Our today tutorial will be dedicated to the quite handy WAVE-linker option which is called Fix at Current Timestamp. To make this tutorial more clear and simple to understand it will be illustrated from the application end – we will create a blank geometry from the solid part for NX CAM project.
First of all, let’s figure out what kind of workflow will be used for our CAM-project. Our company utilizes transparent and straight workflow, which means a master model methodology in order to separate design from manufacturing.
For the instance I have created a simple rounded part with a set of holes.
This part should be machined on the 3-axis vertical milling machine, so NC program is needed. We will use NX CAM module to create the tool path.
Open the part and go to Assemblies —> Create New Parent:
In the next window you have to enter a name for the new assembly. This command wraps this part into the new manufacturing assembly, where both part and blank would be assembled together. Now we need to obtain a WAVE-link of design part geometry in our assy. To do this, make sure that assembly is a work part and go to Assemblies —> More —> WAVE Geometry Linker.
With the Body type active select the part geometry to obtain a WAVE-link on the assembly level.
This action will create a new feature on the assembly level. Now we got the part copy in our CAM project.
Now it is neccessary to create a blank geometry for the further machining. No doubt, you are able to use bounding block, cylinder, offset from the part or any other method, but in this lesson we will discover a way to get a blank geometry from the part itself.
Right click on the part and select Make Work Part, then go to the Part Navigator and roll back the feature tree using Right Click —> Make Current Feature until you see a needed condition of the geometry. In my case I want to create a blank without holes and pockets, thus I would roll back the tree as it shown on the picture below:
Now make the assy work part. Run the WAVE Geometry Linker once again and select your rolled-back part. This time check the Fix at Current Timestamp option:
Make your part work and roll the feture tree back to the last feature, then make the assy work and see what is happened there (I’ve added some transparency to the blank geometry):
Now you can use the second WAVE-link as a blank geometry in the further machining.
The conclusion: Fix at Current Timestamp option, if checked, links the current geometry condition based on the currently active feature in Part Navigator. It allows you to create a set of WAVE-links which could represent almost any step of the part history.
Watch the related video:
