More flexibility and lower thanks to the new CAM system delivery time

To change to a new system of CAM, Crabtree based in Gateshead (United Kingdom) has not only reduced the time of programming in up to 50 percent, but it is has also saved time and money associated with the production of postprocessors additional for various machine tools. Cabtree is a manufacturer of machinery for decoration of metal from the LTG Technologies Group.

The English firm Crabtree, specializing in machinery for the decoration of metal has been reduced by 50 per cent the times of programming after installing the software, EdgeCAM, Pathtrace Engineering Systems. One of the main advantages of this new software is that it does not require that users are working typists, the engineer of production Paul Robson pointed out: "As everything is based on mouse movements, creating programs is not only faster"", but also easier."

During the past 40 years, Crabtree has designed and manufactured printing presses, injectors and ovens for drying for clients around the world made from cans of gasoline up boxes of cookies.

Although the origins of Crabtree date back to early 19th century, there is nothing of outdated in this company of 250 employees that today uses the most modern manufacturing practices. His team of designers used the latest CAD systems to update and improve the design and function of the product, while the large number of machines tools CNC workshop allows the company mecanice most of their own components.

All manufacturing and jobs in metal sheets, as well as specialized as the gear cutting tasks are outsourced. This combination of own and subcontracted manufacturing allows that Crabtree produce printing turnkey lines with systems of feeding of metal plates at one end and ovens for drying in the other. The average delivery time to build these systems is 12 weeks.

"EdgeCAM plays a key role by making possible that we will succeed in very short delivery times," said Robson. It was not the case before you install the program that once was processed a piece in a different CNC machine had to rewrite a post-processor.

With Code Wizard of EdgeCAM, Crabtree engineers can complete a simple template and quickly generate their own post-processors. "This not only saves us much time, money and problems, but it also gives us more freedom and flexibility to plan production and the reprogramming of the burdens of work", explains Robson.

As the installation of four seats of EdgeCAM Crabtree is mainly used for applications of turning and milling of two axes and 2 1/2 axis, developers of the company believe that it is faster return to drawing components within EdgeCAM instead of working with imported data from design SDRCthat are mainly used to work more complex multiejes. Savings produced by the functionality of EdgeCAM, Robson quotes the example of schedule a series of holes machining during the production of large frameworks of press. "The edge of the frame contains a large number of holes." Before it was difficult to see exactly that happened when it was programmed a series of specific diameters. With EdgeCAM, certain holes can connect and disconnect, a characteristic which programmers makes the task much less confusing, which in turn means that there is less chance of errors, and just as we use the mouse to point and click", the programming is also faster".

Currently, 75 percent of the programming carried out by Robson and his team is done off-line, via DNC introduced programs to the appropriate machine. The remaining work is classified as turning "easy", and is programmed in the workshop using the direct input in the control of the machine.

With Code Wizard of EdgeCAM, Crabtree engineers can complete a simple template and generate

With a library of programs of about 30,000 pieces, the period between delivery of the old programming system and the full use of EdgeCAM was difficult. "For a while we used two systems in parallel, mainly because at the beginning we thought that many of the works could not be done with EdgeCAM." However, we soon realized account that the new system was significantly higher, and that would be better to concentrate only on EdgeCAM, and while that took us years to get to know the system, we were using EdgeCAM after a week of training", more an additional day to cover the multi level work and the turning axis and."

Currently, 75 percent of the programming carried out by Robson and his team

is done off-line, with programmes introduced via DNC to the appropriate machine

When talking about the benefits of the new system, Robson highlights the improved control of the trajectory of the tool and the functions of input and output, among others. This reduces the possibility of collision of tool and component making sure that the tool removed cleanly and safely work area. In addition, to enable a more rapid identification of an attribute to change, users can nominate names to specific layers of a component. The time needed to regenerate a tool trajectory is short because the task of current programming is saved in a cache. EdgeCAM also selects only those areas of the pieces of work that must change, and regenerates the tool associated with that path (the path of the tool does not have to recalculate completely, which saves time and improves the overall productivity).

Robson also mentions the ToolStore module, which is based on two direct panels side by side. "The edition was a nightmare, but now it only took a few seconds to use a new tool." "In addition, the ability to see a 3D model of this tool in action is something that we didn't have before." EdgeCAM also has a Stock creation command that automatically creates material in relation to the limits of any model of component design. There is also an option of sobre-recorrido, that allows to create additional material beyond the original boundary if necessary.

See also...

• EdgeCAM for SolidWorks