Product category:
5-axis (3+2 axes and continuous path) machining centres
News Release from: Sescoi International | Subject: '5-axis High Speed Machining'
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 27 April 2006
Collaborative 5-axis machining project
launched
CETIM has decided to launch a project programme concerning '5-axis High Speed Machining' in September 2006 in association with French mould, forging and mechanical engineering federations.
Encouraged by the success of the 'Collective 3-axis High Speed Machining Production Unit' project, the CETIM has decided to launch a similar programme concerning 5-axis High Speed Machining in September 2006 in association with the mould, forging and mechanical engineering federations * Success for the first 3-axis High Speed Machining project - thanks to the 'collective HSM' production unit in St Etienne, France, two forges - Preciforge, a company in Auvergne and Wichard - and SVO, a mould maker in Lyon, became skilled in programming and manufacturing tools using HSM technology in less than three months
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 4 Sep 2008 at 8.00am (UK)
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As a result they rapidly acquired their own HSM equipment.
This positive outcome delighted Stephane Guerin, the manager of the CETIM production unit in St Etienne, because it proved that the logic of setting up such a pilot project was well founded.
He said: "The collective aspect of the production unit enabled the companies to overcome the financial challenges of such a project as they paid an hourly tariff for the use of the HSM equipment according to their requirements, especially advantageous when the HSM workload was not intensive." To ensure that the companies were rapidly up and running, the CETIM trained their staff and made a completely computerized tool production line available to them.
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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.
Toolmaker invests in Sescoi job management
Czech toolmaker evaluated several job management systems before selecting MyWorkPLAN from Sescoi, to exchange data and interface with external software packages such as CAD and Microsoft Office.
This included a Roeders HSM machining center along with several CAD/CAM software applications.
The efficiency tools used included the Computerized Cutting Tool Database (CCTD) as well as the Job Tracking Tool (JTT) which ensures real time production monitoring and cutting tool stock management.
The companies also had a remote control system at their disposal allowing them to pilot the production process from their own plants.
* Moving towards 5-axis High Speed Machining - encouraged by the success of the 'Collective 3-axis High Speed Machining Production Unit' project, the CETIM has decided to launch in September 2006 a similar program for 5-axis High Speed Machining in association with the mould, forge and mechanical engineering federations.
Its objective is to advise companies on the investments necessary to acquire a 5-axis HSM center, either individually or collectively.
This collaborative approach, called 'Collective Production' is scheduled over an 18 month period.
Using a specific test platform installed in the plant of one of the participants, companies will be able to evaluate the advantages of 5-axis tooling production from a technical and economical point of view, as well as being able to validate effectively their development and industrialization processes.
Along with the CETIM, who will ensure the supervision, management and general running of the 5-axis production unit, several other partners have already given their agreement in principal : two mouldmakers (Georges Pernoud and SVO), Sescoi, the 5-axis CAD/CAM software editor, and Fidia, the 5-axis and numerical control manufacturer.
The CETIM will carry out cutter specification tests, 5-axis strategy tests and will build up a database of parameters and cutting conditions, etc As it was for the '3-axis' project, the objective is to create a center of excellence incorporating all the elements of the production chain : CAD/CAM, machine, fixtures, cutters, cutting data, preparation, control and job monitoring.
In fact, due to the sharing of investment costs, the partners involved will have access to high performance '5-axis' production processes that would be difficult for them to obtain individually given the high investment levels required for the machine and ancillary equipment.
Knowledge sharing between the different partners will also allow their staff to be trained up quickly becoming operational and productive within a short period of time.
The project should also enable them to reduce tool manufacturing lead times and costs, widen their offer and take on new markets.
The '5-axis' production unit will operate in the same manner as the '3-axis' one.
Partners will share operating costs (determined and defined at the start of the project) in proportion to the number of days that they use the unit.
Consumables will be invoiced to each participant on a pro rata basis and a 'machine' technician will work on a time sharing basis with each of the participants.
According to Roland Farant, director of Fidia France: "The 5-axis collaborative project agreed between Fidia, CETIM, Sescoi, the CAD/CAM software editor and the two mould makers - Georges Pernoud and SVO - offers several advantages : it gives the participants the possibility to economically validate 5-axis HSM production processes, capitalize technical data and allows their staff to be rapidly operational by bringing together all the elements of the production chain involved in simultaneous 5-axis machining.
It is also an opportunity for Fidia to make progress in the domain of 5-axis table machining by working closely with the different partners involved in the project." Catherine Marko, director of Sescoi France, added: "Right from the outset Sescoi was keen to take on an active role in this project as it reflects absolutely the way our WorkNC R and D team works.
This tight technical collaboration will allow the partners to benefit from each others' expertise in the various areas of machining, and it will enable us to further perfect our CAM toolpaths to meet the specific needs of 5-axis HSM." * About the CETIM - the French Industrial and Mechanical Technical Center (Centre Technique des Industries Mecaniques) was founded in 1965 on the initiative of mechanical engineering companies and their professional bodies to provide companies with the technological support required to improve their competitivity by collective funding of the center from a pool of 7,300 contributing companies.
780 people make up the staff of the CETIM, of which 50% are engineers and technicians spread over three main sites (Senlis, Nantes and St.
Etienne), 14 regional delegations and three associated centers (Cetim-Cermat, Cetim-Certec and Pole Polymcres Sud).
The Cetim carries out work of common interest to assist companies' development : technology tracking, work on standards and regulations, across the board and trade specific R and D project work.
Backed up by 13 specialized areas of activity, the CETIM proposes a full range of products and services which meet the requirements of its customers: advice and consultancy, engineering, design and conception, controls - tests- simulation, failure analysis, training.
* 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 the following.
* 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.
* MyWorkPLAN, an easy-to-use, compact job management solution for small to medium sized custom manufacturers and engineering offices.
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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