The 2015 version of Delcam’s PowerMill CAM system (
www.delcam.com) for high-speed and five-axis machining includes improvements to the Vortex high-efficiency area-clearance strategy, improved collision checking (to also cover near misses), and more-efficient raster finishing.
The Vortex area-clearance strategy produces safe tool-paths with a much deeper cut by using a controlled engagement angle that maintains the optimum cutting conditions for the whole tool-path. As a result, higher feed rates and material-removal rates are possible, making cutting times shorter by as much as 70%.
In addition, cutting is undertaken at a more consistent volume-removal rate and at a near-constant feed rate, so extending tool life and protecting the machine.
Furthermore, there are two enhancements in PowerMill 2015’s Vortex strategy that will give even greater reductions in machining time compared to conventional roughing.
The first allows tool-paths to approach the part from outside the stock at the cutting height, both for open pockets and in areas where earlier cuts have made this possible (previously, all entry moves had to be made by plunging onto the surface or by ramping into the material).
The second allows an increased feed rate to be set for non-cutting moves (the default value is set at double the rate for the cutting moves, but this can be altered as required for each machine tool). Compared with earlier releases of Vortex, savings in cycle times of about 20% can be expected.
Meanwhile, changes to the roughing algorithm in PowerMill 2015 have reduced the number of ‘lifts’ per tool-path slice to the minimum needed, making area clearance much more efficient.
Furthermore, companies using PowerMill for either positional or continuous five-axis machining can benefit from improvements to the collision checking within the software; they can now specify a clearance value, and when the machine tool comes within this value, it will turn yellow on the screen to highlight a near miss (collisions are still be shown by a change of colour to red).
Another improvement in the software will help companies using four- or five-axis machines with trunnions or similar tilting tables.
Previous PowerMill tool-paths could exhibit unwanted changes of azimuth as the cutting tool approached a position vertical to the part; this would slow down the machine, often to the extent that a witness mark would be left on the surface.
PowerMill can now distribute the tool-path points so that the machine’s gimbal-lock position is avoided, resulting in a smoother motion.
Raster finishing has also been improved, with the software now able to automatically set the most appropriate angle for each region of the part.
Finally, three new curve-creation options have been added to the curve editor (ellipse, spiral and helix); these can be used to create patterns or boundaries when generating tool-paths.