Page 42 - CNC West April May 2022 copy

The hyperMILL® CAM software suite from OPEN MIND Technologies enables a 5-axis roughing of a chamber wide range of 5-axis machining strategies.
San Diego in 2017 to set up the shop.
In NDK Paragon’s clean, well organized 3,800 square
foot shop, which opened in 2018, the latest technology is utilized for all operations. There are three CNC machining centers. Two of these are Mikron 5-Axis models, one of them a 7-pallet system ideal for lights out manufacturing, and a third machine is a Doosan 3-Axis system. In addition to the CNC’s, NDK has a Hexagon CMM with full scanning capability. And with engineering and manufacturing under one roof, NDK also develops and machines prototypes, whether in one- off or in small batch production quantities. Being a job shop manufacturing primarily in high mix, low volume orders, precision, accuracy and reliability are paramount. “All of our applications require very fine surface finishes of better than 8 Ra, in addition to high dimensional and true position tolerances with tenths level accuracies” noted Mr. Katrov.
HYPER-MILLED STRATEGIES
Working on complex parts in this high precision world requires a robust, reliable CAM platform to drive key high performance 5-axis machining strategies, and Katrov has found this in hyperMILL®, a complete CAM software system developed by OPEN MIND Technologies with one postprocessor for maximum process reliability, minimized machining times and cost efficiency. “With our applications requiring full 5-axis strategies, we have successfully utilized most of the 5-axis modules in
hyperMILL® such as contouring, tangent milling with barrel cutters, swarf milling and helical drilling” explained Mr. Katrov. “hyperMILL® makes the programming process seamless and easy no matter how complex the components are. The accurate part simulation extensively saves set up times and reduces scrap.” And reliability is no small matter in a one-machinist operation. “hyperMILL® is so reliable that I never need to worry about the software not working, so I can focus on the profusion of daily needs in the shop.” added Mr. Katrov.
For example, utilizing the hyperMILL® tangent milling with barrel cutter strategies from the hyperMILL® MAXX Machining performance package have been more than an enabler for the shop. “Having these advanced 5-axis tool path capabilities has allowed us to manufacture very complex components with standard tooling which has in turn generated big cycle time reductions of up to 70%.” said Mr. Katrov. “And there are times when this tangent milling with barrel cutters feature provides the only way to effectively machine the required shape of the customer’s parts.”
In addition to tangent plane machining, Mr. Katrov also relies on other hyperMILL® time and tooling cost savings such as 5-axis helical drilling that allows him to use regular end mills to helically drill large holes at high feed rates. A high precision surface module that enables NDK to mill fine surface finishes, and the advanced part probing cycles for the Heidenhain Control are also very helpful for Mr. Katrov’s operation, including the post
40 www.CNC-West.com
CNC WEST April/May 2022