CAMWorks Simultaneous 4/5 Axis
CAMWorks 4/5 Axis simultaneous machining programming software allows the user to create toolpaths across complex shapes that could not be machined on 3 Axis machines. This includes high-performance automotive port finishing, impellers, turbine blades, cutting tools, 5 Axis trimming, and undercut machining in mold and die making.
• Support for multiple tool types including flat, ball, hog nose, tapered and undercut tools such as lollipop and keyway.
• Cutting strategies for swarf cutting, profile contouring, engraving, grooving and machining deep corners and cavities.
• The tool orientation while in contact with surfaces is completely user-controlled. Options include the ability to define tool orientation relative to the surface normal. To get a good finish with a 5 Axis machine, the tool should have a specific angle to the surface. This tilt angle can be fixed, a variable angle based on the current normal vector of the surface or user-defined from points, lines or curves.
• Collision detection looks at each toolpath and the surfaces to decide if the tool tip, tool shaft or holder is colliding. The check is done at each calculated tool position. Groups of surfaces can be defined, each with its own avoidance strategy.
• Roughing options include multiple cuts normal to the surface, multiple cut depths along the tool axis, full 5 Axis plunge roughing and adaptive roughing.
• User-defined limits for the machining area and tool angles on several planes for increased flexibility.
• A lag angle can be set between the end of a flat or hog nose tool and the surface, which results in a face milling condition that reduces the number of cuts in shallow areas.
• Undercut areas can be machined using 3, 4 or 5 Axis strategies.
• Rest machining options determine if CAMWorks generates toolpaths to remove remaining material based on an STL file or a calculated work-in-process (WIP).
• Options to take advantage of an existing stock geometry to minimize air cuts during roughing operations.
• User-defined options determine how CAMWorks handles gaps: gaps in surfaces can be ignored and machined without retracting the tool, the tool can be moved back to the rapid plane and skip the gap or the tool can follow other surfaces.
• Numerous options provide simple and easy trimming of vacuum-formed or fiber reinforced plastic parts.
• Multiaxis laser toolpaths can be created to trim sheet material in difficult to reach areas, for pre-production runs where stampings require trimming, or when single set up trimming is required for production speed.
• Area roughing options can be set for impeller and blisk floor finishing and roughing, and for slots on cylinders.
• A user-defined area can be defined to contain the toolpath.
• Toolpaths can be generated as separate threads and in separate processes. Multiple toolpaths will generate simultaneously and at the same time the user can continue working in other areas or on other CAM models.
• Toolpaths can be copied and rotated to create full rotation symmetric operations (for example, impeller machining).
CAMWorks 3Axis Milling
3 Axis Mlling includes 2.5 axis capabilities plus routines to machine complex, contoured surfaces routinely encountered in mold making and aerospace applications.
CAMWorks 3 Axis cycles are developed for speed, accuracy and efficient memory usage. Simple and complex parts can be cut quickly and accurately with a high quality toolpath.
• All 3 axis cycles provide area clearance and flat area support an option to restrict the toolpath areas to a given slope and provide options for up and down milling.
• Area clearance and Z-Level support an option to avoid small pockets.
• The pattern project cycle slice pattern includes options for cross machining.
• All 3 Axis milling operations support rest or leftover machining. Rest machining is used to reduce air cutting by restricting toolpaths to areas within the feature that have not been machined previously.
• The constant stepover cycle removes material by maintaining a constant user-defined stepover relative to the surface. This cycle generates a semi-finished or finished toolpath with a true constant stepover regardless of the slope being machined.
• The curve project cycle removes material by projecting 2.5 Axis engrave or curve features on the 3 Axis feature. CAMWorks can calculate a single pass or multiple passes for engraving.
• The flat area cycle uses a roughing pattern to remove material on flat faces.
• Adaptive roughing strategy provides the ability to cut using the full depth of the tool and safely run your machine at optimum speed. This can reduce machining time up to 40% over conventional roughing with less wear.
• Z Level/Constant stopover combination operation can be used for machining steep and shallower slope areas in one toolpath
CAMWorks 2.5 Axis Milling
2.5 Axis Milling includes automatic roughing, finishing, thread milling, face milling and single point (drilling, boring, reaming, tapping) cycles to machine prismatic features.
• Machining algorithms use the latest toolpath and gouge protection methods.
• Cutting cycles provide fast, gouge-protected toolpaths using ball, flat end mill, taper, corner round, thread mill and hog nose tools.
• Automatic toolpath optimization increases program efficiency.