junio 27, 2005

Sescoi to preview latest version of WorkNC at EMO

Sescoi will use the EMO exhibition in Hannover (14-21 September) to unveil the host of new capabilities which will be available in Version 18 of their WorkNC automatic CAM/CAD solution, all aimed at shortening lead times and further enhancing quality.

Manufacturers are more frequently working in hard materials, so toolpaths to successfully cut these materials are increasingly valuable. Sescoi has developed Adaptive Trochoidal Roughing in WorkNC. This cutting strategy introduces a trochoidal movement to the tool wherever a full width cut needs to be taken, eliminating excessive tool loads and the danger of tool breakage. The toolpath will also drive the cutter in climb mode, ensuring the best possible cutting conditions and minimising tool wear.

WorkNC’s Plunge Roughing toolpath has also been enhanced by offering the possibility, in addition to automatic stock management, to plunge following a curve or point clusters. It provides a fast and effective way of removing large amounts stock, even on hard materials, and is particularly useful for deep cavities, enabling the rough shape to be reached in the shortest possible time with very low radial tool forces, which will help to maximise tool life.

Dynamic stock management with automatic updating of toolpaths is a major innovation which enables the generation of collision free roughing toolpaths regardless of the size of the tool, the shape and size of the toolholder and the shape of the part.

Sescoi has also optimised its roughing and re-roughing toolpaths to machine in the climb mode as much as possible; minimise the number of retracts, and to produce smoother machining movements.

Sescoi has also developed new 3-axis toolpaths for specific machining requirements. Spiral Core Roughing produces a continuous spiral toolpath at each Z-level. The advantages are an extremely fluid trajectory for the tool and the minimum number of retracts and lead-in movements. Not only does this improve the quality of the surface, but it significantly reduces the cycle time.

A new Z-Level Finishing toolpath has been developed to improve quality whilst reducing machining times. New, automatic lead-in strategies are the latest feature of this toolpath, introduced to avoid marking the finished surfaces. Retracts have been optimized to reduce wasteful air cutting. Smoother toolpaths, vital for high speed machining, are a feature of all these new developments.

Sescoi’s revolutionary Auto5 5-axis machining has also seen improvements to guarantee increased performance. In addition to new smoothing function which automatically ensure extremely fluid 5-axis trajectories, new options have been added to accelerate, simplify and increase the reliability of automatic 3-axis to 5-axis toolpath conversion.

Automatic collision and machine angle limit management along with machine environment simulation are also available for the new conversion options.

Simultaneous 5-axis machining toolpaths also feature the new smoothing functions which result in very fluid trajectories and ensure excellent surface finishing.

A range of toolpaths have also been added to this latest version allowing users machine deep cavities with special tools (lollypop, disk, …). A suite of three toolpaths (Roughing, Re-roughing and Finishing) for machining simple or complex impellers as well as a 5-axis laser cutting toolpath and a toolpath for 4-axis machining.

Wire EDM is an important process for toolmakers. Sescoi has developed an integrated software package for 2 and 4-axis wire erosion. Using their in depth toolmaking knowledge, the development team have concentrated on bringing WorkNC’s hallmark ease of use to wire EDM. Sescoi have ensured it is fully integrated with other toolmaking processes to make extraction of CAD data and generation of the wire path, including multiple passes and tags, a simple process.

WorkNC-CAD users will also benefit enormously from the development program. The integration of a hybrid 3D solid/surface modeler provides users with tools offering further gains in productivity. Advanced functions such as 3D filleting, parametric solid modeling and surface reconstruction push back modeling and 3D model machining preparation limits. Furthermore, associative drafting allows 2D drawings of parts to be made which can be easily updated following any modifications thanks to a dynamic link between the 3D models and the drafting function.

New types of surfaces have also embraced new innovative functions in this version : Surface Morphing make it very easy to close off a complex boundary with a few mouse clicks. Modern products incorporate organic shapes on which our R&D teams have worked very hard to create repair functions for highly complex surfaces.

This new set of functions already allow us to provide efficient tools for automating complex trade oriented operations such as automatic fillet modification on die tools. Repeated testing confirms that preparation times for large tooling equipment can be reduced from several hours to just a few minutes.