Siemens and DMG Announce Tight Process Integration from CAD to Machined Component
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At DMG's Pfronten open house (1st - 5th February 2010), the German machine tool manufacturer announced a new association with electronics giant, Siemens. It brings the power of the NX CAM (computer-aided manufacturing) system from subsidiary company, Siemens PLM Software, to the entire manufacturing process on a Deckel Maho or Gildemeister machine.
The tie-up is the first to be implemented to such a comprehensive extent between Siemens and a machine tool manufacturer. A DMG machining centre, mill-turn lathe or other machine tool equipped with a Sinumerik 840D control may now be shipped with the entire NX CAM software package on board. The machine is productive immediately it arrives on the customer's shop floor, even for the manufacture of the most complex, high accuracy parts.
The forum for the announcement was a symposium in Pfronten on 1st February 2011 presented by Siemens' Head of Competence Centre Aerospace, Dirk Rabenek. He said that the benefits of tight digital integration as well as consistency and associativity of data throughout manufacture are particularly important in the aerospace sector. To make his point, he noted that a mid-size jet contains over four million components and hundreds of design changes are made every day that have implications throughout the global supply chain.
Manufacture starts with creation of a part using Siemens NX CAD (computer-aided design), or importation of a model's 3D geometry from another CAD system, complete with industry-standard product and manufacturing information (PMI). Data such as GD&T (geometric dimensioning and tolerancing), surface finish, material specifications and textual information can be included within PMI, which is attached to the geometry so that more of the true design intent is captured.
This information drives the manufacturing process, progressing the data through NX CAM, with its extensive feature-based machining capability and knowledge database. There is the option of manual editing to optimise toolpaths, which are laid down using proprietary streamlined techniques resident within the CAM system.
At the production end, Siemens supports the core software from the machine's Sinumerik 840D CNC inside the NX CAM package as a virtual NC kernel (VNCK). It allows the built-in post processor to extract all the benefits of special cycles and advanced functionality within the latest Siemens control, such as advanced surfacing and look-ahead for high speed cutting.
Another advantage of embedding the VNCK in the CAM software is better simulation of axis movements based on data from post processing, rather than using the internal tool path data prior to posting. G-code driven, virtual trial cutting more closely represents the real axis motions on the customer's machine.
Only then is the program ready to be transferred to the computer numerical control (CNC) running the cutting cycle on the DMG machine. The result is more efficient production of error-free parts in shorter cycle times to higher accuracy and with better surface finish. On-machine probing routines can be incorporated into the programs.
Unification of the CAD/CAM and CNC environments allied to high level process planning and data management are key to achieving enhanced levels of productivity and accuracy. Despite its power, NX CAM is accessible to all staff, even on the shop floor. A role-based user environment is created by configuring the software to match the operator's experience level, the industry being served and the type of DMG machine being programmed.
DMG (UK) Ltd, Unitool House, 151 Camford Way,
Luton, Bedfordshire, LU3 3AN.
Tel: 01582 570661. Fax: 01582 593700.
E-mail: dianne.taylor@gildemeister.com
Web site: www.gildemeister.com
Contact: Richard Watkins, Managing Director.
THE RIGHT IMAGE Ltd,
PO Box 42, Twickenham, TW1 1BQ.
Tel: 020 8891 0603.
E-mail: chris@therightimage.net
Contact: Chris Wright.
