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Machine programming general procedure

Owned by Adriane Hunt
Last updated: Oct 31, 2024
11 min read

This topic outlines the general procedure and options for using machine programming in FactoryLogix. If you need help setting up machine programming, consult your FactoryLogix administrator or contact Aegis Support.

Important

Before you can set up for machine programming, your factory resources must be defined (factories, areas, and workstations). See Create a factory and set up factory resources for more information. See your FactoryLogix administrator for help setting up factory resources before you set up machine programming.

 

Specify a machine type for a factory workstation

After you create a factory, you specify the machine type for a factory workstation to enable machine programming.

  1. Log into the FactoryLogix Office client application.

  2. Select Templates and Standards Templates and Standards button > Factory Resources.

  3. Select a workstation from the factory tree.

  4. On the right side of the window, enter a Computer Name for the workstation attached to the machine.


    Resource Library Navigator



  5. (Optional) Select the Add image-20240924-145903.png button, then locate and select an image of the machine.

  6. (Optional) Enter a Computer Name or select the Search button (the binoculars), select a computer from the list, then select OK.

  7. If you want to use an alarm reaction template, select one from the Alarm Reaction Template drop-down.

  8. Review the options on the Machine Information and Material Setup Configuration tabs to ensure the correct options are selected for your machine. (See Create a factory and set up factory resources for details.)

  9. Select the Save button to save the configuration for the workstation and machine.

Add machine programming to a process definition

After you specify a machine type in Factory Resources for your specific machine interface, you need to add machine programming to the specific process definition for the product or assembly that requires a machine program.

  1. Log into the FactoryLogix Office client application.

  2. Select Process Engineering image-20240924-150024.png > Define Processes, then locate and double-click the desired product or assembly to open its process definition.

  3. Expand the Line Programming node at the bottom of the process tree.

  4. Right-click Line Programming, then select Add Programming from the menu.


    Select Add Programming



  5. In the Add Programming dialog, select Program a Machine.




  6. Use the Browse (...) button to select the Operation in the process flow from which part assignments should be derived, then select OK.

  7. Use the Browse (...) button to select the Machine (the workstation used for this operation), then select OK to add the machine programming entries to the Process tree at the bottom under Line Programming.



     

     

    The machine type you selected now displays under Line Programming at the bottom of the Process tree as shown in the following illustration.




  8. Select the workstation name under Line Programming to initialize machine programming.



Edit machine properties

At the top of the Machine List window in Process Engineering, there are two buttons:

  • The Choose Resources Choose Resources button button is used to add additional factory resources for programming

  • The Edit Properties Edit Properties button button is used to set up or change the properties for the selected machine interface. 

Note

Each machine programming interface is unique. Consult an Aegis Support Specialist for details about your particular machine interface.

Specify machine properties and a default program path

When you program a machine, you need to specify machine properties and a default program path (the location where the machine program output file will reside).

  1. In the Process tree under Line Programming, right-click the machine interface you want to configure.







  2. In the dialog, select the elipsis (...), locate and select the Default Program Path where the machine program output file will reside, then select OK.





    You are returned to the Machine Properties dialog.

  3. Define the following in the Machine Properties dialog:

    Positive X, Positive Y, Position Angle

    • The Positive X and Positive Y values define whether a positive value for the X/Y coordinates mean that the position is to the left/right or above/below the origin point respectively.

    • The Position Angle defines whether rotation angles are to be considered Clockwise (CW) or Counter-Clockwise (CCW).

Note

Some machines also define 270 degrees as -90; the check box to the right of the Position Angle allows FactoryLogix to take this into consideration during Machine Programming.





  1. Select OK to confirm your selections.

Edit machine properties in the Machine List window

Under Machine List in the Process Definition window, there are five areas you must step through to configure and generate a machine program. You can move through each area using the Previous and Next buttons at the bottom of the Machine List window or you can select the button for each area to see the available options:

  • Board Geometry - In this area, you can work with fiducials, board origin, and how the board will be presented to the machine.

  • Part Management & Troubleshooting - This is the area where you set up the machine.

  • Angle Resolution - This is the area where you validate and correct machine angle outputs.

  • Program Transfer - This is the location where the program will typically be generated—although sometimes it could be direct to the machine.

  • Material Setup - This area is outside the scope of machine programming.




Review the settings in the following table to understand the options and settings:

Item

Description

Item

Description

Board Geometry

The Board Geometry toolbar options are used to set up fiducials, board origin, board rotation, and board side.


Part Management & Troubleshooting

Part Management and Troubleshooting options are used to set up machine-specific options for the currently-selected machine (in this example, MYCRONIC TPSys). Select the Setup Setup button button to display and configure machine-specific settings.



Angle Resolution

The Angle Resolution options are used with certain advanced machine types to validate or correct machine placement angles (theta) specific to that machine type. Blue indicates unconfirmed angles, Green indicates confirmed angles, Red indicates parts with angle errors.




Machine Angle Correction Center - Use these options to check and validate correct machine placement angles on a part-by-part basis or check and correct all placement angles automatically.





Calculate All Angles - Automatically calculates placement angles for all parts.

Reset All button Reset All - Resets all placement angles to their original settings.

Offset Overlays buttonOffset Overlays - Slightly offsets the machine package overlays in the X and Y direction in the event they are obscuring the underlying CAD footprint.

Confirm All Angles button Confirm All Angles - Confirms all placement angles.

Settings - The Settings Angle Resolution Gear button button (the gear) in the upper-right corner of the window allows you to specify:

 

  • Show Confirmed Shapes - Whether confirmed parts are displayed

  • Show Unconfirmed Shapes - Whether unconfirmed parts are displayed

  • Advance on Confirm - Whether the software will advance to the next part in the Part Number list when an item is confirmed

  • Confirm All on Recalculate All - Whether all parts will be confirmed automatically when you select Recalculate All

  • Show Angles in Clockwise Convention - Whether angles should be displayed using the Clockwise convention

  • Show Negative  (270 is -90) - Whether 270 degrees is equivalent to -90 degrees

 

Buttons - Use these buttons to help you confirm machine placement angle settings for a selected part in the Part Number list:








There are two ways to confirm machine placement angles:

Confirm All Angles button

  • Step through each part number in the Part Number list, make any necessary changes, then select the Confirm Confirm button button (for each part). Use these buttons to make individual adjustments to a selected machine placement angle:

  • Select the Calculate All Angles Calculate All Angles button button, then select the Confirm All Angles Confirm All Angles button button.

Program Transfer

Program Transfer options are used to generate the final machine program. Depending on the machine type, one or more local files will be generated, or the program may be transferred directly to the placement equipment in question.

  • Target Directory - Specifies the directory where the generate machine program file is stored.

  • FileName -  Specifies the name of this machine program file.

  • Generate Program - Generates a machine program.

  • Show Program - Displays the machine program file.




  • Show Directory - Displays the directory where machine program files are stored for the currently-selected machine.


Material Setup

Material Setup options allow you to record material setup data for the selected operation and machine.

Four import formats are currently supported:

  • Comma-separated values (*.csv file)

  • Fuji Flexa NXT (*.PGO file)

  • ASM Siplace

  • Universal (*.CDI and *.CI2 file formats)

The first time the Material Setup tab is displayed for a selected operation and machine, the Material Setup grid on the right side of the window is blank. You can create a material setup list by: importing a machine recipe file, importing the data from a *.csv file, or entering the data manually.

After a material setup list is imported (or created manually), the data is displayed in the Material Setup grid on the right side of the window and is recorded by FactoryLogix. (In subsequent sessions, the grid will display any previously-recorded material setup information for the selected operation and machine.)

 

 

 





The Material Setup grid identifies each station on the selected machine with the material to be loaded and the location where that material will be used within the board:

  • Station - The position on the machine where the material will be loaded.

  • Part Number - The internal part number (IPN) of the component to be loaded.

  • Description - The description for the internal part number.

  • Package Type - The package type "known" by the machine.

  • References - The location(s) where the component will be placed.

  • Quantity - The number of placements to be made from this station per board.

  • Feeder - The feeder type "known" to the machine.

  • Rotation - The component rotation.

  • Polarity - The component polarity.

  • Part Marking - The part marking as recorded in the FactoryLogix part definition.

 

 

When you import a *.csv file, the contents of the file are formatted with each row of the *.csv file mapping to a single entry in the setup list. No comma is expected after the Part Marking value, but may be present. If a value is not present, the comma separating it from the previous (or next) value will remain. If Rotation, Polarity, and Part Marking were not present, the data line will have three commas after the Feeder value with nothing between them.

 

 

At the top of the window (to the right of Machine Setup), a toolbar and other options allow you to configure material setup data.

 

 

 

 

  • Drop-down menu - Allows you to select a file type for import: CSV, Fuji Flexa, Siplace, or Universal.

  • New Recipe - Opens a dialog where you can locate and select a recipe file to import.

  • Import Recipe - Opens a dialog where you can locate and select a recipe file to import a recipe file.

  • Add Material - Allows you to add new rows and material setup detail manually. A new row is added above the currently-selected row in the grid.

  • Remove Material -  Allows you to remove material setup detail from the selected row in the grid.

 

 

  • Clear All Setup - Removes all material setup information from the grid.

  • Print Material Setup - Displays the Print Preview window where you can select print and save options and print the a material setup report. Use the toolbar buttons across the top of the window to control printing options, save formats, and other settings for the material setup file.





The report header at the top of the first page of the report includes the following:

  • Assembly Name

  • Process Name

  • Operation Name

  • Machine Name

  • Program Name

  • Program Version

The report footer at the bottom of each page of the report, identifies the FactoryLogix operator who printed the report and the current date and time. Page numbers and the total number of pages in the report are also displayed.

  • Use the Current Program(s) drop-down to select a machine program. (Use the Delete Delete button button to the right of the drop-down to delete the currently-selected program.

 

 




Operators can choose to fill in field values (empty fields or all fields except the Part Number, References, Station, and Feeder) using either FactoryLogix data or data from the machine recipe or CSV file. This is done using the following data fill modes and rules:

  • Fill - Allows you to select how to fill fields in the grid using your selection from the Using area (see below). 

    • All Data Fields - Fills all data fields in the grid using data from either FactoryLogix or the import recipe file.

    • Empty Data Fields - Fills only empty data fields in the grid using data from either FactoryLogix or the import recipe file.

  • Using - Specifies the data source to use to fill the fields in the grid.

    • Data From Recipe File - Fills data fields using only the data from the import recipe file.

    • Data From FactoryLogix - Fills data fields using only data from FactoryLogix.

The following illustration shows the data fill mode logic:



 

 

 

  • Program Name - Specifies the name of the machine program file.

  • Program Version - Specifies the version of the machine program file.

  • Is Active - Specifies whether this program version is the active version.

 

 

 

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