Despite being a ‘strong contributor’ to new growth in the high-tech field of space technology and making large space-related components, California-based Marton Precision Manufacturing often resorted to somewhat low-tech ways of checking for potential collisions on its machine tools.
Indeed, the company’s five-axis machinist — Miguel Chavez — would frequently dry-run programs, and even climb up into the workshop’s gantry mill to make physical checks. Even then, he says, he didn’t always discover a problem until the end of the program.
“When that happened, I had to make adjustments and begin the dry-run process again. And if the fixtures needed adjusting as well, that meant taking an additional step.”
This situation changed when Marton Precision invested in NCSIMUL machine simulation software (
www.ncsimul.com) from Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division. He can now simulate, verify, optimise and review machine programs, based on the characteristics of the individual parts, the cutting tools and the specific CNC machine involved.
3-D graphics help him to avoid machining crashes, while complex algorithms and embedded process-based knowledge enables the cutting conditions to be optimised.
The first component for which he used NCSIMUL to verify the machine G-code was a complex aluminium fuel cell cover, produced on a Hwacheon five-axis bridge mill.
“Now we are using the simulation software all the time, we can have programs for this type of part ready in about 2hr, instead of the 12-16hr previously required. I can have a program adjusted and feel comfortable enough to run it without having to climb up into the machine to have a look.
“We now have NCSIMUL packages for eight different CNC machine tools, each customised for the machine they are used on.”
Marton Precision’s NCSIMUL Machine module provides machining verification in three steps: it investigates and corrects coding errors; simulates to locate collisions and correct motion errors; and validates the machining result.
“As well as the tool-path verification, it also takes the machine’s interior features and tool movement patterns into consideration. With NCSIMUL, we know we are going to get it right first time, every time.”