Introducing Shining 3D Freescan UE X7 and X11
Two brand new Shining 3D Freescan scanners called the UE X7 and UE X11 offer a new threshold for high precision scanning combined with a lighter design and enhanced functionality. The enhanced software can import scans into Control X with a single mouse click, completely streamlining the scan-based inspection process. Accuracy for both the UE X7 and UE X11 is an incredible +/-20 microns (+/-.00078”) with an excellent volumetric accuracy of 20 microns + 40 microns/meter while maintaining a maximum resolution of just 50 microns (.0019”). Combining precision accuracy with extremely high resolution, this scanner opens the door for precision scanning of complex parts while still paying attention to very fine detail. Both black and reflective surfaces are now supported by the UE scanner series to minimize, and in many cases eliminate, the need for any type of scanning spray to achieve high-quality scans suitable for rigid metrology applications. The main differentiator between the UE X7 and the UE X11 is scanning speed. Due to the 11 blue crosses used by the X11 as compared to the 7 used by the X7, the scanning speed is an incredible 1.2 million points per second while the X7 still scans at an extremely fast 650,000 [...]
Maximum Material Condition
Why would one want to use a Maximum Material Condition for a true positional callout for clearance holes? Maximum Material Condition or MMC in GD&T is added to the GD&T symbol. The symbol is shown below. In this example, we have a .137 diameter clearance hole that is defined as .137 Rad +/-.010”. Let’s assume the hole is manufactured (drilled) and inspected and it comes out as a .1303 radius, placing it .0067 undersize. There is a True Position callout of .020” for this clearance hole to datums A, B, and C without a Maximum Material Condition callout. By going this route, the dimension fails. The goal of any design is to provide the manufacturing engineer with as much tolerance as possible to still produce a good design that maintains the designer’s intent. If we just go by the True Position Callout for the example above with no MMC specified, the dimension fails and the part would be rejected. If we consider the nominal hole size of .137, the MMC hole based on this dimensioning scheme would be .127” (or .137” minus .010”). This number represents the MMC for this clearance hole based upon the callout. This would represent the hole with the [...]
Applying Accelerated Finishing in Mastercam 3-axis Machining
This blog post will explain how to apply accelerated finishing concepts in Mastercam 3-axis machining. Let’s explore a new method for machining the radius on the top edge of the sample part below. Traditionally there are two options to machine a radius like this, contouring with an exact size radius form tool or 3D machining with a ball end mill. Both options have their pros and cons. Having a large collection of radius tools can be expensive and 3D machining can be time-consuming. For this new method, we will combine the two ideas with some accelerated finishing concepts and clever geometry creation. Start by selecting a radius tool with an internal radius larger than part geometry. In this example, we used a .375 radius tool. The large radius will allow you to utilize larger step-downs while maintaining a good surface finish. Next, you need to create your toolpath geometry and to do this you need to create a simple radius surface around your part. The size of the surface radius is determined by subtracting the part radius from the tool radius, so .375 minus .2 gives us a .175 radius. Once you draw the radius tangent to the part in the right side [...]
How to Inspect a Scan Without a CAD Model
When using Control X for inspection, you are usually comparing one scan file to another scan file, or a scan file to a nominal CAD file. But sometimes you may have the need to inspect or measure a one-off part without a CAD file to compare it to. This blog post will explain how to take an isolated 3D scan in Control X and take measurements from it. In the example part above we have a connecting arm with only the mesh file. This file will come directly into the measured data node. Normally we would compare it with reference data, but in this case, there is none. When geometry is in the measure data without a reference data we can’t check for measurements. To work around this, we have to transfer it into the reference node. To do this, right-click on the scan and move it to the reference. Once it’s there the Regions functions become active. Now select the scan, select Regions, and click Auto Segment. The software now looks at the model and determines which features are lines, which features arcs, planes, and so forth. If you hover over the geometry, you will see what is a Plane, what is [...]
Creating a Water-Tight Model from CAT scan
This blog post will show you an advanced method to clean up internal portions of a CAT scan with the goal of creating a water-tight model. When processing CAT scan data the biggest challenge is cleaning up the geometry. Typically, the internal geometry of a CAT scan contains disconnected poly-faces, which makes it difficult to select and delete only the unwanted geometry. A good example of this is a CAT scan of a bone, as you can see in the image below. This vertebra shows the disconnected poly-faces in what appears to be internal channels and bridges. How would you go about creating a water-tight model from this geometry containing numerous floating, disconnected, irregular objects? Geomagic Design X has a great solution for this. It is called Virtual Rescan. Virtual Rescan recreates a mesh by combining feature shapes captured in the normal direction of each virtual plane. In the settings, you select how the tool will recognize outside geometry, and in essence, it “rescans” to only give you the outside shell. Now, all you would need is to close all the remaining holes and generate your water-tight model. Imagine if you had to do this process manually, selecting and deleting each individual or [...]
Mastercam’s Smart Manufacturing
Mastercam is an integral slice of the reality of Smart Manufacturing. It is one of many fibers giving strength to the digital thread that is Industry 4.0. The following, courtesy of Strategic Market Analyst Ben Mund, are five areas in which Mastercam’s vision is on the future of connectivity as it benefits the manufacturing community 1. Awareness Mastercam is addressing the emerging shift in the market by acknowledging the rapidly evolving Industry 4.0 concept and the fact that it’s here to stay. From the software and hardware developers, the people on the shop floors and those who educate the market, are all working together to define that concept and to bring together the pieces for a clearer view of the future. Where does Mastercam fit into this idea? Connectivity. It’s about how many places Mastercam’s software can touch to ensure that information can be brought in and to use that information the best way possible for an output that has value to the customer. And when it does, can that information be used in other areas of their shop? That’s what Mastercam’s CAD/CAM platform does. It powers the machine tool but that is obviously just a portion of what a shop needs to [...]