New Roughing Toolpath Strategy Boosts Profits With More Efficient Milling Process
PASSWORD
Manufacturing Engineering: Your company recently introduced ProfitMilling, a patent-pending roughing strategy. Describe this approach. David Bartholomew: Esprit’s new ProfitMilling strategy is a
high-speed material-removal cycle that allows our users to take a significantly deeper, faster and more efficient cut while reduc- ing wear on the tool and machine. Rather than controlling just one parameter, ProfitMilling monitors several vital cutting and machine characteristics. The ProfitMilling toolpath manages chip load and side-cutter force in the calculation of toolpath
and medium-duty machine tools. We tested this new strategy initially at the University of California, Davis, along with analyses conducted with our customers and machine-tool partners. Our tests have shown that ProfitMilling typically reduces cycle time by 75% compared to a traditional concentric roughing strategy. Traditional roughing toolpaths are laden with limitations such as sharp corners, high engagement angles, full-width slotting, and constant centerline feed rate, which force parts to be cut conservatively to account for inconsistencies. ProfitMilling removes these restrictions with
“Manufacturers are constantly challenged with intense competition and are continuously looking for ways to produce parts in a shorter amount of time, and at reduced cost.”
while keeping the engagement angle and material removal rate within a specific range. It also incorporates dynamic feed-rate changes throughout the toolpath and takes advantage of tool- path optimization for specific machine capabilities. ME: How does this new feature benefit manufacturers? Bartholomew: Manufacturers are constantly challenged
with intense competition and are continuously looking for ways to produce quality parts in a shorter amount of time, and at reduced cost. Some of the benefits of the new ProfitMilling cycle are a reduction in machine-tool cycle times, increased tool life, decreased programing time, reduced energy consump- tion and significant productivity improvements—even with light
smooth toolpath blending and transitions, along with a trochoi- dal slotting strategy. It also takes advantage of corner picking, or the practice of removing less material in corners, which eliminates chatter and keeps a constant tool-engagement angle. Likewise, it optimizes transitional moves with small Z- directional lifts to reduce tool drag. Another significant benefit is an increase in tool life. Due to the constant chip load and predictable cutting forces, we have seen increases in tool life by an average of 500%. ME: What are some technical details of this toolpath strategy? Bartholomew: The ProfitMilling algorithm, which is a unique, patent-pending method of calculating the toolpath,