FEATURE ON CNC & CAM

CAM features many enhancements

NCG CAM Solutions has released the latest version (v16.0) of its NCG CAM software.

This major release includes a number of new features, including: selected surface machining for waterline passes; combined passes for waterline and constant step-over; tangential extension for raster passes; five-axis flank machining; and many user-interface functions and enhancements.
Selected surface machining for waterline passes provides the ability to machine up to the surface edges without the need to create a boundary, in the same way as can be selected for shallow raster, radial and spiral strategies.
Retaining the waterline theme, a further new routine is available that allows the creation of waterline passes between the upper angle of 90° down to a specified lower angle. Constant step-over passes are then created to ‘fill in’ the shallow areas between the specified lower angle and 0°. Linking is a single operation from the top down, so that the linking order is a combination of waterline, constant step-over, waterline, and so on. This strategy will give a smoother finish because it allows the machining to be done in one operation, avoiding the problem of cutter wear.
In previous software versions, extending raster passes would allow the cutter to roll over the edge. Now, a new extension option creates passes which are extended at a tangent to the ends of the existing passes, and therefore extend the path beyond and away from the material being cut. The result of this functionality is that sharper edges are maintained. A horizontal pass extension has also been added.
With regard to five-axis strategies, flank machining is a new process that can be used typically for turbo-engine components, including turbine and impeller blades.
For further information www.ncgcam.com

Training the future at Babcock

Bringing on the next generation of engineers to work across its many customer programmes is a key focus for engineering company Babcock International.

This is highlighted at its Bristol facilities, where it develops specialist systems and complex equipment from concept through design, manufacture and assembly, to installation. Here, investment has taken place in the company’s production training facility, with seven machines being installed by XYZ Machine Tools, including a number of ProtoTrak controlled turret mills and ProtoTrak controlled lathes.
Bringing in these machines has enabled Babcock to adapt its training as the technology adds greater flexibility and capability. “We are now able to deliver the Performing Engineering Operations (PEO) NVQ 2 in the first year of training; after that apprentices and higher apprentices can focus on specific departmental roles in machining, fitting, assembly or project management,” explains Babcock’s apprentice training manager Tim Jacobs.
The XYZ ProtoTrak control delivers on requirements with its ease-of-use, making the transition from manual to CNC straightforward. The ProtoTrak mills are set up with just a two-axis option, with no powered Z axis. This means that apprentices and graduates gain good experience in ‘feel’ when it comes to machining through the combination of manual and CNC operation.
Jacobs highlights the simplicity of the conversational programming systems: “The XYZ ProtoTrak control is very straightforward to use and we always have the assurance that we can call on XYZ with any questions that we may have; be it on programming, or simply just getting the best out of the machines.”
For further information www.xyzmachinetools.com

Travelling-column machine with Siemens CNC

The latest machine from Yamazaki Mazak to feature a Siemens CNC is its VTC-760C vertical travelling-column machining centre, which is controlled by the 828D.

Based on a dual-load configuration, the machine benefits from a compact footprint, as well as a long X-axis stroke and 2300 mm fixed table. Also featured is a 12,000 rpm spindle and rapid traverse rates of 42 m/min in the X, Y and Z axes.
The inclusion of the Siemens control represents an entry into the commodity market, as the 828D is viewed as a mid-range CNC for turning and milling machines. A 15.6” touch-screen display runs on Sinumerk Operate 4.7 and features a built-in keyboard with USB and ethernet interfaces.
A number of intelligent operations underpin the CNC, including ShopMill, which automatically compiles machining step programs to enable multiple clamping operations with fewer tool changes. A built-in maintenance planner is also included.
The control communicates in over 20 languages and can be programmed to send SMS messages to operators, machine setters, or service and maintenance technicians, providing alerts for tool life, availability of blanks and upcoming maintenance schedules. Importantly, the control is also able to provide automatic feedback on a range of machine diagnostics.
Similarly, the VTC-800/20SR, on which Mazak has offered the Siemens 840D sl control since 2013, is now the first company machine to feature the new style of control panel. Comprising a 19” touch screen, the latest control panel can be tilted and rotated to offer improved operator ergonomics. As with the 828D, the 840D sl runs on Sinumerik Operate 4.7 and is able to provide users with a number of connectivity and diagnostic functions.
For further information www.mazakeu.co.uk

High-accuracy mill-turning of forging dies

The need for Krenhof AG, an Austrian forgings manufacturer, to produce an increasing number of modular dies for the automotive industry has led to the purchase of two Alzmetall mill-turn centres equipped with Heidenhain TNC 640 controls. They are the first first-axis machining centres in the Köflach factory and were purchased along with a new CAM system.

Franz Krammer, toolmaking manager at Krenhof, says: “Customers in the automotive industry want the 10,000th forging to look exactly like the first, so quality as well as price is increasingly important. One factor helping us to maintain high standards is our use of modular carriers with replaceable die inserts, enabling optimum tools to be used in our forging process to guarantee precision. The universality of the Heidenhain TNC 640 CNC system is also important in achieving top quality standards, as it controls both milling and turning operations on the machining centres.
“Dynamic, precise motion control provided by the TNC 640 CNC exploits the potential of the machine to the full,” he continues. “The control is also convenient to use. Downloading the NC program from the CAM system, for example, is quick and easy via Heidenhain’s TNCremo Windows-based communication software.”
The TNC 640 simplifies the structuring of sub-routines, allowing complex programs to be assembled and run. Krenhof’s young team found no difficulty programming on the shop floor in Heidenhain’s Klartext conversational language. The operators are particularly keen on the availability of numerous canned cycles, such as those for drilling, which are simply and quickly parameterised.
For further information www.heidenhain.co.uk

CAM system saves time and money at Knarr

The 190-employee Knarr Group, located in Helmbrechts, Germany, is a tool and mould maker that manufactures standard parts through to complete mould bases using the HyperMill CAM system from Open Mind Technologies.

Head of department Marco Mergner highlights the importance of HyperMill to the business: “HyperMill not only meets our requirements but plays a decisive role in ensuring that we keep pace and continue to develop. The technical performance of the individual machining cycles with options for multi-axis and five-axis machining, deep-hole drilling, automation and measurement technology, is and remains a decisive factor. Another factor is the user-friendliness of the system, plus the service offered by Open Mind.”
Today, the Knarr Group has a double-digit number of HyperMill licences in various departments. Employees use the software to program mould plates, which can include complex features and freeform surfaces. The mould plates are often machined complete from six sides in two set-ups.
Knarr has demonstrated the significant benefits offered by the tangent machining strategies within HyperMill’s MAXX Machining package using conical barrel cutters at a number of recent invitation events. For this purpose, the company constructed a 96 mm-thick mould plate with a rectangular, conical breakthrough featuring a 1 mm corner radius. Mergner and his team used all three modules from the MAXX Machining package for complete processing on a five-axis DMG machining centre.
“Typically, line-by-line milling with a ball mill would have taken 12 hours, but using the CAM strategy and conical barrel cutter we were finished in just 60 minutes and still achieved optimum surface quality, even in the corners,” concludes Mergner.
For further information www.openmind-tech.com