SHOP SOLUTIONS Continued from P35
that could improve manufacturability and reduce lead times and costs without altering the functionality of the part in question. Keeping them in the Mastercam environ- ment helps move the approved design changes smoothly into the CAM process. Two CAM strategies Monsees Group uses consistently on every job include looking for opportunities to eliminate operations and reducing manufacturing cycle times. The fi ve-axis machine and multiaxis sys- tems (twin-spindle lathes with a fully articulating mill spindle) play central roles in this effort. This equipment is by far the most heavily used in the shop. “We used to have just lathes, and now with the multiaxis and dual spindles, a lot of parts come off the machine completely fi nished, and we don’t have to touch them,” Spurling said. Along this line of reasoning, Monsees Group’s
fi ve-axis machining center has become the most productive CNC system in the shop, frequently eliminating fi ve or more operations. Scott Alex- ander has become very adept at programming, to the point that he can get a part started in its roughing cycle and, while the machine is running, write the fi nishing operations. He routinely uses simulation in Mastercam to ensure that the code generated is correct and that the next multiaxis operations will run safely without interruption. While writing their CNC programs, Monsees
Group programmer/machinists routinely use tool- paths incorporating Dynamic Motion technology. These toolpaths strive to keep the tool continually engaged with the part. This eliminates air cutting and contributes to an approximate 25% reduction in machine cycles. This technology has also been instrumental in reducing cutting tool wear to the point where expensive tools can cut up to 100 parts before they need to be replaced. Most of the programmers in the shop are such experi- enced CAM programmers that they are teaching some of the younger machinists how to use Mastercam. For these ad- vanced users, there are no training courses available to help them get to another level. However, that does not mean that they couldn’t benefi t from some expert advice. They get this by attending monthly Jam Sessions conducted by OptiPro, their Mastercam Reseller. Alexander and other programmer/
machinists go there as often as their schedules allow, bring- ing with them their most challenging programming projects. Monsees Group recently redesigned its web site and put a bold link on the home page that says “Challenge Us!” Customers have been taking them up on this with increased frequency. For example, an advanced optics customer had a prototype design that included a two- prism housing with mounting pockets that needed to be
Mastercam Design allows Monsees programmer/machinists to stay in Mastercam to integrate design work when building fi xtures and models for manufacturing processes for a given part.
on different angles and positioned exactly. The anodized aluminum part had a combination of tightly toleranced fea- tures that included: a 0.001" (0.03-mm) profi le tolerance from one prism seat to the next; 0.0008" (0.020-mm) size tolerance for prism pocket walls; 0.002" (0.05-mm) true position on prisms seats to the housing face, OD, and tim- ing feature; traceable inspection on prism position relative to critical features for customer alignment.
December 2016 |
AdvancedManufacturing.org 75
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