Substantial Fastool project progress reported

The European FASTOOL Project that aims to halve toolmaking time through the introduction of low-cost automation has made substantial progrss, reporets Dr David Jacobson.

The FASTOOL Project, led by the GTMA on behalf of four European trade associations (with ASCAMM, Metaalunie and NCG) aims to halve toolmaking times.

This is to be achieved by enhancing knowledge-based NC programming to reduce tool path generation times for milling of moulds and electrodes by as much as 90%.

At the same time, it is intended to raise machine tool efficiency to over 50% by introducing low cost automation in toolmaking.

Automation will reduce labour costs and can be used to increase the working day.

The FASTOOL Project is supported by the European Commission as part of its Framework V research programme (Contract Contract IPS-2001-CT-98010).

Four research organisations have been commissioned to undertake the R and D programme, CRDM (UK), TNO (Netherlands), Fraunhofer-IPT (Germany) and Fatronik (Spain).

Substantial progress has been made in the project and most of the milestones have been met, on schedule.

A methodology has been developed to generate information to assist toolmakers decide which areas of a given part should be milled and which should be machined by EDM.

A set of rules had been established for the design of the EDM electrodes.

Improvements in knowledge-based NC programming made in the project to-date have been shown to significantly reduce machining times with up to 20% measured enhancement in roughing speed and 10% time gain in finish machining, as well as offering improved tool loading.

Inserted carbide tools have now been added to the FlashMILL database, which will enable tools to be selected for the generation of NC programs from a customisable set of tools, which may comprise those in stock from suppliers and available for use at an SME toolmaker, or even more narrowly those that can be accommodated on a machine carousel.

Future work is planned to further streamline knowledge-based NC programming and also to establish "best practice" for milling graphite, appropriate for machining EDM electrodes.

Good progress is also being made in developing the automated manufacturing cell.

The demonstrator unit integrates two milling machines, a billet cleaning unit and an EDM, fed by a robotic handling system.

It has been designed on modular lines with economy in mind, to allow for "staged" implementation, with each module offering some increase in productivity and reduction in costs.

An overhead gantry connects the machine tools and allows for flexible layouts to suit most workshops.

Another key element of the system is a robotic manipulator which delivers work-pieces electrodes to the EDM.

The control software is object-oriented and includes an intelligent scheduler to help prioritise jobs.

It is versatile and enables retro-fitting of existing machine tools into the manufacturing cell.

Both the control software and the hardware development are well underway, and a first prototype unit is scheduled to be running semi-automatically by June 2005, with the fully automatic system operational and undergoing testing by October 2005.

* Dr David Jacobson, who co-ordinates of the FASTOOL Project on behalf of the GTMA, is a Chartered Engineer and Fellow of the Institute of Materials, with over 30 years academic and industrial experience in materials and manufacturing technologies.

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