Composite Laying Simulation Becomes a Reality

SPRING Technologies, Inc. (Cambridge, MA) has a 30-year track record of solutions that enable manufacturers to optimize ROI on their NC machines, maximizing productivity and reducing costs. Now, the company announces the latest version of NCSIMUL Machine 9.1, its flagship machining simulation software.

The result of several years’ collaboration with major aerospace customers, NCSIMUL Machine 9.1 now makes it possible to replicate material laying processes executed by numerical control machines.

This software alerts users to issues that are specific to the way composites are processed and that are liable to occur on real-world machines: these include fiber steering angle errors generating possible deviation, twisting of taut fiber between the head and the position on the spool, fiber tension issues including speed disparities between fibers or sudden changes of direction creating backwards laying.

Analysis functions can be used to communicate information to the Process Planning department and the Design Office before going live. This includes the length of the laid material, layer thickness measurement, fiber ribbon intersection angle, aperture radius, etc. The section plane function gives insights into layering or possible holes in the material. At any time, you can export the fiber path or the end result of the material laying generated on the tooling in CAD format.

NCSIMUL Machine 9.1 takes into consideration the shape of the initial tooling and the tension applied to the fibers. SPRING Technologies has developed very fast new algorithms enabling fiber laying simulation with performances of 300 m/min. on a conventional CAD workstation. All the functions dedicated to Composite technology are grouped together in a new Ribbon (Office mode) for a fast effective learning curve.

With NCSIMUL Machine 9.1, you can also link a page in the document set to an NC program block. A project exported in NP3 format now encapsulates the associated document, maintaining the links between pages and blocks. The NC operator viewing the simulation can use the free viewer, NCSIMUL Player 9.1, to bring relevant information up on the screen while displaying the simulation.

Automatic saving of intermediary rough stocks saves time, notably on programs that involve multiple machining operations. Intermediary rough stocks produced during a simulation are saved automatically at each tool, program, or sub-program change. This makes it possible to replay the simulation from the latest valid rough stock before the detection of an error (collision, alert, etc.) or a change, without having to start over.

Automatic removal of support lugs from the rough stock at the end of the simulation has been added. The software automatically recognizes support lug information in order to keep the simulated part and not the associated scrap. NCSIMUL Machine 9.1 currently enables machine accessories to be positioned automatically by processing the contact with tailstocks, rests and chucks on the machined rough stock. The tailstock, for example, will be positioned alone, in contact with the machined rough stock. With this new feature, the rests are closed as soon as they touch the machined rough stock. This is a major time-saving development enabling the job to be set up and built very quickly.

To facilitate data exchange, the latest version of NCSIMUL Machine 9.1 offers a new CAM interface with Alphacam 2013, in addition to the existing CAM interfaces.

SPRING Technologies enables the optimal use of manufacturing companies’ CNC machines, maximizing their productivity. Its “smart” solutions are integrated, intelligent, instrumented, and based on its “NCEXPERIENCE” philosophy. The NCSIMUL Solutions portfolio integrates the complete machining process, in real time, including cutting and tool libraries, post-processing, NC simulation, technical content publishing and DNC.

SPRING Technologies, Inc., One Broadway,14th Floor, Cambridge, MA 02142, 617-401-2197, www.springplm.com.