Batch Run and Palletization using Shop Floor Launcher
Shop Floor Launcher
CMM-Manager's Shop Floor Launcher (SFL) allows a programmer to custom create a simple, browser-like interface for an operator to use on the shop floor. The interface is touch-screen friendly and will allow the operator to quickly and easily access an entire library of CMM-Manager programs. The programmer can graphically create and manipulate the layout of Page and Program items in the Editor Mode by customizing their associated buttons and item properties, and then save the configuration file for use in Operator Mode.
"Batch Run" using Shop Floor Launcher
When running programs in the Operator Mode for Shop Floor Launcher, there are a few ways to select multiple programs to run them. To select multiple programs:
- Click the Select All Programs button in the Main Toolbar. All the programs on the current page will be selected.
- Perform a lasso selection - i.e. with left mouse button depressed, draw a rectangle around the programs to be selected.
- Hold down the Ctrl key and click on program buttons to select or deselect them.
- Right click on a program button to select or deselect the programs in the same manner as the previous method.
Then, to Play / Run multiple selected programs, press the Play button in the Main Menu / Toolbar.
Palletization / Grid arrangement using SFL
In versions before 2022 - User must save multiple copies of the Program, each with a unique location in Machine Volume. This is easily accomplished by adding a Recall Fixture Ref Frame to the beginning of each program. Then create a SFL button for each unique program / part location.
Starting in version 2022 this is simplified as a VB Variable can be passed from SFL to the CMM-Manager program during execution. One single CMM-Manager program can be used, thus streamlining future editing tasks. The beginning steps of CMM-Manager program will contain the following:
1. - VB Script:
- Y = GetExternalVariable("Yoffset")
2. - Construct Point (Keyed-In) using VB Variable(s) to define X,Y or Z offset from Recalled Ref Frame.
3. - Set Origin to constructed point
4. - Runtime Align Part
The buttons in SFL will pass a VB variable (Yoffset in this example) to the CMM-Manager program as shown below. The user can then add multiple buttons, each representing a station / port in the multi-part fixture, each with a unique value for X, Y or Z offset.
Note - Multiple VB variables can be passed as semicolon separated entries as follows:
Xoffset=0;Yoffset=1;Zoffset=3
The end result yields a simple user experience for launching both single program or batch program executions as shown in video below:
Video
Creating Buttons for multi-piece inspection using Batch Program Set
A new function was added in CMM-Manager 2026 to quickly generate buttons with necessary offset values for inspecting a pallet of parts.
This can be access by clicking the Create Batch Program Set icon in Editor Toolbar.
First, you must configure the program properties for the batch set via the Set Program Properties button. This screen is similar to generating a single program except some difference noted below:
- Any text entered in Prefix will be shown as the program caption with the index number automatically assigned as suffix. For example, prefix of "Nest" was used for the picture above.
- Variables section is for passing additional VB variable such as text. Do NOT assign variables for offsets here as this is done in the later portion.
Now set up the button layout and offset values via options under Part Layout.
The location of the button #1 is determined by First Part Position. Position and order of subsequent buttons will be affected by selections in Iterate Over and Desired Path.
Under Variable Name, assign VB variable name for row and column offset values (ex. Xoffset & Yoffset). Count determines the number of parts in row and column.
The button #1 will contain exact offset values assigned to Base Offset. Values for the next button will be the same as previous button plus the number defined under Offset (or minus if negative value) as iterate over row and column. For example, buttons in the picture above carry following offset values.
|
Nest # |
Xoffset |
Yoffset |
|
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
2 |
100 |
0 |
|
3 |
200 |
0 |
|
6 |
0 |
50 |
|
7 |
100 |
50 |
|
11 |
0 |
100 |
|
15 |
400 |
100 |
Traditional Batch Run vs. Shop Floor Launcher (SFL)
CMM-Manager also offers the Batch Run mode for inspecting multiple parts. Batch run also allows multiple parts to be placed in a known pattern, or all parts in a single location with the operator switching parts between runs. The program is launched from the traditional CMM-Manager UI - i.e. user picks each program from Windows file selection dialog - then plays using Play, Partial Run or Batch Run buttons.
With the Batch Run option, the user specifies the part layout - i.e. single position, linear, or grid arrangement.
The SFL method described in this KB article may be easier for typical Shop Floor environments, as the operator does not need to enter the unique part arrangement since this is embedded into each SFL button and passed to the program during execution.