On Mfg: July 2014

CAD for CAM

At the end of the day, CAD software is used to design something that is going to be manufactured. So it is worth noting that 2014 R2 PowerSHAPE Pro CAD from Delcam (delcam.com), design software, is optimized to facilitate the machining of the object being designed. For example, the Smart Feature Selector can find all the holes having the same, specified diameter or those having radii between two values, or it can identify all the fillets with less than 2-mm radius. If a single feature is identified, all similar features can be selected with a single click. Once a particular group has been isolated, all the features within it can be sup- pressed or deleted simultaneously. Groups of features can be placed on layers or colored so they can be recognized as a group within any of Delcam’s CAM programs, thus simplifying their manufacture. Also, there is a wrap option that allows a radial pocket to be created that is suitable for turn-milling with Delcam’s FeatureCAM or PartMaker CAM software. The CAD package offers a combination of solid, surface and direct modelling, as well as reverse engineering functionality from scanned data. By having this combination, it reduces the amount of data transfer between programs so product design and development can be performed more quickly.

Monitoring the Machine

By providing real-time process monitoring in machining operations, the Artis CTM V6 from Marposs (marposs.com) helps not only safeguard but optimize the operations, thereby helping protect the equipment while producing parts that meet the specifications. The CTM is integrated with the machine control; inputs are provided by measuring transducers of vari- ous types. For example, a digital torque adaptor is used to collect drive data to evaluate the torque of the spindle and the feed axis. Other possible inputs are via sensors that measure strain and force, power, vibration, acceleration, and acoustic emissions. For gear hobbing, for example, by determining wear, tool life can be extended compared with the fixed-interval approach to hob changes. By monitoring coolant flow, operations including deep-hole drilling can be performed more reliably. There are various integration methods offered for the CTM, from those without fieldbus connections all the way to branched Ethernet architectures such as PROFINET, Ethernet/IP and Modbus.