High-Speed Cutting in a Single Look

Tool and moldmakers have benefited from the onset of true high-speed cutting (HSC) for decades, but the set-ups have always been challenging. Too many screens, too many entries and, most notably, too much time was needed to set up the machine for the pocket and contour world of true NURBS work.

As HSC for free form surfacing became essential in many industries such as aerospace and medical, where “no straight lines exist” as the saying goes, this situation became more challenging for every shop in those market sectors.
That condition simply need not exist anymore. With advancements in the uniform control screen, the graphic user interface combines with the CNC ability to integrate all the function blocks into not only a smooth machining cycle, but also the set-up is now easier than ever.

Every speed and feed, compressor, tracking and on/off command, whether in decimal G-code or simple language commands, can be executed on a single screen by essentially filling in the blanks for each value. This feature is available on all levels of CNC models, whether for use on a simple 3-axis, 3+2 or true 5-axis machine tool. This allows easier training of operators and more streamlined programming alike.

http://youtu.be/GsIx2E4oF0E
In the video above, the CYCLE832 provides technological support when CNC machining freeform surfaces in the 3- to 5-axis HSC (High Speed Cutting) sector (CAD/CAM/CNC). CYCLE832 stands in direct relation with the option “Advanced Surface” which combines all important functions and essential G-code commands that are required for HSC machining.

Moreover, the program is adjustable after the control leaves the factory, so an OEM can modify it, making all functions active (or not) before or after a cycle start. Variant set values are determined by the builder, using a common high-speed cutting cycle and a customizing option setting on the control.

It is not recommended that shops modify this feature in use without contacting their builder, frankly, unless fully macro familiarized. Lesser CNC models often have their storage of such data on an EEPROM, making modification more difficult or even impossible after the sale.

The HSC cycle is now also profile not speed dependent. This means the CNC automatically uses a combination of look-ahead and other algorithms to optimize the cutting speed, feed and, where applicable, tool angle through the entire surface of the mold cavity, structure contour or other workpiece landscape to affect the desired finish and dimensioning in the least time with the best quality possible.

Can you see the dollar signs?

For data communication, the high-speed control on a single screen feature also allows the user to easily protect all programs, all tooling information, their connection to a machine-to-machine or external condition monitoring network, whether in-plant or externally through a vendor.

Plus, maybe the most practical upside, this HSC cycle now offers shops the ability to simply cut and paste programs, whether customized on the machine or not, to other machines in the shop, making machines much more flexible and profitable, as their utilization can be adapted to better handle the work in-house.