APT Language
APT Language
(APT)
INTRODUCTION OF APT
The APT language was the product of MIT development work on NC
programming systems.
Its development began in June 1956, and it was first used in production
around 1959.
Today it is the most widely used language in NC part programming.
Although first intended as a contouring language , modern versions of APT
can be used for both positioning and continuous path programming .
TYPES OF STATEMENTS IN APT
The four types of statements in the APT language are:
2. Motion Statements: which describe the tool path in relation to the part
geometry
Y P1 = POINT/2,2,2
P1
2
2
DEFINITION OF POINT-2:
(INTERSECTION OF TWO PREVIOUSLY DEFINED
LINES)
P2 = POINT / INTOF,L1,L2
L1
P2
L2
DEFINITION OF POINT-3:
(INTERSECTION POINT OF A PREVIOUSLY DEFINED LINE
AND CIRCLE)
C1
Y
P4
L1
P3
X
DEFINITION OF POINT-4:
(INTERSECTION POINT OF TWO PREVIOUSLY
DEFINED CIRCLES)
Y P3 C1
P4
C2
X
DEFINITION OF POINT-5: (ON THE CIRCUMFERENCE
OF A PREVIOUSLY DEFINED CIRCLE )
P2 = POINT / C1,ATANGL,75
P2
75°
X
C1
DEFINITION OF POINT-6:
(CENTER POINT OF A PREVIOUSLY DEFINED CIRCLE
)
P2 = POINT / CENTER, C1
P2
C1
DEFINITION OF LINE-1:
(PASSING THROUGH TWO PREVIOUSLY DEFINED
POINTS)
L1 = LINE/P1,P2
P2 L1
P1
DEFINITION OF LINE-2:
(PASSING THROUGH A PREVIOUSLY DEFINED POINT AT A
SPECIFIED ANGLE TO THE X-AXIS)
L2
Y
P1 30°
150°
X
DEFINITION OF LINE-3:
(PASSING THROUGH A PREVIOUSLY DEFINED POINT,
PARALLEL TO A PREVIOUSLY DEFINED LINE)
L3 = LINE/P3,PARLEL,L2
P3
L3
L2
DEFINITION OF LINE-4:
(PASSING THROUGH A PREVIOUSLY DEFINED POINT,
PERPENDICULAT TO A PREVIOUSLY DEFINED LINE)
L3 = LINE/P1,PERPTO,L2
P1
L2
L3
DEFINITION OF CIRCLE-1:
(COORDINATES OF CENTER OF CIRCLE, WITH A GIVEN
RADIUS)
C1 = CIRCLE/X,Y,R
C1
(X,Y)
DEFINITION OF CIRCLE-2:
(PREVIOUSLY DEFINED CENTER POINT AND TANGENT TO
A PREVIOUSLY DEFINED LINE)
C2 = CIRCLE/CENTER,P1,TANTO,L2
L2
P1
C2
DEFINITION OF CIRCLE-3:
(PREVIOUSLY DEFINED CENTER POINT AND PASSING
THROUGH ANOTHER PREVIOUSLY DEFINED POINT)
C2 = CIRCLE/CENTER,P1,P2
P2
P1
C2
DEFINITION OF CIRCLE-4:
(PASSING THROUGH THREE PREVIOUSLY DEFINED
POINTS)
C3 = CIRCLE/P1,P2,P3
P2
P1
C3
P3
DEFINITION OF PLANE:
(BY THREE PREVIOUSLY DEFINED POINTS)
PL4 = PLANE/P1,P2,P3
2. MOTION STATEMENTS
APT motion statements have a general format:
motion command / descriptive data
e.g. GOTO / P1
At the beginning of the motion statements tool must be given a starting
point
FROM / P0
Or FROM / -2, -2, 0
The FROM is an APT vocabulary word which indicates that this is the
initial point from which others will be referenced. The FROM statement
occurs only once at the start of the motion sequence.
GOTO:
The GOTO statement instructs the tool to go to a particular point location
specified in the descriptive data.
e.g. GOTO / P2
GOTO / 2, 7, 0
GODLTA:
The GODLTA command specifies an incremental move for the tool.