Shop Improves Manufacturing with Simulation Software
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Tell Tool of Westfield, Mass., has integrated VERICUT CNC simulation software into its numerical control program prove-out process.
It ensures every part is accurate, dimensionally correct, and efficient when they hit the shop floor. As a result, the company reduced manual prove-out process time by up to 80% and practices lights-out machining on some of its first-time parts to improve efficiency, productivity, and profitability.
Besides electronic engine controls, auxiliary power units, and other systems, Tell Tool manufactures fuel-control units using VERICUT’s model export capability integrated into the manufacturing process.
When customers contract Tell Tool for a fuel-control unit, there is often no design model of the final part shape. What Tell Tool gets are specifications for the dimensions of the inside of the part, minimum wall thicknesses, and specific structure requirements, along with other information.
To create the outer shape of the control unit, Tell Tool reverse engineers the unit from the inside out using internal-part specifications such as fuel-control-housing dimensions and the minimum wrap-stock requirements around each feature. Within a CAD/CAM system, they create cutter path around the minimum wrap-stock requirements, which runs in VERICUT to create the in-process part shape.
VERICUT exports the in-process shape as an in-process file that can be converted to an STL file, which serves as a starting point for programming the next operation in the CAD/CAM system. After the part is programmed and run through VERICUT, there is an in-process model of the entire shape of the fuel-control housing. This finished shape can be converted to an STL file that goes back to the customer.
Prior to implementing VERICUT, programmers approximated as to the shape of the in-process material and ran the cutter path within those imaginary boundaries. As a result, there were a lot of air cuts where the cutter did not contact material.
For companies like Tell Tool, the latest release of VERICUT, version 5.4, also improves documentation processes. Such software contains the critical manufacturing information, especially an accurate representation of the in-process geometry, necessary to accurately document a process. One example is creating inspection instructions.
VERICUT 5.4 automatically creates inspection instructions complete with in-process feature dimensions, which are generated during NC-program simulation. Most shops manually create inspection instructions. However, without an electronic in-process model of the part, there is a limited knowledge of the in-process state of material. Thus, manual methods require a certain degree of technical expertise and are prone to error.
Airbus is selling so well that the demand to increase build rate has never been higher. BAE Systems (Filton, UK) needed a simple way to improve throughput - it found the answer in VERICUT.
With VERICUT, engineers at Stellex Monitor modeled the Sidewinder and Spar Mill machines.
Tell Tool of Westfield, Mass., has integrated VERICUT CNC simulation software into its numerical control program prove-out process.
VERICUT enabled us to start ordinary production after a minimum of time. Since this product is new for Volvo Aero Norge and our company had never before had parts with similar machining complexity, it is difficult to estimate the amount of cost saving.
Before implementing VERICUT, the company experienced the usual time-consuming and expensive manufacturing problems related to NC program prove-outs such as scrap loss, broken tooling, and a danger of occasional machine crash.
Over the last two years, AH has used Machine Simulation to speed the implementation of several new 5-axis machine tools.
VERICUT showed the NC programmers leftover or heavy stock." And the software detected a couple of places where the depth of cut was too large and tools were shanking out," said Collings. They then went back and corrected the errors in the tool path before
Dassault, Seclin initially purchased VERICUT in order to reduce the number of manual prove-outs using polystyrene material, which represented a significant expense in terms of time and money.
VERICUT enabled the designers and programmers see exactly what they were building as and in-process model in different stages of the machining cycle.
We utilized VERICUT to verify the CNC programs for cutting the tooling before they were sent to the machine control,
To protect their investment, they have been using VERICUT since 1996. They have two people to verify the accuracy of their G-code files.
"When we first started using OptiPath we concentrated on the feed rate option; now we use the constant chip thickness capability. With jobs up to 200 hours long, 50% saving is significant – like having another machine tool."
The entire process took less than two hours and no manpower was required, whereas, creating the same pattern manually (the old way), would have taken one of our designers several days.
The verification process stays ahead of the actual machine position in the NC code being verified. Opera-tors can see errors before they occur.
The bottom line? Using VERICUT has made Supreme's existing machine tools more productive. Enthusiasm is up, delivery times have been reduced, and pricing is more competitive.delivery times have been reduced, and pricing is more competitive.
Using VERICUT to compare the electrode burn with the mold cavity ensures that we have all the correct clearances in the electrodes and that we have 100% clean-up." says Allen.
If I was using VERICUT at the time I would've caught the problem, and had a chance to fix it before it damaged the part.
Now I rarely see the potential crashes because the students find and correct them before I review the work. Catching those costly problems is a non-event now!
VERICUT can change speeds and feeds according to cutting conditions including difference in material and tooling. It is done automatically; the programmer does not have to make even one manual insert into the code."
Flying shrapnel from shattered cutting tools and components is avoided by using VERICUT to test student programs before they are run on NC machines.
The NC programmers at Ingersoll also rely on the simulation software to prevent mistakes when programming complex, five-axis parts.
After creating the NC programs in Mastercam, they began simulating the machining process in VERICUT by simulating the G-code data. There often can be a difference between the motion as programmed and the code after it's run through the post processor
After selecting VERICUT for third-party verification, each NC programmer attended two days of basic training where they experienced first-hand the type of results they could expect to achieve.
The program simulates milling, drilling, turning, wire EDM, and mill/turn machining operations using both G-codes and CAM output.
VERICUT provides simulation capabilities for the all the 3-5 axis and wire EDM parts, with focused control over the orientation of our 5-axis machine tool including the cutters used on that machine.
The inspection probe is created as a tool in VERICUT so the complete in- cycle gauging sequence is checked for collisions.
The bottom was machined first. This effort took about 24 hours from start to finish. By using VERICUT software from CGTech, Elliot was able to test the NC program for any problems before it was ever cut on the machine.
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With data exported from NX, Vericut simulates the cutting process on the shop floor utilizing the machine G-code to detect any issues prior to NC Program release.
Prior to implementing VERICUT, programmers approximated as to the shape of the in-process material and ran the cutter path within those imaginary boundaries. As a result, there were a lot of air cuts where the cutter did not contact material.