final 12 pages

Cima
N
ews
News
www.cimatronindia.com
Page 2..... Tool Shop Optimisation: Why Technology is not
enough???
Page 4..... Launch of CimatronE 7.1. Improvements and
New Features
Page 5..... Cimatron Centre of Excellence in Pimpri. Know
more...
Page 6..... First Commercial Micro Milling Software by
Cimatron. Improve your product quality
Page 8..... Product Focus: Cimatron NC - Lite. Automated
3 Axis Milling
Page 10..... Key to Better Electrode Making
Page 11.....Satisfied Customer - PTA Corporation
Edition I 2006
Cima
Dear Toolmaker,
It gives me immense pleasure to introduce to
you our first edition of CimaNews - a
newsletter from Cimatron.
As you are aware, we have been associated
with the Indian Tooling Industry for more than
a decade now, thanks to your constant support
and confidence shown in our abilities.
In line with our plans to increase our presence
in India we recently decided to cater to the
North and East Indian Markets directly. This
will enable us to meet our customer demands
and reach out to the prospects in an efficient
and speedy manner. Please read more bout it
on Pg no. 7
Continuing with our tradition of bringing
Cimatron closer to you, we wish to give you a
better idea of what's happening inside our
organization and also a preview of the events
in the CAD / CAM industry.
Since this is our introductory edition we have
focused on the general aspects of the tooling
industry, the common problems faced by the
toolmakers, proven solutions for the same and
last but not the least our latest product
offerings.
I sincerely hope that you will find this
newsletter useful in your tooling endeavours.
Please feel free to contact us at the
coordinates given below at any given point of
time with your invaluable suggestions and
criticisms.
With Warm Regards
Onkar
Amod
Amod Onkar,
Country Manager
Cimatron Technologies Pvt. Ltd.
[email protected]
Corp. Office: 1, Runwal Pratistha, 567/ 2 - B, Off. Apte Road, Shivajinagar, Pune 4
Tel: +91 - 020 - 25532963 / 64 Email: [email protected]
Web: www.cimatronindia.com
Innovative Solutions for Manufacturing
2
Tool Shop Optimisation - Why is technology not enough???
Tool Shop optimisation:
8 Steps towards
bringing efficiency
in the Toolroom
Processes
Why is technology not enough???
Tooling IndustryChallenges
Like many manufacturing sectors, the
tooling industry continues to
experience mounting global
competition, placing ongoing business
and operational challenges on tool
shop across the industry. Those that
thought these challenges were
temporary in nature have either gone
out of business or realized that
“change is here to stay”.
Delivery, Quality, and Cost are the
top three challenges which are faced
by the tooling companies, according to
a recent survey conducted by CIMdata,
a premier industry research firm.
These findings prompted us at
Cimatron, to take action. The company
established a task force to dig deeper
into the causes and identify new
approaches that would help tool shops
eliminate or minimize these
challenges.
This Article states the results of this
work. It outlines a description of a
framework for operational
* Facing the need to
expedite delivery times, a
tool shop invested a
significant amount of
money to purchase
additional machines.
While the investment
helped speed up
machining, it created
new bottlenecks
throughout the process
and ultimately fell short
of reducing overall
delivery times.
* Another tool shop that
had trouble meeting
delivery times began
outsourcing their design
work. Not only did the
outsourcing increase
their cost, the need for
greater communication
between parties negated
any improvement in
delivery times.
optimization adopted and refined by
Cimatron and the tool shops it
engaged with, including a
specific eight-step
template that which
organizations can follow.
While portions of the
framework can apply to
any manufacturing
organization seeking to
improve operational
efficiency, many of the
suggested action items are
specific to the tooling
Þ To Identify the best process and
flow
The first step is to establish a
streamlined process that covers all
deliverables and milestones from
the initial price quote to the finished
product. Inputs and outputs for
each step in the process must be
clearly identified, along with quality
expectations and the value addition
to the finished product.
Þ To Streamline internal and
external communications
Direct data transfer with the
customer and among the design
team, shop floor and purchasing
not only saves time by minimizing
the need for multiple data
translations, it also increases data
reliability, reduces errors and
repetition of work and minimizes
engineering changes.
Þ To Implement 3D design &
manufacturing
Striving towards concurrent
processes, implementation of 3-D
data, minimizes downtime and
eliminates the level of redundancy
caused entering the data manually
as is the case with 2-D design work.
ÞT o R e examine
outsourcing
Including your
outsourced
activities in
your process
design may
r e v e a l
opportunities
to bring work
back inhouse
For North & East India Contact Edsel Vaz:
[email protected] 98211 -25746
Innovative Solutions for Manufacturing
3
3
Tool Shop Optimisation - Why is technology not enough???
and reduce costs, eliminate
operational approach, with
communication obstacles, and
fewer steps in the entire
speed up delivery times in
process. Resistance to change
order to be more competitive.
is natural, so getting everyone
involved in the process early is
Þ To Plan for success
crucial to its success.
A
s o l i d
implementation
8 Steps towards Þ To Measure results
plan which
Measuring success is
bringing efficiency
considers all
i
mportant in this
in the Toolroom
process. Using this
factors and
Processes
approach, Cimatron
constraints and
has been able to help tool
i n c l u d e s a
shops achieve tangible and
contingency plan for
measurable results, with over
unplanned events such as
30% increase in productivity
fluctuations in the toolshop's
and upto 50% decrease in
workload is the key to success
design cost
for the entire process.
Þ To Acknowledge the cost of
change
industry.
The cost of change must also
As with any practical framework, this is
be acknowledged and
work-in-process. It is continuously used
quantified: What will be the
and honed, as more tool shops are
loss of productivity during the
engaging in this effort.
initial implementation? When
Any feedback that can help improve this
is it going to be gained back?
body of knowledge will benefit the tooling
At what point does productivity
industry and is gratefully welcome.
surpass previous levels through
the optimization?
A Common Pitfall
Þ To Get buy-in
In talking with tool shop executives, it
The optimization plan results in
became apparent that many do not take
a more streamlined
the time to analyze their business
processes. Working in a highly
competitive environment, firefighting has
become the standard mode of operations
at most shops. When faced with a
challenge, the common reaction is to
grab for the most immediate solution be
it purchasing a new machine, extending
business hours, outsourcing, or adding a
new detached software solution. As a
result, many of these solutions fail to
address the root causes of the problem at
hand.
More than 50% of tool shops polled in the
CIMdata survey indicated that their first
priority was to implement advanced
technology. The Cimatron analysis
revealed that many of these
implementations failed to solve the
problems for which they were acquired,
as the following examples show:
Investment in technology alone failed to
deliver the expected results. It became
clear that tool shops needed to look for
other ways to improve operational results
and examine the entire business
processes.
Tool Shop Optimization
The starting point in any improvement is a
clear understanding of the business
goals. In its analysis process, the
Cimatron team has come across a set of
goals that have been close to universal.
For Maharashtra & Gujarat (except Mumbai) contact Nikhil:
[email protected] 98226 - 47465
Innovative Solutions for Manufacturing
4
Launch of CimatronE 7.1 - Features & Improvements
1.GUI and Display - Keep
Selection
Faces / Split Faces
e) Expressions in Cutter parameters
- From Cimatron E 7.0, expressions
can be used when defining the
cutters table parameters.
5.Assembly
a) BOM - It is now possible to include
in the BOM an excluded
component from an opened
assembly document select a cell of
the relevant component and move
it up to the BOM by pressing the
4. Modeling
Include in BOM
Button.
b) Edit
Dimensions - This
2.Data Interface tool is used to edit
Take
a
peek
at
some
of
the
improvements
and
Premier Import IGES
the dimensions of
new features that Cimatron E7.1 has to offer
part as Assembly
parts in an
assembly without
This option has been
a) Remove & Extend New Auto
regenerating
other
parts.
added to the customized parameter
Chaining Capabilities settings (Flavors) while importing from
c)
Relocate
component
- This tool
Improves the selection of holes
IGES.
is
used
to
relocate
components
in
and pockets in the Remove &
an
assembly
(no
matter
how
they
When importing an IGES file using the
Extend tool (for stitched faces).
are connected) without
Visi Import Setting (Flavor), a part file
b) Extend Object - This enables the
regenerating other parts.
is created for each set in the IGES file.
removal of faces by extending
These part files are included in a
d) Remove Pockets - This tool is
adjacent faces for filling a gap.
Cimatron E assembly file.
used to remove pockets (holes of
c) There have been improvements in
screws, cut geometries) in an
Split / Trim Option
assembly. It could also be
3.NC
used to remove pockets when
a) L o w e r M e m o r y
there are no "cut" features at
Consumption all.
Improves memory
e) Transfer Entities - This
consumption by
feature allows the transfer of
optimizing the “world of
entities between parts in an
interest” while
a s s e m b l y. T h e e n t i t i e s
machining the area
disappear from the original
bounded by the user's
part and are added to the
contour.
receiving part.
b) Execution Log - Allows
the user to receive
6.Drafting - Save M-View
information about results
of batch executions via
to drafting template
the API
This is an enhancement of the
d) Adding a Parting Surface Part
(INcModel::ExecutePostToAllNcProc
c u r r e n t D r a f t i n g Te m p l a t e
(PSP) to the Parting assembly edure) in a log file allowing the user
capabilities. Sectioned Mview, MThe new functionality: Adds the
to see the status of the job without
View and Exploded view will be saved
“On Assembly UCS" to the "Add
opening the .elt file, and then
to the template while saving the
Component" options.
proceed to the post processing
drafting template.
e) Chamfer Tool
Keep Faces
stage.
Option - When selecting this
c) Introduction of New Paramters option, all faces are maintained. 7.EDM
30 new 'User Defined Parameters'
Cimatron E now supports Charmilles'
This option deals with large blind
are available in the procedure
DP Control. It is now possible to
holes, for example, that are
interaction in a new branch.
output EDM data to the XML format
maintained when the chamfer is
d) NC-Lite Environment - Additional
and read that file into Charmilles'
created.
CAD operations are available: Trim
interface.
A new option in the Preferences
enables entities to remain selected
while changing entity attributes (color,
width and style). This avoids the
necessity of re-selecting the entity each
time, while modifying
these attributes.
Cimatron Launches the upgrade of its
Flagship Product E7
Innovative Solutions for Manufacturing
For Mumbai contact Darral Vaz:
[email protected]
98212 -53406
Cimatron Centre of Excellence
5
Cimatron is proud to announce the opening of a first of its kind
Training cum Technology Centre in the heart of the Pune’s
Industrial Hub - MIDC PIMPRI
CIMATRON CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE
Training
CAD & Design
3D Modelling - Surface & Solids
Injection Molds Basic / Design
Core, Cavity & Slider Design
Electrode Design
Sheet Metal Unfolding
Main Features of the Training are:
Cimatron Certified Training Certificate
Special Discount Schemes for Students,
Existing Users and Ladies
Flexibility in choosing course - work
depending on your interest & requirement
Live training on DMG Machines
Placements All across India
CAM
2.5 Axis Milling
3 Axis Milling
4 / 5 Axis Milling - Molds & Dies
4 / 5 Axis Milling - Aerospace
Micro Milling
2X / 4X Wire EDM
2X Lathe
CAE
Strain Engineering
Consultancy
File Translation
Core, Cavity & Slider Design
Injection Mold Designing
Electrode Extraction
2.5X / 3X / 4X / 5X CAM Program Generation
Micro Milling Programming
Sheet Metal Unfold Services
Strain Engineering
Please fill in the below given Form if you wish to avail of any of the services
Name:
Organisation Name:
Designation:
Address:
City:
Contact Nos.
Office no.:
Mobile no.:
Interested in
Training
Consultancy
If interested in Training
Basic Course
Advanced Course
Preferred Batch?
Morning
Afternoon
File Translation
Electrode Extraction
Micro Milling Programming
Core, Cavity & Slider Design
4X / 5X Cam Program Generation
Sheet Metal Unfold Services
If interested in Consultancy
How soon would you like to join the course / avail of consultancy services?
Immediately
Next week
Next month
6
First Commercial Micro Milling Technology
Shrinking
Dimensions,
superior accuracy and surface
Cimatron Micro Milling
Growing Expectations
quality that your customers
Today, you're either facing the
Advantages
expect – and that you've come to
challenges of Micro-Milling - or
expect from Cimatron.
watching as the competition do so.
As margins, part and mold
dimensions shrink - and client
CAD/CAM capabilities in
Direct Surface Milling
the challenging micro-
breakage, reducing machining time
offers the powerful NC capabilities
and elongate tool life, CimatronE
needed to handle complex micro
Cimatron now offers the first ever
Micro
Milling
Commercial Micro-Milling Software
Micro Milling
Milling with tools that are smaller than 100
microns in diameter presents equipment
design and toolpath - generation challenges.
We offer strategies for creating safe,
optimized tool paths for Micro-Milling
milling geometry. And thats only
existing
Optimized Milling Strategy and
To eliminate the risk of tool
expectations grow - only one vendor
Leverage
constantly
Micro
Milling and
automatically
system environment.
Flawless
handling
of
geometry with problems at
the micro-level.
Superior surface quality
resulting of tight tolerance
and special machining
strategies.
Optimized
for
direct
surface Micro-Milling.
Cimatron.
maintains updated knowledge of
The Pioneer of Micro Milling
remaining stock even at micro-
Solutions
Micro Milling
component levels. CimatronE Micro
The scaling of jobs to the micro level
Milling also features integral NC
milling.
is far from simple. To
strategies that support ramp or
Built-in high-speed cutting
achi
eve the surface quality
helical plunging - maintaining
and
machining
smooth and continuous cutter entry.
tolerance required to
Micro
high-speed cutting (HSC) strategies,
Full support of 5-axis micro
strategies.
The system also supports advanced
mill micro-components,
ensuring homogeneous tool paths.
innovative new techniques and
tools were required.
To meet this challenge, Cimatron
leveraged
two
decades
of
toolmaking expertise, cooperation
with
international
scientific
Micro Milling
institutions and leading machining
vendors, and a world-class Research
and Development team.
The result: a unique algorithm
and corresponding set of NC tools
that enable effective scaling of
jobs to the micro environment while continuing to ensure the
Innovative Solutions for Manufacturing
Micro-Systems machining demands:
* High precision:
* High surface quality (Ra):
* Narrow ribs:
* Hardened steel:
5 microns (µm) or less
0.2 microns or less
0.5 mm or less
45 HRC or more
Cimatron Micro-Milling technology supports:
* Small tool diameter:
* High tool aspect ratio (L/D):
* High spindle speed:
* Tight machining tolerance:
100 micron or less
10 and up to 100
150,000 RPM or more
0.1 micron or less
For Hyderabad & Bangalore contact Prabhakar:
[email protected] 94485 - 11143
First Commercial Micro Milling Technology
and Repair
With a robust data interface,
automatic fixing routines and direct
interfaces to leading development
systems - such as Catia, Unigraphics
and ProEngineer - Cimatron ensures
that quality is not lost in data import.
When geometry problems are
encountered such as gaps, overlaps
and smoothness between surfaces,
Cimatron features built-in designfor-manufacturing geometry repair
functions that can use tolerance
down to 0.01 micron
Lowering Dependence on EDM
By bringing tough Micro-Milling into
the mainstream of production,
CimatronE lowers dependence on
high-overhead EDM. Providing high
accuracy, 5-Axis direct surface
milling capabilities, Cimatron helps
mold makers deliver superior results
- faster, and more cost-effectively.
MICRO MILLING
in short....
Micro-system, micro-molds, and
Micro-Milling are new and exciting
technologies for the mass
manufacturing of miniature parts.
With sub-micron tolerance and tool
tips that can hardly be seen by the
naked eye, this emerging and fastgrowing field presents numerous
challenges to vendors and mold
makers alike. New materials, new
tools, special mold coatings, and
innovative CAD/CAM software
techniques all have to be studied
and mastered.
On the brighter side, Micro-systems
and Micro-Milling brings about
new opportunities for mold makers
who are seeking to differentiate
themselves, generate more
business, and be better positioned
against lower-wage competitors.
Effective development of this field
requires cooperation between
i n d u s t r y, a c a d e m y, a n d
government. Such collaboration is
already underway in Europe.
CIMATRON
Precise Geometric Accuracy
5
Micro-Milling brings
opportunities for mold
makers who are seeking to
differentiate themselves,
generate more business,
and be better positioned
against lower-wage
competitors
The European Union's Cooperative
Research Action For Technology
(CRAFT) project brings togetherThe Fraunhofer Institute for
Production Technology (IPT) and
leading vendors such as Cimatron
(CAD/CAM), Fidia (CNC machine),
Magafor (Tools), Phillips, and
System 3R (clamping) to develop
the next age of materials,
machines, software tools and
working methodologies for micromanufacturing.
Cimatron spreads its reach Goes direct in North and East India
July 1st 2006 Cimatron Limited (NASDAQ: CIMT), a leading provider of integrated, quoting-to-delivery CAD/CAM solutions
for the tooling industry, today announced that it will directly cater to the customers in North and East India.
As a result of several new Toolrooms and manufacturing facilities coming up in the North India, there is great demand for
CAD/CAM software and services from tier 1 and tier 2 suppliers, such as toolmakers, plastic injection molders and die casters.
With Cimatron's world-leading software solutions for the tooling industry, mold and die makers benefit at every step of the process
including quote generation, modeling, design, drafting, electrodes and manufacturing in line with Cimatron's value proposition
to customers “from quoting to delivery”.
Kobi Rossenwasser, VP Asia Pacific, said: “The North Indian region is fast emerging . We see considerable opportunity to
provide our solutions to mold and die-makers serving the entire industry. This step shows our commitment to the Indian
market as well as our belief in its potential.”
For Coimbatore and Kerala contact Arun:
[email protected]
98440 - 55124
Innovative Solutions for Manufacturing
8
NC - Lite for New & Light NC Users
What is NC Lite?
Extremely short Learning Curve - One day
training to start creating efficient,
professional and safe toolpaths (almost zero
training for CimatronE-NC users)
NC Lite is a highly automated
NC-Only solution for 3X milling
for simple to medium complexity
jobs. It is a special configuration
of CimatronE-NC, thus is fully
compatible with it.
NC Lite includes: 2.5X milling, 3X
milling (Quick Technology), 3X+2X
positioning, basic Wireframe and
Surfaces CAD functions and Data
Interface.
NC Lite machining technologies can be
defined by the company's NC expert
levels. Level-1 is VERY simple, so beginners
can start producing toolpaths almost
i m m e d i a t e l y. L e v e l - 2 a l l o w s m o r e
experienced users to fine-tune more
procedure parameters and program 3X + 2X
Positioning toolpaths.
Capture and distribute the Company's
know-how
»In contrast, NC Lite is self-adapting
machining strategies allow the user to
generate efficient and safe toolpaths, with
minimal user interaction.
The right level of CAD tools and powerful
Data Interface
»NC
Lite includes built-in Wireframe and
Surfaces tools required to mend the geometry
and to prepare the part for manufacturing. The
selection of tools and their complexity is
optimized for NC users who are not CAD
experts.
»The company NC expert can define the NC Lite
Key Benefits
Very easy to use
» Skip
intermediate steps and activate
functions with their defaults.
» Simplified
UI by removing rarely used
options (example: Load Model).
templates based on the company's technology
and working procedures thus guiding users to
machine parts according to the company
standards.
»A
high level of automation reduces
interaction and prevents human errors
(e.g., UCS handling automatic surface
selection).
» Simple
to use and easily accessible CAD
functions embedded within the NC
environment (no need to switch back a n d
forth to CAD mode).
» Simplified
toolbars and menus - most
commonly used functions appear only
in toolbars. Less important functions appear
only in menus.
High productivity for novice
users
» A high level of automation allows novice
»It goes without saying that NC Lite uses the
same robust Data Interface (DI) functions that
are available in CimatronE
»To
ensure adherence to such company
standards, it is possible to hide some NC
parameters to prevent accidental changes by
novice users.
solution for CNC operators. Many socalled “shop floor” programming
packages are merely CAM software
located on the shop floor. These
solutions often require extensive user
interaction and manual editing.
Related Cimatron Products
»
NC Lite seat can be upgraded to the full
CimatronE NC.
»NC Lite is simply a configuration of CimatronE »
CimatronE NC or Master Solution can
be temporarily operated in “NC Lite
mode”.
Improve communication between ShopFloor and Engineering
and therefore uses the same “elt” files. As a
result, NC Lite can be operated in conjunction
with CimatronE-NC.
»
Optional NC Lite modules are:
QuickCompare, QuickDrill, Data
Interface.
»NC Lite is the ideal Shop-Floor Programming »
It is very competitive as “automated 3X
milling”. Here, it has no real rivals
when it comes to the combination
of automation, ease of use and very
quick learning.
Shop-Floor programming for CNC
operators
Product Focus
CimatronE NC Lite
users to program efficient toolpaths at
the first try, after a short
training. The automation is
based on templates with
formula-driven parameters
(relations), the recognition
of remaining stock and
adaptive toolpath
strategies.
»
NC Lite uses CimatronE selfadapting machining strategies
together with Simple UI.
To the best of our
knowledge, no other
NC product offers that
combination.
»
» Each template has its own
image and comment to help
the user select the most
appropriate template.
Side-by-side with
CimatronE NC, NC Lite
can be used to
significantly save money
a n d e n h a n c e
productivity.
» NC Lite has two operation
Innovative Solutions for Manufacturing
For Chennai contact Roshankant:
[email protected]
94444 - 96468
Overcome a “G” Flag on Contours after Changes
9
replacement within the composite contour
Tech A Look...
tool:
Overcome a "G" flag on
Contours after Changes
Any other tips?
~ For your convenience it is advisable to
use a meaningful name for the set.
~ The
same set can be used for several
procedures.
Tools To Do More
~ Any type of contour could be stored in
the set. However, when applying the
Introduction
set, only valid contours are used. Make
Occasionally it happens that changes
done to the geometry causes some
procedures to get a 'G' flag and contours
must be redefined. In this Technical note a
method to reduce this occurrence is
described.
~ In
sure not to place open contours in a set
the NC procedure, define the
contours By Criteria.
to be used with closed contours since
they would be disregarded.
What about the selection
Do not mix selection By Criteria and By
options I have today?
Selection (from the screen)
Why do I get a 'G' flag when the Since the defined sets should include the
contours I use are changed?
~ The
final contours to be used, the contours
current selection options (listed below)
Summary
Contours selected for an NC
procedure are sensitive to changes
done upon the objects from which they
were created. For example:
~ If the curves (i.e. sketches, composites,
lines, arcs) that were used to define the
procedure's contour were changed.
~ If the faces of the edges that were used
to define the contours were changed.
[
Free
Trim / Extend
Automotic Chain
Automatic Limited Chain
Along Open Edges
cannot be used.
The below given table summarizes the
If the Geometry (contours) got a "G" flag,
Existing
Composite
the contour must be reselected before
selection
tool
recalculation.
abilities
What can be done to overcome
it?
The idea is to use Sets to prevent
unnecessary ‘G’ flags:
~ Define
the contour to be used as
composite curve(s) and/or sketch(es)
and/or line(s).
~ Define
Free
One by One
Multi
No Equivalent
Automatic Chain /
Chain / Faces
Automatic Limited
Outer
Chain
Boundaries
Trim / Extend
One by One /
One by One
a set (i.e.: set name =
“Contour-2”) that contains the
relevant composite curve(s) and
sketch(es).
Projected
Along Open Edge
Along Open
Edge
To recommend someone for a free copy of CimNews just write to
[email protected]
Innovative Solutions for Manufacturing
10
Key to better Electrode Making
KEY TO BETTER ELECTRODE MAKING
Smooth out the process, eliminate unnecessary steps, reduce errors and automate repeat work by
using a single software solution through electrode design and manufacture.
Creating and using EDM (Electro
Discharge Manufacturing) electrodes is
considered a painful challenge by most
moldmakers because it is time consuming,
slows down mold production and requires
precision. Given the option, most
toolmakers would rather mill the steel and
avoid electrodes altogether. Nevertheless,
electrodes are still required for a good
portion of moldmaking jobs with some
molds requiring many electrodes. Parts
with narrow ribs and sharp internal
corners are good examples for such cases.
As a result, moldmakers are constantly
searching for processes and technologies
to ease the pain of creating electrodes.
Dedicated electrode design and
manufacturing software is one such
solution. Following are some strategies a
moldmaker can use to make the most out
of using electrode design and
manufacturing software.
Get an Early Star
In traditional moldmaking practices,
electrode design is typically the last step in
the mold design process. Using concurrent
engineering, electrode design can be
performed in parallel to the splitting of
core and cavity. Multiple
users can work
concurrently on the same
project, thereby
expediting the mold
design process.
Use Guidance
With the many steps
involved in the electrode
design process, even the
most experienced users
can use some help and
guidance, and novice
users can get upto speed
quicker if taken through
the process step-by-step.
Innovative Solutions for Manufacturing
A software wizard can do just that,
assisting a user in the many steps involved:
Selecting the electrode area, extracting
the electrode surfaces, developing
extension surfaces, selecting a blank,
base and holder, creating a boundary,
determining burn locations and
creating inspection drawings.
Automate Processes
Wouldn’t it be nice if the software could
also avoid some of the tedious and timeconsuming details involved in the
electrode design? This is exactly what
some of the advanced electrode software
packages can do. Automation not only
helps a toolmaker get the electrode done
quicker, but also ensures greater levels of
accuracy and consistency, and with fewer
errors.
For example, the software should be
able to find a base and automatically
extend the electrode to interface with
the holder. Automatic extraction of the
electrode surfaces is another function
that can greatly benefit users. The
software should also dynamically
position and rotate blanks to determine
burn areas and then automatically fit
each blank to the selected burn area.
To save time and resources in creating
accurate documentation, the electrode
software should automate the tedious
task of drafting and documenting the
electrode process.
Reuse Knowledge
Although each mold and electrode could
be different, there is a great deal of
repetition that can be avoided by saving
common tasks and processes as templates
for future use. For example, the process
described above for extending the
surfaces can be saved as a template—with
different templates for different electrode
contours. Templates also can be used to
generate assembly, inspection and
burning location drawings.
Use a Single Solution for Design
and Manufacturing
Using a single software solution
throughout the electrode design and
manufacturing process—electrode
creation and drawing, customizable
electrode reports, seamless integration to
NC and automatic programming for an
EDM—can go a long way to smooth out
the process and eliminate
unnecessary steps, data
transfers and reduce the
probability of errors and
repeat work.
Integrated design and
manufacturing electrode
software should
automate the electrode
production process while
providing complete
control over all
machining and burning
parameters. In order to
maintain flexibility, the
system should allow the
definition of both general
We offer complete set of solutions for tool making and designing.
Visit us at www.cimatronindia.com for more information
Customer Success Story - PTA Corporation
Get User Buy-In
No matter what level of
functionality the software offers, it
has little value unless properly
used. Some users may be reluctant
to use automatic functions and
templates, fearing they might lose
control over the process and its
results. Tool shop executives can
address such user concerns on
three levels:
Technology
The software must
allow users to do things
their way even if there is
a better and quicker
way for accomplishing
the task. Users always
must have the ability to
override system
defaults, modify
templates and
manually execute
specific tasks.
Training
Too often a software
package is thrown at
the users without
proper training. Always pressed
for time, users may feel that selftraining is an acceptable
shortcut. This however, typically
ends up causing users to spend
valuable time trying to figure
things out on their own,
lengthening the learning curve
beyond what is necessary.
Moreover, lacking proper
training, users may never use
the full potential of the software,
sacrificing long-term
productivity for short-lived
budget and time savings.
Support
Without proper support, users
may end up struggling with
software issues instead of
getting their jobs done. To avoid
such productivity loss, tool shop
managers need to consider the
vendor’s support capability
when evaluating an electrode
software package.
The Bottom Line
With the proper processes, people
and technology in place, what used
to be a painful task can become
much more efficient, manageable,
Company
PTA Corporation
Problem
Operating on various platforms slowed
the design process
Solution
CimatronE Master Solution
Results
Job planning and product design were
expedited
STRAIGHT FROM
and machine-specific parameters,
electrodes and burning locations.
To ensure the information is
communicated accurately to the
shop floor, the software should
provide setup sheets, including
detailed instructions as required by
the machine operators. The best
solutions will provide direct
interface of the setup data to the
EDM, avoiding operator errors and
greatly speeding up the setup
process. Support for high-speed
milling is a must for most tool shops
these days. To ensure a streamlined
production process, the software
should automatically generate the
most efficient toolpaths, using
continuously updated knowledge
of actual remaining stock.
11
THE CUSTOMER
“The growing trend towards highly cosmetic
parts can cause customers to break certain
design rules”, says PTA Corporation (Oxford,
Connecticut). ”To thrive in aesthetic-driven
industries, the company emphasizes quality and
collaboration with its customers..“
Maintaining a position in the world of plastic
injection molding since 1953, PTA has
collaborated with companies such as Apple, GE,
Philips, Siemens and Zoll Medical Corporation
to address all areas of design, quality, cost and
manufacturability.
“We get involved with projects far before they are
ready to be released to manufacturing,” says Rich
Dorans, vice president of operations at PTA.
“Often, the files that we receive are no
more than a basic concept.”
To optimize manufacturing results, PTA
offers clients suggestions regarding part
design and material selection. This usually
entails assisting in the selection of different
plastic resins, surface finishes and finish
treatments, as well as defining proper draft
and other details needed for applying solid
tooling concepts.
“It is our responsibility to ensure that the
mold is robust and will produce quality
parts so that the customer will be satisfied
with the product in the long run,” says
Mike Dormer, PTA’s CAD/Data Manager.
Implementing viewers for the tool
designers has helped create PTA’s
paperless toolroom, which is outfitted with
the latest EDM technology. This, along with
Cimatron’s electrode package, has more
than doubled departmental throughput.
We are one of the foremost providers of 5 Axis Production Technology
Innovative Solutions for Manufacturing
12
Customer Success Story - PTA Corporation
To remain competitive, PTA has had to
adapt to changes in the demands of its
customers, including leadtime reduction.
Cimatron E 7.0, has enabled the
company to design and build molds
more efficiently. Prior
to standardising on the
software, the company
used disparate
applications for each
department.
“This forced us to do a
lot of translating of
geometry back and
forth between different
platforms, which made
the process very timeconsuming,” notes Mr.
Dormer.
shop floor.
“The fact that we’re all on the same
platform has also helped streamline
and speed up our operations,” explains
Mr. Dormer.
Satisfied
Customer
The company initially introduced
Cimatron Software in its electrode
department, where substantial
bottlenecks were evident. Shortly
thereafter, the software was introduced to
carry out machining of the core-cavity, a
move that resulted in shortened
machining times.
Adopting Cimatron as its all-inclusive
solution has meant that PTA can use the
software to accomplish tasks ranging from
quoting to delivery. Working within
Cimatron, company personnel review
parts for quoting.
“The most noticeable
improvement from
operating under the
same platform was in
electrode design,” he
adds. Even though the
company had been
using Cimatron for 5
years, the work was
hindered by different
departments’ functioning
on separate platforms.
The electrode module
facilitates the design and manufacture
of electrodes. The company’s EDM
machines can then be programmed by
the Cimatron E EDM module, which
automates the entire process.
Capabilities such as these save users
the time normally associated with
manually programming and eliminate
errors, says the manufacturer.
While any conversion to a new system
can be disruptive, Mr. Dorans says that
the process exceeded his
expectations. “Although Cimatron is a
sophisticated system, the training and
learning process has been beneficial,”
he says. “In addition, Cimatron’s
technical support resources have been
crucial in smoothing out issues that
arose during the transition.”
example of how valuable these
capabilities are to the company. The
project comprised a package of more than
20 tools, all of which were designed in
Cimatron. The majority of parts were
overmolded—building one mold for a
solid substrate and another to “overmold”
an elastomer on top of that substrate.
“ Working in solids provides 3D
visualisations that assist the mold makers
in planning out their jobs and
understanding where they want to take
them much faster than they were able to in
the past,” says Mr. Dormer.
PTA now uses the software for all new
Standardisation offers another benefit,
projects and has done away with other
says Mr. Miller, is that the company is
programs. In addition to using the
equipped to provide better feedback to its
software for designing electrodes, PTA is
customers: “We can take parts, run
working towards downloading
sections through them, discern the
information directly to its Makino EDM
E7 is also an integral component of PTA’s
interferences and put parts into an
machine.
design process.
assembly to see how they interact with one
Source: www.mmsonline.com
Because the manufacturing department another. These key features enable us to
was already acclimated to and using the
quickly let customers know
whether they should modify
Using the hybrid modeling system, the
Readers are free to send in their
some of the geometry.”
design department at PTA can automate
the mold design process. With the mold
design module, tasks can be performed
in solid; the part can then be unstitched;
and the user can work with faces and
surfaces as needed. Following that, parts
can be re-stitched when the user is
finished.
software, the transition has been virtually
seamless, says the company. In addition,
the need for translations was eliminated.
Furthermore, PTA has created a
paperless toolroom as a result of
incorporating viewers on the
experiences,
feedback
A recent project provided a concrete
disclosed.
Write to us today for a free demo of at [email protected]
Innovative Solutions for Manufacturing
and
“Within 2 weeks, we witnessed
suggestions to us. We will try our
more than 200 parts come
best to incorporate them.
through, each
Please write to us at
of which must
[email protected]
be evaluated,”
Also to know more about us at
continues Mr.
Miller. “Using
www.cimatronindia.com
the software’s
Copyright and Disclaimer: All information and
built-in tools,
content in this Newsletter is copyright protected. Use
our Project Managers
of information and content of this Newsletter in part
can simulate a split of how the part will fit or whole is forbidden unless the Publishers have given
express permission in writing. Logos, Pictures and
into the tool to analyze drafts before it Trademarks
used in this Newsletter remain the property of
goes to the designers. Looking forward, I the companies to which they refer. Cimatron Technologies
can see how this will be advantageous to does not warrant or assume any legal liability or
responsibility for the accuracy of results, completeness, or
our quoting department.”
usefulness of any information, product, or process