Speed up with new Feedrates

Your daily business is to manufacture complex dies and molds. To be fast and cost-effective, you need seamless integration of CAM system, machine/controls and milling tool. We help you to tap into the unused potential of your manufacturing equipment. Continuously adjusting the feedrate to varying engagement conditions allows better operating conditions for both machine and tool. Milling times can be reduced by up to20%. This translates into real cost savings and substantial lead time reductions.

NCspeed is a software system for the simulation of 3- and 5-axis milling processes. The milling process is optimized with regard to machining time and process safety. Furthermore the checking of toolpath is possible.

Working method

Based on a volumetric simulation NCspeed can analyze the material removal process during milling. This principle enables a visual checking of the milling process. For this purpose NCspeed offers a shaded visualisation of the continuously machined geometry. Due to this, it is possible to detect faults in the NC-program before a machining crash occurs.

The optimisation component of NCspeed calculates the material volume to be cut by the milling cutter and adjusts thefeedrateto the actual engagement conditions. The more material is to be cut, the slower is the feedrate and vice versa. Based on this principle a new feedrate profile is generated.

NCspeed works as a postprocessor. A toolpath is reading, additional feedspeeds are inserted and the optimised program is written back. All common toolpath formats like DIN/ISO,Heidenhain conversational and APT- can be used. The toolpath generated by NCspeed are of the same dialect as the original ones.

What is NCspeed NOT

NCspeed is no CAM-system. You can optimise existing toolpath but youcan not generate completely new toolpath. Basically NCspeed inserts new feed commands. The geometry of milling paths is not changed. The milling machine will move the same way as with the original program. The only exceptions to this are the air cut removal and the optimisation of the path connections.

When should NCspeed be used

The usage of NCspeed is recommended whenever the maximum usable feedrate in the milling process is limited by the cutter.

E.g. the machine can perform a feedrate of 10000 mm/min with sufficient accuracy. The tool is only capable of performing a feedrate of 2000 mm/min to avoid tool damage in critical areas. In this case the maximum feedrateis limited by the tool and NCspeed offers a significant optimisation potential.

If the machine is already working at the feed limit, the feedrate optimisation can offer no (or only small) advantages. Presumed, you are machining an easy to cut material, the maximum feedspeed of the machine is 10000 mm/min and this feedrateis actually chosen. Because NCspeed cannot change the physical capabilities of the machine, the optimisation potential will be low.

There are three exceptions:

• The usage of very small cutters. In this case the danger of tool break is present. NCspeed can increase the process reliability significantly by avoiding of tool break.
• Usage of long, thin cutters. This can lead to high tool deflections, resulting in unsatisfactory accuracy. NCspeed can minimize the cutting forces avoiding larger tool deflections.
• Chatter vibrations, which often occur, when using long, thin cutters. NCspeed recognize typical situations where vibrations can occur.and adapts the feedrate to avoid these vibrations.

Basically there are optimisation potentials, unaffected by the machine and workpiece material, by using the NCspeed features optimize air cuts and optimize path connections.