ART and Nucleo Blocking
When using ART or Nucleo blocking, the rules for block selection are different, and the same constraints applied to traditional blocking do not apply. The physical diameter of the block does not restrict the crib diameter, because the block can be cribbed at the generator.
ART and Nucleo blocks are available in (today) 5 different base curves, and must be selected correctly to ensure the proper amount of adhesive is used between the block and the blank. In addition, since the blocks can be re-used after cribbing, blocks must be selected based on how much block is left (the effective diameter of the re-used block).
When using an ART of Nucleo blocker, Rx-Universe can be configured to select the correct block piece and print it on the work ticket. Rx-Universe will also accept blocking values back from the blocker and use those for calculations and subsequent devices.
Define Block Pieces and Selection Rules
The block pieces and when to use them must be set up under "Setup", "System Settings", then the new "Nucleo" tab.
The ART and Nucleo blocks can be set up separately. For each block piece:
- the "Text" column specifies the text that will be printed on the work ticket.
- the "radius" field is the radius curvature of the inside block piece
- the "min r" field is the minimum radius of curvature of the blank for this block piece
- the "max r" field is the maximum radius of curvature of the blank for this block piece
- the "diam" field is the physical diameter of a new (unused) block piece
The "true curve" of a blank will be converted to radius of curvature and the correct block piece picked based on that.
For example, if a blank has a true curve of 5.92, in 1.53 index, that blank has a radius of curvature of 89.527. Block piece 5 will be used for that blank.
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Blocks will be physically divided into these groups after use, based on how small they were cribbed for the last job run. In the example above, we have 5 groups of blocks:
The first group has blocks up to 55mm large, can be used for any job requiring up to a 55mm crib
The second group has blocks bigger than group 1, up to 57mm; the third group up to 65mm, the fourth up to 70mm, and the last group is made up of full-size blocks (75mm).
To set up the block pieces and the selection rules, please see Setting Up and Selecting ART and Nucleo Blocks.
The Nucleo blocker also sends back information on the block/blank geometry, which Rx-Universe will save and use for subsequent communication with other equipment. One of the pieces of information sent back by the Nucleo is the measured front curve of the blank that has been blocked. If the measured front curve differs from the stored front curve in Rx-Universe, value used for the calculation, Rx-Universe will automatically re-calculate the job; if the measured front curve differs from the stored front curve by a large amount, this may indicate the wrong base curve was pulled, and the job can be placed on hold for manual investigation. The tolerances for triggering re-calculation, and for triggering when the job should be placed on hold, can be set up in Rx-Universe, please see instructions here.