Irvine, California – CGTech is honored to be presenting the latest developments in composite fiber placement programming & simulation at the JEC End-user Automation Forum. The presentation will be given by CGTech’s Product Marketing Manager, Bill Hasenjaeger, on Wednesday, March, 25, 2009 - 10:30 am – 1:30 pm during the JEC Composites Show in Paris, France. The JEC Composites show takes place March 24-26, 2009 at the Paris Expo, Porte de Versailles.
Most users of CNC Automated Fiber Placement (AFP) machinery use off-line NC programming software delivered with their machine, forcing companies to adopt multiple software applications for multiple brands of machines. Mr. Hasenjaeger’s presentation will discuss the implementation and use of machine independent off-line NC programming software as it applies to CNC fiber placement machines.
“The more mature CNC metal-cutting industry started the same way, but has now evolved into a clear separation and cooperation between independent software and machine suppliers,” Hasenjaeger said. “This frees the company to select the best machine for the job, while using one software application to create NC programs for a variety of machine brands.”
Additionally, throughout the show in Hall 1 Q52, CGTech will be demonstrating VERICUT Composite Applications: VERICUT Composite Programming (VCP) & VERICUT Composite Simulation (VCS).
VCP reads CAD surfaces and ply boundary information and adds material to fill the plies according to user-specified manufacturing standards and requirements. Layup paths are linked together to form specific layup sequences and are output as NC programs for the automated layup machine.
VCS reads CAD models and NC programs, either from VCP or other composite layup path-generation applications, and simulates the sequence of NC programs on a virtual machine. Material is applied to the layup form via NC program instructions in a virtual CNC simulation environment. The simulated material applied to the form can be measured and inspected to ensure the NC program follows manufacturing standards and requirements. A report showing simulation results and statistical information can be automatically created.
CGTech will also be exhibiting the upcoming version of VERICUT CNC machine simulation and optimization software. VERICUT 7 features significant performance-improving enhancements that reduce the time required for manufacturing engineers to develop, analyze, inspect and document the CNC programming and machining process. Instead of focusing on new features or add-on modules, CGTech developer resources have focused on diligent code optimization and customer-driven enhancements.
VERICUT is CNC machine simulation, verification and optimization software that enables users to eliminate the process of manually proving-out NC programs. It reduces scrap loss and rework. The program also optimizes NC programs in order to both save time and produce higher quality surface finish. VERICUT simulates all types of CNC machining, including drilling and trimming of composite parts, water jet, riveting, robotics, mill/turn and parallel kinematics. VERICUT runs standalone, but can also be integrated with leading CAM systems.
About CGTech Headquartered in Irvine, California, CGTech specializes in numerical control (NC/CNC) simulation, verification, optimization and analysis software technology for manufacturing. Since 1988 CGTech’s product, VERICUT® software, has become the industry standard for simulating CNC machining in order to detect errors, potential collisions or areas of inefficiency. With offices worldwide, VERICUT software is used by companies of all sizes, universities/trade schools, and government agencies. For more information, visit the CGTech website at cgtech.com, call (949) 753-1050, or email info@cgtech.com
Airbus is selling so well that the demand to increase build rate has never been higher. BAE Systems (Filton, UK) needed a simple way to improve throughput - it found the answer in VERICUT.
With VERICUT, engineers at Stellex Monitor modeled the Sidewinder and Spar Mill machines.
Tell Tool of Westfield, Mass., has integrated VERICUT CNC simulation software into its numerical control program prove-out process.
VERICUT enabled us to start ordinary production after a minimum of time. Since this product is new for Volvo Aero Norge and our company had never before had parts with similar machining complexity, it is difficult to estimate the amount of cost saving.
Before implementing VERICUT, the company experienced the usual time-consuming and expensive manufacturing problems related to NC program prove-outs such as scrap loss, broken tooling, and a danger of occasional machine crash.
Over the last two years, GE Aviation (formerly Aerostructures Hamble) has used Machine Simulation to speed the implementation of several new 5-axis machine tools.
VERICUT showed the NC programmers leftover or heavy stock." And the software detected a couple of places where the depth of cut was too large and tools were shanking out," said Collings. They then went back and corrected the errors in the tool path before
Dassault, Seclin initially purchased VERICUT in order to reduce the number of manual prove-outs using polystyrene material, which represented a significant expense in terms of time and money.
VERICUT enabled the designers and programmers see exactly what they were building as and in-process model in different stages of the machining cycle.
We utilized VERICUT to verify the CNC programs for cutting the tooling before they were sent to the machine control,
To protect their investment, they have been using VERICUT since 1996. They have two people to verify the accuracy of their G-code files.
"When we first started using OptiPath we concentrated on the feed rate option; now we use the constant chip thickness capability. With jobs up to 200 hours long, 50% saving is significant like having another machine tool."
The entire process took less than two hours and no manpower was required, whereas, creating the same pattern manually (the old way), would have taken one of our designers several days.
The verification process stays ahead of the actual machine position in the NC code being verified. Opera-tors can see errors before they occur.
The bottom line? Using VERICUT has made Supreme's existing machine tools more productive. Enthusiasm is up, delivery times have been reduced, and pricing is more competitive.delivery times have been reduced, and pricing is more competitive.
Using VERICUT to compare the electrode burn with the mold cavity ensures that we have all the correct clearances in the electrodes and that we have 100% clean-up." says Allen.
If I was using VERICUT at the time I would've caught the problem, and had a chance to fix it before it damaged the part.
Now I rarely see the potential crashes because the students find and correct them before I review the work. Catching those costly problems is a non-event now!
VERICUT can change speeds and feeds according to cutting conditions including difference in material and tooling. It is done automatically; the programmer does not have to make even one manual insert into the code."
Flying shrapnel from shattered cutting tools and components is avoided by using VERICUT to test student programs before they are run on NC machines.
The NC programmers at Ingersoll also rely on the simulation software to prevent mistakes when programming complex, five-axis parts.
After creating the NC programs in Mastercam, they began simulating the machining process in VERICUT by simulating the G-code data. There often can be a difference between the motion as programmed and the code after it's run through the post processor
After selecting VERICUT for third-party verification, each NC programmer attended two days of basic training where they experienced first-hand the type of results they could expect to achieve.
The program simulates milling, drilling, turning, wire EDM, and mill/turn machining operations using both G-codes and CAM output.
VERICUT provides simulation capabilities for the all the 3-5 axis and wire EDM parts, with focused control over the orientation of our 5-axis machine tool including the cutters used on that machine.
The inspection probe is created as a tool in VERICUT so the complete in- cycle gauging sequence is checked for collisions.
The bottom was machined first. This effort took about 24 hours from start to finish. By using VERICUT software from CGTech, Elliot was able to test the NC program for any problems before it was ever cut on the machine.
Cosworth Racing Integrates Walter TDM Tool Management into Manufacturing Systems
With data exported from NX, Vericut simulates the cutting process on the shop floor utilizing the machine G-code to detect any issues prior to NC Program release.
VERICUT software removes this potentially hazardous stage by allowing ReedHycalog to do all of their prove-outs on a computer.
VERICUT verification detects errors such as: inaccurate programming, incorrect tool path motions, rapid motion contact, collisions with fixtures and clamps, tool shank and holder collisions, & CAD/CAM and post processor bugs.
VERICUT Machine Simulation supports G-codes and Multi-axis (5-axis or more) support for milling, drilling, turning, grinding & EDM machines
