automatically change tools, so you must understand its meaning.