About Replacing Cutting Tools
You can replace cutting tools by using the Tools Setup dialog box in the Tool Manager. When you replace a tool, all NC sequences using the tool are updated to the replacement tool. With the replacement feature, you can perform a number of tasks:
• Replace a tool with a tool of the same type retrieved from a file system. The file system could be a hard disk on your computer, or any Windchill workspace or commonspace.
• Replace a tool with a tool of a different file type as long as the type of the tool is the same. The permissible file types are .prt, .asm. .tpm, .tprm, and .xml.
• Replace a tool with an existing tool of the same type from the workcell that the tool belongs to.
• Replace a tool globally when the tool to be replaced is stored at multiple positions in the current workcell or is stored in other workcells of the manufacturing model. You are prompted for confirmation.
• Automatically update all NC sequences using the tool by replacing the tool with the replacement tool.
• Update relations to use parameters of the replacement tool where the tool ID is implicit. For example, if you have a relation such as CUT_FEED=TOOL_ROUGH_FEED_RATE for the existing tool, where the tool ID is not specified. When you replace the tool, the relation is automatically updated to use the value of the speed or feed parameter of the replacement tool.
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After replacing a cutting tool, you must update the related NC steps individually with parameters from the replaced tool because tool parameters are not linked to the steps where they are used.
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Replacing Milling Tools
You can replace tools of type MILLING with the following tool types only if the specified parameters match.
• END_MILL—Replaces a MILLING tool with the END_MILL tool if the specified MILLING tool parameters have the following values:
◦ CORNER_RADIUS is set to _ or 0.
◦ SIDE_ANGLE is set to _ or 0.
• BULL_MILL—Replaces a MILLING tool with the BULL_MILL tool if the specified MILLING tool parameters have the following values:
◦ CORNER_RADIUS is set to _ or 0.
◦ SIDE_ANGLE parameter is set to _ or 0.
• BALL_MILL—Replaces a MILLING tool with the BALL_MILL tool if the specified MILLING tool parameters have the following values:
◦ CUTTER_DIAM is set to _.
◦ CORNER_RADIUS =.5*CUTTER_DIAM
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You cannot replace a tool if the SIDE_ANGLE parameter is set to _ or 0.
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• TAPER_MILL—Replaces a MILLING tool with the TAPER_MILL tool if the SIDE_ANGLE parameter of the MILLING tool is not set to 0 or is greater than the allowed limit.
Replacement Constraints for Tools
Constraints for steps that use the cutting tool being replaced must not be violated.
• The replacement tool must be smaller in diameter than the original tool.
• The replacement tool must have a larger diameter than the previous tool used in Local Milling. This ensures that the original tool has a smaller diameter than the cutting tool for the Local Milling sequence.
• For Groove Turning, the nose radius cannot be greater than half the replacement tool width.
• For drilling, the tool diameter is checked against the hole diameter.