EDGECAM Turning

Production Turning

EDGECAM Turning provides functionality for a wide range of machine tools, including 2-Axis lathes, multi-turret configurations, sub-spindle turning centers, and live tooling. EDGECAM fully supports turning centers including Bar Pull and Feed, Part Pick Off, Balanced and Mirrored Turning, and Turret Synchronization.

Features at a glance:

EDGECAM produces advanced rough and finishes turning cycles, together with support for facing, boring, and drilling in either canned cycle or longhand format. Toolpath calculation takes into consideration the complete tooling insert and tool Holder including the “F” distance and previously machined material to avoid gouging and eliminate air cutting

Update stock: EDGECAM has the ability to keep the stock updated live within the sequence tree. The stock model is the rest material or material that hasn’t been machined. Subsequent toolpaths will automatically detect the rest material resulting in 100% efficiency for any turning toolpath throughout the EDGECAM sequence.

Collision Detection / Simulation: It is imperative that not just the tool in contact with the material is checked for collisions, but also tools that are not in use on a turret. Most turning centers offer a relatively small working envelope that can be collision rich.

Swarf Clearance: When machining inside a bore, loose material can build up around the insert which can result in either result in insert failure or severely decreased tool life.

Sub spindles EDGECAM fully supports turning centers with a sub-spindle & twin turrets, including:

• Bar pull
• Bar feed
• Part pick and return
• Running in conjunction with the main spindle

Twin turret support for both single and twin spindle lathes including:

• Balanced turning
• Z lag options improving metal removal
• Mirrored turning
• Turret synchronization and simulation
   

Cycle control

Individual Element offsets: EDGECAMs turning cycles offer the ability to specify offsets to individual turned diameters, bores, grooves and faces. Most systems on the market today will only allow you to set a constant offset, whereas EDGECAM gives the user full control over offsets for each individual element on the turn feature.

Break Edges: Subcontract machinist do not always have the ability to go back to their client to ask them to revise the design to include the chamfers or break edges, even though they have been asked for on the engineering drawing

Down Cutting: This function within the finish turning cycle alternates the cut directly on the finish turn profile so the tool is always down cutting or it never drags up the face.

Sequential Castellation grooving: TRADITIONAL grooving cycles wear the tool on one side after the initial full-width cut.

Rough Turn Sectioning: To keep the tool push off on a long diameter to a minimum, EDGECAM has developed a section strategy where the user can break the rough turn cycle into sections.

Rough turn Variable cut Depth: This function is to prevent notches wearing into the tool. Cuts are alternately ‘ramped’ than ‘normal’.

EDGECAM LIVE TOOLING

Multi-Task Machining

The use of tail stocks, steady rests, sub-spindles, twin turrets along with C Axis, CY Axis, and B Axis are regular features on today’s Multi-Task machine tools. In this collision rich environment, the programming of these machines is made simple and safe utilizing EDGECAM’s live tooling combinations in a single environment.

Features at a glance:

Live Tooling Simulation EDGECAM offers a full kinematic Simulation package. All the cycles and movements are supported along with the full graphics of the machine, tails stocks, and steadies meaning peace of mind as the part is fully tested before reaching the actual machine tool.

4/5 Axis Simultaneous Live tooling machines have many uses and allow much more flexibility and capabilities not offered from other machine configurations. With this in mind, many of these have multi-axis, upper turrets, lower turret, CYB, and Sub Spindles.

EDGECAM offers a wide range of 4 and 5 axis Operations and Maximum control in its cycles, with the Advanced 5 Axis options allowing even greater potential.

Features include:

• Axial Milling: This mode allows the user to perform milling operations using the C axis with Rotary options allowing programming along the Z Axis.
• Radial Milling: Allows the user to machine features around the diameter giving flexibility to the user to turn the component, then create the mill features using driven tooling.
• Y-Axis Milling: The Y-axis milling capabilities allow the engineer more control over the toolpath creation and CNC code output. EDGECAM supports plane switching where available on the machine tool and keeps the CNC code to a minimum by outputting arcs as required.

B Axis Head Support: In a live tooling environment EDGECAM fully supports the use of B Axis head work whether working on single spindle or sub-spindle machines.

EDGECAM for B Axis lathes offers the following main features:

• B Axis positioning on upper turret: allowing more precise and varied approaches to Live Tooling parts giving the engineer a more flexible approach to programming complex components.
• The B Axis can be programmed to tilt: to any number of angles to allow the many milling options available to tackle any number of features such as Faces, Pockets and Holes.
• B Axis machining on both the main and sub spindles: maximizes productivity allowing optimum machine performance. These features are also supported by our Full Kinematic Simulator with collision detection when using for 4/5 Axis Simultaneous work. This provides accurate feedback of the part being cut before release to the actual machine.

Upper/Lower Turret 4 Axis Turning: The Four Axis turning option in EDGECAM allows major advantages and functionality which is not always easily achieve at the machine control. EDGECAM programming techniques allow you to use more than one turret at the same time in the mill-turn programming environment.

EDGECAM supports the use of Upper and Lower Turret configurations and will support simulation of these including features such as:

• Mirrored Turning: EDGECAM functionality will program turret movements which are mirrored about a plane on the Z-axis and shows the toolpaths lying on the opposite side of the Z plane.
• Balanced Turning: Another of EDGECAM’s many features are balanced cycles. The Upper and Lower turrets work opposite each other about the Z-axis. These cycles have an additional parameter called Z Lead.
• Synchronized Turrets A feature often needed by engineers is Synchronization between Upper and Lower Turrets. EDGECAM performs this function with ease. Use of wait commands simplifies the synchronization of the Upper and Lower turrets when wanting to use these independently.