What's new in the Post Processor

The list below describes enhancements made to ESPRIT 2009.

• The new functions EXISTCLFILECYCLE and EXISTCLFILETOOL allow the user to check for the existence of specific CL codes on the current machining cycle or tool technology.
• A NEXTGEO function was added. This allows the user to see the geometry type of the next element.
• Added the formatable codes TOOLVECTORX, TOOLVECTORY, and TOOLVECTORZ to support the output of the tool axis vector.
• Added the formatable codes ROLLANGLE, PITCHANGLE, and YAWANGLE, and the formatable codes EULERALPHAANGLE, EULERBETAANGLE, and EULERGAMMAANGLE to support various modes of tool angle orientation output for 5x machining.
• Likewise there are new system variables for ROLLANGLE, PITCHANGLE, and YAWANGLE, and for EULERALPHAANGLE, EULERBETAANGLE, and EULERGAMMAANGLE
• Added an RPLANEINCREMENTAL formatable code and an RPlaneIncremental system variable for incremental R plane output in canned drilling cycles.
• Added the symbolic switch RTCPCODE which switches between the new symbolic codes RTCPOFF and RTCPON for rotating tool center point mode.
• Also added symbolic codes for ROLLPITCHYAW and YAWPITCHROLL, and symbolic codes for RTCPCOORDINATEMODEFIXED and RTCPCOORDINATEMODEROTATEWITHPART.
• Added the symbolic switch AAXISDIRECTION which switches between the new symbolic codes AAXISCW and AAXISCCW as well as the switch BAXISDIRECTION which switches between the new symbolic codes BAXISCW and BAXISCCW. These codes are for when the direction of a rotary axis is given by a G or M code in the NC code output instead of by the sign or angle value itself (increasing or decreasing). When such codes are output, the AAXIS or BAXIS value would be for positioning only, not direction.
• Added a symbolic code for TURRETCHANGE.
• Added a symbolic code for WORKSYSTEMEXTENDED.

The list below describes just some of the more general items that were fixed for ESPRIT 2009. In addition, many other, more detailed, items were fixed. Those items usually involved very specific combinations of settings that produced NC code that was not 100% correct.

• There was a regression failure from E2007 where Const Removal Rate was no longer working with OffsetTool Radius No. The incorrect feedrates were being output on arcs. This has been fixed.
• Fixed problems with helical entry on wrap pocketing.
• Several problems with “R” programming and corner rounding in EDM, especially in conjunction with taper changes, have been fixed.
• Several problems with startup distance and H Register output in EDM have been fixed.
• GP was giving an error when trying to post process files with more than 1024 operations.
• EX_SIDECOMPENSATION and EX_SIDECOMPOFF were being output on wrap milling operations with cylindrical interpolation on even when compensation was off. In other cases EX_SIDEARC was not being output.
• There was a GP crash when NEXTCYCLECODE was used in EX_CUSTOM1.
• There was a GP when the SETORIGINCOMMENT was forced out on EDM files but no Part Setup operation was present.