Gibbs and Associates plans to demonstrate several new 5-axis machining features of its GibbsCAM® CNC programming software at next month’s AeroDef Manufacturing Exposition and Conference, in Anaheim, CA. That event, presented by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, takes place April 5-7 at the Anaheim Convention Center.
“This industry show and conference is an exciting opportunity to demonstrate the superiority of our CAM software in driving the complex machine tools that challenge aerospace and defense,” president and founder Bill Gibbs explained. “Engineers and programmers across the aerospace and defense supply chain will be able to see how GibbsCAM features such as MTM and 5-axis programming, plus toolpath verification and multi-axis machine simulation, can help them to eliminate scrap, increase shop-floor safety, reduce cycle times and maximize profits.”
The GibbsCAM 2011 additions and enhancements that will be demonstrated include new MTM and 5-axis CNC programming features for the complex machining requirements of aerospace and defense suppliers. For example:
5-Axis Hole-Making is a new routine for 5-axis hole-making operations. Aided by enhancements to GibbsCAM’s automatic feature recognition, hole manager, and hole wizard, it simplifies programming for 5-axis drill cycles, and makes the task more efficient, too. “Programming drill cycles at off-axis orientations will be very easy and will take a fraction of the time taken by other methods,” the developer said.
5-Axis Toolpath Conversion. This new Operation Modifier makes it possible to convert 2.5- and 3-axis toolpaths for machining in 5-axis, which allows shops to use shorter tools to achieve smoother toolpaths at certain surface intersections and other geometric conditions.
5-Axis Machining Styles. GibbsCAM 2011 has additional swarf cutting capabilities, as well as a new 5-axis trimming (wireframe) strategy.
5-Axis Milling on Turning Machines. Support for B-axis (tilting live tooling) makes it possible for programmers to achieve 5-axis milling with Y-axis offsets on lathes and multi-task machines equipped with a live-tooling B-axis.
MTM Thread Whirling – GibbsCAM support of thread whirling attachments is an important addition to the new release for multi-task machines with multiple axes (typically running with 5-axis simultaneous motion). Thread whirling attachments provide the rigidity and rotary tools to make screws of high length-to-diameter ratio, such as ball screws, worm shafts, feedscrews and acme screws.
