Computer Numerical Control

Lecture 5
Part Programming with APT

Dr Ibrahim Al-Adwan
Part Programming with APT

APT: Automatically Programmed Tooling.

APT is a three-dimensional NC programming system.
APT is not only a language; it is also the computer
program that processes the APT statements to
calculate the corresponding cutter positions and
generate the machine tool control commands.

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Part Programming with APT

1. Geometry statements, also called definition statements,

are used to define the geometry elements that comprise
the part.
2. Motion commands are used to specify the tool path.
3. Postprocessor statements control the machine tool
operation, for example, to specify speeds and feeds, set
tolerance values for circular interpolation, and actuate
other capabilities of the machine tool.
4. Auxiliary statements, a group of miscellaneous statements
used to name the part program, insert comments in the
program and accomplish similar functions.

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Part Programming with APT

Geometry Statements
SYMBOL = GEOMETRY TYPE/descriptive data
Points
P1 = POINT/20.0,40.0,60.0
P2 = POINT/INTOF,L1,L2
Commas are used to separate the words and numerical values
in the descriptive data.

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Part Programming with APT

Geometry Statements
Lines
A line defined in APT is considered to be infinite length in
both directions. Also, APT treats a line as a vertical plane
that is perpendicular to the x-y plane.
L3 = LINE/P3,P4
L4 = LINE/P5,PARLEL,L3

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Part Programming with APT

Geometry Statements
Circles
In APT, a circle is considered to be a cylindrical surface that is
perpendicular to the x-y plane and extends to infinity in
the z-direction.
C1 = CIRCLE/CENTER,P1,RADIUS,25.0
C2 = CIRCLE/P4,P5,P6

Planes
In APT, a plane extends indefinitely.
PL1 = PLANE/P1,P2,P3
PL2 = PLANE/P2,PARLEL,PL1

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Part Programming with APT

Geometry Statements
Rules for formulating APT geometry statements:
1. Coordinate data must be specified in the order x, then y,
then z.
2. Any symbols used as descriptive data must have been
previously defined.
3. A symbol can be used to define only one geometry
element.

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Part Programming with APT

Example Part Geometry Using APT

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Part Programming with APT

Example Part Geometry Using APT

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Part Programming with APT

Example Part Geometry Using APT

P1 = POINT/0,0,0
P2 = POINT/160.0,0,0
P3 = POINT/160.0,60.0,0
P4 = POINT/35.0,90.0,0
P5 = POINT/70.0,30.0,0
P6 = POINT/120.0,30.0,0
P7 = POINT/70.0,60.0,0
P8 = POINT/130.0,60.0,0
L1 = LINE/P1,P2
L2 = LINE/P2,P3
C1 = CIRCLE/CENTER,P8,RADIUS,30.0
L3 = LINE/P4,PARLEL,L1
L4 = LINE/P4,P1

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Part Programming with APT

Motion Commands
The format of an APT motion command is:
MOTION COMMAND/descriptive data
Example: GOTO/P1
The statement consists of two sections separated by a slash.
The first section is the basic command that indicates
what move the tool should make. The descriptive data
following the slash tell the tool where to go.

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Part Programming with APT

Motion Commands
At the beginning of the sequence of motion statements, the tool must be
given a starting point. This is likely to be the target point, the location
where the operator has positioned the tool at the start of the job.
The part programmer keys into this starting position with the
following statement:
FROM/PTARG
where FROM is an APT vocabulary word indicating that this is the initial
point from which all others will be referenced; and PTARG is the
symbol assigned to the starting point. Another way to make this
statement is the following:
FROM/-20.0,-20.0,0
The FROM statement occurs only at the start of the motion sequence.

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Part Programming with APT

Motion Commands
Point-to-point motions (Positioning or straight-line cutting)
There are only two commands: GOTO and GODLTA.
The GOTO statement instructs the tool to go to a particular point location specified
in the descriptive data.
Examples:
GOTO/P2
GOTO/25.0,40.0,0
In the first command, P2 is the destination of the tool point. In the second
command, the tool has been instructed to go to the location whose
coordinates are x=25.0, y=40.0, and z=0.

The GODLTA command specifies an incremental move for the tool. To illustrate, the
following statement instructs the tool to move from its present position by a
distance of 50.0mm in the x-direction, 120.0mm in the y-direction, and
40.0mm in the z-direction:
GODLTA/50.0,120.0,40.0

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Part Programming with APT

Motion Commands
Point-to-point motions
The GODLTA statement is useful in drilling and related
machining operations. The tool can be directed to go to a
given hole location; then the GODLTA command can be
used to drill the hole, as in the following sequence:
GOTO/P2
GODLTA/0,0,-50.0
GODLTA/0,0,50.0

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Part Programming with APT
Motion Commands
Contouring Motion Commands
The tool's position must be continuously controlled throughout the move.
The tool is directed along two intersecting surfaces until it reaches a
third surface, as shown in the following Figure.
These three surfaces have specific names in APT; they are:
1. Drive surface.This surface guides the side of the cutter.
2. Part surface. This is the surface on which the bottom or nose of the
tool is guided.
3. Check surface. This is the surface that stops the forward motion of
the tool in the execution of the current command. One might say
that this surface "checks" the advance of the tool.

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Part Programming with APT

Motion Commands
There are several ways in which the check surface can be
used. This is determined by using any of four APT
modifier words in the descriptive data of the motion
statement. The four modifier words are TO, ON, PAST,
and TANTO.

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Part Programming with APT

Motion Commands

Use of APT modifier words in motion statements: (a) TO moves the tool into initial
contact with the check surface; (b) ON positions the tool center on the
check surface; (c) PAST moves the tool just beyond the check surface.

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Part Programming with APT

Motion Commands
The modifier word TANTO is used when the drive surface is tangent to a
circular check surface.

Use of the APT modifier word TANTO. TANTO moves the tool to the point of
tangency between two surfaces, at least one of which is a circular surface.

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Part Programming with APT

Motion Commands
In writing a motion statement, the part programmer must
keep in mind the direction from which the tool is coming
in the preceding motion. The programmer must pretend
to be riding on the top of the tool, as if driving a car. After
the tool reaches the check surface in the preceding move,
does the next move involve a right turn or left turn or
what? The answer to this question is determined by one
of the following six motion words, whose interpretations
are illustrated in the following figure:

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Part Programming with APT

Motion Commands

Use of the APT motion words. The tool has moved from a previous position to its
present position. The direction of the next move is determined by one of the
APT motion words GOLFT, GORGT, GOFWD, GOBACK, GOUP, or
GODOWN.

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Part Programming with APT

Motion Commands
To begin the sequence of motion commands, the FROM statement is used.
The statement following the FROM command defines the initial drive
surface, part surface, and check surface. With reference to the
following figure, the sequence takes the following form:
FROM/PTARG
GO/TO,PL1,TO,PL2,TO,PL3
The symbol PTARG represents the target point where the operator has
set up the tool. The GO command instructs the tool to move to the
intersection of the drive surface (PL1), the part surface (PL2), and the
check surface (PL3). Because the modifier word TO has been used
for each of the three surfaces, the circumference of the cutter is
tangent to PL1 and PL3, and the bottom of the cutter is on PL2. The
three surfaces included in the GO statement must be specified in the
order: (1) drive surface, (2) part surface, and (3) check surface.

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Part Programming with APT

Motion Commands

Initialization of APT contouring motion sequence.

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Part Programming with APT

Motion Commands
Note that GO/TO is not the same as the GOTO command.
GOTO is used only for PTP motions. The GO/ command
is used to initialize a sequence of contouring motions and
may take alternatives forms such as GO/ON,GO/TO, or
GO/PAST.

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Part Programming with APT
Motion Commands
After initialization, the tool is directed along its path by one of the six
motion command words. It is not necessary to redefine the part
surface in every motion command after it has been initially defined as
long as it remains the same in subsequent commands. In the
preceding motion command:

GO/TO,PL1,TO,PL2,TO,PL3

the cutter has been directed from PTARG to the intersection of surfaces
PL1, PL2, and PL3. Suppose it is now desired to move the tool along
plane PL3, with PL2 remaining as the part surface. The following
command would accomplish this motion:

GORGT/PL3,PAST,PL4

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Part Programming with APT

Motion Commands
The planes around the part outline can be replaced by lines,
and the APT commands can be replaced by the following:
FROM/PTARG
GO/TO,L1,TO,PL2,TO,L3
GORGT/L3,PAST,L4

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Part Programming with APT

Example APT Contouring Motion Commands

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Part Programming with APT

Example APT Contouring Motion Commands

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Part Programming with APT

Example APT Contouring Motion Commands

Let us write the APT motion commands to profile mill the
outside edges of our sample workpart. The tool begins its
motion sequence from a target point PTARG located at
x=0, y=-50mm and z=10mm. We also assume that "part
surface" PL2 has been defined as a plane parallel to the x-
y plane and located 25mm below the top surface of the
part. The reason for defining in this way is to ensure that
the cutter will machine the entire thickness of the part.

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Part Programming with APT

Example APT Contouring Motion Commands

FROM/PTARG
GO/TO,L1,TO,PL2,ON,L4
GORGT/L1,PAST,L2
GOLFT/L2,TANTO,C1
GOFWD/C1,PAST,L3
GOFWD/L3,PAST,L4
GOLEFT/L4,PAST,L1
GOTO/P0

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Part Programming with APT

Postprocessor and Auxiliary Statements

POSTPROCCER COMMAND/descriptive data
where the POSTPROCESSOR COMMAND is an APT major word
including the type of function or action to be accomplished, and the
descriptive data consists of APT minor words and numerical values.
In some commands, the descriptive data is omitted.
Examples:
• UNITS/MM indicates that the specified units in the program are
INCHES or MM.
• INTOL/0.02 specifies inward tolerance for circular interpolation.
• SPINDL/1000,CLW specifies spindle rotation speed in revolutions
per minute. Either CLW (clockwise) or CCLW (counterclockwise)
can be specified.
• DELAY/30 temporarily stops the machine tool for a period specified
in seconds.

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Part Programming with APT

Postprocessor and Auxiliary Statements

Auxiliary statements are used to identify the part program, specify which
postprocessor to use, insert remarks into the program, and so on.
Auxiliary statements have no effect on the generation of tool path.

Examples:
• PARTNO is the first statement in an APT program, used to identify
the program; for example,
PARTNO SAMPLE PART NUMBER ONE
• MACHIN/ permits the part programmer to specify the
postprocessor, which in effect specifies the machine tool.
• REMARK is used to insert explanatory comments into the program
that are not interpreted or processed by the APT processor.
• FINI indicates the end of an APT program.

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Part Programming with APT

Example: Drilling Sequence in APT

Let us write the APT program to perform the drilling sequence for the
sample part in the following figure.

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Example:
Drilling Sequence
in APT

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Part Programming with APT

Example Two-Axis Profile Milling in APT

The three holes drilled in the previous example will be used for locating and
holding the workpart for milling the outside edges. Axis coordinates are
given in the following figure.

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Part Programming with APT

Example Two-Axis Profile Milling in APT

The top surface of the part is 40 mm above the surface of the machine
table. A 20-mm diameter end mill with four teeth and a side tooth
engagement of 40 mm will be used. The bottom tip of the cutter will
be positioned 25 mm below the top surface during machining, thus
ensuring that the side cutting edges of the cutter will cut the full
thickness of the part. Spindle speed = 1000 rev/min and feed rate =
50 mm/min.The tool path is given in the second figure.

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Part Programming with APT

Example Two-Axis Profile Milling in APT

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 Part Programming with APT
Example Two-Axis Profile Milling in APT

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Part Programming with APT

Example Two-Axis Profile Milling in APT

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