Component alignment at the touch of a button

OPEN MIND's hyperMILL® BEST FIT is a new function that is revolutionizing planning in machining operations. Instead of having to align the unmachined part in the clamping to the NC program manually, the hyperMILL® CAM system aligns the NC program automatically to the component position. This method saves time and increases process reliability, especially with cast, forged, welded, and additively manufactured stocks with small or irregular allowances, when reworking heat-treated parts, and during machine changeovers. Each of these processes requires a delicate touch to calibrate it with the CAD model of the end product.

hyperMILL® BEST FIT takes full advantage of the options offered by the virtual machine in the CAM program and communication with a 5-axis machining center capable of 3D measurements to eliminate the uncertainty that comes with manual alignment.

Real-time alignment for reliable, plannable processes

Up to now, it has been standard practice to adapt the stock and the clamping in the machine to the conditions of the NC program. The component is aligned manually, using a dial gauge, control cycles, plus a great deal of sensitivity. The actual clamping operation is adapted to conform to the virtual programming. This process was time-intensive, often needed to be repeated multiple times, and involved a number of uncertainties. One way to solve this issue is to align the component in CAM in real time. The unaligned stock is probed on the machine by way of a 3D measurement, the measurement log is sent to the CAM system, and hyperMILL® BEST FIT adjusts the NC code to the actual position of the component. The virtual world (programming) is adapted to the real world (clamping), not the other way around! The adjusted NC code is then simulated in the virtual machine on the actual clamping setup, and automatically optimized.

A real game changer in many application areas

"Thanks to hyperMILL® BEST FIT, time-consuming and unsafe component alignment on the machine is a thing of the past. hyperMILL® detects the situation on the machine and aligns the component virtually," explains Manfred Guggemos, Product Manager at OPEN MIND Technologies. "Component alignment at the touch of a button is a real game changer in many application areas. This could include reworking refurbished parts and imperfect forged parts, machining parts that are too heavy to be aligned by hand, eliminating the need for high-precision equipment, and more. What makes this unique is that unlike previous solutions available on the market, hyperMILL® BEST FIT does not change the origin on the controller and generates completely collision-checked toolpaths."