Product category:
CAD/CAM systems (not machine tools)
News Release from: Sescoi International | Subject: WorkNC-CAD manufacturing software
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 01 March 2006
CAD raises press productivity 10 to 60
steels/week
A previous CAM system on the power press shop floor, limited an operator to ten steel inserts/week, but now a fixture system and new CAM increased to 60 steels/operator/week.
Advanced Tooling Systems and Engineered Tooling Systems specialise in stampings It is not uncommon for them to build 10 station progression dies, which produce parts from strip up to 12ft long, line dies which can consist of eight separate tools to make one part, and transfer tools for the largest panels, including provision of the robotic arm to move the part between stations
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 8 Jul 2008 at 8.00am (UK)
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Mould and die maker said it does not have to worry about a crash with WorkNC CAM as it is very reliable and its performance is superior to other CAM systems it has used.
The group has been using WorkNC since 1995, but moving the software onto the shop floor and the introduction of WorkNC-CAD and WorkNC's Feature Recognition module has provided considerable benefits for the company.
Jon Armstrong, programmer at Advanced Tooling Systems elaborated, "The previous CAM system, which we used on the shop floor, limited us to ten steel inserts per operator per week, due to the excessive programming time.
Now we use a fixture system where we can load ten steels at once.
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Specialist mould and die maker automates EDM, with help from Sescoi CAM software, to remove a production 'bottleneck' and increase capacity by at least 30%.
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Sportswear maker produces about 200 molds per year and has set up a single machining sequence, to suit every ski boot design and to cut the ten different sizes available in each range.
Along with WorkNC-CAD and feature recognition we have increased the productivity to 60 steels per operator per week." Armstrong continued, "Not only does feature recognition automate the programming and eliminate human error, but having WorkNC-CAD reduces delays as we can complete the design for production ourselves rather than waiting for our design department to fit it into their busy schedule.
Previously, the hole machining of each workzone took 1.5h, with WorkNC's feature recognition software it now takes five minutes." Tooling Systems work in partnership with Sescoi on the development and implementation of feature recognition.
Shawn Schwartz, programmer at Engineered Tooling Systems, commented, "We have a very close relationship with Sescoi support engineers, who are constantly working with us to maximize the benefits we get from feature recognition.
In addition, we also help Sescoi by testing beta versions of new releases of WorkNC." Advanced Tooling Systems and Engineered Tooling Systems use the WorkNC high torque re-roughing routine extensively.
The cycle enables all the parts located on the fixture to be roughed as one program, while the reliability of the toolpaths has enabled some high metal removal rates.
Schwartz said, "We use a 52mm button cutter with high torque re-roughing and we can operate at feedrates of 600in/minute with a 0.04in step down.
We are very impressed by the speeds we can achieve, which are due to the high level of tool engagement and the way in which the number of lifts has been minimised in the latest version of WorkNC." Schwartz and Armstrong have taken full advantage of the training offered by Sescoi.
Schwartz said, "We have found the update classes, the WorkNC-CAD classes and the technical sessions to be very valuable.
The Sescoi engineers are particularly knowledgeable." Armstrong concluded, "In the last six months we have built over forty tools from start to finish at our plant.
50% of the tools were progressive dies, which can contain 600 details each.
Without WorkNC this would be a very difficult task indeed.
WorkNC is extremely important to the way in which we machine at Tooling Systems." * About The Tooling Systems Group - the Tooling Systems Group comprises six companies.
Five of them - Advanced Tooling Systems, Controlled Tooling Systems, Engineered Tooling Systems, Mold Tooling Systems, and Specialty Tooling Systems are situated in Grand Rapids, Michigan USA, while Dienamic Tooling Systems is located in Oak Ridge Tennessee.
Formed in 1982 by Drew Boersma and Kurt Van Vels, the group has grown rapidly, and includes first tier automotive companies such as Toyota, Ford, GM and BMW amongst its customers.
Across the group the company has the ability to provide a full tooling service - large stamping dies; progressive dies; plastic injection molds; and die casting tooling, complemented by in house tool design and troubleshooting.
* About Sescoi - for nearly 20 years, Sescoi has developed software solutions renown for their quality, reliability, ease of use, and automatic features, as well as for world-class technical support and service.
Headquartered in France, Sescoi has established sales and support offices across Europe, Asia and the United States in order to serve thousands of local and international customers from a range of industries.
Sescoi's software solutions include: * WorkNC - an automatic CAM/CAD solution for 2 through to 5-axis milling, featuring the award-winning 'Auto 5' module which automatically converts 3-axis toolpaths into simultaneous 5-axis toolpaths.
* WorkNC-CAD - a uniform CAD solution for the entire manufacturing process WorkPLAN, an integrated management solution for custom manufacturers that brings together company-wide data and resources enhancing knowledge, responsiveness and efficiency across the company.
With many years' business, engineering and software development experience, Sescoi understands customers' requirements, helps them master the challenges of new software implementation and build their business long-term.
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