Intelligent Paths to Strategic Machining

CAM industry innovator DP Technology Corporation (Camarillo, CA) released a new version of its pioneering flagship ESPRIT® 2015 software that helps increase productivity for a full range of machine tool applications by generating more efficient toolpaths, while also saving time by providing substantial improvements in computer numerical control (CNC) programming productivity.

Besides increasing productivity, this release provides many new and improved features, specifically in the areas of intelligent machining, strategic machining, CAD-CAM data exchange and Cloud-Enabled CAM.

INTELLIGENT MACHINING
Intelligent machining features accelerate the machining process by providing new and unique 5-axis cycles that reduce cycle time, making it possible to completely machine blades in a single setup. The software’s 5-Axis Blade Roughing tool motion is morphed across the blade from any size stock shape to uniformly offset stock allowance so it can be immediately followed by a finishing cycle.

“These unique 5-axis features make complex machining more efficient, allowing users to have more tool path options such as blade roughing and chamfering,” said Cedric Simard, the global marketing and communication director of DP Technology. “Blade roughing enables shops to remove material down to uniform stock around the blade and eliminates the need to follow semi-finish cycles. Users in the aerospace, energy, medical and automotive industries will benefit the most from these time-saving operations for precision parts.”

The Port Roughing cycle, another intelligent machining function, is a brand new 5-axis cycle that creates a 5-axis roughing operation to remove the material inside an area where the tool must enter through a restricted opening. The shape of the toolpath is an offset of the port surfaces, starting at the surface and proceeding inward at a constant stepover.

Another function that increases machining productivity is the new Bottom Up roughing
strategy that helps take ProfitMilling high speed material removal cycle to the next level. The Bottom Up strategy lets the user attain a small residual stock height during the stock removal process. Even more, it can be combined with ProfitMilling – a unique high-speed machining roughing technology – for a major improvement in overall productivity. ProfitMilling optimizes toolpaths with engagement angle, chip load, lateral cutter force and material removal rate to massively reduce cycle time and increase tool life.

STRATEGIC MACHINING
Strategic machining capabilities have been expanded with completely redesigned stock automation capabilities for multi-tasking machines with mill, turn and drill capabilities. Available for the Facing, Contouring and Pocketing milling cycles, the new stock automation function maintains awareness of the stock removed by previous operations to generate cutting passes only in areas where stock remains. This function greatly reduces air cutting which in turn drastically reduces cycle time.

Additional strategic machining improvements have been made by providing support for slot mill tools in the Port Milling and Composite cycles. Slot mill tools save machining time on operations as tee-slotting and square shoulder milling and their geometry generates lower cutting forces in soft materials and unstable setups which increases tool life. Barrel-shaped cutters are now supported in 5-axis Blade and Composite cycles. Barrel-shaped cutters provide a much better surface finish than ball end mills because their geometry provides a larger effective radius of engagement, resulting in smaller cusps between toolpaths.

CAD TO CAM
New data exchange features make it easier ever before to move information from a CAD
system into the CAM environment. Three new geometry types — sketches, feature profiles and curves — are now available through the ESPRIT FX data exchange from Dassault Systemes CATIA, Parametric Technology Pro/ENGINEER and Siemens NX/UG. The additional information obtained from these geometry types can be easily manipulated to cover complex areas for roughing operations or extend surfaces to get a better finish
on edges.

Another important improvement shortens programming time by increasing the accuracy of automated feature recognition. The enhanced Auto Chain support for solid faces, loops and
edges lets the user create chain features directly on solid models. In addition, a redesigned wall feature recognition command automatically recognizes the upper and lower limits of walls, even tapered walls, in a solid model.

CLOUD-ENABLED CAM
Users can select tools based on the features of your parts in minutes — saving shops the
drudgery of flipping through catalogs to find ideal tooling. With the MachiningCloud Connection, programmers have access to complete and up-to-date tooling product data that cuts hours of programming time by eliminating manual tool creation. It simplifies the selection of cutting tools and automatically obtains the recommended ones.

DP Technology Corporation, 1150 Avenida Acaso, Camarillo, CA 93012, 805-388-6000
cedric.simard@dptechnology.com, www.dptechnology.com.