Swept volume mode
Swept volume
Settings
Definition
Generate the swept volume
Swept volume document
[link:]
Swept volume
The Swept volume mode is a simulation mode to determine the space volume that a moving object occupies during its operating phase. The mode calculates and builds a 3D trace of the object(s). It is commonly used to predict and prevent collision between manufacturing equipment and / or workpieces or to determine the required space the equipment needs in the shopfloor layout or workcell.
[link:]
Settings
In the 3D View the Pie menu includes a command to open the calculation settings.
The 3D trace is being built from cuboids. The size of these cuboids directly determines the accuracy of this trace path, but obviously a higher accuracy does require significantly more computation time.
[link:]
Definition
Swept volume traces can be defined on a joint or a frame of a resource, or on a frame of a workpiece. Selecting a geometrical body will search for its parent joint or frame. When a joint or frame is being picked all its attached geometry automatically will be assigned.
On the selection the Pie menu has to be opened to define the swept trace.
Each definition (group) has been given its own system-defined color for recognition.
A sweep group definition can contain elements of multiple, different components.
On an existing sweep definition the Pie menu opens to modify it.
A swept volume definition is information that is part of a layout or project and therefore will be stored in the layout or project when saving it.
The definition on a workpiece will always be stored in the project.
The definition on a resource will be stored either in the layout where it has been used, or in the project. This depends on which item, the layout or project that will be saved first.
[link:]
Generate the swept volume
Building the swept volume can be executed in the OLP, the Automation Builder and the Onsite editor workbenches. There are two ways to do this.
But each of them requires that upfront it has been specified for which controller programs the swept volumes are being computed.
The Simulation settings include a container for the swept volume creation.
There are two mode to switch in between to set which swept volumes are going to be computed.
 | Controller selection From the list of present controllers, select the controller(s), with its programs, for which the defined swept volumes are being computed. Controllers can be selected or deselected simply by pressing their representation button in front of their name. |
 | All swept volume definitions For all swept volume definitions in the project the computation is being executed. |
Once a controller has or all definitions have been set, the swept volume computation button, the most left button in the simulation player bar, becomes active.
Pressing the button will start the simulation of the program, immediately being followed by the computation and creation of the swept volumes. This will take place after the simulation has been completed, has stopped for some reason or after pressing the Pause button during the simulation.
When a program simulation has been played already, the swept volumes will be created directly on that simulation without running the program again.
The second way to execute the swept volume computation lies at the progress bar of the simulation. A pie menu can be called there.
The command to start the swept volume creation works the same as the action button in the player bar, with a small difference.
With use of the simulation progress bar it is possible to take the full simulation or just a part of it as trace for the swept volume calculation. With the limit markers on the progress bar, the range of the simulation can be defined for which the swept volume then will be computed and built.
The functionality to generate the swept volume is not restricted to this Swept volume mode. It can be activated in any other Operation mode.
[link:]
Swept volume document
Each time the sweep command is executed, a new volume will be calculated for each volume definition group. For each swept volume result a new individual resource type document ( Miscellaneous - Swept volume ) or workpiece document is added to the project structure tree in which the result volume has been built. It can be recognized by the sweep symbol and is given a default name that refers to the controller and program. This document can be stored for later purposes.
 |  |  |
The swept volume is a one-off result of the current state of the simulation without any further association with that simulation. Existing swept volumes cannot and will not be updated.
The rule for the name of the swept volume (document) can be found in the plugin folder <plugin>\Technologies<technology name><manufacturer or Standard>\NamingRules\NamingRules.xml. This can be the default installation plugin or any other configured plugin folder.
