a3 powermill general.indd

Efficient Toolpath Linking
PowerMILL’s main aim is to avoid air-cutting moves
where ever possible. By selecting the most
appropriate leading and linking solution
PowerMILL increases the amount of time
spent in contact with the job.
PowerMILL
www.delcam.com
Tangential roll on/off
Wherever possible, all programs generated
in PowerMILL have sharp internal corners
smoothed with a true radius. This allows
modern CNC machines with “look-ahead”
functionality to maintain a more constant
feed rate across the entire program. These
radii are output as G2 or G3 commands in the
CNC toolpath.
PowerMILL is Delcam's core multi axis milling product, a stand alone CAM system
that produces NC toolpaths from CAD models quickly. PowerMILL can accept data from any
CAD system, via IGES, VDA, STL or a variety of direct interfaces. It is extremely powerful, yet
easy to use, and generates roughing and finishing toolpaths which optimise the productivity of
CNC machine tools, while ensuring the highest quality machining of models and tooling.
If the cutting tool needs to lift off of the job, this is
achieved in an arcing motion. This allows the tool
to move in a smooth path with little or no feedrate
changes. It also avoids shock-loading in the tool and
improves surface finish by minimising dwell marks.
Efficient Toolpath Linking
Toolholder Collision checking
PowerMILL can check for collisions between the
toolholder and the workpiece. It will indicate:
PowerMILL's versatility makes it suitable across a broad spectrum of manufacturing sectors. It incorporates
the latest in 5 axis machining strategies high efficiency roughing and high speed finishing. Many of these
techniques are unique to Delcam and ensure that users increase the productivity of machine tools by
generating more efficient machining strategies. PowerMILL also provides the operator with increased flexibility
and speed of toolpath generation.
Data Input
Data can be imported via a variety of data exchange formats
including IGES, VDA, STL, SDRC IDEAS, ProE, SolidWorks,
SolidEdge, Cimatron, CATIA, Unigraphics and Parasolids.
PowerMILL is tolerant to poor quality data offering gouge
free machining even when gaps exist. When these gaps are
larger than tolerance PowerMILL retracts to a safe z height,
when the gap is smaller than tolerance the tool runs over
the gap and continues machining.
1) If a collision is detected
High Efficiency Area Clearance Strategies
PowerMILL leads the way with it’s unique approaches to
efficient area clearance. The main requirements of these
machining strategies are to keep the load on the cutter as
consistent as possible and to minimise any sudden changes
in the cutting direction. One of the basic changes in
strategy needed to achieve these conditions is the use of
offset machining for roughing rather than the traditional
raster approach.
2) Depth of collision
3) The minimum tool length required to avoid a
collision
4) Areas of the toolpath where collisions occur
This ability to calculate required tool lengths before
starting to cut the job saves time and costly errors.
Toolholder Collision Checking
PS-Optifeed
The PS-Optifeed module analyses the toolpath
generated within PowerMILL and automatically adjusts
the feed rate to give a constant rate of material
removal. PS-Optifeed will reduce machining times by
up to 50% increasing productivity. PS-Optifeed will also
reduced wear of both cutting tools and milling
machines, improve surface finish, and reduce the need
for the operator to supervise machining.
PS-Optifeed
Cutters Supported
PowerMILL supports the complete range of tool types including - ball nosed, radiused end mills,
slot drills, tapered cutters and off-centre radiused end mills and tipped cutters. Tipped disc tools
are also available to allow undercut machining.
The selection of the right cutting tool for each machining operation allows users to optimise
surface finish and milling times.
Raceline Machining
Raceline Machining
PowerMILL includes a number of new high-efficiency
roughing strategies to take full advantage of the latest
cutter designs that can cut with the side of the tool
and so take deeper cuts. The most novel technique
is called raceline machining, for which Delcam has a
patent pending. With this option, the roughing passes
are progressively smoothed out as the toolpaths move
further from the main form. The resulting paths
minimise any sudden changes in direction and so
allow faster machining, with less wear on the cutter
and lower stress on the machine tool.
Trochoidal Machining
A new trochoidal machining option has also been
added. This avoids full-width cuts when machining by
generating toolpaths that progressively shave material
from the block in a circular motion. The new option
automatically adjusts the toolpath to maintain efficient
and safe machining.
Trochoidal Slotting
Automatic Trochoidal Machining
A new combination roughing strategy has been intrduced that combines offset roughing with trochoidal
machining. This automatically avoids high-load cuts that could occur with conventional offset strategies, by
switching to a trochoidal motion when the cutter encounters large amounts of material. Using a shaving action
to remove material in these areas reduces the load on the tool to a more consistent level, allowing higher
machining speeds to be maintained.
Rest Roughing
The rest toolpath will remove material left by a
previous larger tool allowing only areas which require
smaller cutters to be remachined, and so reducing
milling times.
High Speed Finishing
PowerMILL has many strategies for high speed
machining which result in the smooth consistent
cutting conditions required to ensure rapid stock
removal and excellent surface finish. Three examples
are 3D Offset and Constant Z finishing and the
Optimised Constant Z.
Automatic Trochoidal Machining
3D Offset Finishing
This type of finishing gives an excellent surface finish
because the stepover is constant across all surfaces
irrespective of whether they are steep walls or
shallow contoured areas. Spiral offset finishing
prevents ‘witness marks’ since the tool stays in
constant contact with the model in one smooth
spiralling shape.
“We can machine the surface in areas that would previously have been
impossible to access economically. In addition, difficult surfaces that would
have needed long series cutters are now simple. Easier access is allowing us
to use shorter tools resulting in improved surface finish and a reduction in
the number of post machining operations, including EDM.” David Gaskin,
A F Gaskin Ltd.
5 Axis Machining
PowerMILL offers many 5 Axis machining
strategies that are used extensively in aerospace,
automotive and precision engineering applications.
The continuous 5 Axis machining allows the user to
create toolpaths across complex surface, solid and
triangulated models. The toolpaths are fully gouge
checked and support a wide range of machining
strategies, all tool types and linking techniques.
“We have experienced massive time savings from
using 5 Axis machining as most jobs can be completed
in two set-ups” David Seymour, Oxon Prototypes
Oxon Prototype
Constant Z
Here the tool cuts at Constant Z levels. There is also an
option to lead in and out between Z levels which
eliminates ‘witness marks’. There is now the added
benefit of this type of toolpath being a continuous spiral.
Optimised Constant Z
Consistent tool loading and the fewest possible sudden
changes in direction are needed for high-speed
finishing. To meet these priorities, a combination of
strategies is recommended, with 3D offset finishing used
on flatter areas and Z-level finishing used on steeper
areas.
Shop Floor Programming
The speed and ease of use of PowerMILL has lead to it
being adopted by many toolmakers for shop-floor
programming. This approach has many benefits,
including a more equal distribution of the workload
between the CAD office and the shop floor, more efficient
toolpaths, and lower downtime, all of which enable
toolmakers to deliver higher quality tooling in shorter lead
times.
5 Axis machining with PowerMILL at BS Tooling
“The newer strategies in PowerMILL have been an essential part of our move into high efficiency roughing and
high-speed machining,” added Mr. Copas. “High-speed machining offers vastly improved cutting efficiency and
surface finish but requires the totally new approach to the way programs are created and executed. The new
techniques in PowerMILL offer considerable cost and quality benefits for our customers.”
Shaun Copas BS Tooling
Positional Five Axis Machining
PowerMILL’s 3+2 Axis machining allows all existing
machining strategies to be used with the machine tool
head inclined. This allows undercuts to be machined or
shorter tools used in deep pockets.
5 Axis machining a fully hardened core for
an automotive extreme wing mirror too.
Exterior wind mirror Gaskin
Delta Tooling
PS-Electrode
A new module is now available for PowerMILL that will
allow shop-floor machinists to design and machine
electrodes quickly and easily. Within a few minutes a
complex cavity in a model can be automatically extracted
to form a collision-checked 3D solid model of the
electrode, together with its holder, set-up sheets and tool
paths.
Toolpath Editing
PowerMILL contains a comprehensive set of utilities to modify cutter paths, allowing various toolpaths to be
calculated and evaluated, but only the selected toolpath to be saved.
“The main benefits were the fast calculation speed, the powerful editing capabilities and the ease of file
management. The rest finishing is particularly good for machining fine details, while I have also been impressed
by the smoothness of the surface finish.” Steve Selwyn Reed-Hycalog