FEATURE ON CNC & CAM

KS Composites on fast track with hyperMILL

Imbued in the motorsport industry since Kelvin Smith opened the doors for business in 1985, KS Composites is a manufacturer with a pedigree of working with numerous Formula 1, GT, Le Mans and BTCC teams. Throughout its history, the Melton Mowbray-based company has worked at the very pinnacle of motorsport – and that is why KS Composites has invested in CADCAM software from Open Mind Technologies.

Having formed many close relationships with some of the leading lights in design and consultancy through prototype and development projects, KS Composites offers design services, FEA and CFD. This is complemented by a 48,000 sq ft manufacturing site that supports the design and consultancy services with everything from kit cutting, fitting and assembly to wet lay composites, autoclaves and ovens, a composite shop, machine shop and much more.

Looking at a replica race car the company has manufactured, business development manager Dan Johnston says: “On the vehicle itself we have carbon composite body panels and machined GRP and 3D printed elements. We’re hitting on all our core services with this vehicle. One of the first things to come into our new building was CNC machines. At that point, we identified that we needed a CAM package that could get the most out of our machines. We went to the market and evaluated the options, and it was clear from the offset that hyperMILL was the obvious choice.”

He adds: “hyperMILL is making our life so much easier, especially when making things like a show vehicle. We’re representing motorsport’s pinnacle in terms of performance and precision. So, when making the patterns, they had to be of the same quality – that’s what we have achieved with hyperMILL.” 

More information www.openmind-tech.com

PTC launches Arena to mitigate supply chain risks

PTC has announced the release of its Arena product lifecycle management (PLM) and quality management system (QMS) solution that will provide manufacturing and product developers with greater supply chain security.

Arena Supply Chain Intelligence continuously checks for emerging risks from evolving economic conditions and eliminates the need for disconnected supply chain tools by embedding real-time, AI-driven component monitoring and risk mitigation insight directly into product development workflows.

These capabilities transform how product development teams manage component issues throughout the entire product lifecycle within the existing PLM environment. Companies can use Arena SCI to monitor components continuously across bills of materials to identify emerging and changing supply chain conditions.

When risks are detected, the platform provides visibility, suggests alternative components based on technical compatibility and enables teams to make more informed sourcing decisions earlier in the product development process – helping prevent future sourcing interruptions before they impact production.

“By delivering supply chain intelligence directly where design decisions are made in a cloud-native environment, Arena Supply Chain Intelligence simplifies collaboration between design teams and suppliers and supports more proactive component sourcing decisions,” says David Katzman, PTC’s general manager of Arena and Onshape. “Supply chain collaboration has been one of Arena’s core strengths for years, and our investment in SCI adds a new dimension for our customers as they prioritise resiliency. We expect to enhance SCI with even more features in future releases, including more AI-driven functionality powered by Arena AI.”

PTC says Arena’s cloud-native PLM and QMS solutions are the trusted source for product development, quality management and multi-tiered supply chain collaboration at nearly 1500 global manufacturers.

More information www.bit.ly/484cTTg

CADCAM delivers major productivity gains for Nova  

Nova Laboratories’ investment in BobCAD-CAM software and associated programmer training from Mills CNC’s Training Academy, is improving the productivity and process efficiencies of its in-house machine shop. Now, high-precision components used in the company’s pharmaceutical processing and production machinery and equipment, both for its own licensed products and its contract manufacturing operations, are being machined faster, more accurately and more cost-efficiently.

To get the most from its CNC machine tools, and to fully exploit their capabilities and potential, particularly with regard to the new Puma 2100Y multi-tasking turning centre, it became clear that investment in a powerful and flexible CADCAM package was required.

Explains machinist Steven Potter: “We had already invested in CAM software to create programs for the DNM 500 but needed something different and more bespoke for the Puma 2100Y.”

Potter researched the market and drew up a checklist detailing the specific CADCAM attributes and features required.

“Although we’d heard of BobCAD-CAM, we didn’t really know much about it, so we contacted Darren Clarke, BobCAD-CAM product manager at the Mills CNC Training Academy. We liked what we saw in a presentation and, because the Academy is a licenced UK reseller of the software, staff there could also deliver on-site BobCAD-CAM training to get us up and running.”

Based on the strengths of the BobCAD-CAM system itself, its affordability and the support provided by the CNC Training Academy, Nova Laboratories made the decision to invest in BobCAD-CAM software – and hasn’t looked back since -driving major productivity gains across its operations.

More information www.millcnc.co.uk

Even better user experience with latest Tebis

For over 40 years, Tebis has provided CAD/CAM/MES software solutions and related services to a wide range of manufacturing sectors. Its knowledge-based machining technology supports database libraries of machine tools, clamping devices, cutting tools with machining parameters, machining features, advanced CNC tool-path templates and machining process templates. This allows the optimal machining practices of customers to be built into Tebis database and shared among CAM engineers, which reduces the work pressure on CAM engineers while ensuring the best results.

Tebis automation combined with Tebis Virtual Machine technology supports machining set up and planning, as well as collision-free CNC tool-path calculation, simulation and verification. This capability is especially beneficial to customers for 2.5D to 5-axis milling, trimming, laser cutting and mill-turning, along with robotic machining.

With its latest release, Tebis has taken a significant step forward in improving user experience. The software is now more intuitive and accessible than ever before, thanks to thoughtful improvements across its interface and functionality.

A key highlight is the new ‘WebHelp’ feature, which allows users to access Tebis Help instantly through any internet browser. This functionality means that whether users are at their workstations or working remotely, help is always just a click away. In addition, the development team has carried out extensive optimisation of the software base and quality management – the processes are now more efficient than ever.

Another advance involves high-efficiency adaptive roughing, where cavities can now be machined more cost-effectively with an adaptive path layout without full-cut machining. This capability ensures constant material contact, resulting in shorter machine run times and longer tool life.

More information www.tebis.com

Vericut cuts granite machining risks at Reitz

Reitz Natursteintechnik KG is an expert in the planning, design and manufacturing of highly precise machine components made from granite. To ensure efficient and above all safe processing, the company takes advantage of Vericut simulation software to deliver process-reliable production and reduced workload for employees.

Christopher Reitz is the company’s fourth generation managing director. His mission? To place customer needs even more at the centre of the 140-employeee company, which serves sectors such as semiconductor, optics, general mechanical engineering, automation, metrology, printing and medical technology.

The granite workpieces vary in size up to 13 m, weighing up to 65 tonnes. Processing such blocks precisely means Reitz relies almost exclusively on machines developed and built in-house: four gantry-type milling machines and two five-axis gantry machines, all controlled by Siemens 840D. To ensure safe, fast and precise machining, the company uses Vericut simulation software.

“Granite is a natural product, so the surface is never perfectly flat,” says Reitz. “To prevent tool collisions during processing, we developed a process with Vericut that virtually eliminates this risk.”

Adds René Maschlanka, responsible for sales and project management at Reitz: “Vericut eliminates the need for manual set up, saves valuable operator time and protects our machines. Now our programmers and operators are far more relaxed – they know their programs will run safely, with no crashes.”

Some machining processes at Reitz can take over 40 hours. Previously, the operator had to stand by the entire time. Now, they run the simulation on a PC, press start and only check in occasionally.

More information www.vericut.com