Gibbs to Preview GibbsCAM 2011 and It's New Feature-Based Capabilities at IMTS

Gibbs and Associates, developer of GibbsCAM® software for programming CNC machine tools and a Cimatron company, announced that it will preview GibbsCAM 2011 enhancements to the automatic and feature-based programming capabilities of GibbsCAM at the International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS), September 13-18, at McCormick Place, in Booth E-3810, where the Cimatron Group will also highlight its CimatronE CAD/CAM suite.

New features will simplify and speed-up CNC programming and extend interoperability. Experienced users and those new to GibbsCAM will find demonstrations of the following new GibbsCAM 2011 capabilities very useful in understanding them and appreciating their value:

The new Auto Wizard within Hole Manager will allow storing default settings for reuse at any time, and the Auto Wizard button will allow invoking the Hole Wizard multiple times quickly. Using the streamlined Hole Manager options, users will be able to take a part with hundreds of holes and, in just three mouse clicks, auto-recognize and program them all.

The Attribute Manager and Feature Manager's new tagging capabilities open the door to querying, creation, modification, sorting and filtering of elements and element sets by user-defined and system metadata tags, called attributes. When importing models, GibbsCAM users will be able to control whether and how to import attributes and geometry. Users can define features of any kind, by grouping feature geometry or grouping elements that share a specified attribute. Entities defined as features, or otherwise tagged with attributes, can be visually identified and isolated for manipulation, copying or machining.

When a part contains user-defined features, or when any of its elements are tagged with a color attribute, users will be able to switch among color modes: the traditional Gibbs Color mode; the new Feature Color mode to distinguish user-defined features; and various User Color modes to distinguish and select elements by their color attributes.

New Hole Capabilities will be included for selecting, recognizing and drilling holes. Several new Variable Peck cycles and various options for user defined Custom Drill cycles will be available, and a new check box will enable reverse-order drilling. Hole Features will be selectable by face (or set of faces), or by coordinate system to which the Hole Feature is aligned. Also, a Hole Feature will be selectable by picking any of the hole’s interior faces. Automatic Feature Recognition will automatically recognize entities that resemble holes, when a user specifies a face (or set of faces) or coordinate system.

In opening models from SolidWorks, Pro/ENGINEER, and other major CAD/CAM packages, GibbsCAM will now read model attributes, then recognize and preserve them as attributes in the GibbsCAM part file. Colors will be preserved as CAD colors in the part file, and hole features in the model will be interpreted as hole features recognizable and usable by Hole Manager and its Auto Wizard.

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GibbsCAM

New Laser Length Measuring System Scores a Bull's Eye Every Time

Behringer Saws has introduced a laser-based measuring system for use on the company’s full range of sawing and turnkey pre- and post-cut material handling productivity-enhancing products. The new BSI Laser Length Measuring System helps customers save time and eliminate waste by confirming material dimensions to maximize material usage for more accurate and consistent cuts.

Designed for use on Behringer sawing systems, the BSI Laser Length Measuring System utilizes laser technology to first verify the length of the material to be processed. The mounted laser unit automatically detects the material and sends overall dimensions to an easy-to-read control panel. The operator can then move the material with powered roller conveyors to the correct length for cut off. Once in the correct position, the operator makes the cut and starts the cycle again. The highly accurate laser system eliminates time-consuming manual measuring which often leads to deviations in production runs and wasted materials due to human error.

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Behringer Saws

New Leakproof Coolant-Through-Spindle System Available as Retrofit on Fadal VMCs

Owners of Fadal vertical machining centers now have the opportunity to maximize machine efficiency and extend tool life with the new CYCLO BLAST coolant through-spindle (CTS) system. Available from MAG as a retrofit on Fadal’s line of small VMCs, CYCLO BLAST is performance rated for 15,000 rpm and up to 1000 psi (68.9 bar) fluid pressure, meeting or exceeding CTS tooling requirements for most applications including deep hole drilling. The retrofit is available for all 40-taper Fadal VMCs, including the 3016 and 4020 models, regardless of the machine's original coolant-through-spindle setup. The retrofit can be installed in as little as two hours, and the simple design eliminates need for an extended drawbar post, making servicing the system as quick and easy as non-CTS systems. Complete systems are available for machines not previously fitted with CTS.

The CYCLO BLAST system is mechanically concise and simply designed using proven rotary union technology for reliability and extended seal life. "Leaky coolant seals can cause the drive belts to slip, resulting in rigid tapping and part cutting issues," said Dan Cooper, Product Manager for MAG Services. "A leakproof belt drive and head area ensure longer life for drive belts, motor mounts and other vulnerable components."

A non-air driven system, CYCLO BLAST reduces shop air supply requirements because it requires no vacuum pump to keep the post bearing cool or clean up spilled coolant. The system includes a diverter valve to halt coolant flow instantly when the pump is shut off, and provide instant flow when restarting. There is a one-year warranty on all CYCLO BLAST system replacement parts.

"This high-pressure coolant-through-spindle system breaks up the chips to facilitate evacuation, minimize tool overheating and extend tool life," added Cooper. "The ability to control tool overheating also allows faster feed rates, higher productivity and higher surface quality." Pumping coolant directly through a machine's spindle to the cutting tool has been proven to boost productivity and optimize run time by as much as 200% in some applications.

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MAG Services

Wenzel Scantec Introducess New Mobilescan3D Portable Laser Scanner To The North American Market

MobileScan3D is a mobile CNC laser scanning solution allowing fully automatic reverse engineering and part inspection verification. Its portability and rapid set-up provides a unique opportunity to scan on location without the tedious and time consuming effort required by other portable scanners.

For anyone who is looking for portable 3D imaging technology for reverse engineering or inspection, the MobileScan3D system provides the quality and repeatability of a CMM-based laser scanner in a portable and highly flexible system. MobileScan3D’s configuration is not constrained by a CMM frame or portable CMM arm and has interchangeable laser sensors to adapt to different sizes and shapes of parts, from jewelry to full-sized automobiles. Because MobileScan3D offers full CNC automatic scanning, the accuracy of the acquired dataset is significantly enhanced over the same data acquired by other portable systems and provides automatically structured and ordered data, minimizing subsequent data ‘clean-up’ and processing time. In addition, MobileScan3D can also be used for the verification of production parts against nominal geometry data and can either be used in complete CNC mode or in semi CNC mode where the motors can be disengaged and the laser manually guided to define the scan path before re-engagement for CNC scanning. This semi CNC mode allows for rapid set-up for inspection of one-off parts.”

In operation, the MobileSCan3D system can be set up ready-to-scan in less than 10 minutes. The complete MobileScan3D system is transported in 2 cases; 3 if a rotary table is included. All of the carrying cases snap together for easy transportation as a single unit which can be attached to a mobile trolley for added convenience. Interconnecting cables are all color coded and sensor set-up and initiation is very fast. MobileScan3D has the fastest set-up time of all portable technologies providing a true ‘Scan-to-Go’ solution. MobileScan3D can be used with a tripod for maximum portability or can be mounted to a support table.

MobileScan3D provides automatic and ordered dataset generation. The scanning volume is simply programmed by inputting 3 basic parameters; the A axis Start Point and End Point; The B axis Rotation Angle and Index Increment. With just a few mouse clicks the complete automatic scanning process is initiated. MobileScan3D removes the operator dependency demanded by all prior art systems, whether portable arm or photogrammetry based, and provides higher accuracy datasets in a fraction of the time.

MobileScan3d user benefits over other portable scanning systems can be summarized as:

  • Absolute measuring system (not targets required)
  • Fast
  • Accurate
  • Fully-automatic Data Acquisition
  • Truly portable and mobile
  • Rapid return on investment
  • Eliminated human influence on acquired data

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Wenzel Group