1. Integrated Plug-in for NX Users
BSE-in-NX 2.0
Integrated Plug-in for NX Users
BSE-in-NX 2.0 Training Tutorial
December 5, 2013

2. Part Unfolding and Blank Nesting Processes
TUTORIAL I
Blank Size Estimation and Nesting
Part Unfolding and Blank Nesting Processes
with BSE-in-NX 2.0

3. BSE-in-NX 2.0 Training Tutorial: Contents
Slide 4: BSE-in-NX 2.0 Introduction
Slide 5: Open NX Database
Slide 6: Add BSE-in-NX Plug-in to Menu & Toolbar
Slide 7: BSE-in-NX Best Practice Introduction
Slide 8: Unfolding Process
Slide 9: I. Define Material & Thickness
Slide 10: II. Define Blank
Slide 12: III. Blank Size Estimate
Slide 14: IV. Generate Formability Report
Slide 15: Blank Nesting Process
Slide 15: V. Blank Nesting
Slide 19: VI. Manual Nesting
Slide 21: VII. Output Nesting Report
Slide 23: Part Preparation For Solid Models- Midsurface Generation
Slide 24: VIII. Define Solid Body
Slide 25: IX. Configure Options
Slide 26: X. Complete Command
Slide 27: Part Preparation For Surfaced Models – Extract Part Faces
Slide 28: XI. Convert Sheet Body into Solid Body
Slide 31: XII. Extract Faces

4. BSE-in-NX 2.0 Introduction
The BSE-in-NX Blank Size Engineering plug-in for All Current Versions of NX is designed to be used with thin sheet body parts, it is recommend that the part’s midsurface is used with the BSE-in-NX.
After installing BSE-in-NX 2.0, the user must place the license file ‘eta.lic’ in the "startup” sub-directory of the “BSE-in-NX2.0” installation folder.
If dealing with solid parts or surfaced parts consisting of both sides of material including thickness surfaces, then the geometry will need to be prepared before accessing the BSE-in-NX functions. BSE-in-NX will display a warning upon detection of solid models, and instruct users to first prepare the geometry.
Two methods for preparing part geometry for use with the BSE-in-NX are described in this training tutorial, covering both Midsurface generation for Solid Parts (See Slide 28) and Geometry Extraction for Surfaced Parts
(See Slide 31). 4

5. Open NX Database Start up NX.
Click the File menu and select Open. See Figure 1.
Select the file path and file name, and then click the OK button to open the database. We will open the file named BSE_in_NX_case.prt here. See Figure 2.
Select Modeling module in Start menu, see Figure 3.(Or click shortcut key: Ctrl+M.)
Figure 3
Figure 1
Figure 2 5

6. Add BSE-in-NX Plug-in to Menu & Toolbar
Right click in the Toolbar Region to display a list of installed Toolbars. The BSE-in-NX option should be listed near the bottom. See Figure 5
Toggle on the BSE-in-NX toolbar. See Figure 4.
The BSE-in-NX toolbar icons will open on screen (Figure 6), and can be dragged to the desired toolbar docking location (see next slide)
Note: The BSE-in-NX functions can also be accessed via the BSE-in-NX drop down menu. See Figure 4.
Figure 6
Figure 5
Figure 4 6

7. BSE-in-NX Best Practice Introduction
Click the Unfold Part icon to begin the process.
If a solid part is detected, users will be warned to first generate a middle surface before continuing.
If no warning is displayed, or if the part is already a thin sheet body, then continue to the next slide to begin the Part Unfold process.
If the warning message is displayed, or if working with a surfaced part consisting of both sides of material including thickness surfaces, then please skip to the suggested part Model preparation methods beginning on Slide 23 7

8. BSE-in-NX 2.0 Begin Unfold Process
Click the Unfold Part icon ( ), and the Unfold Part dialog box will be displayed, as illustrated in Figure 7.
Click the CQ button under Material( Default Material CQ) to define the material, and it will display the Material Library dialog box. See Figure 8.
Figure 8
Figure 7

9. I. Define Material and Thickness
Select HSLA350 as the material. See Figure 9.
Click the OK button to exit the Material Library dialog box.
Key in the blank thickness: 2.0(mm) .
The Unfold Part interface is illustrated in Figure 10 after it is defined.
Figure 9
Figure 10

10. II. Define Blank
Click the Define Sheet button to display the Class Selection dialog box , as illustrated in Figure 11.
Click the Select All button and the selected faces will be highlighted, as illustrated in Figure 12.
Figure 12
Figure 11

11. II. Define Blank
The Class Selection dialog box will display “105 objects selected”, as illustrated Figure 13. Click the OK button in Class Selection dialog box to exit the Class Selection dialog box, and the program will automatically mesh the part.
Toggle on the Mesh Display option to display the meshing result, as illustrated in Figure 14.
Figure 14
Figure 13

12. III. Blank Size Estimate
Click the Run Mstep button (Figure 15) to run MSTEP, the DOS window will be displayed, as illustrated in Figure 16.
Figure 16
Figure 15

13. III. Blank Size Estimate
MSTEP calculation result is illustrated in Figure 17.
After MSTEP calculation result is completed, the Report button will be activated, as illustrated in Figure 18.
Figure 18
Figure 17

14. IV. Generate Formability Report
Click the Report button to open the Formability Report dialog box, as illustrated in Figure 19.
Click the Apply button to generate the formability report which is illustrated in Figure 20 (The file name of the formability report is Part file name_mstep.Suffix of file type and here the file name is BSE_in_NX_case_mstep.pdf ).
Click the Cancel button to exit the Formability Report dialog box.
Figure 20
Figure 19

15. V. Blank Nesting
Click the Nesting icon ( ) on the NX toolbar to display the Nesting dialog box.
The program will automatically define the last calculated blank outline (including any interior holes) as Outline 1
Users can re-define the blank outline clicking Blank Outline and selecting the desired profiles.
Select nesting type: Two-Up Nesting. (the second icon)
Set up nesting parameters
Type in Edge Width:4.0 mm in Parameters Group. This parameter defines the shortest distance between part and edge boundary.
Type in Bridge Span:10.0 mm. This parameter defines the shortest distance between blanks.
Type in Addendum: 5.0 mm. This parameter is used to setup the addendum of the blank. See Figure 21.
Figure 21

16. V. Blank Nesting
6. Click the Constraints button to set the parameters for strips and blanks.
Note: These parameters restrict the size of strip and the rotation angle of the blank when placed on the strip. If these parameters are not defined, the program will calculate the best nesting result according to the default angle range and angle step. In this tutorial, please use the default angle range and angle step to calculate.
7. Toggle on Fix Width to set the fixed width of the strip with 450, as illustrated in Figure 22.
8. Click the Apply button to begin the nesting calculation.
Figure 22

17. V. Blank Nesting 9. View nesting result.
After completion of nesting calculation, all the possible nesting results are displayed in the detail list. See Figure 23.
The first displayed result in graphic region is the nesting results with the max. material utilization in the defined constraint condition.
The user can click on the other results in detail list to display them in graphic region, or setup the specific parameters and recalculate nesting.
The highest utilization for the nesting result in this tutorial is %, as illustrated in Figure 24 (next slide).
Figure 23

18. V. Blank Nesting
Figure 24

19. VI. Manual Nesting
Click the Manual button to open the Manual dialog box, as illustrated in Figure 25. The blue feature points will be displayed in the nesting result diagram, as shown in Figure 26.
2. Select the blank to operate, and use the rotation and translation buttons to manually manipulate the nesting result, as shown in Figure 27.
Figure 26
Figure 27
Figure 25

20. VI. Manual Nesting
3. Click the Manual Operation button to activate the dynamic manual control interface, as shown in Figure 28.
Move the mouse around the blue feature points until the hinting arrow is displayed, as shown in Figure 29.
Click the left mouse button once on the desired feature point, and move the mouse to dynamically manipulate the nesting result, and left click again to complete the operation.
Click the Back button to return to the Manual interface, or click Cancel to reset the changes. The result for this manual operation is illustrated in Figure 30.
Figure 30
Figure 29
Figure 28

21. VII. Output Nesting Report
The Report button at the right side of the detail list has been activated. Click on this button to output nest.
Click button to input the specified file name of report, or specify paths of the report at the same time.
Enter Base Material Cost: 35 $/kg.
Enter Extra Material Cost: 5 $/kg.
Enter Scrap Material Cost: 2 $/kg.
Enter Consumables Cost: 1 $/kg.
Formula for calculating the cost of each blank :
Cost of each blank = (Base+ Extra) * weight of each blank – Scrap*(1- utilization)* weight of each blank
Click the OK button at the bottom of Report dialog box (See Figure 31), and the program will automatically write in the report in *.htm format to the specified file, as shown in Figure 32(next slide).
Figure 31

22. VII. Output Nesting Report
Figure 32

23. Part Model Preparation For Solid Models: Midsurface by Face Pairs Method
Select Insert menu->Surface->Midsurface -> Face Pairs. See Figure 33.
If the Midsurface command is not listed, users can add the command to the Menu & Toolbar using the NX Command Finder service located In the Help pull-down menu. See Figure 34.
Figure 34
Figure 33

24. VIII. Define Solid Body
The Midsurface by Face Pairs dialog box will be displayed .See Figure 35.
Select solid body by clicking left mouse button on the part. When the solid body is selected, it will be highlighted. See Figure 36.
Figure 36
Figure 35 24

25. IX. Configure Options
Select the Strategy as Progressive. See Figure 37.
Select Automatically Created Face Pairs icon, as illustrated in Figure 38.
After the face pairing is finished, the result will be listed in the Face Pair List. See Figure 38.
Figure 37
Figure 38

26. X. Complete Command
Select Display Options and check the Hide Solid Body Upon Apply option. See Figure 39.
Select the Preview option and click the Show Result icon. We can preview the result. The preview result is shown in Figure 40.
Click OK to generate the mid-surface.
Figure 40
Figure 39

27. Part Model Preparation For Surfaced Models: Extract Part Faces Method
To prepare surfaced parts for unfolding the first step is to convert the part into a solid body using the SEW command.
Click the Insert menu and select Combine -> Sew… See Figure 41.
If the SEW command is not listed, users
Can add the command to the Menu & Toolbar
using the NX Command Finder service located
In the Help pull-down menu. See Figure 42.
Figure 41
Figure 42

28. XI. Convert Sheet Body into Solid Body
1. The Sew dialog box will be displayed, as illustrated in Figure 43.
Select any one of the sheet bodies as the target, as illustrated in Figure 44.
Figure 43
Figure 44

29. XI. Convert Sheet Body into Solid Body
Check all other sheet bodies as the tool, as illustrated in Figure 45 & 46.
Click the OK button to generate the solid part, and now Solid body created will be prompted in the message board.
NOTE: If the Sheets disjoint from target message is displayed (See Figure 47), the user can resolve it by entering a larger tolerance or by repairing the surface.
Figure 47
Figure 46
Figure 45

30. Part Model Preparation: Extract Part Faces Method
Click the Insert menu and select Associative Copy -> Extract Geometry…(See Figure 48)
If the EXTRACT GEOMETRY command is not listed,
users can add the command to the Menu & Toolbar
using the NX Command Finder service located
In the Help pull-down menu. See Figure 49.
Figure 49
Figure 48

31. XII. Extract Faces
1. The Extract Geometry dialog box will be displayed, as illustrated in Figure 50.
Select Region of Faces as the type, and select any face on the upper surfaces as the Seed Face, as illustrated in Figure 51.
Figure 51
Figure 50

32. XII. Extract Faces
Switch to Boundary Face, and select one thickness face as the boundary face, as illustrated in Figure 52.
Expand the Region Options, and toggle on the Traverse Interior Edges option and Use Tangent Edge Angle option. Use the default Angle Tolerance (45 degrees), as illustrated in Figure 53.
Toggle on the Hide Original option and toggle off other options in settings, as illustrated in Figure 53.
Figure 53
Figure 52

33. XII. Extract Faces
The user can click the Preview Region button to review the extracted faces. In this case, the preview result is illustrated in Figure 54 & 55.
Figure 55
Figure 54

34. XII. Extract Faces
If the review result is not what the user needs, click Finish Preview to redefine extracting body. If the review result is acceptable, the user can click OK directly to complete the command. The extracted result is illustrated in Figure 56.
Figure 56