PRODUCTS & EQUIPMENT
Complex geometry problems simplified
and end mills are resolved by a new release of the Numroto tool grinding software package. Version 3.8 of NUM’s market-
T
leading software automates multi- helical and variable flute grinding, as well as providing a new form cutter function for profile inserts. It is available to existing users as an update.
Numroto is widely regarded
within the tool grinding industry as one of the best and most versatile CNC software solutions on the market. Launched by NUM in 1987, it has undergone continuous development to stay ahead of improvements and innovations in machine tool design. 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 that are needed on today’s high performance machines and can be operated very easily, using the same type of ‘dual touch’ gestures that are employed with modern smartphones. Today, 15 of the world’s leading manufacturers of CNC tool grinding machines incorporate their software in their products, to the extent that it is used across more than 40 different types of machine. Many of the high performance
end mills that manufacturers now employ for precision machining applications, such as the production of aircraft components from specialist alloys or composite
www.internationalmetaltube.com IMT April/May 2014 11
he growing challenges of grinding and servicing new generations of complex-geometry drills
materials, are multi-helix tools designed for use at speeds up to 30,000 RPM. Producing these types of tools cost-effectively is a demanding process that 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 individual cutting edge also changes along the length of its body, from the tip of the tool to the 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, the latest version of the 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.
By allowing the core path
of each flute to be defined individually, Numroto also makes it possible for tool designers to compensate for any potential imbalance caused by irregular helices or asymmetric cutting blades. Additionally, by enabling the entry point of the grinding wheel to follow the corner radius of the cutting edge, the software now 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 – a task that was previously extremely difficult to achieve. NUM believes that the level of
control flexibility now provided by their software for creating flutes will prove to be a key enabling
factor for manufacturers seeking to develop the next generations of machine tools. Nowadays, the 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 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 relatively recently, the inserts were soldered or cemented to the holder prior to being ground, which sometimes made it very difficult or impossible
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