Mastercam, announced a new Add-On product, Mastercam APlus® by CAMufacturing Solutions, designed for additive manufacturing. APlus can be used with Mastercam Mill, Lathe, or Router licenses.

Using the same interface Mastercam users are familiar with, APlus customers can program, backplot, and simulate their 3D printing scenarios just like they would with traditional toolpaths in Mastercam. APlus uses Direct Energy Deposition (DED) and has toolpaths developed specifically to handle any geometry in Additive Manufacturing (AM), as well as features and utilities designed to remove uncertainty out of the process and to improve efficiency.

Hybrid manufacturing provides users with the versatility to build parts from scratch, add features to an existing part, or to repair a worn or damaged part. APlus integrates seamlessly with Mastercam to allow users to generate Additive Manufacturing toolpaths, as well as visualise the additive and machining outcome.

Kenneth Fortier, Technical Product Manager, Mastercam says “APlus brings Additive Manufacturing to the Mastercam user in a form that is consistent with the workflow used for over 40 years. Direct Energy Deposition is making its way into many machine shops and being able to program hybrid machines or dedicated additive machines using Mastercam makes the transition seamless. With the hybrid process of alternating adding material and milling allows parts with internally machined features to be created that would have been impossible without additive.”

Since Additive Manufacturing is not simply reversing machining toolpaths, all features and toolpaths are designed and developed to ensure users experience efficient and practical results for the additive and hybrid manufacturing process. A great application for using APlus is for blade repairs where the tips of individual blades are showing wear.

To repair the part, the user machines off the worn tips using a suitable toolpath in Mastercam. Using APlus, you can 3D print or deposit material onto the machined surfaces to near net shape.

Finally, you machine the printed sections to the desired specifications. This process can dramatically lower costs when compared to buying or machining a new blade, or even stocking spare parts.

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Email your letter to the Editorial Team at Christellee@epl.com.sg

The post Mastercam Announces New Add-On for Additive Manufacturing appeared first on Asia Pacific Metalworking Equipment News | Manufacturing | Automation | Quality Control.

Innovation in the aerospace industry is experiencing a resurgence of sorts, with the idea of tourist flights into space becoming more of a reality with the new technologies coming out of Blue Origin, SpaceX, and Virgin Galactic.

From space age materials to tiny, tight-tolerance components, to cutting-edge engine and propulsion technologies, aerospace manufacturers have always been the visionaries of innovative design. Innovative design brings with it, however, the need for innovative manufacturing practices. A design is no good unless it can be turned into an actual part. 

Machining technology has evolved ten-fold since that first rocket ship was built. As has the computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) software to power those machines. Here, we shall discuss the latest innovations in CAM software and how the new functionality helps push the machines to their full potential, yielding parts never before imaginable in record time.

Commercial Aviation Industry: Current Industry Snapshot

As of January 2020, the global commercial aviation industry, with a market value of nearly $5 trillion, was expected to grow slowly but steadily thanks to soaring travel demand, increasing globalisation, rising gross domestic product, liberalisation of air transport, and urbanisation.

However, the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting disruption to the global economy have led to a “wait and see” approach to determine the full impact on aerospace manufacturing and whether or not it will make an already highly competitive situation even more so.

While order backlogs decreased slightly with the reduction in fleets, it remains to be seen as to whether these orders will be filled in the near-term. For now, the aerospace industry is contending with the fallout of the COVID-19 crisis and adjusting as necessary.

Industry Challenges: Aircraft Component Supply

Aerospace component manufacturing is one of the most demanding industries and will be for the foreseeable future. Part design and development innovations have exploded since the order boom first began about 10 years ago. New materials and effective, profitable production processes have also followed suit. 

However, despite the fact that aerospace component manufacturing is more high-tech than ever, the pressure is still on for quick turnaround times to meet high delivery rates. Although the current statistics show a slowdown in orders, the production and delivery backlogs are still very real. Generally speaking, the supplier must take a systematic approach with the optimal CNC machine tools, spindles, fixtures, cutting tools, coolant systems, controls, and software. 

How CAD/CAM Software Can Benefit Aircraft Component Manufacturing

Focusing on one aspect of the system, CAD/CAM software, is one area of opportunity for improved aircraft component production. One might not initially think that it is a vital aspect of success in making aircraft components. However, it is an important behind-the-scenes player in producing the complex parts specified by aerospace manufacturers.

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The post Advancing Aerospace Manufacturing With CAD/CAM appeared first on Asia Pacific Metalworking Equipment News | Manufacturing | Automation | Quality Control.

Another feature in this issue is a collection of insights from industry leaders regarding their outlook for the rest of the year amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic—what to expect, what the business landscape could be like, what they are doing to navigate these challenges. Hear what key executives from Bystronic, igus, Siemens ASEAN, VDW (German Machine Tool Builders’ Association), Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence, and Mastercam have to say.

Read the July/August 2020 issue of APMEN magazine, now on our virtual newsstand, and available for delivery in your e-mailbox by subscribing here.

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Bystronic

Norbert Seo
Senior Vice President, Market Division Asia & Australia
Bystronic

We are yet to see the breadth and depth of the impact of COVID-19.  Economies are slowly opening, but there is an overhung of the second wave.  We are still in a quagmire of uncertainties, but after more than six months of descent, data shows that we are seeing recovery slowly play out.   

Recently, we see a changing outlook wherein business owners are deciding to invest in new machines in order to have full control of their manufacturing processes and minimize reliance on third party providers.  

Additionally, we are anticipating a shift from worker-dense shop floors into automated processing wherein production continues unhampered while lightly manned/operated.  Coronavirus has advanced the need for automation in factories.

We are living a new normal.  Companies who are most agile and able to adapt will eventually thrive in these new circumstances and I am determined that this will be the case for Bystronic. 

Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence

Lim Boon Choon
SVP Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence
Korea, ASEAN, Pacific, India

The COVID-19 crisis has underscored the important role of technology in helping people and companies rapidly adapt to fast-changing and unforeseen circumstances. Most of us have personal experience of relying heavily on cloud-based communications and data transfer during lockdown to continue collaborating and doing business remotely. At Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division, for example, we moved swiftly to provide our customers with the online support, training and software they needed to remain productive as they adopted new work practices driven by the need for social distancing, as well as changes to supply and demand within their industries. 

As manufacturing operations pick up again around the world, there is a clear desire among a growing number of our customers to accelerate their automation and digitalisation journey. Workplaces may look very different post-COVID-19, both on and off the shop floor. Among the changes we’re discussing with customers is a shift from on-premise systems to secure, automated, cloud-based systems that facilitate remote data analysis and exchange. 

At the same time the economic situation means manufacturers have to weigh up any capital expenditure plans extremely carefully. Technology will play a key role in helping companies remain competitive during challenging times, but businesses are only ready to invest in automation solutions if they demonstrate a clear business benefit and can deliver results quickly. The other message we’re hearing is the importance of providing open, scalable technology systems that give our customers the flexibility to evolve in line with new market requiremets. 

igus

Carsten Haecker
Head of Asia Pacific 
igus

Optimism for the year 2020 was surrounding our thoughts before the global COVID-19 impact brought several businesses to a standstill, selectively today fighting for survival. Optimism and motivation are what drives igus in the post-COVID-19 environments.

No doubt, the crisis has also impacted our global business outlook and order intake across various industries. However, it has taught us very valuable lessons and generated ample opportunities. The crisis will not end globalization. Rather, it will lead to the questioning of some of its assumptions. In particular, it highlights the need for shorter supply chains in critical areas and the relocation of some activities closer to ‘home’.

We learned from the crisis that the supply chain can be disrupted at any time. Now, we are learning that for other critical resources like pre-materials for medical supply, we also need to stockpile in case there is a cut in supply. This was demonstrated when we witnessed the global shortage of surgical masks and other medical essentials that were taken for granted during normal times. We have learned how vulnerable they are, how concentrated the supply capacity is, and how critical these products can be. Globalization will continue because it is of common interest.

Meanwhile, the COVID-19 crisis has been accelerating the push to invest in new, labour-substituting technologies. Here, in particular, 3D printing technologies, cobot support, and factory automation with smart condition monitoring will see an accelerated demand to reduce dependency on humans.

igus motion plastics products are today used in several of these applications and will continue to play a major part in all motion and moving energy demand. We accelerated product development, we managed to change our way of working, we adapted quickly to changing needs, and we never stopped investing in growth, be it space or technology.

Our online tools are readily available and our products can be completely configured via our homepage and delivered within 24 hours. Our virtual booth, showcasing our latest 2020 innovations is online and the team is ready to welcome you. Any crisis generates opportunities—we are convinced to manage this for our customers!

Mastercam/CNC Software Inc.

Ben Mund
Senior Market Analyst
Mastercam/CNC Software Inc.

As developers of Mastercam CAD/CAM software, we talked with shops directly as the impact of COVID-19 began taking hold. Our global manufacturing community generally sees the post-pandemic process in three stages: assessment, refinement, and expansion.

The ‘assessment’ stage moved very quickly. Shops stopped most major (and even minor) expenditures, evaluated what business they could maintain, and worked with their partners as things started to go on hold.

Many shops we speak with have moved past assessment into the ‘refinement’ phase. This is where shops say they expect many lasting changes as they aggressively re-evaluate their processes. Examples include deeper looks into their machine and software capabilities to maximize existing investments, training up staff, and refining jobs they maintain during the crisis to ensure they are as efficient as possible when new work starts coming in.

When the ‘expansion’ phase begins, it is likely the efficiency and creativity shops built up during the crisis will mean smarter capital expenditures, broader skillsets, boosted productivity and more business flexibility. These are certainly lessons we as a company have also learned as we work with our manufacturing community to help prepare shops for the next steps.

Siemens ASEAN

Dr. Thai-Lai Pham
CEO
Siemens ASEAN

COVID-19 has given Industry 4.0 a booster jab—proving the necessity of innovation and digitalization. It has also brought down the resistance to change and collaborate, reduced the fear of new technologies, and accelerated the adoption of digital technologies.

For Siemens, our investment in digitalization in the last few years have allowed us to be in a position to contribute to the community during this crisis:

1. In March, Siemens opened the Siemens Additive Manufacturing Network for hospitals and health organizations worldwide. This digital platform brings together suppliers and customers in the field of additive manufacturing to help print spare parts for medical devices.
2. In Singapore, we helped a hotel group to build isolation rooms for guests tested positive for COVID-19. Our team supported with HVAC optimization, ensuring proper circulation of air to avoid any risks of virus-spread.

Both of these instances would probably have taken more time to plan and execute in the past. But the COVID-19 situation forced us to expedite the process.

Moving forward, I’d expect more businesses to examine their operational set-up, explore areas that urgently require improvement, and embrace digitalization to reshape their manufacturing and supply chains to be more productive, competitive, resilient and sustainable.

VDW (German Machine Tool Builders’ Association)

Dr Wilfried Schäfer
Managing Director 
VDW

In 2019, the ten-year boom phase in the global machine tool industry had already come to an end. That was long before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Expectations for the development of the machine tool industry were characterized by a sharp drop in international demand for 2020. A decrease in production of 18 percent was forecast for Germany. 

From today’s perspective, this will not be sufficient. However, due to the uniqueness of the crisis, it is currently not possible to foresee which result the industry will obtain at the end of the current year. The companies are now working intensively to learn their lessons from the crisis and prepare for a new start.

The machine tool manufacturers, for example, are systematically pushing ahead with digitization internally in their own production and in cooperation with their customers. Now that travel has been restricted nationwide, it has proven to be very advantageous for a company to access its installed machine base online. That could be necessary, for example, to ensure service and maintenance or to install software updates. With the universal interface umati, manufacturers can also offer their customers added value in order to optimize their production. umati now stands for machine communication in the entire mechanical and plant engineering sector and is meeting with great interest worldwide.

COVID-19 has also shown that the organisation of a resilient production is important in order to ensure the company’s own ability to deliver. After supply chains were interrupted worldwide when more and more countries went into lockdown, the establishment of robust supply structures is becoming increasingly important. This applies both to the supply of intermediate products and components and the ability to manufacture certain core components in-house.

Finally, customer contact has been interrupted by the cancellation or postponement of many trade fairs worldwide. Trade fair organizers, trade journal publishers from our industry and individual companies quickly made an effort to offer alternatives. The VDW was one of them. With the METAV Web Sessions in mid-June, we succeeded in offering exhibitors a platform that, at least, allowed them to make virtual contact with their customers. These formats will be further developed in the future.

These are just three examples of several areas that will change. They have not to be reinvented but, as a result of the COVID-19 crisis, they are increasingly gaining momentum. 

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When Kencoa Aerospace began its operations 20 years ago, they were a small company focused on defense applications. But, according to Troy Boston, engineering manager for the company’s U.S.-based operations, they have also progressed into commercial aerospace over the past five to six years and consider themselves very diverse in terms of the parts they can machine for well-known clients such as Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Gulf Stream, and more.

While headquartered globally in South Korea, the U.S.-based aerospace operation is a Tier-1 supplier of multiaxis precision machined aerostructures, jet engine components, and major assemblies of commercial, military, and business/regional jets.

“We machine anything from plastics, stainless steel, titanium, all the way up to Inconel,” Boston says. He continued to explain that the part sizes they create can range from the size of a quarter up to 20-feet long. The majority of these parts are internal structural components for aircraft and can range anywhere from wing components to cargo floor skins. 

To create the parts needed for these defense and commercial aerospace clients, Kencoa turned to Mastercam CAD/CAM software (CNC Software Inc., Tolland, CT) for their machining solutions. Their 40,000 square-foot facility, based in Eastman, Georgia, employs 20 machinists, and of these, five are full-time programmers. Boston explained that their programmers have been trained through various methods, making each one valuable in different ways. Some have had formal programming training and classes, while others were formerly machine operators in their shop and worked their way to programmer. This prior experience helps as they can understand the machining side of the job. “We’ve been able to bring them in, and give them on-the-job training plus Mastercam tutorials, either online or print.”

All About the Software

The software allows these programmers to work on challenging orders including those with specifications that require holding close tolerances where their true position is 0.001 or a diameter that is ±0.0003” to 0.0010.” When presented with any manufacturing challenges, the software has helped with so many issues that it is hard for Boston to choose just one benefit it provides.

“What has impressed me over the last several years has been the OptiRough toolpath and how it has progressed and how easy it is to use. You can basically set the size of your stock, and even for a large hog-out, within a few minutes you can have a very good roughing program to be able to remove large amounts of material without a lot of programming time,” says Boston. 

This was a time-consuming process that required quite a bit of geometry creation and many separate toolpaths. OptiRough toolpaths use Dynamic Motion but in a more precise way. The cut uses the entire flute length of the tool, but a small percentage of the tool’s diameter on the first cut, followed by several successive shorter cuts that bring the part into the net shape desired. “Now, with the OptiRough program, you can select a part, select your stock, pick a tool, and it’s almost cheating to be honest, because it makes it so easy,” says Boston. 

Now, their machines can run aluminum upwards of 400-in/min. Even with titanium, they are able to run their machines at over 100-in/min. 

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The post Efficiency and Speed Make Kencoa Aerospace Machining Top Notch appeared first on Asia Pacific Metalworking Equipment News | Manufacturing | Automation | Quality Control.

The software’s accelerated finishing technology, called Finish, enables reduced finishing cycle times and improved surface finishing. The updated version also features milling advances that allows improved stock awareness, smoother hybrid toolpaths, and deeper control over tool motion aspects.

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Features such as automated filtering ensure that the holders and tools that are selected can work together for the particular job. Users can select the correct tooling for the material and for the type of machining operation, plus an accurate 3D model that can be used for visualisation and collision checking in addition to the time savings.

“Customers had to search through thousands of catalogue pages and cross-reference multiple sources to create the Kennametal tool assemblies needed to machine their parts,” said Rich Taft, product owner for CNC Software. “Accurate tool definitions can be a critical factor in modern CAM applications. Toolpath algorithms take advantage of these definitions to provide safe and efficient motion.”

Mitch Benko, director, virtual machining for Kennametal said, “The pre-production phase of the manufacturing process is a critical point to provide efficiencies and set the stage for a smooth manufacturing run.” He added that the partnership will enable users to connect and import product information, 3D models, drawings, and starting parameters to expedite the validation and programming processes.

The post Mastercam & Kennametal Announce Partnership For Automated Tooling appeared first on Asia Pacific Metalworking Equipment News | Manufacturing | Automation | Quality Control.

Cutting tool and tooling systems provider Sandvik Coromant has seen multiple changes in its 75-year history. Recently, the company developed a methodology called PrimeTurning, which the company states is the industry’s first true “all-directional turning” solution.

Unlike conventional turning operations which have remained relatively unchanged for decades, using new programming techniques and a suitable tool, longitudinal (forward and back), facing and profiling operations can be made with a single tool.

New Approach

The methodology is based on the tool entering the component at the chuck and removing material as it travels towards the end of the component. This allows for the application of a small entering angle, higher lead angle and the possibility of machining with higher cutting parameters. Furthermore, conventional turning (from part-end to chuck) can be performed using the same tools.

The company believes that some applications could see productivity increases in excess of 50 percent when compared to conventional techniques. Some of these improvements are due to the small entering angle and higher lead angle, which creates thinner, wider chips that spread the load and heat away from the nose radius.

In addition, as cutting is performed in the direction moving away from the shoulder, there is no danger of chip jamming (a common and unwanted effect of conventional longitudinal turning). Higher machine utilisation due to reduced set-up time and fewer production stops for tool changes also enhances overall productivity.

Big Batch Savings

The new methodology could mean expedited processes to manufacturing industries where there is a need to perform external turning operations in big batch productions or where multiple set-ups and tool changes are often required, such as for the automotive and aerospace sectors.

“Experienced operators know that a small entering angle allows for increased feed rates,” said Hakan Ericksson, global product specialist at Sandvik Coromant.

“However, in conventional turning they are restricted to using entering angles of around 90 degrees to reach the shoulder and avoid the long, curved chips that a small entering angle characteristically delivers.”

He added that the new methodology is able to circumvent these problems by combining a reach at the shoulder and the application of 25-30 degree entering angles with chip control and maintained tolerances.

The new methodology is initially supported by the introduction of two turning tools and the company worked with Mastercam to develop the PrimeTurning code generator, which supplies optimised programming codes and techniques compatible with various CNC systems.

Improving Productivity Through Data

The company also presented a suite of IIoT solutions, known as the CoroPlus concept. It aims to improve the control of productivity and costs through a combination of connected machining as well as access to manufacturing data and expert knowledge.

The suite consists of tools and software that can send and/or receive data. Using connected technology and machining knowledge from the company, the suite makes it possible to reduce data waste and improve manufacturing processes in design and planning and in-machining.

With access to product and application data along with sensor-equipped tools, users can adjust, control and monitor machining performance in real time. The suite connects into existing software environments through open Application Programming Interfaces(APIs).

Optimisation To Avoid Breakages

The main benefit of such a concept is the ability to optimise manufacturing through better understanding and insight into what is happening in the workshop and machining environment. Some examples would be the CoroBore, which makes use of embedded sensors to remotely set up the boring tool, and the company’s line of Silent Tools, which provides in-cut monitoring for tools using connected, damped adapters for the internal turning of deep features.

The company’s Promos 3+ data collector can monitor tools and operations in real time. Developed by Prometec, the data collector receives signals from sensors that monitor parameters such as force, structure-borne noise, or active power against limit values. This can work to prevent collisions before they happen, or stopping a machine if a tool breaks.

APMEN Metal Cutting

The post Optimisation Through Insight: New Technologies For Turning & Machine Monitoring appeared first on Asia Pacific Metalworking Equipment News | Manufacturing | Automation | Quality Control.

Multiaxis CNC Machine equipment has the potential to improve accuracy and reduce machine cycles even for geometrically complex work. However, to take full advantage of this potential, the shop has to move outside of its comfort zone and use equipment aggressively. Because this increases the potential for catastrophic interferences and collisions, the user may back off and use the equipment conservatively, defeating its purpose.

This article will explain how machine simulation can help multiaxis users achieve superior results that are both safe and highly efficient and then move on to creative uses that provide unique competitive advantages.

Multiaxis CNC Machine simulation provides you with additional layers of visualisation so that you can zoom in and zoom out at will to observe everything that will happen during your machining process.

You can move the simulation along very quickly in program segments where you are certain that the part, tool, holder fixtures, and peripheral devices (eg: robots) are in no danger of colliding. When everything is happening in a confined space, you can slow the simulation down to observe these interrelated movements in slow motion or step through them in block fashion.

Eliminate On-Machine Programming & Proofing

There are still many five-axis CNC users who program parts at the machine and then single-step through the program to make the first piece or cut a test part using a foam workpiece.

Another old school trick is to replace the cutting tool with a pipe cleaner and run the program on a finished part. Then, an experienced programmer will spend hours or even days watching close calls with the pipe cleaner and altering the program to avoid them. This is a tremendous waste of spindle time and programming time.

One user we know of spent an average of 10 hours creating programs at the machine. Today, he uses Mastercam with five-axis machine simulation. He can create programs and simulate comparable first piece programs in an hour. This gives him nine additional hours for programming, frees up the machine for 10 additional hours of machining time, and allows a qualified operator to set up and attend more than one machine on the shop floor.

Improve Part Quality

Simultaneous five-axis motion allows you to reach areas that would be either impossible or very inefficient to reach with traditional methods. The drawback is that when you move the machine in the continuous five-axis mode, the rotary brakes must be off.

The Multiaxis CNC Machine is running in the ‘loose’ mode. To minimise the error unavoidably generated in this mode of operation, it is essential to position the workpiece in the machine’s sweet spot.

The sweet spot is a location near the centre of the machining envelope where the shortest possible tool can be employed to reach all of the areas that require machining with axis movements that are as close as possible to the centre of their range of travel.

You accomplish this by creating the tool paths and then simulating them at various locations until you arrive at the ‘happy place’ where tool movements are tightly choreographed (minimal air cutting), well-supported and all potential interferences have been detected and avoided.

When simulating five-axis tool paths, these are the rule of thumb that allows you to quickly achieve the most important quality and safety improvements:

• Minimise and control all motion.
• Consider every element of the cutting process.
• Keep the tool as short as possible.
• Design fixtures that allow minimum distance between the workpiece and the machine’s rotary centre point.
• Eliminate air cutting. (Special tools are available within the simulation software to facilitate this.)
• Avoid collisions at any cost.

Expand Multiaxis Capabilities

When newcomers think about multiaxis machining, their minds often jump to the manufacturing of complex geometries like blisks and impellers. These are, in fact, very complex examples of five-axis work and only a small percentage of five-axis users actually make parts like these. There is actually a long list of multiaxis CNC capabilities ranging from simple four-axis contouring to continuous five-axis machining of complex geometries.

Whenever possible, gain experience on the simpler multiaxis machining strategies using machine simulation as a learning and training tool. Once you become proficient in a relatively straightforward multiaxis machining application, move on to something a little more difficult.

If you are proficient in three-axis programming, it is fairly simple to move into single setup three + two programs using the multiaxis system to index the part to the correct coordinates for the next machine operation.

Indexing the part on a multiaxis machine (with the confidence the clearances have been checked via machine simulation) is vastly more productive than changing setups for multiple operations on a three-axis machine.

With this sequential approach to growing your five-axis expertise, your equipment will be paying for itself in very short order.

Get Creative & Achieve Competitive Advantages
Machine simulation will assure the safety of your manufacturing process. Then you can move beyond safety to achieve the big payoffs resulting from your enhanced manufacturing efficiency and creativity. Here are some examples.

• Try out the same job on multiple machines.
• Accurately estimate multiaxis machine time for complex parts.
• Grow unattended machining capabilities.
• Achieve higher machining density.
• Integrate machine simulation with iterative design processes.
• Experiment with advanced machining strategies away from the machine.
• Provide faster turns on short-run and prototype parts.
• Respond faster to new program and market opportunities.
• Present multiaxis machining capabilities to your customers.

Important Multiaxis Preliminaries
Before a shop can enjoy the many benefits of machine simulation and advanced CAM software for multiaxis machining, a number of steps must be taken. These steps will assure that the types of simulation chosen are most appropriate and that the results generated via the simulation process will be accurate and trustworthy.

1. Choose between CAM (intermediate code) and G-code simulation

There are two types of machine simulation:

CAM Simulation (such as Mastercam’s Machine Simulation) examines the intermediate code generated by the CAM software in combination with a CAD model of the machine and associated tooling to generate the various components of the machine motion.

G-code Simulation (eg: Vericut from CGTech) uses the actual G-code generated by the postprocessor and detailed machine models including kinematics to generate an ultra-high-resolution simulation of the manufacturing process.

CAM-based machine simulation does not cost a lot and it is easy to implement and use. It can be very effective most of the time. However, since it does not work from the G-code (which is the form of instructions the machine actually operates from) and does not incorporate machine kinematics, CAM simulation is not as accurate or as reliable as G-code simulation.

2. Build your virtual machine carefully

If you are going to use CAM simulation, then you will need to create a model of your machines within the CAM software. Although this may sound like a daunting prospect, creating the machine model is usually quite straightforward.

Mastercam makes it easier by providing a library of generic multiaxis CNC machines, which can be used as a template for developing the model from your specific machine. Modelling involves inputting specific dimensions taken directly from the machine or from the OEM’s literature. G-code simulation involves a much more extensive modelling process, which is typically done by the software provider.

3. Resolve post processor issues

The post-processor is an intermediate software that translates code generated by the CAM software into G and M code that is understood by a specific CNC machine. CAM software is shipped with generic post processors that must be tweaked to satisfy a myriad of machine-specific options.

The user can optimise his post processor so that his machine will behave as desired (and provide accurate simulations) by working through the documentation provided by the post-processor vendor and activating or deactivating various ‘switches’ in the post. Or it may be faster and more satisfying in the long run to hire an expert to install and clean up the posts.

4. Get training

For those making the transition from 3D to five-axis programming with little or no five-axis experience, just a little training can go a long way to establishing a far more productive mindset.

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The post Multiaxis CNC Machine Simulation: A Confidence Booster appeared first on Asia Pacific Metalworking Equipment News | Manufacturing | Automation | Quality Control.