Course

on
MEMEC19: CAD & CAM
Computer aided programming:
APT Part Programming.

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Computer Aided Part Programming
CAPP offers the solution to the complex programming. It makes use of repeated

patterns of events which occur oftenly on most of the engineering components.

Advantages of CAPP

Time saved in making long part programme

Simplifying the part-programming procedures.

Lesser errors.

Automatic generation of codes

No need to learn machine dependent part programming.

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Difference between Manual and CAPP System Cont…

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The APT language is the NC language. It is also used as the computer

program which performs the calculations to generate cutter position based on

APT statements.

These statements are given as under:

Geometrical statements: It defines the geometric elements of the workpiece.

Motion statements: Which defines the path taken by the cutting tool.

Post processor statements: Which defines the feed and speeds and to

acurate other features of the machine.

Auxiliary statement/ Miscellaneous statements: Which defines the part,

tool tolerances etc.

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Part Geometry Definitions in APT

Defining the point

Point is the smallest and basic element required to define all other

geometries. It is defined in one of the following ways:

Cartesian coordinate

PT1 = POINT/X, Y, Z

PT1 = POINT/6, 5, 3

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By intersection of two lines By intersection of line and plane

PT1 = POINT/INTOF, LN1, LN2 PT1 = POINT/INTOF, PL1, LN1

By center of circle

PT1 = POINT/CENTER, CR1

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 By a point and a perpendicular line
Defining line
LN2 = LINE/PT1, PERPTO, LN1
By joining two points

LN1 = LINE/PT1, PT2

By a point and tangent to circle

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Defining a circle
By center point and radius

CR1 = CIRCLE/CENTER, PT1, RADIUS, 205

Center point and a point on circumference

CR1 = CIRCLE/ PT1, PT2

Centre point and tangent line

CR1 = CIRCLE/CENTER, PT2, LN1

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Defining a plane
By three points

SIDE = PLANE/PT1, PT2, PT3

By a point and parallel plane

TOP = PLANE/PT2, PARLEL, BOTTOM

By two points and perpendicular to other plane

PL1 = PLANE/PERPTO, PL2, PT1, PT2

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Motion Statement of Tool

Initial position

FROM/ X, Y, Z

FROM/ PT1

FROM/SETPT

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Point to point motion
GO TO/ Symbol for geometry
eg. GO TO/ PT1
This statement is used to position the cutter above required location e.g. locating
drill above a hole to be drilled.
GODLTA/ X, Y, Z
This is incremental instruction used to make movements of the tool in specified
direction from its current position
e.g. GODLTA/ 0, 0, -50 feeds drill 50 mm into work the GODLTA command is
useful in drilling and related operations. The tool can be directed to a particular
hole location with the GOTO statement. Then the GODLTA command would be
used to drill the hole

GOTO/PT1

GODLTA/0, 0, -50
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Contouring motion statements

GO/symbol of geometric experession

GO/TO, LN1, TO, CR2

e.g. GO/TO, LN1, TO, CR2 means tool movement touching the surface of

LN1 onwards touching the contour of CR2

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Intermediate movement commands

In directing the tool to follow a contour six tool direction commands are used:

GOLFT

GORGT

GOFWD

GOBACK

GOUP

GODOWN

These six commands are used mostly with one of the three modifiers to define

the check surface, drive surface or part surface

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Drive Surface: The drive surface is the surface along which the cut is made by

next motion statements. The side of the tool is guided by DS for producing the

desired shape of part.

Part Surface: The part surface is the surface which guides the cutter point or

tool bottom

The check surface stops the tool thus indicating the end motion. This order of

defining the surface is followed.

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The four modifiers are:
TO
ON
PAST
TANTO
TANTO is used to check surface being tangent to the drive surface(s) mostly
for circles.
The general form of these statements is:
GO/ [TO/ ON/ PAST], [Drive surface], [TO/ ON/ PAST], [Part Surface], [TO/ ON/
PAST], [Check Surface]
e.g. GO RGT/L1, PAST, L2 (It means that move on the right side along L1 until
past L2)

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Post processor statements

MACHIN/UNIV for defining the name of the machine

COOLNT/ON and COOLNT/OFF for switching coolant ON/OFF

FINI advising the computer that program is terminated

END Its shuts down the NC machine including MCU

FEDRAT it stands for feed rate

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Miscellaneous/ Auxiliary Statements
Spindle speed
Clock wise SPINDL/2000, CLW
Anticlockwise SPINDL/2000, CCLW
Feed Rate
FEDRAT/[feed rate value], IPM
Or
FEDRAT/[feed rate value], MMPM
Tool change
Where a preset tool is used
LOADTL/1, LENGTH, 20
1 is the tool no. and 20 is tool length
Where preset tool is not used
LOADTL/2
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Tool definition

CUTTER/d

CUTTER/d, r

CUTTER/d, r, e, f, a, b, h

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Make the part program in APT

100

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Make the part program in APT

PT2 (40, 135)

100 PT3 (90, 110)

SetPT (0, 35) PT 4 (115, 60)

PT5 (60, 35)

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Part no.

WSHOP – PRACTICE

MACHIN/UNIV

// Geometrical points are defined

SET PT = POINT/0, 35, 0

PT1 = POINT/40, 35, -2

PT2 = POINT/40, 135, -2

PT3 = POINT/90, 110, -2

PT4 = POINT/115, 60, -2

PT5 = POINT/60, 35, -2

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Abhishek Tevatia, Assistant Professor, MED, NSUT, Delhi 23
// Define the tool, feed and speed GO RGT/ LN2, TANTO, CR1

LOADTL/1 GO FWD/ CR1, TANTO, LN3

CUTTER/20 GO FWD/ LN3, PAST, LN4

FEDRAT/50, MMPM GO RGT/ LN4, PAST, LN5

SPINDL/2000, CLW GO RGT/ LN5, PAST, LN1

// Define the motion statement GOTO/SETPT

FROM/SETPT FINI

GO/TO, LN1, TO, BOTSRF, TO, LN5 END

GO LFT/ LN1, PAST, LN2

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