Astro 100M Programming Guide

(Look in formpdc (F): Machinery/Astro 100M/Astro 100M Programming Guide). (Astro maximum sheet sizes: 500W x 800L x 2.3mm thick & 300W x 1200L x 2.3mm thick). 1. 2. 3. Open AP100 Main Menu. Select Unfold Drawing. File(F)/Import From DXF(R).

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Select file from look in formpdc (F)/Astro-Flat Patterns/Client/Part or SMP/Open client/DXF icon, open folder for correct company and then part. Multiple Line Process is completed appears, press OK. 0 standard shape holes are defined appears, press Yes. All conversion is finished appears, press OK. At top of screen go to Move/Copy(M)/Scaling(E) to scale the part from inches to mm.

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Highlight the whole part, then right click mouse button on drawing, Complete(E). On the right hand side of the screen you will be able to type a value at Magnification X,Y = Type in 1/25.4, click OK and press Enter button 5 times, the part will shrink, right mouse click on the screen and select Zoom All(F), the part is now scaled into millimetres. At top of screen go to File(F)/Process Setup(Z) to ensure the right material and thickness are being used. Here you have 6 options AL-1, AL-2 both are for Aluminium, SS-1, SS-2 both are stainless steel and CR-1, CR-2 this is for cold rolled (mild steel), select the right material type and type in the thickness in inches eg 1.0mm = 0.394in 1.2mm = 0.472in 1.5mm = 0.591in 1.6mm = 0.063in 1.8mm = 0.709in 2.0mm = 0.787in 2.3mm = 0.906in 2.5mm = 0.984in 3.0mm = 1.181in Select OK when done.

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At top of screen go to Unfold(U)/Merge All(I).

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A second window will be created with the part in it. At top of screen, go to Pre-process(K)/Bend Line(M)/Select(U).

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Select/highlight the bend lines (these are the actual lines that get folded up or down). Once finished selecting/highlighting the bend lines, right click mouse on the part, Complete. A window will popup Bend Information, press OK as it doesnt matter what is chosen at this point. New fold symbols will appear on drawing. At top of screen go to File(F)/Save Part Drawing As(S) (save it as part number). Note: Rotate drawing at this point if necessary so that bottom edge on screen is the edge held by the BM Robot during folding. Move(M)/Copy, Rotate(R), left click to highlight part, right click, Complete(E), click on part, type angle (180 rotates part 180 degrees) right side of screen, press OK.

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At bottom of screen select AP100 Main menu, then select Data Manager. Data Manager will open, then select the part that you just saved or the one you want to load. At top of screen go to Options/To Astro Cam.

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The Astro Cam program will start. From here you need to make sure that the right tooling is selected before you start setting up bends. To do this, right mouse click on the screen and go to Tooling. This will change the screen to show the punch die and backstops. To change tool type and lengths left mouse on the punch, die or die holder/spacer, then right mouse click, it will give you options to align, add replace modify, rotate tools etc once tooling has been selected. At 16/04/09: Regular gooseneck is 90mm = 3.543in 30 degree punch is 90mm = 3.543in 88 degree straight punch is 67mm = 2.638in

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Right mouse click and go to Tooling, Save and exit, this will take you back to the previous, now go to Tooling/Save Tooling, go into tool folder and save. Make sure you have the correct gripper selected. To change gripper go right mouse click Change Gripper, and select the correct gripper ( by default the standard gripper will load ). Now right mouse and select the desired option eg load, unload reposition etc to make sure that every thing will run ok you can simulate the parts from start to finish, if while the part is being folded you see the gripper go RED this means that the gripper has hit on the press of the punch or die and you have to correct the fold to stop this from occurring Once you have finished ie unloaded the part and run a simulation go File/ Save, then go to file/LUL programming. Important! Select carefully from the next two options the first option is for flat stacked parts the second is for vertical stacked parts.

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Make the selection then click OK, after clicking OK, a second screen will come up for the orientation of the parts to be loaded click OK for now, you can go back and modify this later. Now this screen gives you the options for the loader and unloader gripper, if the parts are stacked flat select the vacuum gripper and if the parts are stacked vertically select the last one (make sure to choose sub 2 if using the vertical gripper as this is how to tell the machine that it has magnets rather than suction.

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Once the gripper is selected it will give you a screen for the type of unload you want to use (if its a box type part its better to use the first option). Select ok and it will take you to the next screen

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Now the next screen is for the unloading where you can specify the amount of parts you want in the x and y when stacking you can also select an offset so the parts will over lap at an angle on each second height row.

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Select the Set Load data Option

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In this screen you specify where you want the gripper to pick the part up from in relation to the part (keep in mind the stacking rack and the width and length of the gripper and to keep a safe distance from the stacking rack).

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Select Set Parts handling data. This is the location of where the parts will be unloaded to here all you should have to do is modify the height (if you have a pallet on the table.

36. Now select Special parameters In this screen everything should be at 0.00, unless you are using the vertical gripper with the magnets, where you change the value in no 8 to1.00 (magnets are on).

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once completed go ok and it will ask you to save it go ok and it will take you back to the Astro Cam program and go file download (make sure there is a blank disk in the floppy drive to save. Once this is complete in Astro cam go to upload and save the created file back into data manager under Robot rather than in DXF for robot. When this is finished place the floppy disk in to floppy drive of the 100M console and go to setup/disk oper/ file input and load the program. When its finished loading go return and go to program/data edit and it will show a screen with the dimensions and a picture of the part.