Panel Machines

Components of the component types "bar", "profile bar", "panel", "shaped part" and "wall" can be placed for machine control. The function "placement with contour" is specifically for machines that process panel-like components, e.g. Hundegger PBA (V7), HOLMAG - dowel system, etc. In the export for joinery production machines, export to modern panel machines (e.g. Hundegger PBA, SPM, Technowood Panel, etc.) is integrated. However, the settings (see below) are the same in both cases.

The placement writes the external contour, the contour of openings and additional lines of the visible side. If a contour was generated from an arc, an arc is reconstructed from the segments for the placement. For all contour lines, machining operations that should be executed along that contour line are determined where possible. These are contour segments, contour rebates and contour cutouts, each along a line or an arc. As with the standard machine placement, all machine operations such as drillings, cutouts etc. are also written into the placement.

The result of the placement can be influenced by the following settings. The settings can be saved under a name using the upper input elements and recalled at any time:

• Component side on the machine table Components can be placed in two basic orientations: with the front (F) or rear side (D) on the machine table. This is specified here by the user. Thus the desired orientation can be preset. If machining from both sides is necessary, placement is performed twice, with the "component side on the machine table" set differently each time. Specifically, with the settings "Front side All" and "Rear side All" the operations from both sides are placed at once. In addition, these settings allow more machine operations to be placed; more checkboxes on the right side become active. This setting is intended for the newer PBA machines (PBA with bvx2 control).

• Correct coordinate system: During the analysis of the component outline, various extensive analyses are performed. In one of these analyses the component’s coordinate system is converted by default. Since this has led to problems in isolated cases, this option can be disabled. As a rule, however, this option can be left enabled.

• Reduce outline to final component: During the analysis of the component outline, this outline is reduced to its actual outline including the machining operations. This is necessary because components are often reduced drastically in size by machining. If this reduction did not occur, a much larger outline would be transferred to the machine than necessary. Although the machining would subsequently bring it to the correct size, the large outline could—depending on the machine—cause other problems. However, the reduction of the outline can in individual cases lead to problems because these conversions are very complex. Therefore, this reduction can be disabled to achieve a better result for problematic components.

• Transfer bays as: Bays in the panel outline can optionally be created either as a bay in the outline or as a cutout. A bay is integrated into the outline when transferred. In some cases it may be preferable to remove the bays from the outline and transfer them as separate cutouts.

• Transfer openings as: As with bays, openings in the panel (for example window openings) can optionally be created either as an internal outline within the outline or as a cutout. An internal outline is integrated into the outline when transferred. In some cases it may be preferable to remove the openings from the outline and transfer them as separate cutouts.

• minimum width of a bay: On an edge of the component there may be a cutout or similar projection. This interrupts the edge or lies between two edges. If the width of this projection is smaller than the value "minimum width of a bay", the adjacent edges are extended and connected so that this projection is bypassed. On the machine the outer shape is therefore machined first and then subsequently this projection. If the width is greater than this value, the projection remains in the external contour and is machined together with it in one pass. If the projection is not generated as a bay in the outline, it will in that case be created with additional contour cuts. How these contour cuts are transmitted to the machine is configured in the postprocessor.

• Decompose outer polygon: The outer polygon can be placed as a contiguous polygon or as individual lines. With a contiguous polygon, the necessary extensions of the cut path at the machine for oblique edges are automatically calculated. Only the first and last line are possibly extended with the value "Extend the contour line by". If the outer polygon is decomposed, many individual lines are produced, each of which can be extended.

• Extension of contour lines: It can be selected whether contour lines, if possible, should be extended at the beginning, the end or both sides. Contour lines are automatically never extended into the finished component. Also, for the extended lines it is checked whether the tool (e.g. for a rebate) would then intrude into another part of the component. If this is the case, that line will then receive no machining operation.

• Extend contour lines by: The affected lines are extended by this value at each end.

• max. ratio of rebate width to length: If a rebate is limited in length, it could be machined as a narrow long rebate (along the long side) or as a very short wide rebate (along the short edge). By specifying that the rebate must for example be at least twice as long as it is wide (factor 2.0), the rebate along the long edge is automatically chosen. This setting is only necessary for rebates that are generated by the shape analysis. Rebates that were entered as machine operations are already fully defined.

• Transfer rebates on underside: Rebates on the underside may not be executable depending on the machine. Therefore, it may be sensible not to transfer rebates on the underside and instead transfer them in a second export for the other component side.

• Max. groove depth or max. rebate depth on underside: This is the maximum depth for rebates and grooves on the panel underside.

• Min. clearance outside groove: This is the space that must be present outside (in front of) a groove at minimum in order for the groove to be generated. This is important when the groove lies within a bay and the bay width may not provide sufficient space for the tool to produce the groove.

• min. segment length for roughing arcs: Arcs are finished with the router. First, where possible, they are rough-cut with the saw. The arc is preliminarily prepared with straight cuts as far as possible. The minimum length of these straight cuts, the segments, can be specified here. The program then determines the next possible segment length with which the arc can be divided evenly.

• Thickness of the saw blade: The thickness of the saw blade is used to check whether the tool would destroy other parts of the component when performing contour segments.

• Width of the rebate cutter: If a rebate is only 0.04 m wide, it can in principle also be produced with a 0.12 m wide cutter. We, however, verify whether the cutter would, due to its width, destroy other areas of the component. If this is the case, the rebate receives the information that it may only be machined at its original width, i.e. in our example with a 0.04 m wide cutter.

Right side: Transfer operations as operations:

• Transfer machine operations as operation (otherwise as contour machining): Machine operations such as cutouts, bays, etc. change the shape of the component. These can optionally be placed as machine operations; then they are processed separately, not together with the contour. If, however, they are placed as contour, they may be processed together with the contour (i.e. the outline). Example: there is a bay in a longitudinal edge: If it is placed as a machine operation it will be processed separately after the contour machining. If it is placed as contour it may be worked through in one pass together with the other contour lines (observe minimum width of a bay).

• Transfer machine operations as operation (otherwise as contour line): The operations in this group cannot be identified as contour machining. If they are not to be directly transferred as machine operations, a contour line without machining information is transmitted to the machine. With this contour line it is easier to manually define the desired operation in the machine software.

File settings:

This section applies only to the function "placement with contour"; for modern panel machines that run via the export for joinery production machines, the file setting is performed as for the joinery machines.

• Selection It is set whether "All" or only the "Active" components of the selected component types should be written to the placement.

• Position number The filename consists of the five-digit project number and this three-digit position number.

• Comment With this comment the placement can be described more closely for the selection in the postprocessor DIMAS. The comment is also transferred as "BvName" to the Hundegger PBA.