Moldplus V10 7 Quick Start Guide

Moldplus
V10.7
For Mastercam X7
Quick Start Guide
Moldplus Version 10.7 (10.7.0.xx)

Moldplus SA
March 07, 2014
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................ 1
PREREQUISITIES ............................................................................................................... 1
SOFTWARE .................................................................................................................... 1
MOLDPLUS LICENSING ....................................................................................................... 1
TO CONFIGURE THE LICENSE ........................................................................................... 1
DRAFT ANGLE ANALYSIS .................................................................................................... 5
CREATING PARTING LINES, 3D PART EDGES AND 2D PART EDGES.......................................... 8
CORE AND CAVITY SEPARATION ....................................................................................... 11
ELECTRODE MAKER ......................................................................................................... 18
DEFINITIONS AND PROCESS...........................................................................................................................18

USING ELECTRODEMAKER 0_ELEC4.MCX-7 ...................................................................... 40
SETTING UP A JOB ........................................................................................................ 40
REVIEWING MACHINE AND GAP SETTINGS ...................................................................... 41
ADDING AN ELECTRODE ................................................................................................ 44
SELECTING THE SURFACES FOR THE ELECTRODE ............................................................. 45
ADDING THE EXTENSIONS ............................................................................................ 48
ADDING THE STOCK AND HOLDERS ................................................................................ 50
ADDING ADDITIONAL ELECTRODES ................................................................................ 54
USING CLONES TO CREATE MULITPLE ELECTRODE BURN POINTS ...................................... 67
EXPORTING ELECTRODES FOR MACHINING ..................................................................... 70
PREPARING AND PUBLISHING REPORTS .......................................................................... 71
CONCLUSION .................................................................................................................. 74
Moldplus Quick Start Guide
INTRODUCTION
This document will walk you through the configuration process and introduce you to Core and
Cavity separation and electrode extraction and creation. The Quick Start Guide for the 5-axis
toolkit can be used to learn the features of that tool. The Online Help will help you understand
more about these features.
PREREQUISITIES
Please ensure the following items are installed and configured correctly before using this
application guide.
SOFTWARE
Mastercam X7 for 64Bit or 32Bit.
Moldplus 10.7 for Mastercam X7-64bit or 32bit installation.
MOLDPLUS LICENSING
After Moldplus 10.7 has been installed, you will need to configure the license to enable the
features. Licenses are delivered as an XML file by your reseller.
As long as your maintenance is current, you can run the new features in the 5-axis toolkit.
The Moldplus STL Utilities, Fixture Design and Welding products will need new licenses to be
purchased in order to function.
New software purchases or license purchases will need to follow the routine as described to
register the licenses.
TO CONFIGURE THE LICENSE
1. Click Moldplus->About on the Mastercam menu. The About Moldplus dialog is displayed.
This dialog is also displayed when you click on any Moldplus toolbar button for the first time. Note
the actual SIM number and user type are displayed.
2. Click Register. Browse to the location where the XML License file was saved, select the file
and click Open.

3. If the license file is valid, the maintenance date and other information is updated. A green
check indicates that the license is valid. Note that only the products you purchase will display.
Valid products are indicated with a green tick and invalid ones with a cross. To request a new
license or an updated version of your current license, please contact your reseller.
If you check the box for View All, all the Moldplus product licenses available are displayed.

Moldplus for NetHASP code registration will not be done using the above dialog. You will
need to configure the Moldplus Server Manager to configure the licenses. If the license server is
not found, the following is displayed.
Once the server is active and identified through the client, the following is displayed:
QUICK START GUIDE
This guide will walk you through: Draft Analysis, parting line creation, Solid Sep (core and cavity
separation) and electrode extraction, creation and report generation in about 10 minutes or less.
The files referred to here can be found in the \SHARED MCAMX7\MCX\
Moldplus_Examples_MM folder.
DRAFT ANGLE ANALYSIS
Moldplus offers very powerful tools for analyzing parts for undercut surfaces, etc. With 1 click of
the mouse, you should be able to analyze the part and automatically trim the undercut surfaces
and place them in different colors and levels. This feature alone will eliminate the need to
machine prototypes before realizing that the mold cannot be pulled apart because there are
undercut surfaces. To do this:
Step 1:
Load the file: Load the solid_sep_electrodes_mm.mcx-7 file.
You can analyze this part in the Top view and determine if there any undercuts or not.
With this part, it is pretty obvious that you will not have any undercuts but it is good to
verify the draft analysis before starting the separation.

Step 2:
Start draft angle analysis: Launch Moldplus Draft
Angle Analysis from the Moldplus Toolbar

angles dialog is displayed.
Step 3:
Review the settings: Click
Settings to display the Draft
Angle settings dialog.
Change the values as shown.
The Above value defines the
positive angles with respect to the
current CPlane that are positive.
Surfaces in the part with this angle
will be colored green and moved to
the layer shown.
Surfaces with angles between 3 and
0 degrees as colored yellow.
Undercut surfaces are colored
green.
Click OK to close the dialog.
. The Draft

Step 4:
Analyzing draft angles: Verify the CPlane is set to Top and click Do it.
You will notice that all geometry between and above 3 degrees are marked in green. The
yellow surfaces indicate the 0 to 3 degree range. In this part, they can be machined as
part of the cavity. The red surfaces are all marked as undercut since they lie beneath the
cavity faces. All the surfaces considered as an undercut here can be considered as core
geometry.
Step 5:
Verification of results: To see that the surfaces are trimmed and moved to
different levels, press Alt+Z or click Level at the bottom of the Mastercam graphics
window to display the Mastercam Level Manager.
Disable Level 1 (the surface geometry level). Click OK. Only the yellow and red surfaces
will be left. You can also disable the Level 3 to see only the red surfaces if you prefer.
An overall analysis at this stage tells you that there are no undercuts in this part, a core
and cavity can be created and machined and that there is no need to have any slides or
lifter geometries to manufacture this part. Only electrodes are needed to burn the cavity
ribs.
Step 6:
Restore the surfaces: Undo the Draft Angle analysis by clicking Undo/Redo.
This will restore all the surfaces to the original levels, ready for parting line creation.
This completes Draft Angle analysis.
7
CREATING PARTING LINES, 3D PART EDGES AND 2D PART EDGES
Moldplus allows the quick creation of Parting Lines, 3D part edges and 2d projected part edges.
All these are helpful to complete a mold design (for example, creating Run-offs to mold edges).
You can easily create the 3D parting edges for molds. This is useful where you need these
external edges to create run-offs to the mold edges using manual run-off creation methods. Since
we analyzed the part and found no undercuts, we know that the parting lines for this part are the
external edges of the part.
Step 1:
Start 3D part edges: Click 3D Edges
on the
Moldplus toolbar. The Moldplus: Surface Edges dialog is
displayed.
Step 2:
Reviewing settings:
Click Settings to open the
Settings dialog. Review the
settings and verify they are set
correctly.

Step 3:
Create the 3d part edges: Click Part Edges to create the edges.
Note: There will probably be additional edges created where the software identifies gaps
between the faces. This feature will quickly tell you if there are inconsistencies/ gaps
between surfaces and is useful to check the consistency of a surface model. In many cases
the gaps may be irrelevant due to a bad conversion of a solid to a surface model or loose
tolerances while importing the model.
Step 4:
Delete internal edges: Delete the internal edges using the Mastercam tools.
The exterior edges can be then be used to create the run-off surfaces easily using the
Moldplus Partsurf functions.

Step 5:
Create 2d projected edges from the part: From the Mastercam menu, click
Moldplus->Moldplus1 to display the Moldplus dialog. Click Edges then click on 2D
Project, Settings.
The projected edges can automatically be created as Arcs and lines rather than as spline
data.
Ensure the settings are as shown:
Step 6:
Change the Mastercam system color to 1.Click Part Edges to create lines and arcs
representing the part edges.
Using this quick contouring or pocketing can be done, or whatever else you wish to do.
Step 7:
Click Undo to remove the 2D curves.
This completes the creation of the parting lines, 3D edges and 2D projected edges. You can
also do those for single surfaces or get all the edges of all the surfaces if desired.
10
CORE AND CAVITY SEPARATION
Core and cavity separation using Moldplus is a very powerful tool that automates the process of
identifying core and cavity geometry. This means what would take hours manually can be done in
a few clicks.
Step 1:
Load the file: Continue with the same part or
reload the SOLID_SEP_ELECTRODES_MM.mcx file.
You can use Screen->Statistics to verify that there are 27

surfaces and 273 trimmed surfaces that need to be
separated.
Step 2:
Start SolidSep: From the Moldplus toolbar, click
SolidSep
dialog.
11
to display the Core and Cavity Separation

Step 3:
Review Settings: Click Settings and verify the settings are as shown below.
The Settings dialog allows you to organize the splitting process by colors and levels for
easy identification and manipulation.
As normal practice, the cavity (the external shell of the mold) would be what is considered
here as CP Z+ (Construction Plane Z Positive) and the core (the internal shell of the
mold) would be CP Z-.
When the Open Mold option is selected, , the CP Z+ geometry will be translated by the
distance specified in CP translation heights above the original location, set to color 10
and moved to Level 2. The CP Z- surfaces will stay in the current location and have its
properties changed to Level 3 and color 4. Any straddle (surfaces that straddle the parting
line of the geometry) or vertical or unknown surfaces will be moved to half the distance
(75 mm in this case) to allow the user to decide which side they belong to and marked
with the corresponding colors and moved to the set levels.
If you are starting with a solid model directly, Moldplus will convert the Solids to a surface
model first and move the solid to the level specified in Converted Solid level.
Upon reviewing the settings, click Done to close the dialog.
12

Step 4:
Performing the operation: Click Do It to perform the separation.
You are prompted with the dialog that gives the user a warning that the properties of the
surfaces will be changed. This is a friendly warning! Click OK to continue.
The separation takes place within a few seconds and the following will the presented.
The surfaces are now split for core and cavity and displayed according to the settings. You
will notice that there are no verticals, straddles or unknown surfaces (would normally be
displayed in the middle). From the main Core and Cavity menu, you can easily move
surfaces between core and cavity by simply clicking on them. Since this was a perfect
split, we dont have to do anything more to this part.
Step 5:
Restore surfaces to original heights: Click on Open/Close to return all the
surfaces to the original Z heights. You are done with the separation part.
13

We will now create parting surfaces to the mold edge in 1 click. We can use the pre-sketched
boundary as the mold insert boundary and use the CP Z- or core geometry to create them.
Remember that only one side should be active (either the Core or the Cavity side only).
Step 6:
Set the Mastercam levels: Click Level on the Mastercam status bar or press
Alt+Z to open the Mastercam Level Manager.
Disable Level 2 (the CP Z+ level) to leave only the CP Z- surfaces visible.
14

Step 7:
Start Partsurf: On the Moldplus toolbar, click Auto
Partsurf
to display the PartSurf dialog.
Step 8:
Set stock limits: Click Stock Limits. The Mastercam Chaining dialog is displayed.
Click on any of the entities forming the stock boundaries to select the chain.
15

Step 9:
Create the surfaces: Click Create1. This will create the mold edges extensions.
The following should be the result.
With the run-off created, you will need to create the shut-offs for the core and cavity.
We will create the shut-off surfaces using the Moldplus Supertrim functions. Note that these
functions are part of the Moldplus Supertrim bundle.
Step 10:
Close holes using Supertrim: Click Supertrim1
on the Moldplus toolbar. This displays the SuperTrim

dialog.
Click Closed Hole and select the Fill Hole option.
16
Click the holes to be filled near any edge as shown in the figure.
The hole is filled automatically.
Continue to click the other holes to fill them up.
Press Esc multiple times to exit the dialog.

You can complete the separation and the parting surfaces creation in this manner. In a matter of
minutes, you have completed the core and cavity separation, mold run-off creation and added
shut-off surfaces - powerful time savings tools that could help see an instant return in
investment!
17
ELECTRODE MAKER
This section will cover Moldplus Electrode Maker. There is far more automation and user control
built in to isolating electrodes, inserting electrode stocks, preparing them for machining with
proper extensions for strength and proper burning and finally generating textual and visual HTML
reports. The steps outlined will allow you to review Electrode Maker in a matter of few minutes
without having to understand all the details of the Settings.
DEFINITIONS AND PROCESS
We will be referring to geometry here as:

Reference geometry the selected geometry from the part to create electrodes for.
Stock Electrode the inserted electrode stock usually wireframe geometry along with a holder
attachment.
Electrode Holder the standard electrode holders from 3R or EROWA.
Guard plane the electrode extensions will terminate at this Z height. This will result in the
machine-able area of the electrode.
Step 1:
Load the file: Continue with the same file that you split the core and cavity from.
You will notice there are several ribs and inserts to burn into the core. We will create a few
electrodes from this part a rough electrode to burn multiple ribs and a few finish
electrodes.
18

Step 2:
Start Electrode Maker: Start ElectrodeMaker by
clicking ElectrodeMaker V10 on the Moldplus toolbar. This
will display the ElectrodeMaker dialog.
Step 3:
Review and change settings: Click Settings to review and change the settings
for the electrodes created on this part.
Click Part Configuration in the tree and change the settings as shown below:
19

Click Default to set the Electrodes output folder to set the folder based on the path of
the part
Step 4:
Review and change the Machine Settings: Machine settings control how the
ElectrodeMaker outputs EDM machining code for the created electrodes.
Click Machines in the tree and
click New to create a new
machine profile.
Enter a name for the machine
profile and click OK.
Enter the machine name
Click
to show the Select Postprocessor File dialog and select the file \shared
Mcamx6\mill\Posts\MPE_EDM_MACH_X6.PST as shown below.
Change the other settings as shown below:
20

Step 5:
Review the Gap Configuration: Clicking Gaps in the tree. Make sure the settings
are the same as shown below:
Note: The gaps configured in the Gaps settings page are used only for documentation. Electrode
Maker does not yet create surfaces that are offset from the originals by the gaps set here.
Click OK to save the settings and exit the settings dialog. If the folder does not exist, it is
automatically created.
21
Step 6:
Launch the Mastercam
Level Manager. Turn off all
levels except for Level 3.
Step 7:
Create new electrode:
Right-click on the electrode list.
From the menu, select New
Electrode.
The electrode properties dialog is

displayed.
Click OK to create the electrode.
Next, we will select the surfaces that make up the electrode. This can be done via the
Surfaces Selection dialog that replaces the Electrode List
22

Step 8:
Select electrode surfaces:
This dialog is shown on clicking OK in step 7.
Click the Electrode Surfaces box to activate it.
Hold down the Shift key and select the surface shown.
This will select all the surfaces of the rib automatically.
23

Select the other two ribs as shown. Remember
to keep the Shift key pressed when selecting
the surfaces.
Select the option Show selected

surfaces only to verify that all the ribs
are selected.
Once you are satisfied with the

selection, unselect the option and click
Accept Selection to close the dialog.
24

Step 9:
Add additional surfaces to the
electrode: The following dialog is displayed on
clicking Accept Selection in the previous step.
Note that the numbers of surfaces are shown
against each selection.
From here, we will add additional surfaces to
complete the electrode.
25

Step 10: Create tangent extensions:
Double-click on First Tangent. This
will display the Extension properties
dialog.
Select the Tangent Offset option.

Enter 10 for the Edge Offset.
Click Preview to see a preview of the extension surfaces.
Click OK to accept the surfaces.
Next, we will add draft to the extensions to make the electrode stronger.
26

Step 11: Create draft: Double-click
Draft. Change the settings in the
Extension Properties dialog as
shown here:
Click Preview to verify the draft is correct and

click OK to create the surfaces.
27

Step 12: Add stock and electrode holder: Double-click on Raw Stock. This will display
the Stock and Holder Definition dialog.
Under the Holder directory, click the list

box and select 3R_54X54X30mm.MCX.
28
Next, we will change the stock

parameters to ensure the electrode
raw stock is calculated correctly.
Change the value of Z stock to 2.
Most electrodes will also have chamfers for ease of setup during machining. These can be
created automatically.
Change the options as shown to the right:
Face XY defines the distance from the
machined sides of the electrode to the raw
stock.
Stock XY defines the distance from added
from the extents of the electrode surfaces to
the machines side of the electrode.
Under Stock definition, click Rect. This will
recalculate all the electrode dimensions to
suit the dimensions entered for the stock
values.
The preview will update to show the correct
stock sizes. Note the chamfers are shown as
well.
Once you are satisfied with the electrode stock

and holder, click OK to apply the stock and
holder.
29

Step 13: Complete the first electrode: On
clicking Apply in the previous step, the Stock
and Holder Definition will be closed and
Electrode Edit dialog is displayed.
Click End Edit to return to the main Electrode
Maker dialog.
We will now create a finish electrode for one of the ribs. The other ribs can be finished using the
same electrode.
30

Step 14: Add the second electrode: Add another electrode by right-clicking on an empty
area of the electrode list and selecting New Elec from the menu.
Click OK to add the

new electrode to the
list.
31

Step 15: Select surfaces for the electrode: When the
surface selection dialog is shown, hold down shit and
select the surface shown:
Select the Show selected surfaces only check

box to verify that only the rib has been selected.
Click Accept Selection to display the extensions dialog.

Create the first extension: Double-click First Tangent
to create the tangent. Create the tangent surfaces using
the Tangent Offset option and an Edge Offset of 10
mm.
This edge offset is too large for a finishing electrode.
You can also delete the extensions by

right-clicking the item in the list and
selecting Delete this level from the
menu.
32

Double-click First Tangent to show the Extension
Properties dialog again. This allows the extensions to be
edited easily.
Change the Edge Offset to 3mm and click to update the
extension.
Step 16: Create draft surfaces: Double-click Draft to

create the draft with an angle of 0 degrees and a
distance of 10 mm.
Click OK to create the draft and close the dialog.
Step 17: Add raw stock and holder: Doubleclick Raw stock to start the Stock and
Holder Definition dialog.
Under Stock Definition, note the size of the
raw stock displayed. This will allow us to
select the appropriate holder for this
electrode.
Select the holder 3R_20mm.MCX.
33
Change Face XY to 2mm, Stock XY

to 3 mm and Chamfer to 1 mm.
Under Stock definition, click Rect to recalculate the stock size

and show the preview.
Note the preview shows the holder lies outside stock.

We will rotate the holder to correct this.
Under Rotation, unselect the Same as stock option. This will

ensure that only the holder will be rotated.
Click +90 under Angle Holder to rotate the holder. Click
Apply to update the preview.
Note the holder is now correctly aligned to

the electrode.
Click OK to create the holder and display

the surfaces selection dialog.
Click End Edit to return to the main Electrode Maker dialog.
34

Note that the second electrode is hidden by the roughing electrode.
Electrodes can be displayed or hidden by using the check box against

the electrode name OR by having the Selection Auto option checked
in the right click menu. Then the electrode is highlighted when you
click on the list.
You can also select the box to display the electrode and unselect it to hide it.
Clicking on an electrode will temporarily make it visible.
Step 18:
35
Hide the first electrode: Hide Elec-1 by clearing the check box.

To create shop floor documentation for the electrodes we have just created, we will use the
Moldplus XML report generation function. This report has all the information needed by the
shop floor to set up and machine the part, including images of the electrodes and their burn
location.
Step 19: Prepare and display the XML report: From the main
Electrode Maker dialog, click Export and select XML report
from the menu.
The XML Report dialog is displayed.
Click Capture checked to capture images of all the electrodes. This captures images of
the electrodes and the part. The images are displayed under Image.
36

You can verify the images that are captured for each electrode by selecting it in the list at
the left of the dialog.
If you wish to change any settings and recapture the images, select the electrode in the
list and click Capture selected.
The following image shows Elec-1 captured using shading.
Once you are satisfied with the images, click Make XML to generate the report and view it
using your Internet Browser.
37
Click Close to close the XML Report dialog.
38

To machine the electrodes, they will have to be saved to individual MCX files. This can be
achieved easily using Electrode Makerss Export function.
Step 20: Export the electrodes for machining: Click Export
and select Elecs to folder from the menu.
This will display the Elecs to folder dialog.
Click Default to set the output folder to a folder that is based on the name of the
current part.
Click the Export Levels list box and select the option Surf+Ext: Surf Holder: no
change option. This will ensure that all the surfaces and extensions are one level and the
holder levels are unchanged from the part.
Click the Translation list box and select the Top Base (Pt1) to origin option to
automatically translate the electrodes burn point to the origin. Select Flip to ensure the
electrodes are oriented correctly for machining.
Click OK to create the electrodes.
This concludes the review of the process of splitting Core and Cavity and creating 2 electrodes on
the same file.
We will review the Electrode Maker on another example file now and review other options within
the Electrode Maker tool.
39
USING ELECTRODEMAKER 0_ELEC4.MCX-7
Using ElectrodeMaker to create electrodes has the following workflow:

1. Setting up a job
2. Reviewing and changing machine and gap settings.
3. Adding an electrode
4. Selecting the faces for the electrode
5. Adding the extensions
6. Selecting and adding the stock and the holder
7. Exporting the electrodes to a different file for machining
8. Preparing and publishing reports
For multiple electrodes, steps 3-6 would be repeated as often as necessary.
SETTING UP A JOB
Step 1:
Load the 0_ELEC4.MCX-7 file from the Examples
folder.
Start ElectrodeMaker by selecting Moldplus>ElectrodeMaker->ElectrodeMaker V10 on the
Mastercam menu or clicking the
toolbar.
icon on the Moldplus
The ElectrodeMaker dialog is displayed.
40

REVIEWING MACHINE AND GAP SETTINGS
Step 2:
part.
Click Settings to review and change the settings for the electrodes created on this
General Setup (System) should be set as follows:
Click Part Configuration in the tree and change the settings as shown below:
41

Step 3:
Review and change the Machine Settings. Machine settings control how the
ElectrodeMaker outputs EDM machining code for the created electrodes.
Click Machines in the tree and select the machine profile Fanuc and settings if not
already selected as shown below.
Ensure the post processor is selected as follows and the Burn point location set to
Bottom of Chamfer (PT3)
42

Step 4:
Review the Gap Configuration by clicking Gaps in the tree. Make sure the
settings are the same as shown below:
Note: The gaps configured in the Gaps settings page are used only for documentation.
ElectrodeMaker does not yet create surfaces that are offset from the originals by the gaps set
here.
43

ADDING AN ELECTRODE
Step 5:
To add an electrode,
right-click on the list of
electrodes.
From the menu, select New
elec.
Step 6:
The
Electrode
Properties
dialog is
displayed. The
electrode
prefix is
named with
the settings
defined in Step
2.
Click OK to
add the
electrode.
44

SELECTING THE SURFACES FOR THE ELECTRODE
Once the electrode has been added, the next step is selecting the surfaces on the part to
be burned with the electrode.
ElectrodeMaker allows surface selection via one three methods:
1. Manual selection
2. Step by step selection

3. Automatic selection
4. Using Mastercam selection tools
First, use the automatic selection to select the surfaces.
Step 7:
On clicking OK in step 6, the following
dialog is displayed.
Activate the Electrode surfaces selection box by
clicking in the box. An active selection box is
highlighted.
45

Step 8:
Hold down the Shift key
and select this surface.
All the surfaces making up the rib

are selected and highlighted.
The selection box will list the surfaces and

the total number of surfaces selected.
Step 9:
Verify the correct surfaces are
selected by selecting the Show
selected surfaces only check box.
This will show only the selected
surfaces.
46
list

Step 10: Click Accept selection to complete the
selection.
The part is displayed again and the ElectrodeMaker
dialog changes to Edit Electrode mode.
The dialog shows the various types of surfaces

making up the electrode and lists the levels the
surfaces are on and the number of surfaces of
each type.
You can manage all the surface extensions needed

to manufacture this electrode (tangent, draft
extension, etc.) and build the stock and assign a
holder.
Once the electrode is built, you can also check for

collision detection with the part.
47

ADDING THE EXTENSIONS
Once the electrode surfaces are created, they need to be extended beyond the burn depth to
prevent unwanted burns on the part. Extensions can be created automatically in one of many
different ways in ElectrodeMaker.
Step 11: Double-click First Tangent in
the ElectrodeMaker dialog to start
adding the first extension.
This will launch the Extension
Properties dialog.
Change the options as shown in the
figure.
Step 12: Click Preview to see a

preview of the extensions.
If the extensions are too short,

change Edge offset and click
Preview again.
Once the extensions appear

satisfactory, click OK to create
the extensions and close the
Electrode Properties dialog.
48

Step 13: Review the ElectrodeMaker dialog. Note that
the number of surfaces is now listed against First
Tangent.
Next, drafted extensions will be added for the

electrode, so that it can be machined easily.
Step 14: Double-click Draft to start

adding the draft surfaces.
properties dialog for the draft.
Change the settings as shown in the

figure and click Preview.
Click OK to create the draft surfaces.
49

ADDING THE STOCK AND HOLDERS
The next step is to add the stock from which the electrode will be machined. ElectrodeMaker can
automatically calculate the size needed for the raw stock. In addition, a holder can be selected
from a list of standard holders.
Step 15:
50
Double-click Raw stock. This will show the Stock and Holder definition dialog.

Step 16: Click the
button in the Holder Parameters
group and select 3R_20MM.MCX from
the list.
This will change the stock size to the

nearest size that will fit the selected
surfaces.
Step 17: Change the parameters as

shown in the figure.
51

Step 18: Click Rect under Stock
Definition.
This will update the size of the stock and
change all the parameters of the burn
points.
Also, a preview of the electrode and holder is shown.

The top surface of the stock is hidden so that the chamfer
locations and stock sizes can be verified.
Step 19:
Click OK to create the electrode.
The electrode is completed and displayed.
52

The electrode can be checked for collisions from the same dialog.
Step 20:
Click On/Off.
button.
The button changes color to indicate it is active, and

the slider is now enabled.
Move the slider to the right to move the

electrode.
Click On/Off again to clear the animation.

In this case, the electrode created does not
have any collisions with the part.
Congratulations! The first electrode is

created.
Click End Edit to close the Edit Electrode
dialog and go back to the Electrodes list.
53

ADDING ADDITIONAL ELECTRODES
To complete the job, more electrodes are needed to burn other profiles in the part. The process
for adding these electrodes will be the same as the previous electrode.
Step 21: Add a new electrode
right-clicking on the
electrode list and selecting
New Elec.
Click OK in the Electrode

Properties dialog to create
the electrode.
Step 22:
Click the Electrode Surfaces box.
Hold down Shift and click the surface

shown.
54
by

Step 23: Hold down Shift and click
the surface shown.
Select Show selected surfaces to

verify that these surfaces are
selected.
Click Accept Selection to close the

selection dialog.
55

Step 24: Double-click First Tangent in
the ElectrodeMaker dialog to start
adding the first extension.
Properties dialog.
Change the options as shown in the
figure.
Click Preview to verify that the

extensions are correct and click Ok to
create the extensions and return to the
ElectrodeMaker dialog.
56

Change the parameters as shown in

the figure and click Preview. Note
that the draft surfaces are not
optimal since they intersect.
Click Cancel to remove the preview.
The extensions will first need to be

modified to ensure continuity before
we can create the draft. This can be
done using the Moldplus tools.
57

Step 26: Right-click First draft in and select
Set as main level from the menu.
This will ensure that the surfaces that will be
created using the Moldplus tools will be
created on the same level as the first draft
surfaces.
Click End Edit to close the Electrode Edit
dialog and return to the Electrodes List.
Step 27: Unselect Part to hide the part this makes

easier to create the extensions.
Uncheck Elec-1 as well so that only Elec-2 is
displayed when you close the dialog.
Click Close to close the ElectrodeMaker.
The Moldplus Junction Surface function can be used to create the extensions between the
surfaces.
Step 28: Click JunctSurf
on the Moldplus
toolbar. This will launch the Moldplus Junction
Surfaces dialog.
Make sure the settings are as shown in the

figure.
To toggle a setting, click the button.
58
it

Step 29: Select the edges, in order, as shown in the figure. The junction surface is created
as shown in the figure on the right on the external shape.
1
2
Step 30: Select the edges as shown in the figure. The second junction surface is created as
shown on the inner shape.
Rotate the part view to show the

underside of the surfaces. Note the gap
that has to be closed.
59

Step 31: Change the setting TangMode to N by clicking the
button to toggle the setting.
Select the two edges as shown in the figure. The gap is bridged as shown in the figure on
the right.
Close the Junction Surface dialog by pressing Esc.
Step 32:
Start the Electrode Maker again.
Display the part by selecting Part.

Edit Elec-2 either by double-clicking or rightclicking and selecting Elect Edit from the
menu.
60

Step 33: Double-click Second tangent
to display the Extension properties
dialog.
Change the parameters as shown in

the figure.
Click Ok to create the extensions.
Note the extensions are also

created for the surfaces
created via Junction Surface.
61

Create the Draft with the

parameters shown in the figure.
The draft created is much smoother and

precise this time.
62

Step 35:
Double-click Raw stock. This will show the Stock and Holder definition dialog.
Select the 3R_50MM.MCX Holder.
Change the parameters shown in

the figure for the FaceXY value.
Click Square under Stock Definition to

recalculate the stock size.
63

Note the stock is added in at an angle since
Auto Angle Fit under Rotation is active.
You will notice that the values for

Stk_Base, Stk_Chf and the Burn Point3
are not rounded.
If we want to round the values and adjust the

Z height, we can use a height adjustment
option. Choose the Rounding PT3[Z] using
Z Stock and AddZ.
The following values are adjusted and give us

a rounded burn point
value in Z! The Stock
Base and Stock
Chamfer are integer
values. The difference
is added to the
Add_Z and Z stock
values.
64

If you want the PT[3] (burn point
location) rounded to an integer value and
to eliminate the Add Z value (it leaves a
gap in the electrode extension by the set
value), you can re-adjust the Draft
extension value to make up for this
difference. Click on OK and launch the
Draft extension again. Set the
parameters as follows:
Return to the Raw

Stock dialog. You
will notice the
values changed for
Add_Z and Burn
Point 3 and the Z
height
You can manipulate the values using the different rounding methods and get your desired
results for the electrode extensions and stock size.
Click Ok to create the electrode.
65

Click End Edit to return to the ElectrodeMaker dialog.
The figure shows the part with the completed electrodes.
66

USING CLONES TO CREATE MULITPLE ELECTRODE BURN POINTS
Often, parts have the same profile in multiple locations. Instead of creating multiple electrodes at
each location, the ElectrodeMaker clone feature can be used to copy the electrodes at each
location.
The geometry for each electrode is not copied instead the burn locations are computed and
written to the reports.
Step 36: Right-click Elec1 in the
Electrodes list and select
Edit/Create Clone from the
menu.
The part is automatically placed in the Top Gview and the other electrodes are hidden.
67

Step 37: Right-Click on the clones list and select
New Clone.
This will create a new clone.
Step 38: Press Shift and click near the

insertion point for Elec-1. Drag the
mouse note the preview displayed
for the clone in yellow.
Note also the dx, dyand dz values

under Offset are updated.
These values can be used to
precisely position the clone.
Enter the values as shown and click
Apply.
Note the electrode clone is now positioned

correctly.
68

Step 39:
Click End Edit to return to the main ElectrodeMaker dialog.
Note the electrode is still displayed.

Switch to the ISO Gview and to Shaded displayed mode.
Check the box for Clones to display the Clones as a

sub-list of the main electrode.in the list and the clone
is no longer hidden.
Note the clone is now displayed as shown.
69

EXPORTING ELECTRODES FOR MACHINING
All the electrodes are saved in the same MCX file as the part. To machine them and create the
toolpaths, the electrodes have to be saved to individual MCX files.
ElectrodeMaker can export these electrodes automatically.
Step 40: In the ElectrodeMaker dialog,
click Export and select Elecs to folder
from the menu.
The Elecs to
folder dialog is
displayed.
Make sure the

settings are as
displayed.
If the output
folder is
different, click
Default to set
it to the correct
folder.
Click Ok to export the electrodes to individual

MCX folder. The file names are the same as
the electrode names.
If any of the electrode files are opened, note

that the electrode orientation has been
flipped for easier machining.
70

PREPARING AND PUBLISHING REPORTS
ElectrodeMaker can automatically generate reports for shop floor documentation. The reports are
generated in XML folder and can be opened with any internet browser.
Step 41: In the ElectrodeMaker dialog, click

Export and select XML report from the
menu.
The XML Report dialog is displayed.
If any of the images are not displayed, click Check all and Capture checked to capture
the images.
71

Step 42:
Ensure that the style sheet Style1.xsl is selected under XSL Settings.
Click the browse button and locate the file, if a different XSL file is selected.
Click Make XML to create the report and open it in the browser.
Note that the clone for Elec-1 has its burn location listed in the report below the gap
values.
Click Close to close the XML Report dialog and return to ElectrodeMaker.
72

Step 43: Click Export and select To machine from
the menu.
The Electrode Post Processing dialog is displayed.
Review the settings and click Create Mach. Report to generate the report.
73

The report is generated and opened in the default Mastercam editor.
This completes the process for making some electrodes using ElectrodeMaker.
More electrodes can be added to complete all the operations in the part using similar
methods to those outlined in this guide.
For more information on the advanced functions and options available in ElectrodeMaker,
please consult the help file and application guides.
CONCLUSION
This concludes the Moldplus Quick Start Guide! For any further details on the product, please
refer to the on-line help.
Any questions, comments or suggestions, please email support@moldplus.com
74

Moldplus V10 7 Quick Start Guide

Загружено:

Сведения о документе

Оригинальное название

Авторское право

Доступные форматы

Поделиться этим документом

Поделиться или встроить документ

Параметры публикации

Этот документ был вам полезен?

Это неприемлемый материал?

Авторское право:

Доступные форматы

Moldplus V10 7 Quick Start Guide

Загружено:

Авторское право:

Доступные форматы

Moldplus

Moldplus Version 10.7 (10.7.0.xx)

DEFINITIONS AND PROCESS...........................................................................................................................18

Moldplus Quick Start Guide

Mastercam X7 for 64Bit or 32Bit.

Moldplus 10.7 for Mastercam X7-64bit or 32bit installation.

TO CONFIGURE THE LICENSE

Moldplus Quick Start Guide

Moldplus Quick Start Guide

Moldplus Quick Start Guide

Moldplus Quick Start Guide

QUICK START GUIDE

DRAFT ANGLE ANALYSIS

Load the file: Load the solid_sep_electrodes_mm.mcx-7 file.

Moldplus Quick Start Guide

Start draft angle analysis: Launch Moldplus Draft

Angle Analysis from the Moldplus Toolbar

Moldplus Quick Start Guide

Moldplus Quick Start Guide

CREATING PARTING LINES, 3D PART EDGES AND 2D PART EDGES

Moldplus Quick Start Guide

Moldplus Quick Start Guide

Click Undo to remove the 2D curves.

Moldplus Quick Start Guide

CORE AND CAVITY SEPARATION

You can use Screen->Statistics to verify that there are 27

Start SolidSep: From the Moldplus toolbar, click

to display the Core and Cavity Separation

Moldplus Quick Start Guide

Moldplus Quick Start Guide

Performing the operation: Click Do It to perform the separation.

Moldplus Quick Start Guide

Moldplus Quick Start Guide

Start Partsurf: On the Moldplus toolbar, click Auto

to display the PartSurf dialog.

Moldplus Quick Start Guide

Close holes using Supertrim: Click Supertrim1

on the Moldplus toolbar. This displays the SuperTrim

Click Closed Hole and select the Fill Hole option.

Moldplus Quick Start Guide

The hole is filled automatically.

Continue to click the other holes to fill them up.

Press Esc multiple times to exit the dialog.

Moldplus Quick Start Guide

DEFINITIONS AND PROCESS

We will be referring to geometry here as:

Moldplus Quick Start Guide

Moldplus Quick Start Guide

Change the other settings as shown below:

Moldplus Quick Start Guide

Moldplus Quick Start Guide

The electrode properties dialog is

Click OK to create the electrode.

Moldplus Quick Start Guide

Click the Electrode Surfaces box to activate it.

This will select all the surfaces of the rib automatically.

Moldplus Quick Start Guide

Select the option Show selected

Once you are satisfied with the

Moldplus Quick Start Guide

Moldplus Quick Start Guide

Select the Tangent Offset option.

Click Preview to see a preview of the extension surfaces.