Delcam believes that five-axis machining needs to move into the
manufacturing mainstream
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On both days, presentations and demonstrations will be give
by Delcam and by leading machine tool suppliers Bridgeport, Cincinnati
Milacron, DMG, Haas and Mazak, and also by cutting tool specialist Mitsubishi
Carbide, control systems developer Siemens and robot manufacturer KUKA.
The seminars will also feature the launch of PowerMILL 5.5, the latest
version of Delcam’s renowned CAM system.
While larger companies have used five-axis and high-speed machining for
many years, until recently smaller subcontractors and toolmakers have
been reluctant to invest in the newer methods. They have been discouraged
both by the cost of the higher specification machine tools and by the
increased complexity of the CAM programming techniques that must be used.
The time has now come, however, when even smaller companies cannot afford
to ignore the opportunities that these new technologies offer to shorten
delivery times, boost productivity and increase profitability.
The price of both high-speed and five-axis machines has been falling
steadily and this trend is forecast to continue. In addition, capabilities
that were once only available on larger machines are now provided on the
smaller ranges of equipment. At the same time, programming systems for
these more sophisticated machining options are now far easier to use.
The time taken to learn software like PowerMILL has been reduced significantly,
meaning that new staff can become effective users much more quickly and
with much lower training costs. |
