feature makes it possible to take the CAD model of an entire assembly and automatically disassemble it into all of its con- stituent parts, ready for CAM programming. He said, “It will take the entire assembly, put it on different levels if you want. It opens up a workspace with every bit of the assembly facing in a way that it is easy to start machining on it. It’s pretty slick.” Some of the new things he did latch onto were less dramatic, but immediately useful. For example, Hole Access, which makes it possible for him to position several hundred OD/ID holes in a by-pass valve, saved him at least a couple hours of manual programming the fi rst time he used it. Now he uses this feature every time he has to make a hole and the timesavings mount incrementally. As a beta tester, Orvie became an early adapter of Master-
cam’s Dynamic Motion technology when it was introduced several years ago. This technology modifi es tool motions based on material conditions ahead of the tool to avoid interferences, reduce unnecessary movements, and mini- mize extreme lateral stresses. Dynamic Motion technology substantially reduces tool wear while allowing material to be removed at the highest possible rates, based on the cutting tool manufacturer’s optimal chip load recommendations. “I have been using these toolpaths every chance I get,” Orvie said. “It’s cheaper for us to use a solid carbide end mill and go full depth than ramping down with insert cutters like we used to. The machines just sound great when they’re run- ning. If they are not running right, you can hear it right away.”
Having Full Faith Recently, the Milwaukee Service Center has been using Dynamic toolpaths in lathe operations to minimize air cutting and to provide more accurate grooving of critical parts. He said, “We have what we call a ‘bottle bore,’ a groove in the part’s smallest ID that opens up an additional three inches in diameter. To make these cuts, you have to have full faith in the program, and those toolpaths have really given us that.” Orvie said that the Okuma mills TAES’ Milwaukee Service Center purchased are “highly optioned,” with specialized fea- tures that rely on sensors in the machine and proprietary fi rm- ware to detect and eliminate chatter and collisions. Advanced algorithms called Super NURBS smooth out toolpaths so that they more closely approximate the CAD model. “These things are so complex,” Orvie said, “that I have to have CAM software, and Mastercam makes it very easy.”
Based on the increasingly higher numbers of programs he is writing, Orvie estimates that his company’s investment in advanced CNC equipment has more than doubled its production capacity in the past fi ve years, even though the number of machines has stayed about the same. Continu- ously improving features of Mastercam have enabled him to keep up with this ever-expanding volume of work.
Short Runs and No Mistakes Computer automated manufacturing with advanced mill-
turn equipment gives Toshiba confi dence that its Milwaukee Service Center can respond effectively to high-stakes global energy business opportunities. Many of the parts produced there are made from expensive forgings that must be ordered 6–10 weeks in advance. The repair customer may have one of these pre-ordered and waiting to be manufactured in time for a plant shutdown for maintenance. However, it must be cut right the fi rst time or critical deadlines will be missed. If that isn’t enough, sometimes these parts must be
programmed and cut on an emergency basis. One Friday afternoon in August 2015, Orvie received a call informing him that a specifi c part would be needed ASAP for an emergency repair at a power plant in Malaysia. Orvie spent a long evening programming the component and he had it up on the mill-turn the next morning. While the mill-turn system was cutting it, a representative of the power plant was in transit to pick up the part. The part was waiting for him when he arrived.
Edited by Yearbook Editor James D. Sawyer from information supplied by CNC Software Inc.
About Toshiba America
Energy Systems Toshiba America Energy Systems Corp. (TAES; Char- lotte, NC) provides new equipment and services for the North American power generation industry. Its standing in the North American steam turbine/generator market- place is a testament to the quality and reliability of its equipment, making it the supplier of choice for utili- ties building large combined-cycle, thermal, hydro or nuclear power stations. With nearly 40 GW of installed power, the company provides solutions to get new plants operational faster and keep them running longer.
41 — Energy Manufacturing 2016
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