EDCAM PROFESSIONAL INCREASES MACHINE SHOP EFFICIENCY
AUBURN
HILLS, MI—September 2006—The EDCAM Professional™ offline programming solutions
software from Makino will help reduce human error in burn programs, which in
turn will reduce scrapped mold components and increase machine shop efficiency
while dramatically reducing overall programming time by 70 percent. The EDCAM
software assembles and relays critical data between CAD-CAM systems and the NC
program for the controller running the sinker EDM machines, bypassing the need
for manual input that often leads to operator errors and mistakes.
This
software enhances sinker or Ram EDM capabilities through the direct reception
and proper calibration of workpiece data as a critical relay between the
machines and CAD-CAM systems. It receives all necessary peripheral information
from the CAM systems, such as electrode
positioning, and adds the necessary burning technology and tool change data to
output a final numerical controlled (NC) program for the EDM machine to
utilize.
With EDCAM
Professional™ software, the positional information is taken directly from the
part drawing or CAD-CAM system and dumped into the burn program without any
human intervention. This essentially provides machine shops full offline
programming capabilities, making CAD-CAM departments more versatile and
operators more efficient.
Visit Booth
# 8301 in Hall A of the South Building during the 2006 International Manufacturing
Technology Show (IMTS) at McCormick
Place in Chicago,
Illinois, September 6 through 13
to learn more about this and other technological innovations.
Also plan
to visit Booth # D-4110 in the EDM Pavilion at IMTS to see demonstration on equipment
and processes that meet the demand for micro-dimensions and ultra-high
precision EDMing.
Reducing
Manufacturing Costs and Time to Market
The EDCAM software technology will allow die/mold shops to use machines more
cost effectively, drive out operational costs, reduce lead-time and quicken
product time to market. In addition, it offers shops a distinct edge over the
competitors who are capable of making the same molds at the same tolerances.
EDCAM will
input position points from a design system directly into a burn program. In
addition to translating positioning data, the software will help operators
determine critical burn parameters, such as electrode material and quantity,
undersize parameters, desired removal rates and surface finishes. This technological
advancement creates burn parameters that in the past could only be determined
by an operator with several years of experience.
For
example, an operator typically uses the EDM machine to complete a job before
using the same machine to pick up all the electrodes and workpieces required
for the next burn. This process ties up valuable machine resources and
increases cycle time. With this software, an operator can pick up electrode
offsets and workpieces offline on a coordinate measuring machine and have the
data transferred to the program for use.
An operator
can start a burn program on a machine and then prepare future burns on a remote
computer and send them directly to the machine with EDCAM. All that is required
then is an operator to push the start button.
This Makino
software allows shops to plan ahead for the next job while one is being done
and manipulates the data in a much more efficient flow. Because the software
takes control of the programming process, a highly skilled applications engineer
or mold maker is not required to run the EDM machine. In fact, operators who
have little or no training on an EDM machine can develop burn programs using
EDCAM.
Unmanned
Operation
Automation systems for EDM production teamed with advanced software such as
EDCAM Professional™ do require machines with high rigidity for the best
accuracy and performance. Multi-directional burning with identical servo
performance, a disappearing drop tank, complex orbit control, interactive
automatic programming and an adaptive control system that reduces or eliminates
active flushing are critical elements to EDM automation with EDCAM.
Unmanned
operations create the optimum system for small-lot, large variety production,
which readily accommodates production change priorities. It also helps maintain
efficient throughput, utilizing less floor space and allowing the timely
transfer of jobs to the next process. The manufacturing process may become more
streamlined and efficient, and time-consuming operations like job setup, alignment,
positioning, programming, removal and cleanup can all be eliminated with EDCAM
Professional™.
Makino is a
global provider of advanced machining technology and application support for
the metalcutting and die/mold industries, dedicated to driving out more costs
from your manufacturing operation than any other competitive machine tool
manufacturer. Makino manufacturing and service centers are located in the
United States, Japan, Germany, Singapore, Italy, France, Korea, Taiwan, Turkey,
China, Mexico, Brazil, and India, and are supported by a worldwide distributor
network. For more information call 1.800.552.3288.
# # #
Media
Contact
Brandon Rhoten
HSR Business to Business
513.671.3811
makino@hsr.com