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Software, off-line programming, CAM, for metal cutting machine tools
News Release from: NCB Co | Subject: NCBrain CAM for mould and die milling
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 23 July 2007
Systemising NC milling for mould and die
Most available CAM systems satisfy today's machining needs, but they need to be a lot faster and more cost effective to bring about a truly reliable system for mould and die, said a Korean company.
South Korean company, NCB, related that today's NC machining technologies mostly rely on CAM functionalities and patterns Generally, CAM technologies are good enough for most technical needs, but need more to satisfy mould and die machining
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 15 Aug 2008 at 8.00am (UK)
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CAM for mould and die work has to be faster and much more cost effective for every step in the manufacturing process.
Efficient CAM protects against machine stoppages caused by tool breakage or collision with holder, and other accidents.
NC milling for the mould and die should be much faster and it should be absolutely secure.
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Bearing all these topics in mind, NCB is claiming to offer the very practical application software, called NCBrain.
* Simplicity - NCBrain can be worked in four very easy steps.
Users just need to simulate NC files from general CAM software, and then NCBrain will perform all functionalities in the background during its simulation.
The outputted NC data will be very suitable for the practical milling job.
Users can see the whole machining process through graphic simulation before beginning machining.
* NCBrain capabilities - the application techniques are not only the volumetric feedrate control, but includes every variable concerning NC milling work.
And NCBrain will output the better, faster, and safer NC data since it find the technical rule from its data base for every various milling situations and make its own decision for the best cutting condition.
The data base of NCBrain stores all information about the specific CNC machine and all necessary techniques about milling know-how from the shop floor engineers.
* Database of NC Brain action - NCBrain database has information about the CNC machine's specifications (rev/min, spindle power, feedrate, acceleration, and other functionalities of the controller); material properties of the work piece and general cutting conditions of tools.
It will manage detail over shop engineers' techniques.
This data is stored in NCBrain database, and after that, its simulation will output the data for the best practical milling performance.
It will include every different machine, work pieces' characteristics, and shop floor engineers' preferences.
* Achieving optimum cutting conditions - the optimum cutting condition is not only the feedrate value according to the cutting load calculation and rev/min.
CAM should be aware the material property of a work piece and the specific capacity of a cutting tool.
And there is another important factor, the tool length.
The tool length is necessary to consider, because it is always changed according to the work shape and it will effect very much to the surface quality and the tool life.
Other database considerations include machine tool spindle power, engaging length of the flute with a work material, and the acceleration (deceleration) capacity of the machine movement.
NCBrain considers all necessary variables and every different cutting situation, and changes feedrate value for the better cutting performance.
Considering optimum feedrate control can not be enough to support NC milling.
There are many other considerations, such as 'bottoming' collision of the bull-nose cutter, automatic tool changing configuration according to about tool life of insert tips or end mills, automatic translation between ISO code format and Heidenhain code format, deleting the unnecessary air cut paths and so on.
Every work process should be simple for the shop floor worker and every factor, which has influence on the production cost, should be carefully managed.
NCBrain's database can systematically store these important factors, skills of engineers, milling technologies, and its own decision rules which are also able to manage.
* NCBrain benefits - it is easy to make an NCBrain simulation on the shop floor or in a CAM office.
It offers the standard database for the general milling.
It selects optimally fast machining parameters, is safe all the applications, and is easy for all NC milling related engineers.
NCBrain is a total technical service for converting the ideal milling techniques into the practical system for the NC machining process aided with an intellectual knowledge based Database.
NCBrain will be demonstrated at Euromold 2007 in Hall 9.0, Stand B81.
** 10 Reasons for using NCBrain CAM are as follows.
1 - Work faster 2 - Reduce tool breakage dramatically.
3 - Unmanned milling safely at night.
4 - Increase work quality.
5 - Improve the older controllers with corner look ahead.
6 - Reduce the costs of inserts (20%).
7 - Optimise and create a standard rules for milling.
8 - Simulate with ISO tool path and after re-post-processor for any controller format.
9 - Ability to use the aggressive CAM strategy in safety.
10 - Give 60% or more free time to prepare another CAM programs.
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