Page 44 - 2020cnc8-9

Machining a pavement marker on a MAZAK Integrex i200s 7-axis multi-tasking machine.
“I noticed very quickly that vibration, harmonics, and rigidity were going to be my most difficult challenges with this part. For the greatest accuracy, I needed to clamp the part in the turning spindle as close as possible to the tooling, resulting in very tight clearances between the spindle and tooling,” Udelhoven said. “But having just invested a large amount of money into the Integrex, I wanted to protect my investment by ensuring that tools did not crash into the machine. ESPRIT simulation lets me see exactly where the tool is in relation to the machine, so I have complete confidence in my programs. There are points on the part program that are so close to a collision that I never would have taken the risk with my previous software. For example, at one point in the program, a 5-axis Swarf move has .035” clearance between the top of the B-axis head and the automatic tool changer cover.”
Each part is produced from a 5.5-inch long piece of 2-3/8-inch diameter bar stock. Instead of using a turning tool to separate each part, the program uses a milling head to travel back and forth across the part to trim it off. The milling operation improves part rigidity and process security. Udelhoven’s program further improves rigidity
by performing minimal semi-roughing operations to expose the tight tolerance drilling and milling faces before final rough and finish milling operations to maximize the rigidity and ensure accuracy of the part during these sensitive operations.
Due to the complexity of the part and the number of hours needed to program multiple operations, having ESPRIT’s post processors produce edit-free G-code was also paramount to Forbidn’s success. In addition, the ESPRIT deburring cycle helped triple productivity, cutting the cycle time down from a total of eight hours to only two for its most complex part.
“Now that I have gained experience in using ESPRIT, I have never been happier with a product,” Udelhoven said. “If I can think of the machine moving a certain way, ESPRIT can produce exactly what I am thinking. It has given my business an advantage in my area. I recommend looking no further than ESPRIT with a multi-tasking machine.”
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CNC WEST August/September 2020