mould & die Review
Arcam (EBM-based additive manufacturing)
ARCAM showed parts made via the new, larger Arcam A2
system for free form fabrication in fully dense metals,
including titanium alloy Ti6Al4V and CoCrMo (Cobalt-
Chrome). A choice of two build tanks enables a build
envelope of either 200 by 200 by 350mm, or a diameter of
300mm with a height of 200mm. A completely new power
supply enables improved beam control; new software
features include automatic calibration, for enhanced
accuracy. The new EBM Productivity Boost Upgrade
delivers a build time reduction of up to 30%; and the EBM
Build Expansion Upgrade, enables the user to build 350 mm
high parts in an EBM S12 system.
Arcam’s EBM machines and powder recovery system
enable cost-efficient rapid manufacturing of complex parts
with high productivity and first class material properties.
Applications include medical implants, aerospace and high
end automotive manufacturing - and other industries with
rigorous requirements on strength, corrosion and
temperature resistance. www.arcam.com
Open Mind (CADCAM software)
THE focus was on automated programming, reliable milling
and complete machining of complex moulds and
workpieces. The developer of CAD/CAM software and
postprocessors demonstrated on several stands how
efficient CAM programming reduces cycle times and
simultaneously increases process reliability according to the
motto 'automated programming, reliable milling, complete
machining.
For example, recognising that feature and macro
technologies play an essential role in automated
programming, hyperMILL’s feature recognition technology
allows geometric information that is generated in the CAD
system to be used for CAM programming. Automatic
feature recognition detects geometries such as holes,
stepped holes with and without threads and open and
closed pockets on solids and surface models. The
parameters that are required for programming and for tool
selection are generated during this process.
Programming with features also enables changes to be
made easily. Changes to the geometry or the technical
parameters only require the feature to be modified. The data
are automatically taken into account during recalculation.
Machining strategies and tools can be linked with features in
hyperMILL using macros which contain the machining rules
for characteristic areas of the feature such as the thread
diameter, the depth of the hole, the sink type or whether the
pocket is open or closed.
www.openmind-tech.com
Haas (machine tools)
EUROMOLD is about focus, and offered a chance to see the machines in
the Haas range that have been designed and built to provide value to
mould and die manufacturers. Machines on show included a VM3
machining centre (1016 by 660 by 635mm work cube) with a 5-axis
trunnion rotary table, a VM-2 (762 by 508 by 508mm work cube), the
high-speed Super Mini Mill, a VF-2SS machining centre with 12,000
revs/min spindle, an SL-10 turning centre and the compact but versatile
OL-1 office lathe and its sibling, the OM-1 office mill. www.HaasCNC.com
Delcam (CADCAM software)
DELCAM used Euromold to demonstrate its latest
developments for designing, machining and inspecting
moulds. The company was ranked as the world’s leading
supplier of CAM software and services to the mould, tool
and die industry in the latest CIMdata report.
The main change to Delcam’s Toolmaker mould design
package is the improved speed of its Power Features approach
to parametric tool design. Mould components that incorporate Power Features react
automatically as they are placed into an assembly, adding all the necessary fit-features to
the connecting components. For example, if the designer adds an ejector pin to the mould
assembly, the software automatically creates the corresponding hole features in the plates
through which it passes. Also, the tolerances between the various components are defined
automatically. Thus, a sealing-fit hole is placed in the die block and the necessary
clearance allowance added to the holes in all the other plates through which the pin
passes.
Power Features maintain relationships in a similar way to parametric objects in other
CAD systems so that, if the pin moves, all the associated holes move with it. However, the
automatic creation of relationships makes the development of the design much quicker
than other systems and also makes errors in the design process less likely.
www.delcam.com
Cincinnati (machining centres)
MAG Cincinnati and MAG Fadal showcased the new VMC4020FX and CFV-1050Si
machining centres (shown in by MAG’s German distributor IVHS Services.) The new CFV
(Cast Frame Vertical) machining centre enables the user to produce more parts, more
accurately and more profitably. The 1050Si has a 20,000revs/min spindle as standard and is
well suited to high speed machining applications in the mould and die sector; available with
Siemens, Fanuc or Heidenhain CNC its rapid traverse covers the 1050 by 540 by 560mm
travel in X, Y and Z at 36m/min.
The VMC4020FX vertical machining centre has the
option of a Fanuc 0i or Fanuc 18i fully digital control for
simultaneous 4-axis machining. It incorporates ‘beta i drive’
motors for high torque and acceleration performance plus
Steinmeyer ETA ball screws that reduce heat friction by up
to 70% compared to competitor machines. The FX range has
a positional accuracy of ±0.005mm and axis repeatability of
±0.0025mm as standard.
www.cinmach.co.uk
Kreon (3D laser scanner)
KREON, the pioneer in 3D non-contact measurement technology presented Aquilon, a new 3D laser scanner developed at Kreon headquarters
in Limoges. The scanner’s speed and accuracy is exemplified by up to 1 million points/second captured at 5 m accuracy. These technical
specifications make it a powerful tool for inspection and reverse engineering applications in the mouldmaking and tooling industry, an d this
speed is claimed to be the highest ever achieved by a 3D non-contact laser scanner. Scanning speed is totally controlled by the user who can
adjust the parameters according to the data density required by the application. Tests show that with reverse engineering or inspection tasks
carried out in just hours or even minutes, productivity dramatically increases in all stages of the manufacturing process, from product design and
prototyping to series production. www.kreon3d.com
30 MWP january 2008
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