With the addition of Machining Sequence Rationalisation to EdgeCAM, the award winning computer-aided manufacturing system by Pathtrace Engineering Systems of Reading, productivity of a machining centre producing multiple components on a tombstone fixture can be improved by either minimising the number of tool changes or pallet indexes. A major point of debate amongst engineers and machine setters is whether to use the same tool around all the components mounted on a fixture to produce one complete component at a time. Influential in the decision is the non-cutting time taken for machine toolchange, fixture indexing, rapid traverse rates and dwell times.
These can vary significantly between machine tools even of the same make.
With the new Rationalise Sequence command in EdgeCAM, the user can eliminate the debate by programming components in the most cost-effective cutting method of tool sequences.
Due to the variance between different machine tools it can be more productive to put certain parts on a particular machine or change machines due to shop loading priorities.
Here, The Code Wizard within EdgeCAM enables users to configure their own code generators to change the program to suit different machines.
Using the simple Windows-style Wizard, programs can be switched quickly and easily in-house between different machine tools using pre-set Pathtrace developed templates and drag and drop procedures in order to configure the output of control code.