Overview

Automatic Toolpaths (ATP) in EnRoute allow parts contained in external DXF files to be processed for output. EnRoute's Automatic Toolpath capabilities provide an efficient way to process large numbers of parts as part of a Nested-Based Manufacturing (NBM) process.

Design Application Support

Several design applications are supported by EnRoute and new application support is added based on requests from users, manufacturers, and customers.

The images in the ATP section must often show a specific design application as the active application. For simplicity, KCD was chosen as the active application in the examples. This is not intended to provide a specific recommendation or to exclude any other supported applications. References to the active application are marked as <active application> or <KCD> and should be interpreted as any design application can be used in these references.

The ATP Process

DXF files supported by EnRoute separate each machining operation onto a different layer. The geometry within all layers represents a single part and all of the machining information. To process the part, the toolpath strategies in EnRoute must be mapped to the correct DXF layer in the ATP.

EnRoute uses the strategy mappings to apply toolpaths to each piece of the part geometry. After all parts have been imported and had toolpaths applied, they are nested onto sheets and machining output files are created based on the ordering and output preferences.

Strategy to layer mappings can be saved to ATP configuration files so that when a new job is loaded, the same settings can be applied for faster processing.

ATP Dialogue

All of the ATP functions are accessed through the ATP dialogue. The dialogue window tabs represent the main ATP steps and are arranged left to right from the start of processing to configuring output files.

Start

Parts

Map

Material

Processing

Output