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Configura
User Manual
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FlexLink Configura User Manual

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Last updated: 9/13/2004

Contents

© Copyright Configura Sverige AB 2004. Al l rights reserved. Reproduction, copying or distribution to a third party is prohibited unless
consent in writing has been given by the owner.
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© Copyright Configura Sverige AB 2004. Al l rights reserved. Reproduction, copying or distribution to a third party is prohibited unless
consent in writing has been given by the owner.
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Introduction

Configura is the leading graphical product configurator on the market. Configura will help you design and visualize your products and perform cost estimates. The program contains all the required product information and will generate quotations and other sales documents automatically. In addition, the program knows the capabilities and limitations for each individual product. Configura can also make your presentations more impressive.
An example of a work situation where you would use Configura:
You measure up the customer's premises and produce a drawing in Configura. Working with the customer, you modify the drawing until the customer is satisfied. When you receive a request for a quotation, you can submit this right away along with your drawing and several full-color 3D images. Complete order information can then be linked directly to the manufacturing unit at your company.
Client Sales Mrp
With Configura all the previous steps become one activity.
Configura allows you to prioritize your customers. Instead of spending hours working on quotations or waiting for someone else to produce drawings for you, you can be at the customer's site, offering the optimal business solutions right there on the spot.
For more information, please ask for one of our brochures or visit our website at
www.configura.com
2D drawing 3D image
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Basic Principles of Configura

Together with your product knowledge, learning the basics of Configura will enable you to quickly start using the program as a daily sales tool. This tutorial will help you get started! However, for more thorough information, go to Configura Help (reached from the Help menu or by pressing F1).

User Interface

The Configura work environment has a clear and simple design. Starting at the top and working down, the user interface is made up of a title bar with the name and the version number of the customized version, the menu bar and the toolbar. Below the toolbar on the left are the component tabs and on the right the drawing area.
1. Title bar with version numbers
2. Menu bar
3. Toolbar
4. Component tabs (vertical and horizontal)
5. Status bar with price and scale
6. Drawing area (unlimited size – click and drag it in any direction)
1 2 3
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4
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The status bar at the bottom of the Configura window contains two boxes. The left-hand box shows the total price of the components on the drawing area and the second box shows the current scale of the objects in the drawing area.
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Control Panel

Selecting the language in which you would like to run the program is one of the first settings that you have to do after installing the program for the first time. In order to do so, go to the File menu and select Control Panel to display a dialog with four tabs – General, User Interface, Auto 3D and JPG. All settings made in this dialog will be saved and you do not need to select them again when installing new versions.
The General tab in the Control Panel contains two main fields: Regional Settings and Drawing File Settings. On this tab, you will find the settings that are most important at an initial stage.
In the Regional Settings field you choose the language in which you want to run the program as well as the desired dimension unit. Clicking the Update dimensions button will automatically change the dimension unit on dimensions that have already been placed on the drawing area, provided that you have changed unit.
In the Drawing File Settings field, we recommend that you activate the Auto save at interval function. That way, your work is being saved at regular intervals. In the text field to the right, you can enter how often your work should be saved (every 1 to 60 minutes). Auto save only saves the 10 most recent versions of your drawing. To find the drawings that Configura has saved automatically, go to the File menu and choose Open Autosaved Drawing. In the text field next to Number of recent drawings you decide how many of your recently opened files you want displayed when clicking on Recent Drawings in the File menu. The minimum number is 1 and the maximum is 12.
Below the two main fields, you will see the Calculate price choice. Checking this box will allow the price of the component(s) that you position on the drawing area to be displayed. The price information is shown in the status bar in the bottom left-hand corner of the Configura window.
Note:
Once you have chosen the language and dimension unit, the Control Panel closes, when you click on OK or Apply. This so that Configura can be updated according to the changes you have made. To select additional settings, you must open the dialog box from the File menu, by choosing Control Panel again.

Choosing and Positioning

In the program, all objects that can be picked from one of the component tabs in the left­hand part of the program window and then positioned on the drawing area are referred to as "components". If you hover the mouse pointer over a component, a short help text with the name of the information about the component is displayed. You position most components in the drawing area by choosing a component on the tab by clicking on it,
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moving the mouse pointer to (Note: You do not need to keep the mouse button pressed down!) to the drawing area and clicking the component in the position where you want it. In Configura, this process is called “pick and place”.
After you have positioned a component in the drawing area, you can click an almost unlimited number of times to add new occurrences of the same component in the drawing area. One click for each component is all that is needed. If you do not want to position several components of the same type, move the pointer outside the drawing area. The pointer drops the current component.

Snap Points

The vast majority of the Configura components have snap points. Furniture, industrial items, lines and other types of component all have points where they fix to other components. This is called snapping. The snapping is controlled by each component's built­in rules. This means that components that are designed to fit together automatically find each other's snap points. Snap points are shown as yellow triangles or squares.
Components snapped together can be disconnected by clicking on of the yellow triangles (see picture 1 below).
1
The automatic snapping behavior can be deactivated by pressing the Shift key (see picture 2 below). This is useful to avoid the automatic snapping when positioning two components close to each other.
2

Stretching and Rotating

Most components in Configura are also stretchable both in length and width and can also be made smaller in both directions. To stretch or to shrink a component, click on a snap
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point, keep the mouse button down and drag to desired length/width. Some components can be stretched immediately when they are been placed on the drawing area.
Components can also be rotated by clicking on a snap point, keeping the mouse button pressed down and dragging the mouse pointer in the direction in which you want to rotate the component (following one of the curved arrows).

Double clicking <-> Right clicking

For some components in Configura, double-clicking on them evokes a special feature or behavior. This could be the door of a cabinet component opening, a newspaper component going from open to closed etc. If a component does not have such a special behavior built in to it, the double-click will simply open its Settings dialog.
The majority of the components in Configura have a dialog where settings can be made after positioning on the drawing area. You always access the Settings dialogs by right clicking on the component on the drawing area and choosing Settings from the pop-up menu.
Useful commands in the program, such as Undo, Redo, Delete, Copy and Paste, are also available from the pop-up menu, which appears when you right click on the activated component. They also appear on the toolbar and as shortcut keys (Ctrl+Z, Ctrl+Y etc.).

Importing and Exporting

Apart from the specific FlexLink imports and exports (which will be described in the chapters Company Menu and Exporting Options in the Print Dialog), Configura’s Import and Export tab contains a number of useful features for importing and exporting drawing information (dwf, dxf etc.). For more information about these options, go to the Configura
Help (reached from the Help menu or by pressing F1).
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Customized Conveyor

On the Customized Conveyor tab you customize a conveyor system from the start. In this documentation, this tab is therefore used to illustrate the design process in Configura.
The layout and the settings are similar on all component tabs in the program. Apart from the main system settings made at the top, the Customized Conveyor tab is divided into five different sections: Drive Unit, Beam Idler and Bends, Vertical Section, Support and Guide Rail.
The typical design process on the Customized Conveyor tab would be the following:
1. Select the desired system type at the top.
2. Do your pre-sets.
3. Place a drive unit on the drawing area.
4. Continue with beams and horizontal bends.
5. If required, add a vertical bend to the conveyor (in Configura named Vertical Section).
6. Finish off with the idler.
7. Add support and guide rails.
Below you will find further descriptions of the features and settings on the Customized Conveyor tab.
Image 1
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Conveyor System

Type

Having selected a conveyor system at the top of the Customized Conveyor tab (XL, XM, XB, XH or XK), you will only be able to make settings that are applicable to that specific system. This means that Configura will prevent you from producing unfeasible combinations. For example, select the XB system type. You will now notice that the Wheel Bend component is grayed out completely (see previous page, image 1), since it is not available for XB systems.

Height

In the Height field, type in the distance from the floor to the upper part of the chain.

Height Information

This feature will display a text box on the drawing area with the current height (or angle for a Vertical Section) of the object that you select on the drawing area. To use it, click the Height Information button. Move the mouse pointer onto the drawing area and then click on the desired object. The text is shown right next to the object. Click the yellow rectangle attached to the text and drag to move it further away.

Slide Rail

Select the desired slide rail.

Chain Type

Select the desired chain type.

Drive Unit

Type/Speed

In this two-level choice, first select the motor type and the preferred speed.

Drive Unit

The Drive Unit component can either be placed freely on the drawing area or connected to an existing component, such as a beam. The typical user scenario, however, would be to start with the drive unit.
To place the drive unit freely, proceed as follows:
1. Select the drive unit, move it to the drawing area and click once.
2. Set the angle by moving the mouse pointer in the desired direction and clicking. Alternatively, press one of the arrow keys (left/right arrow; up/down arrow) and then click.
3. Choose left/right motor side by moving the mouse pointer in the desired direction. Confirm by clicking.
To connect the drive unit to a beam, proceed as follows:
1. Select the drive unit and move it towards the beam on the drawing area. The drive unit snaps to both sides of the existing beam. Click when it is in the position you want it.
2. Choose left/right motor side by moving the mouse pointer in the desired direction. Confirm by clicking.

Beam, Idler and Bends

Beam

Having placed the drive unit, you would typically add a beam. The Beam component can be stretched to the preferred length.
There are two different ways of connecting a beam to a drive unit:
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A. Stretch the beam while positioning: Move the beam close to the drive unit until the two components snap. Continue to press and hold the left mouse button, drag to desired length and release the mouse button.
B. First position and then stretch: Move the beam close to the drive unit until the two components snap. Click, release the mouse button and move the mouse pointer in a horizontal/vertical direction until the beam has the length you want. Alternatively, you can type in an exact value. Finally, click to confirm.
Note:
The minimum length for the XL, XM, XH and XK systems is 160 mm. The minimum length for the XB system is 500 mm.

Idler

The Idler component can either be placed freely on the drawing area or connected to an existing component, such as a beam. The typical user scenario would be to start with the drive unit, add a beam and finish off with the idler.
To place the idler freely, proceed as follows:
1. Select the idler, move it to the drawing area and click once.
2. Set the angle by moving the mouse pointer in the desired direction and clicking. Alternatively, press one of the arrow keys (left/right arrow; up/down arrow) and click.
To connect the idler to a beam, proceed as follows:
1. Select the idler and move it towards the beam on the drawing area. The idler snaps to the beam.
2. Click to position it.

Plain Bend

The Plain Bend component can be connected to an existing item on the drawing area (drive unit, beam, idler etc.) and is used to provide a horizontal change of direction in the conveyor. The plain bends are used in cases where wheel bends (see below) are not suitable. You can set the direction, the angle and the radius of the plain bend.
To place the plain bend freely, proceed as follows:
1. Select the bend, move it to the drawing area and click once.
2. Move the mouse pointer horizontally. The first tangent is now visible as a broken red line. Click to select the point of intersection between the tangents.
3. Move the mouse pointer vertically to see how the second tangent becomes more visible.
4. Move the mouse pointer a bit horizontally to see that the curve changes its angle (only a few determined angles are allowed, which are given automatically when moving the mouse pointer) and then click to confirm.
5. Set the radius by moving the mouse pointer further away from/closer to the center of the curve and finally click.
To connect a plain bend to e.g. a beam, proceed as follows:
1. Move the bend close to the beam until the two components snap and click.
2. Move the mouse pointer to determine the direction and the angle of the bend. Click to confirm.
3. Select desired radius and click.

Wheel Bend

The Wheel Bend component can be connected to a beam, plain bend or a vertical section. It is used to provide a horizontal change of direction in the conveyor with a minimum amount of friction. You can set the direction and the angle of the wheel bend.
To connect a wheel bend to e.g. a beam, proceed as follows:
1. Move the bend close to the beam until the two components snap and click.
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2. Move the mouse pointer to determine the direction and the angle of the bend. Click to confirm.

Vertical Section

The Vertical Section component will create a section that can be connected to an existing part on the drawing area (drive unit, beam, idler etc.) and is used to provide a vertical change of direction in the conveyor. The vertical section includes two vertical bends and the conveyor beam in between. The vertical section starts and ends horizontally.
You can stretch the vertical section to the desired length, determine the inclination/declination as well as the direction of the it.

Angle

This choice sets the inclination of the beam.

Height Difference

The plus and the minus buttons set the direction of the inclination. Plus (+) means that the conveyor will incline from the point that you connect the vertical section to. Minus (-) means decline. In the white text field to the right, you type in the actual height difference.
Note:
It is not possible to connect supports to the conveyor beam in a vertical section if the angle is 15, since special support brackets are required.

Support

A typical conveyor support solution is made up of beams, feet and several types of beam connecting devices. The support can be placed manually in the desired position on the conveyor. You can also let the program automatically spread out at the required amount at regular intervals (Auto Support, see below).
Before placing the support, click the Settings button.

Settings

Clicking the Settings button will open up the Support Setup dialog box (see below), where you do your pre-sets.
The Support Setup dialog box.
System/Type
This information field simply displays the selected conveyor system. To change to a different system type, close the dialog box. Go back to the top of the component tab and select one of the five options and re-open the Support Setup dialog.
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Support Module
The Support Module drop-down list will only display the available options for the selected conveyor system.
CC Foot
When using the Auto Support feature (see below), this is where you enter the distance between the supports.
CC Beam
When using the T-Support module, this is where you enter the distance between two beams.

Support

With the Support component you place supports manually, one at a time. According to the valid rules, you can only place the supports in given positions (i.e. never too close to a drive unit, an idler etc).
To place a support manually,
1. Move the support close to the conveyor until it snaps to it and click.
2. Continue to click once for each support that you would like to add.

Auto Support

The Auto Support component automatically places the number of supports required for the conveyor system, all in one step. Supports already positioned can be removed manually by clicking on the yellow triangles.
To use the automatic support feature, select the component and snap it to the conveyor system.
Note: If you change system type at this stage, you will have to select new supports. To indicate this, the buttons Support and Auto Support are deactivated when you select a different system at the top.

Guide Rail

Guide rails can be placed manually one at a time on the conveyor. You can also let the program automatically place the number of guide rails required for the system (Auto Guide Rail, see below).
Before placing the support, click the Settings button.

Settings

Clicking the Settings button will open up the Guide Rail Properties dialog box (see below), where you do your pre-sets.
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The Guide Rail Properties dialog box.
System/Type
This information field displays the selected conveyor system.
Bracket/Type, Guide Rail and Guide Rail Cover
Select bracket type, material and dimension for the guide rail and whether the guide rail should have a polyethylene cover or not, by checking the desired options.
Model/Clamp (W min/max).
The two values in brackets are the minimum and the maximum distance between the guide rails (W), i.e. determine the size of the products that are to be transported on the conveyor.
The W measurement is the distance between the brackets.
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No. of distance (W min/max)
The number of supplementary distance pieces required to widen the distance between the guide rails, i.e. to give place to wider products on the conveyor. The new, total, measurement (W) between the guide rails is also given here.
CC distance
The distance between the guide rail brackets when using automatic placement of guide rails (Auto Guide rail, see below).
Clamp positions – Choose the clamp positions for your bracket type, by checking the corresponding boxes.
The red arrow points out one out of four possible clamp positions for bracket type A110.
Note:
To activate the text fields below the picture (Free Height, High Clamp Height and Low Clamp Height), select bracket type High.
Free Height – the distance marked as WH on the image below.
When choosing bracket type High and selecting the two checkboxes, all the text fields are automatically activated.

Guide Rail

With the Guide Rail component you place guide rails manually, one at a time.
To place a guide rail manually,
1. Move the guide rail close to the conveyor until it snaps to it and click.
2. Continue to click once for each guide rail that you would like to add.
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Auto Guide Rail

The Auto Guide Rail component automatically places the number of guide rails required for the conveyor system, all in one step. Guide rails already positioned can be removed manually by clicking on the yellow triangles.
To use the automatic guide rail feature, select the component and snap it to the conveyor system.
Note:
- If you change system at this stage, you will have to select new guide rails. To show this, the buttons Guide Rail and Auto Guide Rail are deactivated when you select a different system at the top.
- To view examples on how to build one-way and two-way conveyors, go to Example 1 and Example 2 at the end of this tutorial.
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Std Conveyor Modules

The Std Conveyor Modules tab contains Flexlink’s standard conveyor systems. The layout and the settings on the tab are similar to the Customized Conveyor tab. Apart from the main system and module settings made at the top, the tab is divided into five different sections: Drive Unit, Bends, Module, Support and Guide Rail.
Instead of customizing the conveyor system from the start, here you simply pick a module from a library with the most common standard conveyor modules (S, L, U, Z, Q and D).
To build a standard conveyor system, proceed as follows:
1. Select the desired system and module type at the top.
2. Do your pre-sets.
3. Move down to the Module heading. A picture of the selected conveyor system is shown.
4. Click the picture and move the mouse pointer to the drawing area.
5. Click to position the conveyor.
6. Add support and guide rails.
Note:
When selecting Module Type, Module Subtype or Bend Type, the picture is updated directly. However, when changing Motor Side the change is not visible until the module is actually placed on the drawing surface. At this stage, supports and guide rails have to be put out in the usual way.
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EM Modules

The EM Modules tab contains Flexlink’s EM conveyor systems. The layout and the settings on the tab are similar to the Customized Conveyor tab. Apart from the module settings made at the top, the tab is divided into six different sections: Drive Unit, Bends, Measures, Module, Support and Guide Rail.
Instead of customizing the conveyor system from the start, here you pick a module from a library with the most common standard conveyor modules (S, L, U and Z) for the EM conveyor system.
To build an EM conveyor system, proceed as follows:
1. Select a module type at the top.
2. Do your pre-sets.
3. Move down to the Module heading. A picture of the selected conveyor system is shown.
4. Click the picture and move the mouse pointer to the drawing area.
5. Click to position the conveyor.
6. Add support and guide rails.
Note: When selecting Module Type or Subtype, the picture is updated directly. However, other changes, such as Motor Side, Bend Type, are not visible until the module is actually placed on the drawing surface. At this stage, supports and guide rails should be put out in the usual way.
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Pallet Conveyor

The Pallet Conveyor tab contains pallet-handling systems. The layout and the settings on the tab are very similar to the Customized Conveyor tab. Apart from the system settings made at the top, the component tab is divided into six different sections: Drive Unit,
Conveyor Components, Pallets, Pallet Handling Components, Support and Guide Rail.
In the usual way, you here customize the conveyor system from the start (see Customized Conveyor).
To build a pallet conveyor, proceed as follows:
1. Select the desired system type at the top.
2. Do your pre-sets.
3. Build a main conveyor (the “highway”).
4. Build a separate subordinated conveyor (a “satellite”) using the divert/merge components.
5. Place the pallet-handling components (including pallets, locating station, stop cylinder and sensor bracket).
6. Add support and guide rails.
Below you will find further descriptions of the new components on the Pallet tab.
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Conveyor Components

A Divert, Merge or a combined Divert/Merge component can be connected alongside or to the ends of an existing beam on the drawing area. You can set the direction and the angle of these components.

Divert

A divert is used for guiding the flow of products off the highway into a satellite.

Merge

A merge is used for guiding products from a satellite back to the highway.

Divert/Merge

A divert/merge permits products to:
- Be guided into a satellite
- Be returned back to the highway
- Circulate on the satellite
To connect a Divert, Merge or a combined Divert/Merge component to the end of a beam, proceed as follows:
1. Select the component and move it to the drawing area. With the arrow of your mouse pointer, point at the end of the beam. When the two components snap, click.
2. Move the mouse pointer to determine the direction and the angle of the component.
3. Click to confirm.
To connect a Divert, Merge or a combined Divert/Merge component along the side of a beam, proceed as follows:
1. Select the component and move it to the drawing area. With the arrow of your mouse pointer, point along the side of the beam. When the component is in the desired position, click.
2. Move the mouse pointer to determine the angle.
3. Click to confirm.

Pallet Handling Components

All pallet-handling components are positioned in the same way: Move the component close to the conveyor until it snaps alongside the conveyor. Click it into position.

Locating Station

The Locating Station component is connected to the highway or satellite conveyor.

Support

The Support component is only used on the XK system and is connected to the locating station.

Stop Cylinder

The Stop Cylinder component is connected to the highway or satellite conveyor.

Sensor Bracket

The Sensor Bracket component is connected to the highway or satellite conveyor.
Note:
- To place a Divert, Merge or a combined Divert/Merge component in an exact position on a main conveyor, use a Reference Point from the Line Drawing 1 tab (see image below).
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Proceed as follows:
1. Move the reference point to the drawing area. Move it to the end of the main
conveyor and click when it snaps.
2. Type in the desired distance from this end point and confirm by clicking.
3. The divert/merge components (or even a complete satellite that you have built on
the side) will now snap to the reference point.
- You can right-click on the actual pallet on the conveyor and select Settings. In the dialog box that opens, it is possible to change settings and add various items. The option Total Number of Pallets allows you to specify the required amount of pallets in the system. This means that you do not have to visualize the whole amount of pallets that you order.
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Enclosure System

The Enclosure System tab contains a selection of Flexlink’s aluminum profiles and accessories for building partitions and hinged or sliding doors. The tab is divided into five different sections: Enclosure Inserts, Low Panels, High Panels, Doors and Feet.
To build an enclosure system, proceed as follows:
1. Select the desired enclosure type at the top.
2. Place the panels. They automatically snap to each other.
3. Add a door.
4. Add the feet.
Below you will find further descriptions of the features on the Enclosure System tab.

Low/High Panels

Place a panel on the drawing surface. A second panel automatically appears. Choose left or right side by moving the mouse pointer horizontally. Continue to move the mouse pointer slowly vertically to decide the angle and finally click.
The panels can be stretched into desired length after being placed on the drawing surface. The panel height (i.e. the distance from the floor to the upper edge of the panel), however, cannot be changed at this stage.
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Doors

Select the Hinged Door and move close to the panel that has already been placed on the drawing surface. Let the components snap, choose the door’s direction by moving the mouse pointer vertically and then click. Now, select door side by, once again, moving the mouse pointer vertically. Continue to move the mouse pointer horizontally to select left or right hinge side and finally click. To place a Sliding Door, follow the same instructions as for Hinged Door. Doors are only available in the height 2000 mm!

Feet

Places one foot support at a time in given positions. These can be removed manually by selecting the component No Foot and then clicking once on the foot to be removed.
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Company Menu

The five most important menu items in the Company menu are the following: Preferences, Quotation Information, Estimate Sheet, Import from Excel and Update Databases.
Below you will find further descriptions.

Preferences

In the User field, enter your full name. Company information is used as page footer on printouts. You can select default object for fastening of slide rail.

Quotation Information

This is where you fill in customer details. For addresses, type the address manually or search in the browser.

Estimate Sheet

With the assistance of the Estimate Sheet you can look at prices, add discounts, change the quantity etc. In order to see the complete estimate, press the FlexLink icon and type in the password. If you want the costs and the margins to be displayed in the estimate, click on the button Show additional info in the left hand corner.
The Estimate Sheet
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In the Estimate Type field, you can select between the following options:
- Optimization
Determine whether you want to calculate order quantity by exact product quantity or per pack unit.
- Cut beams
Determine whether you want to calculate order quantity by exact beam length (cut beams) or per pack unit (3 meters).
-
Position
Here you determine which components you want displayed in the estimate sheet. On the drawing area, it is possible to create “positions” (see Positioning Components). This means that you create and name a specific area, in which you can include a selection of the components on the drawing area. This way, you can specify these products separately under individual headings in the estimate, i.e. divide the estimate into separate sections. When a position has been created, it will be shown as an available option in the Position drop-down list. The Default option will include components on the drawing surface that have not been defined in a position. Total will ignore all positions and display all components on the drawing surface.

Remove Articles from Estimate

For parts that you do not want included in the estimate, type the same negative value as the positive value in the estimate list (under Qty) in the Corr field next to it.

Pick Articles

This is a search function for specific parts (FlexLink or external) that you want to add to your estimate. Press one of the two the buttons Add FlexLink article or Add external article to search for desired part (-s) and click Add.
To get a discount on the final total price, enter a percentage in the first green field of the table in the lower right corner. Type a value, plus or minus, to round up the final total price (below the discount field).
Note: The green fields in the estimate are always editable.

Import from Excel

This function allows you to import information from Microsoft Excel and is used when you wish to add external articles to your estimate. Current prices for engineering, assembly, freight and packaging are also brought in from here.
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Proceed as follows:
1. Browse for the Excel document.
2. Check the Modification date. This field tells you when the Excel files were changed the last time, both the last imported file and the new current one.
3. Select the file and click OK.
Note: The new document to be imported will replace the old file. One person at each sales department will be responsible for Configura and for creating and updating these files.

Update databases

This function allows you to update the databases (customer and price information) from Movex.
Proceed as follows:
1. Ensure that you have defined the ODBC data source according to the instruction found on IntraFlex.
2. Type in the user name and password.
3. Check the databases you want to update.
4. Press Update. This will take a while.
Note: This functionality is not available for all users.
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Positioning Components

Using the Positioning Components heading on the Tools tab, you can enclose components on the drawing area that are to be specified individually in the estimate and the final quotation. This means that you can divide an estimate into separate sections and thereby specifying the data of a certain module. Use the first feature, Rectangular Position.
In order to create a position, proceed as follows:
1. Select the component Rectangular position and place it close to the conveyor system that you want a separate specification for. Press and hold the mouse button while moving the mouse pointer diagonally over the system until the desired components are inside the blue rectangle and have received a gray shadow (see picture below).
2. In the dialog box that appears automatically, type the headings you prefer to use (e.g. EM Module) and click OK.
3. The blue label connected to the position component is changed and now displays the information entered in the dialog box.
4. In the Estimate Sheet, go to Position and select the position that you just created. Only the items included in that particular area, will now be specified below.
The Position Settings dialog where you type in the desired information.
Note: The parameters Level 1, 2, 3 etc. can also be changed to suit your specific requests. Click on Preferences and a new dialog box will appear, where you can select other alternatives.
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Exporting Options in the Print Dialog

The Print dialog contains all the FlexLink export options.

Save Draw Area as PDF

This will save the drawing layout as a PDF file.
Proceed as follows:
1. Click on the button Save Draw Area as PDF.
2. In the standard Save As… dialog, name the file and click on Save. Adobe Acrobat Reader will now automatically open the document and the drawing will appear in PDF format.

Create WEB Order File

This will create a text file that can be uploaded to ExtraFlex.
Proceed as follows:
1. Click on the button Create WEB order file.
2. In the standard Save As… dialog, name the file and click on Save.
3. This file can manually be uploaded to ExtraFlex.

Export to Excel

This will export part number, description, quantity, order quantity, price and total price to Microsoft Excel.
Proceed as follows:
1. Click on the button Export to Excel.
2. The file is created and opened in Excel. You can edit and save the file as you wish.

Export to Word

This will export the material list to the Microsoft Word file format.
Proceed as follows:
3. Click on the button Export to Word.
4. In the standard Open dialog select desired template in the catalogue Flex\Flexlink\wordtemplates (this is automatically opened the first time), and click
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Open. Microsoft Word will now automatically open the new Word document that was
created and necessary changes can later be done.
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Exercise 1: Building a Two-Way Conveyor System

In this exercise we will build a simple two-way system, change system length, add supports and guide rails, render a 3D image and print a quotation. Before creating a professional printout of your quotation, including a drawing and a 3D­rendered image of your system, you will learn how to customize the layout to suit your particular needs.
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Proceed as follows:
1. Start Configura by selecting Programs/Configura for FlexLink/Flex in your MS Windows Start menu or simply by clicking on the Flex icon on your desktop.
2. Go to the File menu and select Control Panel. Make the desired language and unit settings and activate Auto save by checking that box.
3. In the File menu, select Save as to name the file from the start and to determine where to save it.
4. Make sure that the first component tab, Customized Conveyor, is selected. Do your pre-sets and select the Drive Unit component. Move the component onto the drawing area and click. Enter the desired angle by and click again. Now you will be presented with yet another choice; Right: Yes/No. By moving your mouse in the desired direction, you can select the motor position before finally clicking the drive unit in place.
5. Select the Beam, snap it to the drive unit and click. Enter the desired length and confirm by clicking.
6. Up until now, the color of your system has been red, indicating that it is not a complete system. To make it valid, you have to finish off with the Idler. Select the idler, snap it to the beam and click. Your system now turns gray, indicating that it is a valid two-way system including a drive unit and an idler.
7. You can change the length of your conveyor system at this stage by right clicking on the beam and selecting Settings. Select Beam and enter your preferred system length in the Length field (always the length of the center line between two break points), e.g. 5000 (mm). Click OK. Your system is now 5000 mm in length.
8. Before proceeding to supports and guide rails, have a look at your conveyor system in its current state by clicking on one of the camera icons, Auto 3D (Fast) or Auto 3D (detailed), in the toolbar. Close the 3D rendering window to return to your drawing.
9. Under the Support heading, click on the Settings button to do your pre-sets. Then select the Auto Support component and snap it to the conveyor. Click once to automatically add the required support modules to your system. Render an image to view the result.
10. In order to change the type of support module, right-click on the beam and select Remove all supports. Go back to the component tab, change the settings and add the new support to the system.
11. Under the Guide Rail heading, click on the Settings button to do your pre-sets. Select the Auto Guide Rail component and snap it to the conveyor. Click once to
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automatically add the required guide rails to your system. Render an image to view the result.
Result in 3D
12. In order to change the type of guide rail, right-click on the beam and choose Remove all guide rail holders. Go back to the component tab, change the settings and add
the new guide rails to the system.
13. Having done this, you have the possibility to visualize your choice of guide rails. Right­click on a component in your system, e.g. a beam. Select Add Cross-section at the bottom of the menu that appears. The cross-section is now attached to your mouse pointer and you can place anywhere on your drawing.
14. Save your drawing by selecting Save in the File menu or by clicking the save icon in the toolbar.
15. To print the drawing, click the print icon in the toolbar. In the dialog that opens, check the two boxes Drawing and Quotation. Click Settings in both frames to select printers. You can have two different printers selected, i.e. a color printer for the drawing and a laser printer for the quotation. Select Preview to watch the result on­screen and Print to print your drawing and the quotation.
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Exercise 2: Building a One-Way Conveyor System Using Help
Lines
Using help lines to build a one-way conveyor system is a useful technique when you have the system layout ready. This is then done before you start planning your conveyor system.
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Proceed as follows:
1. Begin by drawing the conveyor path using help lines. In our example we will use a rectangle, 5x4 m. Select the Line Drawing 1 tab and then the Multiple help lines component.
2. Move the mouse pointer to the drawing surface and click once to set the beginning of the first help line.
3. Move the mouse to the right, keeping the line horizontal. Type 5000 and press Enter. Alternatively, type 5000 directly and then press the right arrow on the keyboard to set the line’s direction. Your first line is now 5000 mm long.
4. Move your mouse vertically downwards, press 4000 and Enter. Alternatively, type 4000 directly and then the down arrow on the keyboard to set the line’s direction. Continue in the same way, completing a rectangle measuring 5000x4000 mm.
5. We will now add conveyor bends to the drawing, using the help lines for positioning. The principle for positioning bends is to make four selections in the following order: Tangent 1 – Point of intersection – Tangent 2 - Radius. After each of these selections, click the mouse once to move on to the next selection. To begin with, we will add a bend in the upper right corner of the rectangle that we just completed.
6. On the Customized Conveyor tab, select a Plain Bend. Click somewhere in the middle of the uppermost help line to select Tangent 1. Now click in the top right corner to select the Point of intersection. Then click somewhere on the rightmost help line to select Tangent 2. Finally, move the mouse pointer to select Radius: 500 mm and then click.
7. Proceed in the same way to add plain bends to all four corners of the rectangle.
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8. Now add Beams to the left, bottom and right side.
9. Add a beam in the upper left corner. Select a Catenary drive unit, 20 (m/min) under Drive Unit - Type/Speed and place it to the right of the beam you just added. Finally add a beam that covers the space to the right of the drive unit. Your system turns gray, and is now completed. Add support and guide rails using the automatic features as in Exercise 1 and render an image.
Layout in 2D Result in 3D
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Exercise 3: Adding a Subordinated Conveyor to a Main Pallet
Conveyor
This exercise will guide you through the steps adding a subordinated conveyor to a main XK pallet conveyor.
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Proceed as follows:
1. Go to the Pallet Conveyor tab and select XK as system type.
2. Do your pre-sets.
3. To create the main conveyor, proceed in the usual way by placing a drive unit, continuing with a beam and finally completing the system with an idler.
4. To make the positioning of the divert and the merge easier and more exact, define two connecting points. Go to the Line Drawing 1 tab and select a Reference Point under Drawing Aids. Move the reference point to the drawing area and position it where you want the divert. Proceed in the same way to add the second reference point for the merge (see below).
5. Select a Divert component. Move the mouse pointer close to the reference point and place the arrow exactly on the blue point and click. The next step is to determine a 45­degree angle by moving the mouse pointer in a horizontal direction towards the drive unit.
6. Select a beam, snap it to the divert and click. Enter the desired distance and click.
7. Select a wheel bend, snap it to the beam and click. Determine a 45-degree angle by moving the mouse pointer in a horizontal direction towards the drive unit.
8. Add another beam. The length of the beam is not important at this stage, since it will be adjusted later.
9. Add a second wheel bend with a 45-degree angle.
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10. Select the Merge component. Move the mouse pointer close to the second reference point and point with the arrow exactly to the blue point and click. Determine a 45­degree angle by moving the mouse pointer in a horizontal direction towards the idler.
11. To close the system, you need to adjust the length of the beam placed between the two upper wheel bends. Configura will help you find the right length. Select the system, so that the yellow snap points are shown. Stretch the middle beam by clicking and dragging the yellow triangle next to the wheel bend (marked with a red square on image below). First drag the beam horizontally and then vertically towards the merge (see arrows on image below). The beam length will now be adjusted automatically. Release the mouse button.
12. Select a final beam, snap it to the wheel bend and click. Move the mouse pointer to the merge component until the two components snap and click again.
13. Add a drive unit and an idler to the subordinated conveyor. The system is now complete.
14. Finally, add the pallets.
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Exercise 4: Adding a Satellite to a Main Pallet Conveyor

This exercise will teach you how to add a satellite to a main XK pallet conveyor.
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Proceed as follows:
1. Go to the Pallet Coneyor tab and select XK as system type.
2. Do your pre-sets.
3. To create the main conveyor, proceed in the usual way by placing a drive unit, continuing with a beam and finally completing the system with an idler.
4. To make the positioning of the divert/merge easier and more exact, define a connecting point. Go to the Line Drawing 1 tab and select a Reference Point under Drawing Aids. Move the reference point to the drawing area and position it where you want the divert/merge.
5. Select the Divert/Merge component. Move the mouse pointer close to the reference point, place the arrow exactly on the blue point and click. Make sure that you have a 180-degree angle by moving the mouse pointer in the desired direction and click again.
6. Select a beam, snap it to one side of the divert/merge and click. Enter the desired beam length and click. Add the second beam in the same way.
7. Select a Horizontal Bend Drive Unit and snap it to the first beam and click. Move the mouse pointer to the second beam and click again. The satellite is now complete and turns gray.
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15. Finally, add the pallets.
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Exercise 4: Pasting a Rendered Image Into the Drawing
After you have rendered a 3D image you can paste it onto the drawing.
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Proceed as follows:
1. Render an image.
2. Click on Image in the top left-hand corner and then on Paste.
3. Name the file and where the image is to be saved.
4. Click on Save.
5. Close down the image. A 3D color image automatically appears next to the drawing.
Print preview of drawing with pasted image.
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Exercise 5: Printing the Drawing Using a Print Frame

The Print Frame makes it easier to position the drawing layout on the paper. You place the frame, your "paper", around the area to be printed and thereafter specify the desired paper size, orientation and drawing scale. This way, you can work with the drawing layout and view the result right away on screen.
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To use a print frame, proceed as follows:
1. Select the Print Frame component from the Tools tab.
2. Move the mouse pointer onto the drawing area. A blue frame is attached to it.
3. Position and stretch the size of the print frame in one step. Press and hold the left mouse button whilst dragging the mouse pointer diagonally across the drawing layout until desired frame size. Make sure that the objects that you want on your printout are inside the frame.
4. Release the mouse button. Leave the drawing area to drop the component.
5. The dialog Print Frame Settings is shown.
6. Click on the Printer button. In the dialog that appears, do your printer setup, select paper size and choose orientation. Click on OK to confirm and to close the dialog.
7. Back in the original dialog, Print Frame Settings, select Apply in order to see how the frame size adjusts to your settings and too be able to see the drawing header.
8. Depending on the result on the drawing area, select the desired drawing scale. In the Scale 1: field, choose one of the predefined scales, or enter a value in the text box that is activated when clicking on the button.
9. Click on the Print Settings button to open the Print dialog.
10. In the Print Drawing field, check the Drawing check box.
11. Make sure that the print frame is activated on the drawing area (i.e. its yellow snap points must be visible). Select the alternative Chosen print frame. If you have
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several print frames, and want to print them all, check the radio button All print frames.
12. Check the Frame box to add a black frame around the drawing on the printout.
13. In the Copies field, enter the number of copies you want to print.
14. If you want to see in advance what the printout will look like, click on Preview button.
15. If you are happy with the result, close the preview and click on Print.
The space between the two lines is for the company’s logo and other details.
16. When the printer setup for the frame is done and you have confirmed with OK or Apply, a blue inner frame appears inside the black solid one. Now you can clearly see
where the drawing header is. Make sure that the whole drawing is inside the blue frame - objects placed outside will not appear on the printout.
17. After you have placed and activated the frame on the drawing area and done your printer setup in the Print Frame Settings dialog, you can also close the dialog and print out the drawing in the usual way by going to the Print menu or by clicking on the icon in the toolbar.
18. To be able to select the alternative Selected print frame in the Print Settings dialog, the frame on the drawing area must be activated. You activate a frame by clicking at the very edge of the frame, between the blue dotted line and the black solid one.
19. To move the print frame on the drawing area, click between the dashed blue line and the black line, and drag the frame.
20. You can also set the drawing scale by stretching the print frame. Click on one of the three snap points on the right-hand side of the frame, hold down the mouse button and drag the frame until it is the size you want.
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21. When you print several print frames, you can print each one at a different scale and on a separate printer.
Note: If you accidentally close the Print Frame Settings dialog, double-click between the dashed blue line and the black line.
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