October • November 2010 An Arnold Publication

In this issue:

www.cnc-west.com

Cutting Tools & Workholding Cutting Tools & Workholding

Delcam’s FeatureCAM (pg 20)

Lubing Up Productivity (pg 22)

Radial Mill Fine Surface Finishes (pg 26)

High-End Wheeling (pg 30)

5-Axis on a Budget (pg 38) Myths About 5-Axis Workholding (pg 42)

Racing into Business (pg 46)

.. . .and much, much more!

Lubing Up Productivity- Pg 22

Amerilube Oct Nov 2010 Cover.indd 1 10/7/2010 4:42:19 PM

As seen in CNC-West October/November 2010 issue

As seen in CNC-West October/November 2010 issue

and precise to allow access from as many angles as possible without running out of the machines’ travel limits.

Look for Rigid RepeatabilityWhen switching over to 5-axis machining, it might be

wise to rethink your vises and fixtures on 5-axis equipment. Jergens’ work holding systems have been an industry stan-dard for many years. The basis of their new 5-Axis system is very simple: raise the part to the ‘sweet spot’ of the ma-chine, rigidly clamp it and rapidly change out with precise repeatability. Jergens’ 5-axis, modular work-holding system offers unrestricted access to the part, and it’s extremely cus-tomizable to your specific application. Using this system can expand your limits and greatly improve the efficiency of the whole 5-axis process from generating code to cutting the part on your machine.

Off-the-shelf 5-Axis WorkholdingWhenever you use a 5-Axis machine, you need to con-

sider three things before you start building a fixture. First you need to start with a repeatable location; second you need a method of raising the part off of the machine’s table; and third you need a workholding method to hold the raw mate-rial or part. When designing a method for machining in the 5-axis world you must change your thinking from 3 and 4 axis or XYZ movements into 3-D.

Start with a point in space that fits within your machin-able window and then work your way back to a repeatable point of reference on your machine table. Jergens is one company that has solved each of the three zones by offer-ing you simple off-the-shelf components that can be changed out offering maximum location points for single or multiple fixture setups.

Location, Location, LocationThe mantra for why a business succeeds is the same for

5-axis workholding. If your starting location is not precise and repeatable you will waste time inspecting and reposition-ing, then fixing or changing the machine program. Jergens has designed all of their off-the-shelf elements with a center location and timing pins that allow for your accurate and re-peatable part orientation. The system allows for flexible in-terchange of fixture elements for your specific machine tool starting with a Subplate. A series of changeable risers will raise your part up to the right height within your machine’s most desirable point in space. The workholding devise at-taches to your fixture by using either the (QLS) Quick Lo-cating System grid, Jergens’ Ball Lock System or a Quick Locating Pallet for quick change over for any of your work-holding devises.

Quick-Change PalletsAs an examplge, Jergens has developed a quick change

pallet that can locate and change off any of your existing workholding devises. By adding pull studs to the workhold-ing unit or adding a fixture plate to the bottom of your device, you can change the fixture in seconds. With the turn of a screw the pallet locates and clamps a vise, chuck or any other

workholding unit to work with the Jergens 5-axis system. The quick change pallet was not designed for exclusive use with the 5-axis system, but does enhance it and can be used in conventional 3 & 4 axis fixturing it is a perfect comple-ment for lean manufacturing. n

About the AuthorFor more than 30 years Karlo Apro has worked in

the manufacturing industry, first in his native Hungary and then in Germany, Canada, and for the past 10 years in the U. S. He spent many years setting-up, program-ming, running, and repairing CNC equipment and has used many different CAD/CAM systems. For the past 15 years he specialized in high-end multiaxis applica-tions.

Karlo has worked directly for CGTech (the mak-ers of Vericut) as an Applications Engineer, worked as a self-employed multiaxis consultant, and is currently employed as a Product Manager responsible for Multiaxis toolpath development and machine simulation. at CNC Software Inc. (the makers of Mastercam).

After more than a decade of training engineers in multiaxis CNC machining, he has identified the com-mon misconceptions and compiled the most sought-after information in the industry, which he shared in his book, Secrets of 5-Axis Machining. (Industrial press).