Hardware from Machine Tokens (Overview)

Microvellum software can now accumulate and populate hardware to the work order database based on specific machine tokens. It is one of the useful new Microvellum features supported in build 15.6.2201 or greater.

This new ability works only with the machine tokens HOLES, PLINEFROMHOLES, SLIDE, and CAMLOCK. These token names must be modified to contain the name of the hardware to be added. See  Hardware from Machine Tokens (Reference) in the Microvellum Help Center for more information.

When you configure the token, add a set of curly brackets, including the Hardware names separated by a pipe symbol.  For every hole, a hardware item will be added to the product hardware collection. This results in hardware quantities based on those token parameters.

A good example of these machine tokens is the CAMLOCK token. As you probably know, the CAMLOCK token is associative and requires that there are two adjacent parts in which the existence of one triggers machining on the other. The two parts must be touching but not penetrating. The Camlock token is this kind of token, as the hardware requires machining in both of the parts.

Fig. 1 – Part Properties Showing the CAMLOCK machine token applied to the Left Side

Fig. 2 – Edit Design Data Showing the CAMLOCK machine token applied to the Left & Right Sides

Fig. 3 – Part Properties Showing That No Hardware Exists in the Product Outside of that Specified in the Token

This new ability eliminates the need to use various other methods to determine the hardware quantity for various items in a particular work order. Instead, the program automatically calculates the quantity required and populates them to the Hardware table of the work order database.

If your material file does not contain the hardware items as specified in machine token, the program creates them as the program executes and then adds them to the database. 

Microvellum calculates the total quantity of the individual cam connectors and cam screws based on how many times that machining for the connector and the screw pair occurs in the work order. It is also done similarly with the hardware specified in the other three tokens supported.

Fig. 4 – Work Order Database Showing Hardware Resulting from Camlock Machine Token

Once the data exists in the database, it also available in the Hardware Report and Work Order Summary Report, as shown below.

Fig. 5 – Hardware Report Showing Camlock Hardware

Fig. 6 – Work Order Summary Report Showing Camlock Hardware

You must use a Microvellum library containing the updated machine token data, or you must configure your library data to support this feature. See  Hardware from Machine Tokens (Reference) in the Microvellum Help Center for more information about using these tokens and their parameters. 

Cost-based Estimating must be active for your key in order for that particular feature to work. 

Fig. 7 – An inactive Cost-based Estimating module in the Help/About screen

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