Programming on the shop floor has proved to be big productivity boost for many companies. Most machine operators are highly skilled and have a thorough knowledge of metal-cutting techniques, experience of how the material behaves when it is being cut and the limitations and peculiarities of the machine tools and tooling setups they use every day. Programming in the workshop harnesses all this skill and puts it to good use.

Office based programming grew in popularity because on machine and manual programming of anything except the simplest jobs became too difficult, error prone and time-consuming. However, the advent of reliable CAD translation has meant that the need for redrawing paper based designs has become a thing of the past. All that is required now is to carry out some relatively simple manipulation to make a design ready for machining.

With automated and much simpler CAM systems, CNC programming is going full circle back to the workshop. Instead of just minding one or more machines while they are cutting, machine operators can profitably spend this time preparing the next program themselves. This has some significant advantages. The machine operator’s skill can be used to optimize the cutting process, the people previously carrying out the programming tasks can use their skills to boost productivity elsewhere, the operators can take ownership and pride in a larger proportion of the production cycle, and they can also increase their skill set with the ability to operate a CAM system.

By picking a CAM package with a history of use on the shop floor, companies can be sure that they will be getting a system which will make the potential productivity gains a reality.

I agree with Jeff – well I would wouldn’t I !!!  There is another aspect of the dealer channel which is often overlooked, which is the local cultural differences around the world and how a good VAR network can help to smooth out the purchasing and running of software and equipment.

Most people know that what is “expected” in one country may be considered as totally unacceptable in another. A good VAR will know all these little differences in how business is conducted, will have local knowledge and also more importantly speak the local language. As a foreigner, even if you can speak several languages, it can be difficult to pick up on the small signals such as in the way someone says something, or in their body language, which would be obvious to a native of the country.

Even more important for CAM software, is the differences in manufacturing processes. Techniques used can be very different depending on equipment available, skill sets, and costs of different processes. What is seen as an advantage in one market can be of none in another, which requires quite different qualities in the software. What’s more, the way in which software is evaluated can be very varied, going from gut reaction to detailed analysis, to contacts and educational background.

Finally, support through a VAR lets end users talk to someone local, in their own time zone, speaking their own language and who understands how the market and local machinery works. That has got to justify a dealer network on its own.

Sescoi is an international company, with offices in North America, Europe and Asia, including a subsidiary office located in Tokyo, Japan.

We would like to take this time to express our heartfelt sympathy to all of the Japanese people that have lost loved ones during the earthquake and tsunami disasters.

We have heard from all Sescoi employees located in Japan and are pleased to report all are OK. We would like to thank our customers that showed concern and asked about the well being of our employees.

We will update you on the situation as necessary. To get future updates as quickly as possible, you can check our Facebook or Twitter feeds.

Sescoi KK

For informational purposes, the North American office has released WorkNC V20.09 for general release. If you are a North American user of WorkNC V20, we recommend you install this latest revision. It includes many enhancements for performance and reliability, as well as some new variables and post processor options.

If you are a WorkNC user outside of North America, contact your regional Sescoi subsidiary or dealer to see if you should install this version, as you may be running regional specific customizations.

Once you install V20.09, feel free to comment on your first impressions of this version.

Previously when discussing 5-Axis machining,m we discussed some of the things which a controller may need to do 5-Axis machining well. One thing that was mentioned was RTCP or (Rotation Tool Center Point). Controllers may call it something different, for example Heidenhain refers to is as TCPM (Tool Center Point Management).

What this function basically does is keep track of the X0,Y0,Z0 point in relation to the part, no matter how it is rotated. For example, looking at the three pictures below, the first picture is fairly standard, and how a part look in a 3-Axis mode, and the tool is vertical, the tool is at the X0,Y0,Z0 location of the block.

Next we rotate the the part, as shown in the middle picture. It was rotated in both the B and C axes. Note that the tool tip is in the same location it was before, in relation to the part. In other words, that point is still the same X0,Y0,Z0 of the part, and although the part has been rotated on the mill, the Zero value has not changed in relation to the part. Note that the controller had to move the tool, along the X,Y and Z linear axes so that the tip of the tool could still be in the same locationrelative to the part. In the last picture, the part is rotated a lot in the B Axis, 80 degrees, and also 45 in the C axis. Again the tool tip is in the same location, relative to the part, again the controller had to move the linear axes so that the tool could maintain its location relative tot he part.

Machines without RTCP do not maintain a ZERO point relationship with the part as it rotates. Generally the CAM system must then calculate a transformation of the X,Y and Z values as it rotates, so that the tool can be in the correct location.

Which one is better? For complex 5-Axis work, utilizing RTCP can be a whole lot easier, because all of the values are relative to the part, and if one needs to look in the file for certain values, they can be found more easily. As far as CAM software is concerned, the post processors should be able to output RTCP or non RTCP data based on the user requirements.

RTCP applies mostly to complex free form machining. For holes with canned cycles, it is often preferred to output a new work plane while post processing, so that regular canned cycles can be utilized base don the new plane.

For those readers of this blog, if you do 5-axis milling, do you use RTCP or not? Which controller do you have, and how good is its RTCP capabilities?

B 80 degrees, C 45 degrees

Vertical Tool