Toolpath optimization control parameters

 

OLP_TP_Evaluation_22_232


The Optimization control is a set of attributes to manage the optimization process. Most of these attributes are common for all situations, but some depend on the applied technology or the type of manufacturing resource. The image above is only an example.



Attribute

Description

Remark

OLP_TP_Evaluation_26

Heuristic parameter to balance between best result and fastest computation time.

The value can be interpreted as cost tolerance per meter toolpath.

A value of 0 would result in the global best result, i.e. lowest costs, regardless the required computation time.

A value of 1 would mean that even a toolpath having higher costs up to 1 per meter in average would be acceptable as optimization result, though there would be better results with lower total costs.


In the standard optimization process, each toolpath position is analyzed against the collision tolerance that has been set in the simulation settings.

Collision_Override

Override collision tolerance

Option to override the simulation collision tolerance.

With this switch, the tolerance from the simulation settings will be ignored and replaced by the new defined collision tolerance here.

Collision_Tolerance

Collision tolerance

The collision tolerance while running the optimization.

The tolerance between two groups for a collision to be detected. The value is the checking distance between the groups.

 

A value = 0 corresponds to a contact.


COM_IterationSteps

Max. # variations

Divides the range in a maximum number of variations, i.e. step size.


COM_IterationMaxRotation

Max. rotary step

The maximum allowed rotation step per variation of the robot / machine axis.


Cancel

Abort if no solution

Terminates the optimization.

To prevent unnecessary long computation times, the optimization process will be aborted when on the first iteration step no solution has been found.


If the resource has limited rotary axis, closed contour geometry can lead to unwind situations depending on start point and process direction.  

RB_Turn

Use turn variants

Prevent unwind situations by selecting proper turn values for the first process point.

Limited to one turn value below and one above the default turn value.

 

Turn variants will be not considered, if the turn value is already set for the first process point.


The automatic toolpath optimization builds an optimized toolpath based on the incident validation at the toolpath positions and the via points on circular toolpath sections. It cannot prevent that in between these toolpath positions the trajectory still encounters some incident issue, because the trajectory itself cannot be evaluated.

With using the motion data of the toolpath, the algorithm can define intermediate points between the toolpath positions and evaluate them for incidents. The quality evaluation on these intermediate points restricts for incidents on collision, reachability and singularity.

OLP_Toolpath_MotionCheck

Motion check

Switch to activate the motion check, i.e. to define intermediate points between toolpath positions.


OLP_Toolpath_MotionCheck_Distance

Max. distance

The maximum Cartesian distance between two consecutive points to be checked.


OLP_Toolpath_MotionCheck_Angle

Max. angle

The maximum angular 'distance' between two consecutive points to be checked.



Toolpath quality is measured in costs. Incidents on toolpath positions, or between the positions normally increase these costs. The automatic optimization can identify the area of impact of these incidents. By trying to limit such area, the costs will reduce.

This can be achieved by adding, inserting additional process points on the toolpath around these critical areas.

OLP_Toolpath_InsertPoint

Insert process points

Switch to enable to insert additional process points.


OLP_Toolpath_InsertPointDistance

Minimum distance

The minimum Cartesian distance between two process points.

Measured between two inserted process points or between the inserted process point and an existing one.

OLP_Toolpath_InsertPointFactor

Minimum distance factor

The minimum distance as factor of the local process speed.

Measured between two inserted process points or between the inserted process point and an existing one.

Warning_24

The inserted process points belong to the automatic optimization data. This means that when running another optimization, removing the optimization data or anything else that causes a recomputation of the initial toolpath, these inserted process points will be deleted.