Innovative Roughing and Drilling Techniques

Together with hyperMAXX, high performance roughing techniques can be applied in 4- or 5-axis. The shape-offset techniques provide huge efficiency over Z-level slicing for shaped surfaces, and the high performance techniques offer lower cutting times and increased cutter life, especially when cutting hard materials as found in engine casings.

Drill Connection Improvements
The forthcoming release of hyperMILL 2013 will include modifications to the linking procedures when drilling hole patterns. This technique has benefit both in 2-axis drilling as well as 5-axis (multi-axis) drilling.

Many toolpath techniques move the cutter to a home position or safe position between drilling positions. This process can be hard on the machine tool by moving, often at rapid locations to certain set positions. Other systems try to connect adjoining hole positions with rapid connect moves.

These procedures as well can be hard on a machine that is switching between rapid and feed modes, with dramatic acceleration and deceleration motions, and often with sudden directional changes.

The latest technique in hyperMILL provides a smooth connection between adjoining hole positions. The machine control stays in feed mode (high connection feed rate), but the smoothly arching motions work well with the machine’s servo and drive systems, and reduce overall processing time.

Keeping the machine in high feed (G1) mode also avoids the dog-leg problems found on older machine controls that move each axis as fast as possible in an unsynchronized manner, deviating from the intended path. And the connection moves are fully collision checked.

This is true for 2-axis drilling, where the holder and part features (such as a steep wall) are included in checking and path selection from hole to hole. Similarly, the connections paths are collision checked for multi-axis drilling.

hyperMILL is a broad-based CAM software that provides robust solutions for 2.5-axis through 5-axis, including mill-turn and automation all in one consistent user interface. The software is available as a stand-alone CAM software product, or integrated within SolidWorks or Autodesk Inventor.

OPEN MIND Technologies AG is a leading developer of CAD/CAM software and postprocessors for designing and manufacturing complex molds and parts, offering an extensive range of products from 2D feature-oriented solutions for milling standard parts through to software for 5-axis simultaneous machining.

With their hyperMILL® software, which is used in the automotive, tool and mold manufacturing, mechanical engineering, medical and aerospace, and watch and jewellery industries, OPEN MIND Technologies AG is represented in all the important markets in Asia, Europe and North America. www.mum.de, www.openmind-tech.com, info.americas@openmind-tech.com