FEATURE ON CNC & CAM

Rapid growth underpinned by PSL Datatrack

Managers at subcontract specialist ADP Precision Engineering were on the lookout for a new production control system following accelerated growth of the business. The Newcastle-based company had been relying upon its Sage 50 accounting software to control production, supported by the manual input of manufacturing data into Excel spreadsheets and Word documents.

ADP recognised the need for software bespoke to the needs of the subcontract precision engineering industry and therefore selected PSL Datatrack, which would not only improve the administration of the company’s existing production processes, but also create a platform for the future.

Anthony Ingledew, ADP’s managing director, says: “We previously had to create a lot of manual documentation but, after the initial setup of PSL Datatrack, the result was a more centralised, efficient and streamlined system, which massively aids the flow of our the business.”

ADP acquired a number of PSL Datatrack modules covering sales, administration, purchasing, technical functions (including process layouts and work in progress), shop-floor data collection, finance and management. It is now possible to import invoicing data to Sage 50, which is now purely for accounting purposes.

One of the initial advantages for ADP was the time saved raising quotations, which became far more accurate and allowed quick adjustment for repeat business.

“We also found the training to be very clear and easy to implement, moving at a pace that suited us,” says Ingledew.“In addition, after-sales support has been excellent. There were a few things that we wanted to tweak, or add to certain reports, and these requests were dealt with in no time by PSL Datatrack.”
For further information www.psldatatrack.com

G-code simulation now available in Mastercam

CNC Software, developer of MastercamCADCAM software, is partnering with CAMWERK to provide customers with an easy to use fully-integrated machine solution called NC2Check.
The integration gives Mastercam customers a solution for avoiding machine damage, downtimes and failures, and makes production and programming even more efficient and error-free.

N2Check precisely simulates the CNC machine and the entire process of machining. By verifying the NC code through NC2Check, users have an NC code-based virtual machine simulation of all movements. NC2Check helps users detect errors that lead to machine downtime, damage to the workpiece, or even expensive collisions on CNC machines before actual machining even begins.

“We are excited to partner with CAMWERK on a complete mapping of the entire machine tool and simulation of NC programs based on G-code and make it available to over 300,000 users,” says Stas Mylek, partnership programmemanager at CNC Software. “The collaborative effort between both companies provides Mastercam users complete machine simulation for detecting issues such as travel limits or potential workpiece collisions before machining takes place.”

NC2Check is an add-on to Mastercam that installs as a single button on the ribbon bar interface. The single button allows users to launch NC2Check to provide full simulation and G-code verification from within the Mastercam session.

Bircan Öztürk, director for CAMWERK, says: “With NC2Check, you can see collisions and errors directly on your PC and run on your machines completely virtually. We do not offer G-code simulation in the classic definition, we offer our customers the freedom to create ideas and creatively use ideas elsewhere in the company instead of looking for errors in the NC program.”
For further information www.mastercam.com

PTC delivers cloud-native simulation in Onshape

PTC has announced the availability of cloud-native simulation as part of its Onshapeproduct development platform. Onshape Simulation enables designers and engineers to perform FEA in a fast and simple way, supporting them to make informed design decisions with structural analysis throughout the product development process.

According to PTC, Onshape is the only CAD and product data management (PDM) tool to offer simulation interwoven with the core design and assembly environment, which helps reduce the time, effort and workflows required to set up and calculate structural analysis.

“This is the first time that CAD, PDM and simulation have all been unified in one cloud-native environment,” says Greg Brown, vice president of Onshape Product Management.
“It’san extremely efficient way for designers to simulate full assemblies, helping them make important time, material and quality decisions earlier in the design process.”

With Onshape Simulation, designers receive accurate mechanical guidance, such as strength and rigidity, without ever leaving the design environment. The CAD model and the simulation model are the same definition, which simplifies the assembly set-up for simulation.

Notably, Onshape uses the existing assembly mates in the definition of the part-to-part interactions, eliminating the need to de-feature, simplify or set up connections for models before running simulations. Users can also explore design variations quickly by simultaneously designing and analysing assemblies with no pre-processing or meshing required. Simulation results automatically refresh when users make changes to Onshape models.

As part of an Onshape document, simulations are version-controlled with built-in PDM – including simulations for all design variations – allowing instant sharing with other users for simple collaboration and decision making.
For further information www.onshape.com

CADCAM suite adds new tool-making function

In the mould and die industry, Open Mind says that its hyperMILL CADCAM suite is regarded as a complete end-to-end solution as it can cover aspects such as electrode manufacturing and wire EDM. Now, it is the introduction of the five-axis radial machining function that takes centre stage.

The new function is suitable for the process-optimised production of round moulds, where surfaces cannot undergo hand finishing or polishing operations. For components such as blow moulds that are applied in vehicle bumper production or consumer goods bottles, high-quality machined surfaces are critical as secondary hand finishing can introduce optical facets and surface inconsistencies that may appear in downstream processing.

According to Open Mind, improvements to the current version of hyperMILL – combined with five-axis radial machining – are setting standards in blow-mould machining. Thanks to a new radial projection method, it is possible to calculate tool paths extremely quickly, and the user can apply various machining strategies to respond flexibly to the component conditions.

The new ‘Flow Equidistant’ infeed strategy is the first of its kind that supports the generation of tool paths with a constant infeed for vertical and challenging surfaces. This capability means that surfaces can integrate into the overall machining sequence, with processing taking place in a single step. Seamless machining with a very high surface quality is guaranteed, reports the company. Every machining sequence needs to produce sharp corners at the junction of the upper and lower halves of the mould to avoid problems during the moulding process. An automatic tangent extension feature eliminates the manual CAD steps needed to extend the numerous surface elements found in complex designs.
For further information www.openmind-tech.com

Recommissioning a 30-year old CNC system

NUM service staff at the Holzmaden, Germany subsidiary recently brought two machines that were over 30 years old back into operation after a long downtime. Before NUM received a service request, the customer had tirelessly swapped components back and forth, unfortunately without success. This made troubleshooting a little more difficult, but NUM’s service staff eventually managed to get both machines back up and running trouble-free.

Both machines are Manurhin KMX CNC Swiss-type lathes. One machine was built in 1990 and had been out of service for three years; the other machine was built in 1992 and had been out of service for three months.

The machines are equipped with the NUM 760 control system from 1987 and were brought back into operation with this same type of control, using spare parts such as a processor card, power supply and new monitor for the control panel. The technical know-how of NUM service staff and the fact that the subsidiary had its own spare parts warehouse helped to repair the equipment quickly.

Decisions for a system and solution from NUM represents a long-term investment. The company sees itself as a partner, all the way from the initial idea, through its realisation to on-site customer service.

NUM says it focuses less on the industry standard and more on individual customer needs. Machine manufacturers and end users alike can make use of the company’s service. In order to keep machine downtime as short as possible in the event of an axis motor failure, NUM’s service team usually offers production of new motors within 48 hours. Customers receive even more security with a service contract, which guarantees the availability of parts at NUM subsidiaries.
For further information www.num.com