FEATURE TOOLS & TOOLING
CNC TOOL GRINDING software simplifies manufacturing
Tool grinding software automates multi-helical and variable flute grinding while providing a form cutter function for profile inserts
T
he growing challenges of grinding and servicing new generations of complex
geometry drills and end mills are said to be resolved by a software package. NUMROTO version 3.8 automates multi- helical and variable flute grinding and provides a new form cutter function for profile inserts. The software runs on NUM’s powerful
Flexium+ CNC system which offers significant advantages. These include the use of sub-nano interpolation to ensure high quality surfaces with short cycle times to allow fast 5-axis movement even if the part program contains a very high density of ISO sequences. Flexium+ supports all the safety functions needed on today’s high performance machines and can be operated using the same type of ‘dual touch’ gestures employed with modern smartphones.
PRECISION MACHINING Today, 15 of the world’s leading manufacturers of CNC tool grinding machines incorporate NUMROTO software in their products. Many of the high performance end mills now employed for precision machining applications such as the production of aircraft components from specialist alloys or composite materials are multi- helix tools designed for use at speeds up to 30,000 RPM. Producing these cost- effectively requires increasingly complex grinding capabilities. For example, to help prevent vibration each of the tool’s cutting edges is twisted at a different angle and with differential helix designs, the twist angle of each cutting edge changes along the length of its body from the tip of the tool to shaft. Furthermore, the width of the flute
area of these tools can vary considerably, demanding precise positioning of the grinding wheel to ensure that the land width on the back of the tooth is correct. By harnessing the speed and
computational capabilities of modern PCs this latest version of NUMROTO software is able to handle the extremely complex path calculations necessary to create these sophisticated flutes. Users can now define the core path geometry of flutes on end mills very easily and accurately.
14 MAY 2014 | FACTORY EQUIPMENT Designers and manufacturers often
seek this functionality when optimising the chip transport characteristics of high performance machine tools – the rate at which chips are removed from the cutting face has a major bearing on the tool’s cutting speed and efficiency.
POTENTIAL INTOLERANCE By allowing the core path of each flute to be defined individually, NUMROTO enables tool designers to compensate for any potential imbalance caused by irregular helices or asymmetric cutting blades. Additionally, by allowing the entry point of the grinding wheel to follow the corner radius of the cutting edge, the software facilitates the grinding of a defined rake angle on complex body forms and on cutting edges which pass from the body of the tool to its tip. NUM believes that the level of control flexibility now provided by NUMROTO software for creating flutes will prove to be a key enabling factor for manufacturers seeking to develop the next generations of machine tools. Cutting edges of most machine tools
are ground from tungsten carbide. Small rotary tools are usually manufactured from a single piece of carbide whereas larger rotary tools and the majority of
Leading manufacturers of CNC tool grinding machines incorporate NUMROTO software in many of the high performance end mills now used for precision machining applications
non-rotary tools feature individual cutting blades in the form of carbide inserts which are retained in a holder made from a less expensive material. Until fairly recently the inserts were soldered or cemented to the holder prior to being ground which sometimes made it very difficult or impossible to produce or maintain such tools on a CNC tool grinding machine due to their size and complexity. Furthermore, it requires the manufacturer to define the complete assembly as a rotary tool in the CNC program, demanding time-consuming and expensive programming.
SIMPLIFIED INSERT GRINDING Working in partnership with leading machine tool manufacturers and tool sharpening companies NUM has further developed NUMROTO's form cutter function to simplify insert grinding. Users can now define a form cutter as a
rotary tool or as a standalone profile insert. Holders with soldered or cemented inserts can still be defined as rotary tool and the position of each insert probed individually, allowing any mounting inaccuracies to be detected and compensated for automatically during the grinding process. Many of the latest cutting tools employ
To help prevent vibration each of the tool’s cutting edges is twisted at a different angle and with differential helix designs
user-replaceable profile inserts which are ground as physically separate blades on a CNC grinding machine. Instead of being fixed to a holder during grinding the insert is held in a production clamping system that has an optimised geometry for efficient grinding with unobstructed working space for the grinding wheel. NUMROTO’s profile insert function
simplifies the programming of the new types of ultra high efficiency CNC tool grinding machines. After selecting the profile insert form cutter users are presented with a menu that enables them to specify whether the part to be ground is held in a fixed or adjustable collet or by clamping plates. The software supports different mounting plate arrangements to allow the insert to be oriented in any of three planes and provides a simple means of specifying parameters including transverse and longitudinal offset values.
NUM (UK) T: 0871 750 4020
www.numroto.com Enter 314
/ FACTORYEQUIPMENT
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