Restplate Handling

In the Nesting System restplates can be handled. The treatment of the created restplates is dependent on the plate quality.

For the normal steel quality (which is defined in the default system) the created rests are only marked with texts in the burning sketch. Two types of texts are created, one for normal restplates and one for rests which are too small to be classified as normal restplates and yet too large to be considered as scrap. The latter rests are called workshop rests.

The names of the normal restplates are defined in an external file. The file name should be assigned to the environment variable

SBH_NSQ_RESTPLATE_TABLE.

The format of the file is:

<restplate 1>   <thickness 1>

<restplate 2>   <thickness 2>

....

One restplate and the thickness for which it is valid should be given on each line and each thickness may occur only once.

For the special steel quality the restplates are stored on the standards data bank and can later be used in another nest job in exactly the same way as any standard parent plate.

It is possible to define any number of rests in a nest job. The total number of generations is limited to 32767.

A restplate can be defined in a number of different ways:

1. Using original geometry

2. Using cut line geometry in a start

3. Using an imaginary line and original geometry (special steel quality only)

When a restplate is to be created using the original geometry of the plate parts the user must define a closed contour inside which the relevant parts of the plate part geometry is situated. This contour can either be a rectangle (defined with two points) or a polygon (defined with a string line). The defined contour may not intersect any plate part in more than two points.

The system then captures the plate parts that are inside the defined contour and automatically combines the original geometry of the plate parts included. The geometry between the plate parts will be a line between the points where the contour intersects the plate parts. The original geometry can then be combined with the existing parent plate to obtain the restplate contour.

If the restplate area is situated completely inside the parent plate the contour must be defined with a polygon which does not intersect the parent plate contour.

If bridges or cut free geometries in gaps are to be included in the original geometry the contour must be a polygon. The bridges must then be a part of the defined contour. This is obtained by pointing close to the endpoints of the bridges when defining the string line. For cut free geometries in gaps each segment must be identified.

Holes can also be defined as restplates. In this case it is sufficient to identify the hole.

When a restplate has been created that part of the parent plate is not available any longer. Therefore the parent plate contour is modified when restplates are created. For holes and restplates which are situated completely inside the parent plate the contour numbers are stored in the nested plate and the parent plate is not modified.

A restplate can also be created using a cut line geometry in a start. In this case the cut line geometry is combined with the parent plate contour to get the restplate contour. The parent plate contour is modified.

The third way to define a restplate (special steel quality only) is to define an imaginary line. The restplate contour is created exactly as when the original geometry was used. Furthermore, an imaginary line is created and stored with the restplate. It is defined with a string line in the same way as a cut free geometry. The bump and overlap functions will then use the imaginary line instead of the original geometry when the restplate is used in the Nesting System.

The name of the restplates consists of three parts:

<restname><delimiter><counting number>

The first part is common for all rests with the same thickness and quality. The maximum length of <restname> is 20 characters. The second part is a delimiter which is defined in the default system. The default is a hyphen ('-') but any character which is not included in first part may be used. It is not possible to use different delimiters for different restplates.

The last part is a counting number between 0001 and 9999. The counting number can either be given by the user or selected automatically by the system.

Thus each restplate will have a unique name.

Before any restplates can be created a standard parent plate with negative length and width must be created in the catalogue, refer to Nest PPI for creating standard parent plate.

If the total quantity of the nest job is larger than 1 there are two possibilities: either one restplate is created in N copies or N restplates with different names are created in one copy.

Nesting plate parts on a restplate works in principle as nesting on a standard parent plate. The only difference occurs when the total quantity is larger than 1. Either one restplate is used in N copies or N restplates are used in one copy.

The restplates used in a nest job will be locked from the beginning until the nest job is stored. In this way it is not possible that any rest is used in more copies than it is defined in.

When a restplate has been used in so many copies as it was created in, it is no longer available.

When a restplate has been created it is possible to make a classification of the rest. There are six different forms available:

• rectangle

• circle

• triangle

• symmetric T-form

• L-form

• trapeziform

The dimensions can be given either directly or by taking a measure.

It is also possible to create a restplate with one of the forms mentioned above when initiating a new nest job. This is made by giving the name of the administrating object as parent plate. The created restplate will be given a counting number.

It is also possible to delete restplates.

When the verification of the tool path is made on a restplate the user must indicate the explicit start position. If OPERATION COMPLETE is given the values given in the default file are used.