Cimco DNC Max
Today’s blog post will take an in-depth look at Cimco DNC Max, which addresses all communications’ issues between your software and your CNC machine. If you work with CNC equipment, you know that transferring part programs to machines is an essential step in the machining process. Older machines have serial or RS-232 ports, enabling data transfer, but these provide no structure with regards to where operators are pulling programs from and which are the most current programs. With flash cards or USBs, the same lack of control exists in terms of ensuring data integrity and that the correct program is being delivered. Most modern machines feature an Ethernet port, enabling connectivity to your company’s network for G-Code file transfer, but this type of connection still offers only minimal structure. This is where Cimco’s DNC Max comes in. It is a comprehensive system, capable of addressing all communications’ issues and concerns. For Ethernet-based controls, DNC Max provides a structure whereby operators may only view and download files in directories specifically assigned to their machines. That same type of control would hold true for controllers with serial ports. By deploying such control, you can be assured you are downloading the latest and greatest part programs [...]
Mastercam Align to Plane
Mastercam Align to Plane is a fairly new function inside of Model Prep. Many times, after importing models from other CAD software programs such as Solidworks and AutoCAD, the parts don’t line up with the Mastercam World Coordinate System (WCS). Now, in Mastercam 2019 this process has become simplified. You now have the option to either create a new WCS in relation to the parts current layout or transform the model and any additional geometry to an existing plane. To use this new function, go into the Model Prep tab in your ribbon bar at the top of the screen and select the Align to Plane function. The first thing you are prompted to do is select a solid face to temporary place your gnomon. From here, you will be prompted to select a line or solid edge on the part to align your X-axis. Once the line is selected, the gnomon will be aligned on the part based on your origin settings. Alternatively, you can select one of 10 origin settings to pick from. Either top or bottom of any of the corners, or the middle of the solid face where you selected. At this point, you need to choose whether [...]
HP 3D Printing for Machinery and Production Lines
Let’s take a closer look at the HP 3D printing and their Multi Jet Fusion for machinery and production line components. Factories utilize machines of all shapes and sizes. These machines are highly specialized and consist of custom components made in small volumes. As industries strive to add more value to their customers, manufacturers are under pressure to reduce costs associated with machinery. HP Multi Jet Fusion offers a solution for producing optimized machine components, and at greater speeds and lower costs than conventional methods. Through greater speed with HP’s platform, production line downtime is reduced. In-house, on-demand production of multiple designs in parallel can also increase production line flexibility. Complex geometries made possible through 3D printing will enable lighter parts with enhanced performance. This is thanks to lattice structures and generative design. Moreover, HP plastic parts are lighter than aluminum or steel, providing a myriad of benefits. These unique, non-standard parts allow for customized setups adapted to each machine and floor plan dimension. The benefits of speed and design freedom all affect the ultimate cost. 3D printing can help reduce inventory and transportation costs through just-in-time production. The reduction in material and minimized downtime of operations contribute greatly to these savings. As you [...]
Mastercam Axis Control
Today we are going to explore one of the newest features in Mastercam 2019 called Axis Control. This new feature can be found inside of the Machine Simulation options and is a great tool to ensure all of the axis, X,Y, and Z along with A,B, and C all fall within the limits of your machine. Let’s begin with a part file that includes proper stock setup and some toolpaths on it to simulate. Go into the Backplot and Simulator options in the Toolpaths Manager and then into the Simulation tab in the top right corner. From here, make sure you have the correct machine that you want to simulate with and double check to make sure that your stock is going to be sitting properly within the XYZ coordinates using the Position tab. If you do not have your vice or fixture loaded into Mastercam you can use these settings to make sure the part is sitting in the correct orientation. The next step is to launch Verify. Once Verify is open, under the Home tab, select the Simulation option. Once your machine is loaded in the graphics screen you will be able to go into the View tab to select [...]
Techni-Grip Product Review
Today we are going to do a quick review of Techni-Grip Work Holding’s 5-axis 6” round top fixture. Techni-grip Work Holding was borne directly from their manufacturing floor to solve many challenges like repeatability, standardization, simple setup and increased access to all sides of the workpiece. The patented design is easy to clean between part changes and the simple dovetail clamping hardware allows for fast setups since there are no jaws, parallels or spreaders to adjust or set. It requires only a .125” stock to hold workpieces. The first step is to prepare the dovetail and the location holes. Next, you need to align the part onto the fixture locating pins and tighten the dovetail clamps. You only need 15-20 ft/lbs of torque to secure the part. We have found the fixture very repeatable - after 10 cycles of removing and re-clamping the same part, it was consistently repeating within .0003” The fixture bodies are made of hard anodize 6061-T651 Aluminum. The clamp bodies heat treated 15-5 stainless steel and the locating pins are non-heat treated 15-5 stainless steel all giving long life and rigidity. In the photo below, we are mounted in a Hurco VM10Ui 5-axis mill using Mastercam Opti-Rough toolpaths [...]
New Mastercam Tool Libraries
Mastercam recently announced that Harvey Tool and Helical Solutions’ tool libraries are now available to Mastercam users on Mastercam’s Tech Exchange site. These libraries, optimized for all supported Mastercam versions, contain all the end mill options that can be found in Harvey Tool and Helical Solutions most recent catalogs, totaling to more than 15,000 tools now available for Mastercam users to import. Readily available, comprehensive tool libraries translate into increased productivity for Mastercam users. Importing accurate tool libraries vetted by both Mastercam and manufacturers directly into the software saves the machinist valuable time. Without these libraries, machinists would need to look up a tool in a manufacturer’s catalog and manually build the tool in Mastercam. Now, Mastercam users can download the Harvey Tool and Helical Solutions tool libraries to have those tool immediately available in Mastercam. Users that take advantage of this feature can program confidently due to accurate tool dimensions and tool data optimized in partnership with Harvey Tool and Helical Solutions specifically for Mastercam. The balance of the Harvey Tool and Helical Solutions tool libraries, which will include Harvey Tool’s Specialty Profile cutting tools, Holemaking and Threading tools, and Helical Solutions’ chamfer mills, are under construction and will be released soon. [...]