Before performing the actions itemized in this tutorial, you must have completed the following two actions.
Purchase & configure the Ardis® software from Ardis Information Systems to consume the STK file.
Create a project and work order in Microvellum.
This tutorial utilizes the Microvellum work order and demonstrates how to configure an Ardis® processing station within Microvellum.
Tutorial: Create and Configure an Ardis Processing Station in Microvellum
Use one of the methods below to access the screen to set up a new processing station.
Click Microvellum Setup > Options > Processing Stations.
Click the button for Edit Existing Work Order and select a work order to open it and display the processing station management screen.
Fig. 01 – Processing Station Management Screen
Click the Add button in the Processing Stations section of the screen.
Fig. 02 – Add Processing Station Button
Add a station Name in the appropriate box. (The box for Activity Station may remain blank.)
Drop down the list box and select a station Type of “Ardis Parts File."
Click the Settings tab and enter Premill Type and Auto Assign Rules as necessary for your company. See information on those subjects elsewhere in the Microvellum help system.
Fig. 03 – Processing Station Settings
Click the Associates tab and add any secondary processing stations as required to pass edgebore or single part barcodes passed through to the Ardis parts file.
You must first set up all your necessary processing stations in the Processing Station Management screen, then follow the steps below.
Click the Add button (plus mark icon) to add a blank row.
Click the cell in that new blank row in the Index column and enter or select a number that represents the priority of data to appear on the labels. In other words, if you have multiple machines that produce the same type of G-Code, such as multiple point-to-point machines or multiple edgeboring machines, the lower this number, the higher that Associate will be in priority for displaying its data on the labels
Click the cell in that new blank row in the Type column and enter or select one of the processing station types from the list.
Click the cell in that new blank row in the Name column and enter or select one of the processing stations from the list. These are stations that have already been set up from the Processing Stations Management screen.
To delete an existing Associate, select the line to delete and click the Delete button (trash can icon). Click Yes to confirm the deletion.
Fig. 04 – Processing Station Associates Showing One Point-to-Point and Two Edgeboring Associates
Click the Files & Pictures tab to set various properties necessary to create the Ardis STK import files.
In the “File Location” section, click the Browse button to select a folder where the Ardis STK files will be created.
In the “Part Picture File Location” section, click the Browse button to select a folder where any part picture files for use with an auto-labeling machine are to be created.
Select the Picture Type, Pixel Size, and Zoom Factor as needed by the auto-labeling system.
If the Picture Type “WMF” is selected, you may also select the option for “Use Legacy WMF Format” if required by your auto-labeling system.
Fig. 05 – Processing Station Files & Picture Properties
You have now completed the creation and configuration of your Ardis station. You are now ready to process work order data with that station and the others you have created to support your manufacturing process.
Lastly, you need to configure Ardis to import or consume the STK data produced by Microvellum, and then optimize that data. See the Ardis help system for more information.