Former Racer Builds a Shop that Goes Faster

He continues, “Another order came right as we were implementing the new 5-axis machine and hyperMILL, so we decided to throw the old process out the window and start over. We used the solid model of the part, mated it to our vise, and programmed the part as an assembly so that there was no chance of a tool collision. It was the first part we did on our own with the hyperMILL programming. It didn’t take long at all and we completed the part in two operations. Since we’re creating toolpaths directly off the surfaces of a solid model, and the model regenerates after each cut, there are very few wasted movements.“

Cuffaro also credits the fact that OPEN MIND has actual machinists among its support personnel. “They actually understand machining in addition to the software, so they’re really helpful. They can walk us through our part to answer the actual question and still show us several different ways to handle the task. The software has so many options as far as toolpaths or machining strategies that it helps sometimes to have a guiding hand point you in the right direction.“

According to the customer, part quality was significantly improved and the part was completed much more quickly without the need for custom fixturing. Throughout the process of implementing hyperMILL, Cuffaro says he’s learned how valuable the right tools can actually be. “We make several different aluminum housings with intricate pockets and up to a few hundred tapped holes,“ he says. “Previously, we were forced to constantly create our own geometery to make sure we weren’t slamming end mills into corners, and we had to pick hole locations one by one. Now we can use feature recognition and tell hyperMILL to use a half-inch end mill for roughing these pockets, a quarter-inch end mill for finishing, and then drill/tap all the 2-56 holes on X level.”

“With macros, every time we’re doing a common feature, we use the same tools, and feeds and speeds are already proven,” he adds. “Programming is faster by a significant amount, we aren’t breaking tools during setup, which would force us back into editing the program, and our cycle time is quicker. The burden rate is slightly more, but hyperMILL is so much faster that it instantly creates a return. Jobs are more profitable and we have more machine time available.”

Cuffaro says the cutting edge capabilities of Miller CNC (the company recently completed ISO 9001 and AS-9100 certifications) have him predicting sales will double in each of the next three years. He also believes his process advantages can help him exploit such situations as machining from a solid faster than waiting for castings. Automation and pallet systems are another area he’s investigating. “We want to put out what customers want to see in a shop: quality, process efficiency, quick turnaround, and competitive pricing. We always have to be doing something different.”

OPEN MIND Technologies USA, Inc., 214 Garden Street, Unit 2, Needham, MA 02492, 888-516-1232 ext 102, [email protected], www.openmind-tech.com.