To Create Gang Tool Groups
You can optimize the tool path by grouping several Holemaking steps together, to machine them with a gang tool, which is a customized multi-tool head. The resulting Gang Tool group includes all the selected steps but generates a tool path only for the leader step.
1. Select the steps you want to group, using the SHIFT or CTRL key. The steps must be consecutive, that is, immediately follow each other in the Process view.
2. In the Process Table menu bar, click > . You can also right-click on the steps and select Gang Tool from the shortcut menu. The Gang Tool command is only available if the selected steps satisfy all the Gang Tool grouping requirements.
3. The Leader Group dialog box opens listing all the steps included in the group and indicating the default leader step. Select a different step as a leader, if desired.
4. Click 
.
.The system creates the Gang Tool group with a default name such as GANG001, and hides the original steps under it. You can see the original steps if you expand the Gang Tool group in a Process view.
You can modify the name of the Gang Tool group by typing the new name in the Name column of the Process Table.
You can also edit the Gang Tool group by clicking 
on the toolbar below the Process Table, similar to editing a Holemaking step. This way, you can replace the original tool with a multi-tool head for machining the group.
on the toolbar below the Process Table, similar to editing a Holemaking step. This way, you can replace the original tool with a multi-tool head for machining the group. | When you edit a Gang Tool group, the original steps remain unchanged. If you later delete a Gang Tool group, the system restores the original steps. To delete a Gang Tool group, select it in the Process Table, right-click, and select Explode from the shortcut menu. |