Rotary B Configuration

Rotary B configuration can be used only with full rotary table (B axis) on horizontal (HMX) machines.

Rotary Position

The Rotary Position data block is available with multiple rotary configurations; see Rotary Position Block for an explanation of the fields on this screen.

Rotary Milling

For rotary milling programs on an HMX machine, Universal Rotary configuration must be used; see Universal Configuration.

Rotary Patterns

The Rotary Patterns data block is available with multiple rotary configurations; see Rotary Patterns for an explanation of the softkeys on this screen. The specific pattern data blocks for Rotary B configuration are explained below.

Rotary Loop

A rotary loop defines the number and locations a mill feature will be repeated on a cylinder. The initial mill feature is located at part zero and all subsequent copies are at a specific distance along the X-A axis of the cylinder.

Refer to the Field Glossary for definitions of the Rotary B Pattern Loop fields:

B Distance
Number
Z Distance

A rotary Pattern End data block is required to end the sequence repeated in the Rotary Pattern Loop data block.

Rotary pattern and standard pattern data blocks can be nested (i.e., entirely contained within another pattern). The order of execution for nested rotary pattern and standard pattern data blocks is from the inside to the outside.

This is an example of nested data blocks in a program (the indentations are used illustrate the order of execution; your Conversational part program will not have these indentations).

In the following example, this is the order of execution:

Holes and rotary Mill Frame operations contained within the Pattern Loop Rotate data block.
Standard Mill Circle operation contained within the Rotary Pattern Loop data block.

Rotary Pattern Loop
Standard Mill Circle (or any other rotary or non-rotary data blocks)
Pattern Loop Rotate
Holes operation
Rotary Mill Frame (or other rotary or non-rotary data blocks)
Pattern End (ends the Pattern Loop Rotate)
Pattern End (ends the Rotary Pattern Loop)

Only one Rotary Position data block is required for nested Rotary Pattern Loop data blocks.

Rotary Locations

The Rotary Pattern Locations data block is used to create a list of locations of a mill feature repeated on a cylinder. Up to 999 copies can be located anywhere on the part.

Each set of locations listed on the Rotary Patterns Location data block is a specific location on the cylinder, relative to part zero. If you want the mill feature to be cut at part zero, you must define the coordinates of part zero in one of the sets of locations.

Refer to the Field Glossary for definitions of the Rotary B Pattern Locations fields:

B
X
Y
Z

A rotary Pattern End data block is required to end the sequence in the Rotary Pattern Locations data block.

After the rotary Pattern End data block has executed, the orientation of the machine axes will remain at the position defined in the most recent Rotary Position data block.

If the part program continues beyond the Rotary Pattern operation, another Rotary Position data block will be required if the axes must be reoriented to a different position.

Pattern End

A Pattern End data block is required to end rotary Pattern Loop and rotary Pattern Locations operations. There are no fields in the Pattern End data block.

After the rotary Pattern End data block has executed, the orientation of the machine axes will remain at the position defined in the most recent Rotary Position data block.

If the part program continues beyond the Rotary Pattern operation, another Rotary Position data block will be required if the axes must be reoriented to a different position.

A Rotary Pattern Loop data block only modifies the rotary operations contained within the pattern.
The subsequent Rotary Position data block defines the orientation of the machine axes after the pattern is executed, and can provide a reference point if Recovery Restart is used.
If the Rotary Pattern End data block is the last data block of the part program, a subsequent Rotary Position data block is not necessary.
If a non-rotary operation data block (e.g., holes operation) is used in a rotary loop, a Rotary Position data block is required before the non-rotary operation data block to position the axes before the operation is executed in the loop.

Rotary Parameters

The Rotary Parameters data block is available with multiple rotary configurations; see Rotary Parameters (non-Universal configurations) for an explanation of the fields on this screen.

Transform Plane

The Transform Plane data block is available with multiple rotary configurations; see Transform Plane (configurations other than Universal) for an explanation of the fields on this screen.