Note: It should be understood that the Proto System automatically performs repositions requiring no user input.  The features highlighted here are designed to address specific situations and are available to the NC programmer when needed. PLACING and MOVING CLAMPS Users may now graphically place Clamps, Hold-downs, and specify reposition amounts in the CAD environment. Placement of clamps is performed in the active CAD drawing, allowing the user to avoid clamp collisions. The clamps are pre-positioned vertically so that the horizontal location of each clamp is all that the programmer has to specify. No Punch masks are automatically placed which graphically indicate the NC machine’s table limits.  Users can see at a glance if a reposition is required. The clamps are displayed to reflect areas of interference with the various station sizes of the the NC punch. When a Reposition is called for, Hold-downs appear on the cross-hair for placement by the user.  Both the X and Y location are determined by the user. Then, both the clamps and the ‘NO PUNCH’ masks are automatically selected to be moved (in the X axis only).

REPOSITION GROUPS Reposition Groups allow the user to control when tool hits occur, by placing them after specific clamp moves. This is easily accomplished in the Proto system. By including the window cutout on the door in the Reposition Group following the first machine reposition guarrantees that the window will be punched out all at once. Also, the rectangular intrusion shown on the bottom edge of our part might cause an irregularity and collide with the clamps during a reposition.  This is remedied by selecting the three lines of which the cutout consists, and calling for them to be processed after the last reposition. Hits who’s occurrance early in the program would create problems with respect to clamping, mis-alignment, collisions, etc. can now be quickly addressed in CAD.  Toolbar icons provide easy access to these Proto functions and provide a simple method for handling what is often a troublesome chore.