3D CAD-CAM grinding contoured, complex parts

Advanced 3D CAD-CAM grinding techniques have been introduced that can now produce contoured parts that conventional parametric programs have been unable to cope with.

ANCA has successfully introduced 3D CAD-CAM grinding techniques for manufacture of complex components.

As a result, ANCA CNC grinders can now produce contoured parts that conventional parametric programs have been unable to cope with.

This is opening up exciting new opportunities in the medical, aerospace and turbine component manufacturing industries.

Limitations of conventional programming techniques have generally prevented complex contours from being ground.

Milling was the most common process used to create complex components such as turbine blade aerofoils, artificial knee implants and medical tools.

As new parts have been developed requiring even greater accuracy and surface finish, the need to manufacture to high-precision tolerances meant that a solution for grinding had to be found.

Working together with ANCA engineers, customers supply a 3D computer model, which is then imported into UG (NX3) and a grinding path created.

The data from the path is translated into an NC program via an ANCA post processor program.

The NC program can be loaded onto any ANCA machine that is suitable for the application.

Customers with access to a UG license and the right training can create their own programs by purchasing the post processor from ANCA.

Alternatively, customers can contract ANCA to create the NC grinding program by supplying their 3D model or component details.

Successful testing on contoured medical products showed that grinding not only produced a better surface finish than milling, but also signifcantly reduced manufacturing time.

One component was ground from a blank in under 9 min whereas the traditional milling operation took 2h.

Without the ability to create the NC program via UG, productivity gains like this would have been extremely difficult.

The introduction of 3D CAD-CAM grinding techniques has enabled ANCA and its customers to discover profitible new markets beyond conventional cutting tools.

* About ANCA - ANCA was founded in 1974 to design and manufacture high technology computer numerical controls (CNCs) for the machine tool and metal-based industries.

Today, ANCA has become a leading designer and manufacturer of complete, precision CNC tool and cutter grinding machines in a global niche market.

With its core values of precision, innovation, quality and technological excellence, ANCA is today an international organisation of more than 300 employees with a robust set of technological and entrepreneurial skills.

Offices are located in major cities in Europe, North America and Asia; with dealerships represented in over 25 countries.

ANCA continues to understand market demands and produce products and services to benefit its customers.

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