Motion Statements

All APT motion statements follow a common

format, just as geometry statements have their
own format. The format of an APT motion
command is:
MOTION COMMAND/descriptive data
An example of an APT motion statement is:
GOTO/P1
At the beginning of the sequence of motion
statements, the tool must be given a starting
point.
FROM/PTARG
1
 Motion Statements
Another way to make this statement is the
following:
FROM/-20.0, -20.0, 0.00
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 50.0
mm in the x-direction, 120.0 mm in the y-
direction, and 40 mm in the z-direction:
GODLTA/50.0, 120.0, 40.0

2
 Motion Statements
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

3
 Contouring Motion Statements
Contouring motion commands are more
complicated than PTP commands are
because the tool's position must be
continuously controlled throughout the move.
To exercise this control, the tool is directed
along two intersecting surfaces until it reaches
a third surface, as shown in Figure 6.20.
These three surfaces have specific names in
APT.

4
 Contouring Motion Statements
Figure 2: Three Surfaces in APT Contouring motion

5
 Contouring Motion Statements
The three surfaces are:
Drive surface. This is the surface that guides the
side of the cutter (as shown in the previous) figure.
Part surface. This is the surface, again pictured as
a plane, on which the bottom or nose of the tool is
guided.
Check surface. This is the surface that stops the
forward motion of the tool in the execution of the
current command, or in other words, this surface
"checks" the advance of the tool.

6
 Contouring Motion Statements
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, as depicted in Figure 3 and 4.

7
 Contouring Motion Statements
Figure 3: The use of four modifier words are TO, ON,
PAST, and TANTO

8
 Contouring Motion Statements
Figure 4: Use of the APT modifier word
TANTO.

9
 Contouring Motion Statements
In writing a the programmer must pretend to
be riding on top of the tool, as if driving a car.
After the tool reaches the check surface in
the preceding move, he should decide
whether 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 Figure 5.
10
 Contouring Motion Statements
Figure 5: Use of the APT motion words.

11
 Contouring Motion Statements
 GOLFT commands the tool to make a left turn relative
to the last move.
 GORGT commands the tool to make a right turn
relative to the last move.
 GOFWD commands the tool to move forward relative
to the last move.
 GOBACK commands the tool to reverse direction
relative to the last move.
 GOUP commands the tool to move upward relative to
the last move.
 GODOWN commands the tool to move down relative
to the last move.

12
 Contouring Motion Statements

To begin the sequence of motion commands, the

FROM statement, is used in the same manner as
for point-to-point moves.
The statement following the FROM command
defines the initial drive surface, part surface, and
check surface.
With reference to Figure 6, the sequence takes
the following form:

13
 Contouring Motion Statements
Figure 6: Initialization of APT contouring
motion sequence

14
 Contouring Motion Statements
FROM/PTARG
GO/TO, PL1, TO, PL2, TO, PL3
The three surfaces included in the GO
statement must be specified in the order:
(1) drive surface.
(2) part surface, and
(3) check surface.
The GO/ command is used to initialize a
sequence of contouring motions and may
take alternative forms such as GO/ON,
15
GO/TO, or GO/PAST.
 Contouring Motion Statements
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, for example,
FROM/PTARG
GO/TO, L1, TO, PL2, TO, L3
GORGT/L3, PAST, L4

16
 Example of APT Contouring Motion
Commands
APT motion commands to profile mill the
outside edges of our sample workpart of
Figure 6.18 with the tool path as shown in
Figure 6.17.
The tool begins its motion sequence from a
target point PTARG located at x = 0, y = -50
mm and z = 10 mm.
We also assume that "part surface" PL2 has
been defined as a plane parallel to the x-y
plane and located 25 mm below the top
surface of the part to ensure that the cutter
17
will machine the entire thickness of the part
 Example of APT Contouring Motion
Commands
Figure 6.18: Sample part with geometry
elements (points, lines, and circle) labeled
for computer-assisted part programming.

18
 Example of APT Contouring Motion
Commands
 Figure 6.17 Cutter path for profile milling outside
perimeter of sample part.

19
 Example of APT Contouring Motion
Commands
FROM/PTARG
GOTO/P0 (Rapid move to a point close to intended
point)
GO/TO, L1, TO, PL2, ON, L4
GORGT/L1, PAST, L2
GOLFT/L2, TANTO, C1
GOFWD/C1, PAST, L3
GOLFT/L3, PAST, L4
GOLFT/L4, PAST, L1
GOTO/P1 (Rapid move to a safe point)
GOTO/PTARG

20
 Postprocessor and Auxiliary Statements

Postprocessor statements
They control the operation of the machine tool and
play a supporting role in generating the tool path.
Such statements are used to define cutter size,
specify speeds and feeds, turn coolant flow on and
off, and control other features of the particular
machine tool on which the machining job will be
performed.
The general form of a postprocessor statement is
the following:
POSTPROCESSOR COMMAND/descriptive data
21
 Postprocessor and Auxiliary Statements

UNITS/MM indicates that the specified units

used in the program are INCHES or MM.
INTOL/0.02 specifies inward tolerance for
circular interpolation.
OUTTOL/0.02 specifies outward tolerance for
circular interpolation.
CUTTER/20.0 defines cutter diameter for tool
path offset calculations;
SPINDL/1000, CLW specifies spindle rotation
speed in revolutions per minute.
22
 Postprocessor and Auxiliary Statements

 SPINDL/OFF stops spindle rotation.

 FEDRAT/40, IPM specifies feed rate in millimeters per
minute or inches per minute.
 COOLNT/FLOOD turns cutting fluid on.
 LOADTL/01 used with automatic tool changers to
identify which cutting tool should be loaded into the
spindle.
 DELAY/30 temporarily stops the machine tool for a
period specified in seconds

23
 Postprocessor and Auxiliary Statements
Auxiliary statements
They 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, except one statement
(FINI).
The following APT words used in auxiliary
statements:

24
 Postprocessor and Auxiliary Statements
 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.
 CLPRNT stands for "cutter location print," which is used to
print out the cutter location sequence.
 REMARK is used to insert explanatory comments into the
program that are not interpreted or processed by the APT
processor.
 RAPID engages rapid traverse (high feed rate) for next
move(s).
 FINI indicates the end of an APT program.

25
 APT Part Programming Examples
Drilling Sequence in APT:
Let us write the APT program to perform the drilling
sequence for the sample part in Figure 1.
We will show the APT geometry statements only for
the three hole locations, taking the elements of
geometry from Example 1.

26
 APT Part Programming Examples
Figure 1.

27
 APT Part Programming Examples
 PARTNO SAMPLE PART DRILLING OPERATION
MACHIN/DRILL, 01
 CLPRNT
 UNITS/MM
 REMARK Part geometry. Points are defined 5 mm
above part surface.
 PTARG = POINT/0, -50.0, 10.0
 P5 = POINT/70.0, 30.0, 5.0
 P6 = POINT/120.0, 30.0, 5.0
 P7 = POINT/70.0, 60.0, 5.0

28
 APT Part Programming Examples
REMARK
Drill bit motion statements.
FROM/PTARG
RAPID
GOTO/P5
SPINDL/1000, CLW
COOLNT/FLOOD
FEDRAT/0.05, IPR
GODLTA/0, 0, -25
GODLTA/0, 0, 25
RAPID
GOTO/P6
SPINDL/1000, CLW

29
 APT Part Programming Examples
FEDRAT/0.05, IPR
GODLTA/0, 0, -25
GODLTA/0, 0, 25
RAPID
GOTO/P7
SPINDL/1000, CLW
FEDRAT/0.05, IPR

30
 APT Part Programming Examples
GODLTA/0, 0, -25
GODLTA/0, 0, 25
RAPID
GOTO/PTARG
SPINDL/OFF
COOLNT/OFF
FINI

31
 Two-Axis Profile Milling in APT
 Axis coordinates are given in Figure 6.16.
 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 and the tip of the cutter will be 15
mm below the bottom surface of the cutter (since job
thickness is 10 mm).

32
 Spindle speed = 1000 rev/min and feed rate =
40 mm/min.
The tool path, shown in Figure 6.17, is the
same as that followed in Example 2.

33
 Example of Profile Milling in APT
Figure6.16: Part Dimensions.

34
 Example of Profile Milling in APT
Figure6.17: Tool Path

35
 Example of Profile Milling in APT
PARTNO SAMPLE PART MILLING
OPERATION
MACHIN/MILLING, 02
CLPRNT
UNITS/MM
CUTTER/20.0
REMARK Part geometry. Points and lines
are defined 25 mm below part top surface.

36
 Example of Profile Milling in APT
PTARG = POINT/0, -50.0, 10.0
P1 = POINT/0, 0, -25
P2 = POINT/160, 0, -25
P3 = POINT/160, 60, -25
P4 = POINT/35, 90, -25
P8 = POINT/130, 60, -25
P9 = POINT/-25, 0, 10 (Point for rapid withdrawal)
P10 = POINT/-20, 0, -20 (Point for rapid approach)
L1 = LINE/P1, P2
L2 = LINE/P2, P3

37
 Example of Profile Milling in APT
C1 = CIRCLE/CENTER, P8, RADIUS, 30
L3 = LINE/P4, LEFT, TANTO, C1
L 4 = LINE/P4, P1
PL1 = PLANE/P1, P2, P4

REMARK
Milling cutter motion statements.
FROM/PTARG
SPINDL/1000, CLW
 COOLNT/FLOOD

38
FEDRAT/40, mm/min
 Example of Profile Milling in APT
RAPID
GOTO/P10
GO/TO, L1, TO, PL1, ON, L4
GORGT/L1, PAST, L2
GOLFT/L2, TANTO, C1
GOFWD/C1, PAST, L3
GOLFT/L3, PAST, L4
GOLFT/L4, PAST, L1
RAPID
GOTO/P9
GOTO/PTARG
COOLNT/OFF
SPINDL/OFF
 FINI
39
Assignment: a) Write Geometry and motion statements for Drilling
b) Write Geometry and motion statements for Profile Milling of the
following part:

50
P4 P3
L6 L5
30 rad.

125 L4 P2
C1
75 L7 L3
10 dia., 2 holes

25 35 deg.
P0 L1
25 P1
75
150