Nesting using Multiple Tool heads

What is Multiple Tool Head Nesting?

For flame cutting applications, CAMWorksNesting provides an optional functionality known as Multiple Tool Head Nesting. This functionality allows you to nest two or more identical layouts simultaneously within a single sheet using multiple tool heads. Machines which support nesting using multiple tool heads are known as Multi tool head machines.

The tab named Multi head options is available in the Create Nesting Job which allows you to define/edit parameters nesting with multiple tool heads.

Default Settings in the Multi Head Options Tab

When you open the Multi head options tab in the Create Nesting Job dialog, the default machine displayed in the Machine field is SingleTHMachine. The Number of tool heads for this machine is ‘1’.

SingleTHMachine: SingleTHMachine is representative of machines with a single tool head. Such machines are usually used for the nesting process. When this machine is selected in the Multi Head Options tab, the functionality of nesting with multiple tool heads will be disabled for the current nesting job. All the parameters fields related to Multiple Tool Head Nesting in the tab are disabled, indicating that Multiple Tool Head Nesting functionality is disabled.  

Enabling the functionality of Nesting with Multiple Tool heads

To view/edit the parameters associated with nesting with multiple tools, CAMWorksNesting provides an interactive interface in the form of Multi head options tab in the Create Nesting Job dialog. This tab is visible in the Create Nesting Job dialog when the flags named MultiHeadFlag and ShowMultiHeadDialog are set to ‘1’ in the Machine.ini file.

In the Multi head options tab, the default machine chosen in the Machine list is the SingleTHMachine, which has only a single tool head.

To generate nested layouts using a machine with multiple tool heads instead of the default Single Tool Head machine, you need to select a machine with multiple tool heads in the Machine list of the Multi Head Options tab.

How the functionality of nesting with multiple tool heads works

When nesting layout(s) are to be generated using multiple tool heads, CAMWorksNesting will first attempt to  nest the parts using the user-specified number of tool heads. Suppose this tool heads number is ‘n’. If a best-fit layout is achievable, CAMWorksNesting will generate ‘n’ identical nesting layouts on the sheet.

If a best-fit nesting layout is not achievable with this number, then CAMWorksNesting will try to nest using ‘n-1’ number of tool heads. If this number too fails, then it will try to nest using ‘n-2’ tool heads and so on until finally nesting with a single tool head.

Steps to generate Nested layout for multiple Parts using Multiple Tool heads:

1. Load the CAMWorksNesting Add-In in SolidWorks/ CAMWorks Solids.
2. In the Machine.ini file, set the flags named MultiHeadFlag and ShowMultiHeadDialog to ‘1’ to activate the feature of nesting with multiple tool heads.
3. The CAMWorksNesting Menu will be added to the SolidWorks/ CAMWorks Solids menu bar.
4. If you want to nest a single part, model or open a sheet metal part/ solid part model in SolidWorks/ CAMWorks Solids.  

OR

If you want to nest an assembly, either model or open the sheet metal / solid assembly in SolidWorks/ CAMWorks Solids. The assembly to be nested will be displayed in the SolidWorks Graphical User Interface.

OR

If you want to nest multiple parts, select ‘Nest by Folder' from the CAMWorksNesting menu bar. Use the displayed 'Browse for folder' to browse to the folder containing the parts to be nested. Click OK. A temporary assembly file comprising of all the parts in the selected folder is created and displayed in the SolidWorks Graphical User Interface.

OR

If you want to nest a multi-body assembly, follow steps 3 to 9 of Steps to generate a nested layout for an assembly containing multi-body part(s).

4. Select ‘Create Nesting Job’ from the CAMWorksNesting menu bar.
5. The ‘Create Nesting Job’ dialog is displayed. Under the Part Data tab, all the parts within the selected folder are displayed. Modify or assign the Part controller parameters for these parts as required. These parameters include thickness, material, grain direction, quantity, Step angle and Normal Face Selection.
6. Under the Sheet data tab, select the required sheet size(s). Modify or assign the sheet parameters such as sheet name, sheet thickness, sheet material, sheet quantity, grain direction, sheet length and width.
7. Under the Multi Head Options tab, for a highlighted sheet in the Sheet list, select the desired machine from the Machine list instead of the default SingleTHMachine. For the selected machine, modify or assign values to the parameters of Number of Tool heads, Multi-tool Nesting type, Rail direction and Tool head distance.
8. In the ‘Nesting Data’ section (bottom section of the dialog), assign appropriate values to the parameters of Part to Part distance and Part to Sheet distance.  Use the browse button  to assign a new location for the output file rather than the default location given in the Output Assembly File field. Fast Nesting and Optimal Nesting indicate the two different sets of algorithms used to implement Nesting. Select the option that best suits your requirements.
9. After all the parameters are set, click ‘OK’ to execute the Nesting Job.

This sets into motion the process to generate a nested layout. Generating the layout might take some time depending on the complexity of the part.

• Two files will be generated during the nesting process, namely a text file and an assembly file.

• After the Nesting process is completed, CAMWorksNesting will display a message indicating the location of the text file containing the summary of the Nest Results. Click OK to close the message. The Text file will be displayed.

• The Nested layout assembly will be displayed in the Graphics area. Both these files are saved in the location indicated Output Assembly File path stated in the Apply Nesting dialog.