The tool was then cooled as quickly as possible and the top half removed, exposing the carbon fibre moulding. A typical set of overnight programs will run for up to 14 hours.” The carbon fibre material used was a 2 x 2 twill weave cloth pre-impregnated with epoxy resin, so that when the tool was brought up to temperature (120-140 degrees depending on resin used) the resin cured within approximately one hour. We use VISI to accurately predict the actual toolpath cutting time and program accordingly. Although the machine can run at optimum production rates, we back off when running overnight to protect tool life. To overcome this obstacle, we set up a number of individual jobs located around a single datum which ran overnight for lights-out machining. ![]() Sam Cox, toolroom foreman at Casting Support Systems, explains: “Complex tools often contain a number of sub-inserts where the setup time is disproportionate to the actual CAM runtime. The entire multi-surface tool was manufactured and assembled in only nine days – partly due to optimal toolpath usage and running multiple jobs at the same time. The tooling life for the cutters is approximately 3,000 hours. The geometry of the tooling makes it possible to cut full slots to 1.5 x D depth with high feed rates, typically twice that of traditional steel cutting tools. All toolpaths were programmed using VISI Machining and the aluminium tooling was milled using XYZ 1060 high speed vertical machining centres running Siemens 840D ShopMill Control, with WNT solid carbide end mills which have been specifically designed for cutting softer materials such as aluminium. VISI is very strong at switching between a solid and surface environment, allowing us to make complex changes where other CAD systems often fall over.” The tooling manufacture was performed by Casting Support Systems. “Typically, blending can be a very complex task and it's often necessary to explode a model into surfaces and manually apply the CAD modifications. ![]() For these particular components – with authority from the original design team – the tooling was modified to remove undercut areas and apply blend radii on sharp edges. To make a part manufacturable, it's vital to interact with the data and make the relevant changes. “Often when models are originally designed, the manufacturing requirements are not always known. “VISI is very tolerant of non-native data,” explains Challis. The company provides a comprehensive range of design and manufacturing services from 2D drawings to 3D modelling and CAM programming.įor this project, the customer provided the original CAD model as a Unigraphics NX file, with the part analysis and tool design carried out using VISI Modelling from Vero Software. DeltaCAD was founded in 2010 by Dean Challis, a design engineer with considerable CAD/CAM and tool design experience. Reducing the weight of aircraft seating significantly reduces aviation fuel consumption and CO 2 emissions throughout the operational lifetime of the aircraft, as every kilogram of weight contributes to its running costs. Devon-based CAD/CAM services specialist, DeltaCAD worked with subcontract tooling manufacturer Casting Support Systems on a project to provide an aerospace manufacturer with aluminium tooling for the carbon composite seat shell.
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