Height adjustment block, located in-between actuation cylinder and steady shaft, increases clearance when performing end face grinding on TX7+ machine. Featuring total movement of [+ or -]2.5 mm, adjustment screw offers 0.25 mm per revolution of support height adjustment. Steady can be manipulated to eradicate any misalignment in X-Y Plan using CAM-type mechanism adjusted via Allen Key, and overall length enables use of 2 steadys on 1 steady bed.

Melbourne - A new generation of popup steady for the TX7+ machine is now available. The steady builds on the current model with enhancements to increase its flexibility.

Product enhancements

This generation of the pop-up steady is phase 1 of a long term development plan to increase the versatility of this accessory. Phase 1 consists of the following enhancements:

* Height adjustment block which is currently located at the front of the steady has been removed and relocated in-between the actuation cylinder and steady shaft. This increases clearance when doing end face grinding operations.

* Height adjustment mechanism has a finer adjustment screw. The new version of the popup steady has an adjustment screw offering 0.25mm per revolution of support height adjustment. The current version is 0.5mm per revolution. Total movement of the support is + / - 2.5mm.

* Additional adjustment has been added so as the steady can be manipulated to eradicate any misalignment in the X-Y Plan. This is done using a CAM type mechanism which is adjusted using a standard Allen Key.

The new design steady with its reduced overall length has enabled the possibility for using 2 steadys on 1 steady bed. This layout in conjunction with the 'T' style steady shoes is ideal for supporting long slender tools. The steadys are connected in series and are dual operated as if it were a single unit.

The second phase will be the design of another model steady that will have additional adjustment mechanisms for every degree of freedom required to achieve perfect steady shoe alignment with the tool. Delivery date for phase 2 is not currently available. The phase 2 steady will not supersede the Semi Adjustable Popup Steady (phase 1). The phase 2 model will be an additional product sold at a premium price for customers wanting greater adjustment and accuracy of the steady support.

About ANCA

ANCA was founded in 1974 to design and manufacture high technology Computer Numerical Controls (CNCs) for the machine tool and metal-based industries. Today, ANCA has become a leading designer and manufacturer of complete, precision CNC tool and cutter grinding machines in a global niche market. With its core values of precision, innovation, quality and technological excellence, ANCA is today an international organisation of more than 300 employees with a robust set of technological and entrepreneurial skills. Offices are located in major cities in Europe, North America and Asia; with dealerships represented in over 25 countries. ANCA continues to research market demands and produce products and services to benefit its customers.

Earlier this year, Iscar, the cutting tool manufacturer (U.S. headquarters in Arlington, Texas), brought together its North American dealers and many customers for a seminar called "Iscar Upgrade." At this event, the company announced its product development plans for 2005-2006. As top company executives led presentations detailing these developments, they expressed a number of general insights about cutting tool philosophy. A sample of these observations is presented here for anyone with an open mind about cutting tools.

1. The Costs That Count

Typically, cutting tools account for only 3 percent of total production costs in metalworking. Therefore, reducing cutting tool costs in itself doesn't bring much to the bottom line. However, upgrading cutting tools is likely to yield a significant overall cost savings, even though cutting tool costs may be higher. Focus on cost per part, not the cost of cutting tools, as a key target.

2. Cutting Tools Are A System

Everyone in your IT department knows that a successful computer system is a combination of the right hardware and software. Keeping both hardware and software up to date is critical. Think of cutting tools in the same way. Cutter bodies and toolholders are the hardware, and indexable inserts are the software. When looking at an upgrade in insert technology, be sure to consider upgrades in toolholders and cutter bodies, and vice versa.

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3. Coatings Aren't Just For Inserts

Cutter bodies can be coated to get some of the most important benefits that high-tech coatings bring to carbide inserts. Hard coatings on cutter bodies resist wear from contact with hot chips moving at high speeds. Chips flow more readily through flutes because the coating gives the surface lubricity.

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4. Multifunction Tools For Multitasking Machines

Few developments in machine design have had the impact that multitasking machines have had on productivity. But those added spindles, tool turrets and rotational axes mean tight clearances and a limited number of tool stations. To cope with these conditions, it is possible to have one toolholder with several multipurpose inserts that can do facing, ID turning, OD turning, drilling, counter drilling and internal threading without a tool change. Creative application of specially designed cutting tools contributes significantly to the flexible nature of multitasking machine tools.

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5. Modular Thinking Is Lean Thinking

To keep cutting tool inventory at a more manageable level, consider modular tooling shanks that accept a variety of interchangeable solid carbide heads. Because the heads can be replaced or exchanged while the tool is clamped in the machine, setup time can be reduced. A set of long shanks that allow a cutting tool to reach to the bottom of a deep pocket or mold cavity is especially economical compared to the assortment of solid carbide tools needed to cover the same range. Another plus is that a steel shank can absorb an impact that might otherwise damage a carbide shank when, for example, a turning tool and the lathe spindle are not perfectly on center.

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6. Don't Neglect Power Consumption

Cutting tool manufacturers are working hard to develop products that reduce the power consumed by machine tools. Besides the energy savings (which are more significant than ever), cutting tools that require less power from the machine tool tend to last longer, cause less wear and tear on spindles and ways, and minimize vibration. A good example is that cutting tools requiring less thrust are allowing longer boring bars to be used without losing accuracy.

If power consumption doesn't come up in the discussion of any new cutting tool, be sure to ask about it. A 10 percent reduction in cutting forces is likely to result in a 50 percent improvement in tool life.

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7. Get Clamping Forces Right

When tightening the clamping screws after indexing an insert, don't guess about the torque applied. Undertightening may allow the insert to chatter or prevent the process from holding tolerances. Overtightening may break the insert or the key. A torque wrench that automatically lights up to signal that proper tightening levels have been reached is a simple way to eliminate this uncertainty.

8. Can Your CAM Software Keep Up?

Programming for CNC operations is about more than getting the right speeds and feeds. Tool paths also must match the capability of the cutting tool. Not all CAM software allows the programmer to program the moves that optimize the performance of advanced cutting tools. Be sure your programming software is not holding you back.

Right now, advances in cutting tools appear to be ahead of the software developers.

9. No Vibes Are Good Vibes

In real estate, the three most important factors determining the value of a house or commercial property are location, location and location. In successful cutting tool applications, it's vibration, vibration and vibration. Minimizing or eliminating vibration is usually a matter of controlling cutting forces so that they are directed to the most stable, most rigid element of the machining system. Examine every proposed change in tooling with an eye to how vibration is managed. That's the key to prolonging tool life, protecting the spindle and improving surface finish.

Machining Technologies Association

My company was created a little over a year ago when Boeing decided to close its in-house tool grinding operation and go to outside suppliers. I saw an opportunity and was able to form a company using some of the more experienced Boeing people. We now have a two-shift, 14-man operation, 12 of whom are men averaging 25 years of cutting- tool grinding experience. Our company has 46 machine tools, three of which are CNC.

Our company specializes in tool and cutter grinding. We both recondition tools and manufacture specials. A special is defined by its shape, such as a multistep or multidiameter tool that may perform several functions. We went this route because in commodity manufacturing there is tremendous pressure to lower prices, and that usually means a drop in quality too.

Our tools are made chiefly from powder-metal, high-speed steel (HSS), and a wide variety of carbides. To help ensure longer tool life, we offer three multilayered PVD coatings, depending on the material to be cut: titanium nitride, titanium aluminum nitride, and titanium aluminum carbonitride. We are also investigating more complex coatings.

The wheels we use are primarily diamond and CBN. In general, diamond wheels are usually applied to carbide tooling while CBN is used on HSS and powder metal.

One of the advanced ideas we see emerging is a wheel that can grind a tool made of both carbide and HSS without loading, such as a carbide element brazed to a HSS holder. We are also expecting some new developments with CBN wheels.

The biggest trend in the industry is the continued move to highspeed machining. Part of this is driven by the need for higher-volume production. But there are also the advantages of greater part accuracy and lighter weight, because you can machine thinner sections. Plus, there is less internal stress in the finished part.

When making tools for highspeed operation, it is important to grind the tool on a CNC machine. Many reconditioners do not do this or they do part on a CNC and part on a conventional machine. The end users must specify this complete operation on a CNC if a quality, balanceable tool is to be produced. If an unbalance is created in the tool-grinding process the entire cutting process is jeopardized and can be disastrous when producing a part for high-speed work.

For example, say you are grinding an end mill. You do the OD on a CNC, then grind the radii on a separate machine. The small amount of variation in material will cause an unacceptable balance because of the high centrifugal forces generated at high speeds.

Material changes are another important issue in our industry, particularly by our aerospace customers. There are more aluminum and titanium alloys as well as some newer composites.

But the other half of the story is that customers have to be aware that they need to match the right tool with the right geometry to their particular job. It is also important that tools remain sharp to minimize tool wear and maintain cutting precision.

Standardization has been a buzz-word in industry for some time. It helps limit the need for large repair part inventory or a massive knowledge base for repairs. I agree that would be OK for some high-volume manufacturers, but on the other hand, standardization limits innovation. If you want technology to advance, suppliers must be free to innovate, otherwise everyone is a "me too" supplier.

Important changes have occurred in both software and hardware. But you have to be careful of what is really offered. In the area of software, for example, making specials requires a lot of talent on the part of the machine- tool operators. It is not the kind of information you get from off-the-shelf programs. These programs usually require a lot of training on canned routines. You can't program the ability to make a special tool to blueprint specifications.

On the hardware side, linear motors offer some important innovation.

But when is the technology really useful? For example, some suppliers offer 2g acc and dec. The big question is, how long does it take to achieve that speed change?

If you are machining a piece with a lot of pockets just 6" (152 mm) apart and it takes 2' (0.6 m) for the linear motor to reach top acceleration, what has it gained you? Issues like that will continue to drive technology.

If you sit still in this industry, you die. You have to keep pushing new technology and change the way people think. You have to stay ahead of the curve.

As to the future, I would like to see changes in two areas: hardware and politics. On the hardware side, I would like to automate more of our operations. On the political side, I wish the government to provide real assistance to industry instead of just claiming that they do.

Trade shows are important to me. We exhibit locally, but we don't go to the major shows. We are too small for that to be practical just now. However, I do attend a number through the year and will attend IMTS. It's a good opportunity to see a lot of technology at one time.

CASA/SME recognizes successful implementation of an integrated manufacturing system at Mori Seiki and an integrated manufacturing teaching and research program at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

Every year the Computer and Automated Systems Association of SME (CASA/SME) presents its Leadership and Excellence in the Application and Development of Integrated Manufacturing (LEAD) award to one industrial firm and one academic organization. Winners must demonstrate that they have achieved an outstanding success in innovative, leading-edge integrated manufacturing.

The business goal of Mori Seiki (Yamatokoriyama, Nara, Japan) is to achieve the top share of the worldwide machine tool market. Striving for that goal led the company to implement an integrated manufacturing concept throughout its operations. Mori Seiki began by defining its four strategic business units as "business engines." They then set out to integrate the four: Product Design & Development; Production; Sales and Marketing; and Service.

In Product Design & Development, the company began to replace 2-D CAD systems in 1996, completing the process in 1999. Today, all CAD systems in use at Mori Seiki are solid-model-based 3-D systems, and software analytical tools permit immediate evaluation of designs in a virtual environment. Consequently, the productivity of the firm's machine tool design engineers has improved. Because less trialand-error engineering by physical prototyping is necessary, the time required to design a HMC, for example, has decreased by 20%.
Immediately after the introduction of the 3-D systems, Mori Seiki found that the productivity of the company's design engineers declined. Extra effort and training were needed to transition successfully to the 3-D equipment. After this transition period, productivity improved significantly.

As part of the integrated manufacturing system project, design engineers set out to promote developwent of common subassemblies. Spindle specifications, for example, are usually set to accommodate customer requirements, but the number of types of spindles must be minimized to reduce manufacturing cost. Because of design improvement efforts, the number of spindle types was reduced without sacrificing freedom in user-oriented specifications.

In Production, digital manufacturing seeks to improve the productivity of parts-machining operations. All new equipment purchased must be CNC machine tools or dedicated special-purpose CNC machine tools. Most production machines in Mori Seiki's factory are CNC machines. Currently, parts are produced on 400 CNC machines, and flexible manufacturing systems or cells have been installed. All parts transfer on the factory floor is handled by automatic storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS).

Product quality was addressed by building the Ultra Precision Parts Manufacturing Center in 1997. Critical components like spindles and ballscrews are made in the center's temperature-controlled environment. In addition, engineers sought to reduce the number of parts required to build a machine tool. After this re-engineering effort, the machine tool bed became an integrated single element, and can be made by multiaxis machining on a five-face machining center with one setup. This effort has reduced typical machining time and assembly time by 45%.

Sales and Marketing can obtain information from Mori Seiki's centralized factories, which are directly connected via a proprietary network to sales and service centers around the world. The company maintains 31 technical centers in Japan and 25 overseas. This information infrastructure has greatly improved sales per salesman.

Service, the fourth engine, was improved by using a Product Problem Report (PPR) system on the company's Intranet. Data on emerging problems are distributed to responsible departments, statistically analyzed and, if the problem appears in past records, diagnostic action is taken to find the cause. Any appropriate recovery or corrective action is undertaken immediately. The record of this action is reflected in reference manuals used to develop the next machine tool. Processing time per problem has fallen dramatically since introduction of the PPR system, and same-day shipping of service parts increased to almost 90% in 1999. Prompt shipping of parts reduces Mean Time to Repair (MMR) at the user's site.

In the integrated manufacturing system, personnel in charge of each of the groups of departments that support the four business engines are designated leaders. They are responsible for ensuring that three key technology categories: Information and Networking Technology (INT), Operation Support Technology (OST), and Knowledge Management Technology (KMT) are assimilated by the organization.

To determine how extensively staff personnel have taken part in the project, Mori Seiki looks at effects inside and outside the company. These effects are measured by looking at the means of communication among staff, principally the Internet. Kaizen proposals are regarded as examples of internal effects, while patent applications are external effects.

The current state of Spanish machine tool production, technology and commercial systems reveals a growing industry that is very competitive on an international basis. Some of the most important factors contributing to this position are:

- We manufacture over two thousand different machine tool models, thus covering the different technological requirements of our customers.

- The industry has its own technology, backed up and developed over a long period of time.

- This Sector allocates, on average, 5% of their annual turnover to research and development.

- Implementation of European Standards (the EC/CE marking) ensures that Spanish machinery complies with the safety requirements in terms of construction, design and usage.

- 76% of the total value of production consists of machines fitted with the latest Numerical Control technology.

- Over the last ten years, on average, the machine tool industry has exported 56% of the total value of its production to a total of 120 countries. The five main export customers during the year 2001 were Germany (15.6%), France (12%), Italy (11.3%), Mexico (9.3%) and the USA (7.7%)

- Spanish machinery is sold to multinationals (automobile, aerospace, etc.) with the most stringent demands in terms of technological requirements and quality: General Motors, Ford, Nissan, Daimler Chrysler, Volkswagen, Peugeot, Renault, Volvo, Suzuki, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, Airbus, Lockheed Martin, and General Electric are some of our sectors' references.

AFM Members Showing Their Products at IMTS 2002

With 16 companies exhibiting directly and taking up a surface area of more than 13,000 square feet, and 20 more presenting their machines through distributors, Spain is once more becoming one of the prominent landmarks at the fair.

For more information: www.afm.es

RELATED ARTICLE: SPAIN, A Reference Point For The Machine Tool Industry

Surging ahead of countries such as the United Kingdom and France, Spain has consolidated its position as one of the world's leaders in the machine tool sector and also as a major industrial country.

The country ranks eighth among the world's main machine tool suppliers, and ninth in terms of export volume. Within the European Union, Spain ranks third, after Germany and Italy.

Behind Spain's more recent market achievements is a long history of industrial development since the first machine tool was manufactured in Spain in 1863. This historical aspect illustrates the strong tradition within the sector.

The Association representing the machine tool sector, AFM, was founded in 1946 and was one of the first Spanish entrepreneurial associations to become a member of international professional organisations when it joined the CECIMO (European Committee for Co-operation of the Machine Tool Industries).

With regard to the Machine Tool Industry in Spain, it should be said that over roughly the last seven years, Spain has exhibited some of the highest growth in machine tool output among all the major machine tool producing countries. This rate of growth is in terms of both production volume and exports.

Machine tool builders in Korea have been playing a catch-up game for the past decade. A review of current developments in machine tool technology indicates that Korea is rapidly pulling up with manufacturers in Japan, Europe and the United States. The products from Korea closely match their counterparts from other global suppliers in terms of capability and quality. Often, the Korean models represent an attractive value in terms of price and delivery. Korea's recent SIMTOS, the country's biennial machine tool show, confirmed the maturity of machine tool building in this country.

A brief look at some of these builders and at a few of their machines reveals this country's current level of technological achievement. Buyers ought to take note of Korea's growing reputation as a source of high-tech machine tools.

Hwacheon is the largest machine tool producer in Korea that is primarily devoted to machine tools. The company has an especially wide range of turning centers, vertical machining centers and CNC milling machines. A horizontal machining center is also in the lineup. Other machines include engine lathes, grinding machines and radial arm drill presses. Currently, the company is focusing on adapting standard models to specific industries. The features, options and accessories of special appeal to each of these target industries are prepackaged as an economical solution.

Hwacheon's U.S. offices are located in the Chicago suburb of Vernon Hills, where the company maintains its service, spare parts and engineering staffs plus a showroom. For the U.S. market, the company offers turning centers and machining centers.

New products to note: The Hi-Tech 250 series CNC lathe has as many as seven axes in simultaneous operation. This series is aimed at automotive and medical manufacturers, whose parts usually have turning and milling requirements where handling from lathe to mill is very costly. So the company designed this machine with multi-axis turning and three-axis milling so that parts can be completed in one setup, thus reducing time and labor. Difficult geometry such as compound angles can be achieved, the company claims. In addition, a very high speed and very accurate lathe, the Ultra Precision, reads in 50 millionths resolution and has a 10,000-rpm spindle. This model represents the leading edge of technology for lathes from Hwacheon.

For machining centers, the company offers 25,000 rpm spindles on all of its 40-taper machines and 12,000 rpm on 50-taper machines. With feed rates as high as 1,000 ipm and special speed-and-accuracy software to match, the company seeks to meet the most demanding milling needs.

Several machine tool builders in Korea have origins with the large manufacturing conglomerates and major automakers that dominate the industrial scene in that country.

Hyundai, the premier car company in Korea, is a major manufacturer of machine tools through its MachineTools Group, which has U.S. offices in Mount Prospect, Illinois. The company builds and markets CNC lathes, and vertical and horizontal machining centers. In the past 2 or 3 years, Hyundai Motor Co. has made impressive inroads in the U.S. auto market by focusing on the needs of the American car buyer. A similar thrust into the U.S. machine tool market is underway in the machine tool division. For example, all U.S. machines are now available with Fanuc controls, which are widely accepted among U.S. buyers as standard equipment or as an option among U.S. buyers.

The company is coming on strong especially in the slant bed lathe segment. The HiTurn 250C is representative. This 12-inch lathe has a 23-inch swing over bed, with a 3.5-inch bar capacity and a turning length of 26.9 inches. The 30-hp spindle motor provides 30 -30,000 rpm.

The company's most advanced lathe is the new HiTurn-160M, a 6-inch lathe with turn/mill capabilities. This machine features a 12-station tool turret that accommodates live tools powered by a 3.7-hp motor. The Fanuc Oi-TA control unit provides CNC functionality and a PC interface.

Doosan-Koreais typical of the many corporate conglomerates with different divisions. Its annual sales volume is approximately $7 billion. The Doosan Machine Tool Division was established in 1967, and it entered the U.S. market in 1996. An independent company, Doosan Machinery USA, handled the importation, marketing, sales and service of these machine tools.

In November 2001, Doosan Korea announced that a new subsidiary company would be established in the United States for machine tool products. The new company became Doosan Machinery America, Inc., located in Sterling Heights, Michigan. It has the marketing/sales responsibilities for the North and South American markets. In February 2002, Doosan moved into a new 12,000-square-foot facility that has an extensive showroom with many model machines available for customer demonstrations. Doosan also carries a broad range of spare parts and provides service and application engineering from this new facility.

ABSTRACT

A integrated virtual learning system is being researched and developed to teach students about programmable logic controllers (PLCs). This system, called the Virtual PLC, incorporates intelligent tutoring system, simulation, and animation technologies. This article describes the development and evaluation of modules on PLC timer and counter instructions. These modules were first developed using an intelligent tutoring system (ITS) authoring tool and animation tools. After the concept was proved positively, a Web-based ITS was developed to incorporate both modules. The authoring tool-based ITS timer modules were evaluated with 90 undergraduate manufacturing engineering students in 2002. The Web-based ITS timer and counter modules were evaluated by 38 undergraduate students in 2003. In both cases, students made statistically significant learning gains as a result of taking the modules, and rated the modules positively in terms of ease of use and understanding, clear objectives, amount of interaction, ability to motivate, relevance, and pace.

I. INTRODUCTION

Modern automated manufacturing systems typically use programmable logic controllers (PLCs) to orchestrate and synchronize the process being automated. A PLC is a solid-state control system with a user-programmable memory, used to read input conditions and set output conditions to control a machine or process. Thousands of PLCs have been used for such applications as monitoring security, managing energy consumption, and controlling machines and automatic production lines. PLCs are said to be among the most ingenious devices ever invented to advance the field of manufacturing automation [1]. PLC sales are now about one billion dollars per year and there are more than thirty manufacturers [2]. The world market for programmable logic controllers will continue to grow as units become smaller, more functional, and more able to work in tough environments [3]. Clearly there is a great need for engineers with strong skills and knowledge in this area.

Although PLCs are often covered in undergraduate automation and control-related courses, many educational institutions lack resources to help students to become proficient PLC users due to high faculty-to-student ratios, limited access to labs, and limited equipment to support lab assignments. Needed are technologies that can help instructors to make the most of limited resources. Personal computers hold enormous promise in this regard because they are relatively inexpensive, widely available, and can be used to supplement or replace existing educational methods in a variety of ways.

Intelligent tutoring systems (ITSs), for example, are computer systems that provide individualized instruction, much like that of a human tutor. Although they cannot replace the experience of using actual equipment, they can often be used to teach preliminary information students need to know about equipment before using it, so that lab time can be spent more productively and efficiently. In addition, unlike human instructors, they can be available around the clock, wherever there is a computer. Although ITSs can be very time-consuming to develop, in recent years, there has been increasing interest in the development of authoring tools to make ITS technology more accessible [4]. Examples of such tools include RIDES [5], which can develop sophisticated equipment simulations, and XAIDA [6], which can be used to teach factual information about a subject (e.g., parts of a car, steps in a procedure) and theory of operation. The authors previously used such a tool to develop an intelligent tutoring system to teach students to operate a computer numerical control (CNC) machine [7]. Results indicated that most of the students who participated in this evaluation: (1) learned from the modules, (2) changed their perspectives on learning with computers, and (3) believed that the modules were easy to use, motivating, and relevant to their education.

Gaming approaches utilizing interactive multimedia and/or simulations have also been shown to be effective in improving teaching and learning of various subjects. These subjects include accounting [8], decision maiding skill acquisition [9], and engineering education [10, 11]. Perrone, et al. [12] presents a case study of converting a physical board game (Mr. Roger's Sustainable Neighborhood) into a medium that can be accessed via the World Wide Web. The result was very positive, preserving not only the usefulness of the board game but also increasing its accessibility. Siemer and Angelides [13] argue that gaming-simulation environments have become valuable tools for education and training. They note, however, that for these environments to be maximally pedagogically effective, they should include intelligent tutoring support. In other words, gaming systems should be integrated with intelligent tutoring systems.

The authors have recently undertaken a project to integrate these approaches into a prototype Web-based learning system called the Virtual PLC. The Virtual PLC is intended to be comprehensive in its treatment of PLC topics, motivational, and always available, thereby alleviating current problems arising from low availability of equipment and enabling students and engineers to learn independently. Table 1 lists the modules that have been developed thus far.

Wouldn't it be nice if we all used the same MCAD application--and that it had all of the bells and whistles found in each application available today? Everyone could send each other 3D models without worrying about losing data. Everyone could collaborate using the original master model. Everyone could benefit from each other's design intent. Wouldn't that be nice?

Ok, you can wake up now! If you're one of those rare individuals who exchanges 3D data only with partners that have your same system, you can go back to sleep. For the rest of us, this month's topic, model exchange, is one I enjoy talking about because it causes so much aggravation for MCAD operators and administrators. I don't like to see us aggravated, but I do like to take every opportunity to point out the problem and dig for solutions.

Q: Why has there been such a problem moving 3D CAD data from one system to another?

A: I think it's a question of differing objectives on the part of the people who create and use 3D data. For example, industrial designers are typically consumed with issues such as design aesthetics or ergonomics and have little or no concern for production and part manufacturability. Industrial designers are artists intent on creating beautiful, marketable products, and as artists don't want to be concerned with issues such as tolerances.

The downstream moldmaker faces different challenges. Moldmakers must take a 3D part and create a whole new set of 3D models. Their core objectives revolve around creating efficient molds that produce thousands of parts that are in tolerance.

While the moldmaker worries about draft, core and cavity separation, and parting lines, a CNC programmer is more worried about being able to manufacture the resulting 3D parts. Often, manufacturing models lack suitable features for automatic tool selection, or 3D models don't meet tolerance standards.

Q: What are some of the difficulties that developers have overcome (or addressed) in recent years?

A: To meet the needs of end-to-end customers (designers, moldmakers, and CNC programmers alike), application developers have taken a proactive stance by developing extensive suites of healing tools for working with 3D models. This enables all users to work with and heal imprecise data.

The hybrid-modeling environment is one way that users can overcome some of the difficulties in model exchange. Typically, solid modelers require a closed solid to perform most 3D functions such as moldmaking and manufacturing. Hybrid modelers let you work with open solids, thereby dramatically increasing their flexibility and efficiency.

Another important translation development is ongoing improvements in data recognition and fault tolerance. Although geometry can be automatically healed as it is read in, that occurs only after the data format is repaired.

Q: What are current model translation trends from the perspective of CAD software developers?

A: There seems to be a movement to direct translation. Customers are shackled to a CAD system if they can't convert their part libraries to another system with a high degree of accuracy. This conversion involves geometric accuracy. Users want full feature transfers, undo and redo, history, annotations, and so on. With a direct translator, the customer has the best chance of converting data.

Q: What are the challenges yet to be overcome?

A: The industry needs better tools to translate features, design history, and intent. A few developers are attempting to fill the gap, but there's still a long way to go.

Q: What nontraditional methods are being used to exchange 3D modeling data?

A: There seems to be an active resurgence and interest in reverse engineering. We've experienced growing interest in our ScanShape tools, especially from companies that want to recreate 3D digital models from parts that weren't designed using CAD technology. An additional reverse-engineering trend is the high-tech world of 3D printing using yet another neutral file format, STL.

The sales picture for cells and systems seems to be improving. Driven by a strong automotive market, investment in new machine tools is increasing both to replace aging equipment and to obtain improved machines that are needed to meet new production and accuracy requirements. "Many are afraid they won't get their next contract if they have dated equipment," according to Carl Barthelson, vice president, Giddings & Lewis (Fond du Lac, WI).

On the negative side is this evaluation from Mike Cassell, Okuma America Corp. (Charlotte, NC), "Although we see business in general as bounding back, we don't see much action in the job-shop market. Some suppliers that in the past were sending their work out to smaller shops are now only sending work to Tier one and two operations, no further."

As formally defined, a cell is a group of machine tools linked by both control and part handling facilities. But frequently, the cell configuration is less formal and based more on equipment needed for a specific function. "What the customers buy depends on the parts to be made and the tolerances to be held. Also, it seems that the days of big machining centers are waning," says Barthelson of G & L.

"Production volumes that approached that of a transfer line are now handled by HMCs set up in cells with one operator. We see a trend to the agility and flexibility the HMC provides."

Whatever the design, modern cells and systems generally show these trends:

Individual machines or cells can perform more than one function so there are fewer machines per cell and less floor space is used. At the same time, the pressure to save time by minimizing setup has increased acceptance of the multifunction machine.

Not everyone sees multifunction machines as essential. Mark Atkins of Cincinnati Machine (Cincinnati) notes, "We do not see much of a demand for multifunction machine tools in our customer base. It's tough to justify the expense of putting multiple functions in one machine when we have optimized grinding, turning, and machining centers. We give them a lot of flexibility, rapid tool changing, and three to five-axis capability."

Cincinnati Machine will be showing a lot of fiveaxis equipment in their booth. They will share the booth with other Unova companies: Lamb Technicon, Landis Gardner, and DS Technologies Gmbh (Germany).

The hexapod, which has been around in many configurations from many companies, may finally have found a practical application. Cincinnati Machine will show a parallel-link, horizontal-tripod, five-axis machining system, a machine available due to the recent strategic alliance between Cincinnati Machine and DS Technologies GmbH.

Instead of using three linear motions for XYZ travel, they use Z, A, and C motion. This production unit does horizontal machining of aircraft parts. Also in the booth is a Hypermach milling machine that uses "pancake" linear motors in five axes, including A and C.

"Five-sided machining is a strong trend because it minimizes setup," explains Atkins. "We will offer the U5 universal machining center. This design features the user-friendly A2 100 control."

Products from the Sumikin Bussan International Corp. (Schaumburg, IL) offer more examples of diversity. "Much of our demand is driven by the auto industry and their requirements for faster, lowercost productivity," says manager Tak Yamamoto. "We try to meet this need with greater speed, less idle time, and the ability to handle both high volume of parts and short runs in the same machine. In addition, we have flexible automation so the changeover time between different parts in the same family is short and requires minimal readjustment. Usually it's just a programming shift and a change in grippers."

Their Kitako brand offers four-spindle CNC lathes with parts loading and live tooling. The turning machines are four-spindle units: two work while the other two are loaded. Chucks are up to 10" (254 mm) on the horizontal machine and 22" (559 mm) on the vertical configuration.

Nomura Co. has a series of CNC horizontal boring mills for large parts, chiefly for die and mold shops. The standard spindle is 3200 rpm with an optional 10,000 rpm unit. The HBA-110T-R3 has a standard spindle of 4.3" (110 mm) with a 30-hp (22.5-kW) motor. Travels are 79 x 60 x 55" (2000 x 1524 x 1400 mm). Maximum table load is 15,400 lb (7000 kg). "It's no longer a matter of buying one machine for one application," says Bryan Chen, executive vice president, YCI Inc. (Santa Fe Springs, CA). "Machines must be multifunctional. A shop working on aluminum parts may have to cut steel later. With that in mind, for years we've been developing new series of machines that fit this market. For example. we have a compact VMC with only a 25 x 16 x 17" (635 x 406 x 432 mm) work envelope, but it has a spindle with a top speed of 30,000 rpm that is driven by a 25-hp (18.8-kW), two-speed motor. There is another unit with a 20,000-rpm spindle that has a 40-hp (30-kW) motor. This means one machine can do a lot of work."

Several ongoing research programs are aimed at extending frog service life to bring down the cost of one of the most expensive single items in the m/w budget.

Many new things are "in the works," as they say, within the frog business. In such a competitive market, where releasing information too soon can have a devastating impact on years of research and work, companies such as ABC-NACO Inc. and Rail Products & Fabrications Inc. that are at the forefront of new frog design are reluctant to divulge any information regarding patent-pending products and components.

"We do have things in the works, but they are not quite to a point where we would like to hint at what we are doing," said Jim Gregory, chief engineer at Rail Products & Fabrications. "But we'd certainly like to press the point that there is stuff underway. Until we have things to a point where we feel things should get out, we're not going to let them get out."

ABC-NACO, which is 'continuing to refine their manganese casting machining processes, investigating alternate molding processes for manganese castings and evaluating various casting processes and alternate casting materials,' also does not want to give away inside information.

"At this point, we can't really get into too much more detail," said Jim Remington, vice president of research and product development. "We are pursuing these kinds of areas. Our business is so competitive that I hesitate to be too specific. It's like showing your hand. But we are pursuing these general areas."

In the area of spring frogs, ABC is continuing developmental work on refining individual spring frog components, as well as investigating combinations of alternate materials.

ABC has said that it is in the final stages of design for an Asymmetrical Spring Wing frog that has low-profile horns and hold-downs. The company has discussed this new design with various railroads, but has not yet made a prototype of the frog.

New designs at TTCI

The place frog manufacturers go to have their new designs tested is the Transportation Technology Center, Inc., in Pueblo, Colo. The people at TTCI also come up with many design innovations themselves, such as flange-bearing frogs and bainitic steel frogs.

"We have done a lot of research and development with flange-bearing frogs," said Dave Davis, principal researcher. "We have tested two prototypes out here. One was a VAE Nortrak design and that looked very promising. The only problems we saw with it were at the mechanical joints between the flange bearing ramp and the castings. VAE Nortrak is working on making us a welded version we think has a very good chance of being successful. The second one, the ABC-NACO design had the same type of mechanical joint problems and additional material-related deterioration. ABC-NACO is working on a retro fit that we'll test out here in the Fall."

"We have essentially tested the concept to assure ourselves that it won't do any damage to wheels. That has been the focus for the past couple of years. We think that the concept is viable."

TTCI's goal is to try to get rid of high impacts that occur on conventional frogs. Davis and his team are specifically focusing on high-angle crossing diamonds, where the wheel has to jump the crossing track flange ways with no support, and which generates very high impacts and leads to early failures of the crossing diamonds and can also damage the vehicle and the vehicle load.

"The flange-bearing concept looks very attractive to us because, mechanically, there are no moving parts and it is a relatively-small change for the track people in what they would have to do to maintain them," said Davis. "It's a real simple system. We feel it's the best alternative to get rid of impacts."

The test center, in looking for stronger, tougher material, has been working with bainitic steels for both rail and for frogs and switch points. TTCI, working in conjunction with the Oregon Graduate Institute in Portland, developed several candidates, among which bainitic steel showed the most promise.

"Bainitic steel has a lot of good properties in that it has a fairly-high strength and fairly-high impact resistance or toughness," said Davis. "It is a low carbon steel, so it is weldable and it can be repaired. It is also magnetic, so it can be inspected by magnetic particle or ultrasonic inspection."

Several different companies supplied the test pieces and frogs that were put out at the FAST facilities. Progress Rail Services made a #20 rail-bound bainitic frog, Rail Products & Fabrications furnished a #10 frog, Cleveland Track Material supplied a crossing frog and ABC-NACO made some test coupons and has supplied a Bainitic crossing to the Union Pacific.

The people at TTCI started to look for new materials for frogs for a number of reasons, but mainly because under increasing axle loads they started to see the manganese deform and flow significantly more, and at significantly greater depth.

"What we would do is let the material deform and grind it off," said Davis. "Once we had done that, it was a hard, tough material, it worked fine. Now we are getting to the point where the deformation doesn't ever really slow down, it keeps deforming until we go past the allowable maintenance limits and we have to weld repair it or build it back up. We are reaching a limit, unless we change the design of the frog, for that kind of material under the higher wheel loads."

Industry's first production-proven, software-based CNC control supports wide range of machine tools, links manufacturing with enterprise information systems

Manufacturing Data Systems, Inc. (MDSI) announced today the market introduction of its OpenCNC(R) machine tool control software. OpenCNC is the industry's first production-proven, software-based CNC machine tool control application that minimizes the amount of hardware required and works with commercially available PC technology. Since 1993, more than 100,000 hours of reliable metal cutting production have been driven by the software in several manufacturing operations.

Bruce Nourse, MDSI's vice president of research and development, said, "OpenCNC is a completely software-based CNC control designed to eliminate end-user dependency on proprietary hardware including PC motion control cards. The servo-loop is closed entirely in software--and it's all done on a single Intel(R) processor on a standard Intel motherboard."

Jim Fall, MDSI's vice president of marketing, added, "OpenCNC provides manufacturers what they're looking for in an open system CNC machine tool control--choice in software and hardware. It supports a breadth of machine tools, provides a documented API for user configurability and comes to customers unbundled from any hardware."

OpenCNC machine tool control capabilities

OpenCNC is currently being used in production on a variety of machine tools, including 2- through 5-axis machining centers; 2- and 4-axis single and multi-spindle lathes; dual station grinders with integrated part handlers; and 3-axis gear hobs. The user may program the PLC logic with any of the five standard languages as specified by IEC-1131-3.

According to Nourse, OpenCNC incorporates CNC and PLC technology in a single software application. "OpenCNC's modular architecture allows MDSI to quickly add new technology to support the needs of manufacturers--without sacrificing quality," he said. "The software is scaleable to support `n' number of axes, spindles, I/O and job streams."

The market for OpenCNC: existing and new machine tools

According to Fall, OpenCNC's unbundled software approach reduces machine tool control costs and maximizes flexibility. He noted that companies are showing strong interest in OpenCNC for both retrofit of existing machine tools and new machine tools. "A lot of manufacturers have machine tools that can still make good parts, but they're saddled with obsolete, unreliable or dead controls," he explained. "The implementation of OpenCNC allows companies to extend the productive life of their machine tools."

Fall added that OpenCNC is equally suited for new machine tool applications. "It has the power and performance that machine tool builders require," he said. "With OpenCNC, they can integrate or develop add-on applications to differentiate their machine tools in the marketplace."

OpenCNC in action

Over the last three years, Great Lakes Industries of Jackson, Michigan has dramatically increased manufacturing capacity with its limited capital budget. Since 1993, the 36-year-old manufacturer of mechanical power transmission components has retrofitted 15 machine tools with OpenCNC. According to Don Werner, GLI's vice president and general manager, the impact of OpenCNC was almost immediate: downtime and repair costs dropped dramatically. "Today we've practically eliminated the need to purchase spare control parts," he observed. "We've had OpenCNC for over three years--and not one second of downtime because of the control."

Werner reports that his maintenance staff can retrofit a machine with OpenCNC in less than 72 hours. "Before, doing a retrofit meant contracting a systems integrator, spending thousands of dollars and waiting for months," he said. GLI has actually developed a "retrofit kit" that contains everything they need for a retrofit in a small suitcase-sized box. In the past, they'd need a refrigerator- sized cabinet to store the necessary proprietary control hardware.

The vision for OpenCNC: linking business systems to the factory floor

According to Charles Hutchins, co-founder and chairman of MDSI and pioneer of computer-aided-manufacturing (CAM), OpenCNC is solving the short-term needs of reducing CNC control costs and improving overall machine tool reliability. But its larger benefit comes from providing a bridge to integrate the factory floor. "The ultimate goal of OpenCNC," Hutchins explained, "is to enable open access to manufacturing data throughout the enterprise. Manufacturers want a more open solution so they can leverage the information generated by machine tools throughout the business."

Hutchins continued, "Machine controls, apart from their value as controllers of machine tools, have the potential of being collectors of critical manufacturing information, from cycle times and feed rates to setup and SPC data. Manufacturers need this information-- in real time without operator intervention--if they're going to continuously improve their processes to increase quality, lower costs and reduce time to market.

Parametric Technology Corporation (NASDAQ: PMTC) announced today that Release 16.0 of its Pro/ENGINEER family of software products will ship to customers this week.

The new release incorporates a greater level of integration between Pro/ENGINEER and PTC's industrial design and design optimization software products, providing customers with unprecedented control over the form, fit and function of the mechanical products they are developing.

According to Marc Dulude, senior vice president of marketing for Parametric Technology, "The ability to design a product in 3D is not enough today. Mechanical engineers also need to know up front how a product will look and perform; and their ability to balance the goals of form, fit and function is essential. With Release 16.0, we have integrated PTC's industrial design and design optimization products with the Pro/ENGINEER product family to provide our customers with the industry's first analytical prototyping toolset encompassing product concept through manufacturing. Now customers can leverage the synergies from these three product families to design better products, faster and more effectively."

Featuring more than 500 customer-driven enhancements and five new application modules, Pro/ENGINEER Release 16.0 focuses on four key themes: integration, ease of use, manufacturing, and transforming legacy engineering data into valuable information.

Integration

PTC's newly acquired industrial design and design optimization software products have been rapidly integrated with the Pro/ENGINEER product family. Embedding the Pro/PHOTORENDER module within Pro/ENGINEER, for example, enables the user to create high-quality photorealistic images within the Pro/ENGINEER environment.

An enhanced level of integration enables the user to directly access Pro/MECHANICA structural functionality from within the Pro/ENGINEER environment, then apply loads, boundary conditions, material properties, and design variables to the Pro/ENGINEER model. Through PTC's direct parameter integration (DPI) technology, the user can also designate one or more parameters in the Pro/ENGINEER environment -- such as shape or weight -- which may be brought into Pro/MECHANICA and modified until an optimal solution is reached.

Ease of Use

Release 16.0 enhances productivity and significantly expands ease of use across the Pro/ENGINEER family of software products with the introduction of dialog boxes to the core Pro/ENGINEER user interface. Dialog box technology has been implemented in many strategic areas within Pro/ENGINEER including the option driven user interface for the creation and redefinition of features, in Pro/DETAIL for creating geometric tolerances, text attributes, and line attributes, and in Pro/MANUFACTURING for controlling low level tool motions.

User productivity has been further extended through significantly enhanced system performance for the retrieval and manipulation of Pro/ENGINEER drawings and assemblies. This allows the user to retrieve a drawing for viewing purposes without having to retrieve related objects. Pro/ASSEMBLY has been enhanced to further extend PTC's technological lead in large assembly management. Pro/ASSEMBLY's advanced assembly management tools provide considerable reduction in the time and system resources required to retrieve and manipulate large, complex assemblies.

Release 16.0 includes significant enhancements in the sketcher functionality of Pro/ENGINEER, providing the user with control over assumptions that have been used by the system to regenerate a sketch. With the addition of 3D sketcher capability, the user can now easily visualize the location of a sketch on the 3D model. In addition, new capabilities for "dynamic dimension modification" allow the user to quickly modify the sketch by using mouse-controlled "click and drag" functionality. These enhancements ensure a highly productive, easy-to-use sketching environment.

Manufacturing

Through an agreement with ICAM Technologies Corp., the industry leader in post- processing technology, PTC has integrated ICAM's CAM-POST product into its own suite of manufacturing-related software applications. Five new application modules now provide a fully integrated link between the Pro/MANUFACTURING family of products and computer numerically controlled (CNC) machine tools. These include Pro/NCPOST-MILL, Pro/NCPOST-TURN, Pro/NCPOST-WEDM, Pro/NCPOST- ADVANCED, and Pro/NCPOST-SHEETMETAL.

The Pro/MANUFACTURING product offering has also been expanded into four modules to be more representative of the end user's CAM requirements: Pro/MFG- MILL, designed for 3-axis milling with positioning; Pro/MFG-TURN, designed for 2-4 axis turning; Pro/MFG-WEDM, designed for 2-4 axis wire EDM; and Pro/MFG- ADVANCED, which includes the functionality of the preceding modules and extends to 4 and 5-axis milling and mill/turn. Each of these manufacturing modules includes a run-time post processor. The repackaging enables customers to select only the functionalities that are pertinent to their particular operations.