Vortex, which has a patent pending, is the major enhancement for the 2014 release of Delcam plc’s PowerMill CAM system for high-speed and five-axis machining (Hall 25 Stand K18 –
(www.delcam.com). It has been developed specifically to obtain maximum benefit from solid-carbide tooling, in particular those designs that can give deeper cuts by using the full flute length as the cutting surface.
Vortex can be used for two- and three-axis roughing, 3+2-axis area clearance, and for rest machining based on stock models or reference tool-paths. Like other Delcam roughing strategies, tool-paths are calculated to give more-efficient machining by following the shape of the part and by keeping air moves to a minimum. A series of trials run within Delcam’s Advanced Manufacturing Facility on different machine tools has shown that a time saving of at least 40% is not untypical.
One fundamental problem with conventional area clearance strategies is that the optimum cutting conditions only occur during a straight-line cut, while any internal corners within the model significantly increase the engagement angle of the cutter. To protect the cutter, this increase can be balanced by setting a lower feed rate, but the user is then faced with the choice of using this lower rate over the entire tool-path (which increases the machining time) or varying the feeds and speeds as the cutter moves around the model (so increasing wear on the cutter).
Unlike other high-speed roughing techniques that aim to maintain a constant theoretical metal-removal rate, the Vortex strategy produces tool-paths with a controlled engagement angle for the complete operation. This maintains the optimum cutting conditions for the entire tool-path, shortening the cutting time while achieving a more-consistent volume-removal rate and feed rate.
Delcam will also be demonstrating its PowerMill Robot Interface for the programming of robots for multi-axis machining operations. This interface consists of three main steps: programming, simulation (including analysis) and creation of the robot programs.