CAM system offers functions and strategies that save time and money

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Jongen Werkzeugtechnik GmbH

Ramada Acos

Knarr Vertriebs GmbH

OPEN MIND Technologies Schweiz GmbH

Important companion: a powerful CAM system

Today, the Knarr Group has a double-digit number of Hyper Mill licences that are used in various departments. Since 2015, the company’s CAM programmers have also been using the Hyper CAD-S CAD system that is based on its own 3D CAD kernel made by Open Mind and therefore harmonises perfectly with Hyper Mill. Nils Nabor, responsible Area Sales Manager at Open Mind, explains: “Hyper CAD-S is a CAD system specifically developed for CAM programmers that vastly accelerates NC programming processes. The system helps you to master many of the challenges that arise when working with meshes, faces and solids to create precise components and tools. Hyper CAD-S allows you to prepare large volumes of imported data for subsequent NC programming completely independently from the original CAD system that was used for the design process.”

CAM programmers perceive Hyper CAD-S and the fully integrated Hyper Mill as a single entity whose functions merge into one another, as Marco Mergner explains: “Hyper CAD-S and its integrated drawing, face and solid functions allow us to safely carry out all the CAD tasks that are necessary at the start in order to ensure simple and effective programming. Hyper CAD-S also offers unique, customer-oriented features for preparing CAD data for subsequent milling with its functions for generating drawings and its use of TAGs. The system is specifically designed to address the requirements of CAM programmers like us. That is quite extraordinary and makes machining so much quicker.” The toolpaths are generated in Hyper Mill. “The CAM system provides all the machining technology required for this plus special functions such as measurement or deep-hole drilling. The entire system is very user-friendly and easy to learn,” adds Mergner.

All employees working in the mould assembly milling department are highly proficient when it comes to using the machines; they also have excellent knowledge of the Hyper Mill CAM system. They use the system to program all the mould plates, which can include complex inclusions (additions) and free-form surfaces. The mould plates are often machined completely from six sides in two clamping set-ups. Special machining operations such as the probing of stock models, deep-hole drilling of cooling circuits or the measurement of components after machining can be programmed and generated with Hyper Mill just as easily as a simple drilling or milling cycle. As the components often display certain similarities, Marco Mergner and his team make use of the automation options provided by Hyper Mill: “The feature and macro-technology allow us to automate many of the programming tasks that repeat. This helps to speed up the tasks considerably.”

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Marco Mergner is also keen to point out the enthusiasm for innovation at Open Mind. “As soon as a new Hyper Mill version is available, we work together to implement the new strategies and methods as quickly as possible as these innovations often help us to machine more effectively and further improve the quality of our products.”

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