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Jetcam to Demo Updated Expert CADCAM, JOC at Fabtech |
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Tuesday, 29 January 2008 |
JETCAM will be demonstrating the latest version and forthcoming features of its Expert CADCAM software for punching, profiling and routing technologies on booth #16142 at Fabtech, being held McCormick Place, Chicago, IL between 11th and 14th November 2007. The latest version has seen further significant advances in all cutting technologies, nesting efficiency, automation and ease of use.
In 2007 JETCAM signed a number of OEM agreements with machine tool manufacturers covering various cutting technologies – OMAX waterjets, HPM plasma machines, Zund composite cutters and Finn-Power punching and profiling machines. Support for all technologies has been considerably enhanced; the aim being to provide full automation with minimum or no programming effort. A number of specific enhancements will be announced at Fabtech, with more features scheduled for release in 2008.
JETCAM Expert offers a system that provides complete interaction, complete automation, or a mixture of anything in between depending on each user’s unique requirements. The Remote Control Processing (RCP) allows external programs (such as MRP) to completely automate the programming and NC code generation process for complete hands-off operation
A new reporting engine is also available across all version of JETCAM Expert. Including a custom report designer, users can now interrogate any element of data within JETCAM’s Stored Engineering Knowledge Technology (SEKT) databases for reporting. Output designs range from label printers through to complex multi-page reports.
The latest version of JETCAM Orders Controller (JOC) will also be on display. JOC allows for the remote creation of orders for components or assemblies within JETCAM Expert, and also provides a comprehensive reporting module. If used in conjunction with RCP, customers can expect a completely hands-free NC programming system, with machine operators using JOC to queue up orders, and the relevant NC code arriving at the right machine within seconds. New features include the ability to use several JETCAM Expert licenses to automatically nest components, with the next available Expert system processing queued orders.
Commented Mike Weber, Managing Director; “2007 has seen a great deal of focus on development across all of our products, with the fruits of these efforts available for us to showcase at Fabtech 2007. We are now in a position whereby all customers will be able benefit from the same end-to-end automation, with complex operations no longer requiring manual intervention. JETCAM is changing the way that Production Managers need to think about NC programming.”
http://www.tenlinks.com/news/PR/JETCAM/101107_fabtech.htm |
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VMC Machines Large Cavity Molds For Small Machines |
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Tuesday, 22 January 2008 |
Semco Plastic Company Incorporated (St. Louis, Missouri) manufactures an extensive line of custom injection and blow-molded thermoplastic and thermoset products from molds that are designed, machined and built at its in-house moldmaking facility. Because Semco manufactures high volume plastic parts, deep-cavity and multi-cavity molds are generally required. The shop operates 24 hours a day, 5 to 7 days a week in a 400,000 square foot facility.
To keep its costs competitive, a special gate for injection molds was developed, allowing large amounts of material to fill the mold cavity without a lot of tonnage or injection pressure. This allows larger parts to run on a smaller molding machine, which is one-way Semco keeps its costs under control in a competitive market.
"Cosmetically, the parts look better because the hot tips don't show where the cavity was filled," says Jim Voelkel, co-owner. "And we don't have to trim the gate afterwards, so it reduces labor costs. But it's difficult machining a gate mold because of the tighter tolerances. The fitting and machining of the gating area is usually held within 0.005-inch tolerances."
The molds with special gates are machined on one of five VMC 6030s from Fadal (Chatsworth, California), which are useful for cutting deep molds because of a large cutting envelope, 60 inches by 30 inches by 30 inches for X, Y and Z axes. The VMC 6030 features a MP CNC control, Cool Power refrigerated cooling, box ways and a 10,000 rpm, 22.5 hp spindle with automatic mechanical hi/lo shifting for heavy aggressive steel cutting. "Compared to a dedicated moldmaking machine, the Fadals are inexpensive with a lot of bells and whistles," Mr. Voelkel says.
Often, when machining tight tolerances, vibration results from an overloaded control. This situation is caused by a combination of too many axis moves, too many tasks to be performed and too high speeds, so the machine is subjected to sudden starts and stops. The jerky motion of the machine affects surface finish and increases wear on machine tool components. The Fadal MP CNC control includes parallel processing, a processing time reduction feature that allows seven microprocessors to move 128 bits of information at one point in time, which is the equivalent of four 32-bit processors or about 3,000 blocks per second. With faster throughput, parallel processing eliminates one of the causes of vibration.
"The processing speed allows us to do a good job of surfacing—we
unscrewing injection mold
unscrewing injection mold
The tight-tolerance, unscrewing injection mold uses planetary gears driven by hydraulic motors. All components, except the gears, were machined on a Fadal VMC.
haven't experienced any chatter problems," says Jack Moreland, senior engineer. "The control is very user-friendly; we run it off a floppy disk or direct from the computer."
According to Mr. Moreland, every upgrade for the control is purchased. Updating the control enables the VMCs to deliver machining capabilities not available when they were new. The Fadal control was designed for each axis to have a dedicated CPU and PC board and for each machine function to have its own CPU and PC board, too. As a result, the Fadal control doesn't have to be completely rebuilt to upgrade the software or hardware. Only the new PC board or memory modules have to be replaced.
By maintaining a constant temperature with a refrigerated cooling system, Fadal VMCs minimize thermal growth and repeatability problems.
The system, called Cool Power, circulates a high-performance heat transfer liquid through the spindle nose, around the spindle cartridge and headstock and through the center of the gun-drilled ballscrews. The temperature of the heat transfer agent is monitored and chilled as required, maintaining the temperature of positioning components within ±1.0 degree of the VMC's ambient temperature. Despite ambient temperature variation, parts are machined with consistent accuracy, Mr. Moreland reports. Because the system is closed-loop, chips and other contaminants are isolated from the heat transfer agent.
Other than the castings, the ways play the most important role in damping vibration. The ability of the ways to reduce vibration is directly related to surface contact area of the ways. The more surface contact area, the more vibration damping capacity. Damping increases the dynamic stiffness of the machine and therefore its stability in cutting.
"We generally cut the molds, which are made from heat-treatable tool steel at 10 to 60 ipm and hold ±0.005-inch tolerances," says Mr. Moreland. "Sometimes we machine the molds after they've been heat-treated."
Mr. Moreland has found that boxway systems provide longer life, low vibration and enable high accuracy. Because of the vibration damping characteristics of box ways, tool life is extended and the surface finish is smoother.
http://www.mmsonline.com/articles/0702bp5.html |
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CGTech Celebrates 20th Anniversary |
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Tuesday, 22 January 2008 |
CGTech is proud to announce its twentieth year as the leading developer of NC program simulation and analysis software. Flourishing through an era when software companies came and went, CGTech has achieved two decades of innovation and steady growth.
“CGTech has a proven track record of success in advanced machine simulation technology which Remmele Engineering Inc. relies on for efficient and accurate machining results,” said Mark Conley, CAM/EDI Center Manager, Remmele Engineering. “Their support of our technical needs for complex machining has been outstanding.”
CGTech began when Jon Prun , the company’s founder and President, recognized a need to verify NC tool path programs without wasting valuable CNC machining time on a prove-out part. As a result, Prun developed VERICUT software: the world’s first widely available, productive method to test numerical control (NC) machine tool paths, without using a machine tool. VERICUT revolutionized NC program verification with an extremely fast algorithm designed to run on desktop computers that simulates material removal using a three-dimensional solid model.
Since its initial release, VERICUT has been enhanced to optimize feed rates and simulate the kinematics of complex multi-axis and multi-spindle CNC machine tools. CGTech’s continual updating and enhancement of VERICUT reflects the company’s ongoing commitment to delivering innovative, powerful, and robust solutions for manufacturers. As part of this commitment, VERICUT is 100% developed in-house by CGTech software engineers who have many years of experience in the mechanical CAD/CAM industry.
“We wouldn’t be in position to celebrate our 20th without the loyal support of all those who use VERICUT,” said Prun. “VERICUT development has always been driven by our customers’ needs, and we always welcome feedback from users.”
CGTech has seen notable growth during the past two decades, and its customer list consists of thousands of companies in virtually every manufacturing industry, including every major aerospace and automotive company. Wholly-owned subsidiary companies have been founded in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and China to directly support customers worldwide.
About CGTech
Headquartered in Irvine, California CGTech specializes in numerical control (NC/CNC) simulation, verification, optimization, and analysis software technology for manufacturing. Since 1988 CGTech’s product, VERICUT software, has become the industry standard for simulating CNC machining in order to detect errors, potential collisions, or areas of inefficiency. With offices and resellers worldwide, VERICUT software is used by companies of all sizes, universities, and government agencies.
http://www.tenlinks.com/news/PR/cgtech/011708_20_anniversary.htm |
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Delcam invests in mill-turn technology |
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Tuesday, 22 January 2008 |
Birmingham-headquartered Delcam has added a WFL mill-turn machine with a 3 m working capacity to the range of equipment in its Tooling Services Division.
This is the latest expansion of the company’s in-house machining facility – no other global CADCAM company operates an equivalent manufacturing operation to prove out its new programs on real jobs with real deadlines.
“The Tooling Services Division has always had a dual role within Delcam,” explained division director, Brian Hawkshaw. “While we provide a real-world testing environment for our CAM software during its development, we are also required to operate as a profitable business in our own right.”
“Until recently, we have concentrated on 5-axis machining, both because that was the main focus for our PowerMILL development team and because 5-axis operation increased our ability to take on more complex jobs and complete them more efficiently,” Mr. Hawkshaw continued. “The move into mill-turn has had similar motives.”
“First, Delcam has expanded its product range with the acquisition of FeatureCAM and PartMaker, both of which offer mill-turn functionality, so we needed equipment with the ability to test new developments in these programs. Second, we have received more enquiries for large-scale projects that would only be possible to undertake efficiently with a mill-turn machine. We were taking orders for work even before we acquired the machine and its capacity is already booked for most of this year.”
“The Tooling Services Division also duplicated the diversification into other industries that has been seen in Delcam’s software business in recent years. The aerospace sector now provides our biggest source of work, rather than the toolmaking industry. The new WFL machine will offer us even more aerospace opportunities.”
“The manufacturing expertise gained within the Division forms an important part of the comprehensive support given by Delcam to all its customers,” added Mr. Hawkshaw. “As well as helping our development teams, the experience we gain is passed on to our support staff. They can use this knowledge to give our software users advice on all areas of their work, including aspects like the best choice of machining strategy and cutter selection, as well as the operation of the software."
Being able to test such developments on-site obviously gives Delcam a major advantage in proving out its software. “Many CAM programs generate data that is mathematically correct but that is often impossible to machine in practice,” explained Mr. Hawkshaw. “The toolroom has played its part in establishing PowerMILL’s leading position for high-speed machining and shop-floor programming. With the addition of the mill-turn equipment, we can also help Delcam reinforce its strength in multi-function machining.”
http://www.machinery.co.uk/article/
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Scania chooses Fanuc CNCs for new CGI machining lines |
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Tuesday, 22 January 2008 |
Fanuc GE has been chosen as the sole supplier of CNCs by Sweden's Scania for new machining lines.
The line will produce a revised version of its flagship 15.6 litre V8 truck diesel engine, leading to a substantial volume increase in its V8 engine manufacture. The "unmatched reliability" of the Fanuc GE Series 31i CNCs was one of the prime reasons for the choice of Fanuc GE controls.
Fanuc CNCs boast MTBFs of greater than 10 years; Scania established that its existing Fanuc controllers far outperformed the competition in terms of reliability. Factors such as high reliability, long-term availability of parts and ease of maintenance all reduce the overall Total Cost of Ownership (TCO).
Only Fanuc GE Series 31i-A CNCs will be used on the two machining lines which will be supplied during 2008/9 by the MAG Powertrain Group of Germany. The two lines will be used to rough and semi-machine cylinder blocks and heads for the new range of engines. Both the cylinder heads and blocks will be made from compacted graphite iron (CGI), a high strength material that will help to reduce emissions. Start of production is expected around the middle of 2009.
The Fanuc GE CNCs will use a production HMI called ‘FANUC Auto HMI-NC’, negating the need for PCs at the front-end. These specialised HMIs are customised to simplify production monitoring and operation in an automotive environment, making it easy for operators to move between machines, and facilitating management of production and machine maintenance.
As the CNC alone controls each machine, all the potential pit-falls of PCs such as instability, dangers of viruses, short life-cycles, etc. are avoided. In fact, Fanuc’s long-term commitment, with guaranteed availability of spare parts for 25 years, was another key factor in the decision making process.
http://www.machinery.co.uk/article/12644/ |
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MAG Industrial Automation EMO outing proves successful |
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Tuesday, 22 January 2008 |
Exhibiting for the first time as a unified group at EMO, Hanover las month, MAG Industrial Automation Systems generated over €150 million of business, with more destined to follow.
The group took a stand of some 3,650 m² and presented a standardised and uniform look, showing almost 50 machines featuring an entirely new design with a striking stripe to ensure that the products are immediately recognisable.
A range of machines from 13 MAG brands spanned system solutions to turning and milling centres as well as specialist machines and service concepts.
EMO gave the group the launch pad to present itself as a technology leader in the metalcutting and composite processing sectors.
With one of the largest product portfolios at EMO, recently added divisions to the group MAG Maintenance Technologies and motion control and automation-focused Infimatic noted encouraging results with a considerable amount of leads generated at the show as well as initiating a number of projects. This success is part of a trend that is seeing the MAG group position itself as motion and control experts as well as leaders in the machine tool industry.
Many companies in the group exhibited new product developments. The Giddings & Lewis horizontal boring mills, MAG Powertrain XK cold forming machines, NDM Turning/milling machine with B-axis from MAG +FMS+, the new NBH-models from MAG Hüller Hille and the MAG Cincinnati machining centres.
UK sales manager for MAG Cincinnati Machine, David Carter, said: “EMO was an extremely successful show for the group and this has been quantified by the level of orders taken at the exhibition. The show demonstrated the strength and market position of MAG Industrial Automation Systems, and from a MAG Cincinnati perspective we are delighted to be part of an ambitious global manufacturing group. The show gave MAG Cincinnati the opportunity to mark our European ambitions and highlight the support for the product range across Europe.”
http://www.machinery.co.uk/article/ |
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