volume 14 issue 47

CONTENTS
VOLUME 14 ISSUE 47

TABLE OF

FEATURES
Free Ride . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 The American Legend and the Rising Star . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Engagement-Generated Toolpaths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Water Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Lights, Camera, Action! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

EDUCATION
Creating the Concept . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

CYCLE TIME
European HTECs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Metal, Mettle, Medals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

THE ANSWER MAN

Tips and Tricks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

10
22

CNC MACHINING is published by Haas Automation, Inc., 2800 Sturgis Road, Oxnard, CA 93030, 805-278-1800. Postmaster: Return invalid addresses to Haas Automation, 2800 Sturgis Road, Oxnard, CA 93030-8933, postage guaranteed. CNC Machining is distributed free of charge by Haas Automation, Inc., and its worldwide network of authorized distributors. CNC Machining accepts no advertising or reimbursement for this magazine. All contents of CNC Machining are copyright 2011, and may not be reproduced without written permission from Haas Automation, Inc. Subscriptions: To be added to, or removed from, the CNC Machining subscription list, please contact the local Haas distributor listed on the back cover of this magazine via phone, fax or mail. All subscriptions are at the discretion of the local Haas distributor. Haas Automation, Inc. & CNC Machining magazine names 2011. Designed and printed in the U.S.A. CPC # 40675626. www.HaasCNC.com. Haas Automation Europe, ++32-2-522-9905 Haas Automation United Kingdom, ++44-1603-760 539 | Haas Automation Asia, ++86 21 3861 6666 | Haas Automation India, ++91-22-660 98830

b | www.HaasCNC.com

Take a Flying Leap!

Of faith. Of innovation. Or just off a cliff.

In This Issue
responsible for the unique look and realism of the 2009 blockbuster Slumdog Millionaire, and helped the movie garner several Academy Awards, including Best Cinematography. While relatively new to the motion picture industry, digital imaging has long been embraced by still photographers for its speed and flexibility. Now, radiographers are reaping the benefits, as well, with X-ray machines that use oversized CMOS sensors and thin fiberoptic plates to provide the image transfer function. The worlds leading manufacturer of such fiberoptic plates is Incom Inc. of Charlton, Massachusetts, and the company has developed some unconventional machining methods to produce them. The glass is machined with diamondcoated tooling, which will burn the part if there is insufficient coolant. Incoms machinists discovered that the best way to prevent this was to fully submerge both the tool and the part in coolant. But it took quite a leap of faith for them to fine-tune the cutting operations without being able to see the part. But sometimes, its whats in the minds eye that matters. Such is the case for many woodturning artists: Where everyday folk see an ordinary chunk of wood, they see a masterpiece, just waiting for the excess to be carved away. Their creations are reflections of their imagination, skill, and patience. But only with the proper tools can their masterpieces be revealed. Some of the finest woodturning tools in the world today carry the Glaser Hitec name. Created by legendary woodturner/engineer Jerry Glaser, the tools are now manufactured by Advanced Theoretical Concepts, Inc., under the watchful eye of Paulo Marin, an innovative entrepreneur from Brazil. A woodturner himself, Paulo has vowed to uphold Jerry Glasers uncompromising standards of creativity and quality, and perpetuate the Glaser brand. While quality and creativity are of utmost importance to woodturning artisans, theyre not terribly concerned with reducing cycle times. In the world of CNC, however, the ability to increase productivity without increasing costs is crucial to winning contracts and turning a profit. Check out our piece from the folks at Surfcam for tips on how to increase material removal rates, while increasing tool life and reducing machining times. And be sure to check out our education piece for a look at how one SoCal university employs CNC technology across many departments and multiple disciplines. Youll also find interesting industry news in Cycle Time, and a host of valuable information from the Answer Man. So sit back, relax, and enjoy! And take a flying leap into another great issue.

They say its not the fall that kills you, but the sudden stop at the end. But where the economy is concerned, its the fall that has taken its toll, and the stop sudden or otherwise that everyone is waiting for. Well, despite what the mainstream media say, it appears the economic fall has finally come to a stop. So lets brush ourselves off, and climb back to the top. For our cover story this issue, we ventured to Montana, where a young entrepreneur who routinely takes flying leaps off cliffs has turned his passion for bicycling into a thriving business. When a nasty crash dashed his plans to become a professional mountain bike downhiller/freerider, Tyler Jarosz decided the next best thing would be to work with the pros. So he combined his experience as a mountain biker with his knowledge of CNC machining to create his own line of highend components for mountain bikes. Tylers company, Twenty6 Products, produces rock-solid components that are used by prolevel riders around the world. And around the world we went to visit P+S TECHNIK in Munich, Germany, which designs and builds high-end digital cameras and equipment for the professional motion picture industry. Over the years, the companys leaps of innovation have led to the development of numerous cutting-edge imaging devices that have changed the face of modern cinematography. One such device, the SI-2K Mini digital camera, was largely

On The Cover
Keeping your feet on the pedals is crucial when barreling down a twisty mountain trail on a bicycle. These finely crafted alloy pedals from Twenty6 Products do the job in style. Photo: Derik Olsen 2011

Free
Ride
Excellence
its an
Story by Brad Branham Photos: Derik Olsen 2011

is not an art

obsession.

CNC MACHINING | 3

The boulder juts from the cliff with a knife-edge ridge, abruptly ending in a sheer 50-foot drop to a high-walled rocky ditch. Beyond that, a broken trail runs downhill through scrub brush and trees at an angle that makes simply standing up tricky. A helmeted figure pedals furiously down the ridge in a blur, and launches his mountain bike into space, sailing from the edge of the boulder. Just when it seems a helicopter and paramedics will be required, the rider stabilizes upright just in time to clear the gully and slam onto the trail below. Bike and rider absorb the impact with muscle and shocks, and then disappear in a swirl of dust down the steep path into the trees. To the downhill mountain biker, its just another day of outdoor fun. The sports of downhill and freeride mountain biking demand high levels of coordination, physical strength, quick reflexes and guts. Some riders also list a high pain threshold as essential. But this heart-pumping, adrenaline-soaked activity also requires a ride somewhat more sophisticated than your grandmas beach cruiser. Top riders use dedicated frames with long suspension travels, customized with components of tough, feather-light materials, designed to maximize reliability and take heavy punishment.

4 | www.HaasCNC.com

Products, LLC, of Belgrade, Montana, has an international reputation for producing rugged, take-no-prisoners, high-end mountain-bike components that are designed, engineered, and CNC-machined to win with style! Twenty6s superb finish, quality, and character are instantly recognizable in graceful twofinger handbrake levers and seat-post clamps, elegant stems and bar ends, and classy no-slip, no-maintenance pedals in at least 12 incredible colors. Tyler Jarosz, the brains behind Twenty6 Products, does it all. From concept to anodizing, every Twenty6 product carries his fingerprints. He machines his designs on two Haas VF-2 CNC vertical machining centers and a Haas SL-10 CNC lathe which he also programs. And he personally tests his creations on his own track, just outside his shop, several times a day. The 29-year-old Tyler designs components based on his own experience as a mountain biker, and his knowledge of CNC machining. As a kid, I worked at a bike shop and always loved the sport, he remembers. I have been on bikes since I was old enough to ride, and my passion for the sport continues to grow today.

Twenty6

CNC MACHINING | 5

He took a machining class in high school, then pursued manufacturing through technical college in Wausau, Wisconsin. I went to Northcentral Technical College during the day, and worked as a machinist at night, reflects Tyler. I knew I wanted to be in the bike industry, so I was trying to find a way to make a good living at it. Just before I started the company, I was trying to become a professional mountain bike downhiller/freerider, he continues. Ive endured many injuries along the way, but I had a very bad crash up in Canada that put me in a hospital for a week. While I was there, I realized I needed a different plan. My injuries ended my career as a professional bicycling athlete, but I decided the next best thing was working with pros, and bicycling non-professionally. When I finally healed up four months later I made my first parts: levers for hydraulic disc brakes. Interest quickly grew, so I made more, and expanded on that. Soon, I began renting machine hours from my boss every weekend, riding less and spending a lot more time working, getting my passion off the ground. Tyler soon concluded he needed to buy his own machine, so he chose a Haas VF-2 vertical machining center. I decided to use Haas because of their serviceability and price, Tyler explains. I trained on Haas machines at my first job, so I knew how to operate them. When he needed a lathe, but was unable to purchase one, the ingenious Tyler designed and made all the tooling to to do the job on his mill. I used my mill as a lathe, and also used it to rotary broach; it worked out great, he said. The G-code was a little tricky, but by doing the work on my mill, I was able to make enough to purchase my SL-10 lathe, and production from the lathe helped me purchase my second Haas VF-2. I use them for heavy production, and they hold up great! 6 | www.HaasCNC.com

Mountain bikes demand components that are tough and light, so the choice of material is very important. Downhill and freeriding involve negotiating stumps, rutted trails, and rocks ranging from pebbles to boulders. Bikers also love getting airborne, so the bike and its components must withstand the high-speed shock of a hard landing and the heavy impact of a crash. All my products start with extruded 6061-T6 aluminum bar stock, and they take at least three operations, declares Tyler. To maximize efficiency, I use custom fixturing of my own design, and Mitee-Bites to hold most workpieces while machining. The most difficult product to machine is the pedal, he continues. Thats because of the many tool paths and contouring. The Twenty6 Prerunner pedal is wide, with intricate structural features, and a slightly concave surface for grip. Aluminum traction pins screw into the pedal, ensuring a reliable, nonslip contact with footgear. Pedal axles are available in Ti-6Q2 titanium or 4140 chromoly steel. Surface finish is something that I pride myself on, Tyler explains. I start with a good surface finish off the Haas machines, then they get eight hours in a plastic media tumbler to remove any marks or scratches. I then give them six days of polishing, using three large bowl tumblers filled with rouge-embedded walnut shell to achieve the polish. It takes a long time to polish all surfaces, because the parts are so detailed.
CNC MACHINING | 7

In addition to manufacturing his own products, Tyler also does some job-shop work. It keeps me on my toes, he says. I want to be on top of my game, and making parts for other people keeps me fresh. I want to maintain an open mind in the way I manufacture things, and job-shop projects help me develop new ideas on fixture design, setups, and tooling and Im constantly improving my programming ability and speed. Attention to detail and exceptional designs are hallmarks of Twenty6 Products. I get design inspiration while backcountry snowboarding and riding bikes, Tyler reveals. Im a talented downhiller and freerider, and I sponsor some of todays top professionals. Their input and my experience help me design the best components possible. I like to do all the work myself, because I want everything to be the absolute best quality. These are my products, Tyler points out. They came out of my head, they are part of me they have to be the best. I spare nothing.
Twenty6 Products, LLC 406-539-5130 www.twenty6products.com Derik Olsen Photography 406-581-7114 www.derikolsen.com

8 | www.HaasCNC.com

CNC MACHINING | 9

Sometimes, when you close one door, two open.

The American Legend

and the
By Brad Branham

Rising Star
With remarkable skill, and maybe a little magic, woodturning artisans have been creating objects of exquisite beauty and charm for millennia. From jewelry boxes, to everyday bowls, to extraordinary works of art, some of the most beautiful handmade objects are painstakingly crafted from wood. Modern woodturning artists fashion their works from common woods such as white oak and maple, as well as exotic varieties like teak and cocobolo. Each wood has its own color, pattern, and personality, and every creation is a reflection of the artists imagination, skill, and patience. But its the tools that carve away the excess to reveal the masterpiece within. For more than 50 years, legendary woodturner and engineer Jerry Glaser designed and produced woodturning tools of the highest quality. The toolmakers innovative gouges, skews, scrapers, and screw chucks are often considered the finest in the world, and theyre used by woodturning artisans around the globe to reveal masterpieces of their own. Today, Jerry is retired and living in Marina Del Rey, California, and his namesake Glaser Hitec woodturning tools are now manufactured by Advanced Theoretical Concepts, Inc. (ATC) a modern, Haas CNC-equipped facility in Camarillo, California. But Jerry Glasers uncompromising standards of creativity and quality have not been lost; they are perpetuated by Paulo Marin, an innovative entrepreneur from Brazil, and the owner of ATC. 10 | www.HaasCNC.com

CNC MACHINING | 11

When Paulo Marin came to America from Brazil 30 years ago, he spoke no English. But he worked hard, played by the rules, and found his part of the American Dream. He eventually started his own telecommunications company. I was very successful, Paulo says. I sold my company to Time Warner and thought that I would retire, so I looked for a hobby, and found woodturning. You know you put a piece of wood on a woodturning lathe and carve it with a chisel or tool. I joined the local woodturning club, Paulo continues, and within three months, I owned over $5000 worth of tools and they were all from England! I wondered, Americans are so good with steel, why are we buying tools from England? Paulos ensuing search for American-made tools proved both successful and surprising. I found Jerry Glaser in Marina Del Rey, Paulo explains. Hes 91 years old, and he is a visionary the innovator of almost every modern development in woodturning tools. Paulo visited Jerry to buy a tool, and quickly became a regular customer. Jerry was getting on in years, so Paulo asked him what he intended to do with the company when he could no longer run it. Jerry responded that he would die and take it with him. But Paulo had other ideas; he wanted to buy the company. After several years of persistence, Jerry eventually agreed to sell, and Paulo vowed to perpetuate the brand and Jerrys name. Paulo quickly set about turning his ideas into reality. I created a design and put in a bid to produce the 20th Anniversary Tool for the American Association of Woodturners, Paulo

12 | www.HaasCNC.com

Paulo and his wife, Karin.

recollects. My design won, and my very first order was for 1000 tools! We started wondering how we were going to fill the order. So, we subcontracted out the blades, the handles, and the other parts, and I bought a laser engraver to serialize the tools. We cleaned, sampled, polished, and assembled them in the garage. We shipped the order, which was a tremendous success, but I decided right then that I needed my own facility. There is no way to control production and quality without your own facility. I discovered that this shop, Advanced Theoretical Concepts (ATC), was for sale, Paulo continues. It had some older equipment, but I saw potential. I had never touched a CNC machine or read a blueprint in my life, but I knew the shop had value, because its customers were big customers. Their client roster included Lockheed, Boeing, the Army, the Navy, NASA, and others; but what really put them on the map was the Mars Pathfinder program. Nearly all the actuators and cylinders for Spirit and Opportunity were turned in this shop. I knew this was a diamond in the rough, but it needed to go to the next level. I knew nothing of manufacturing, but I knew I could learn, and that this was the thing to do. When Paulo explained the potential, and the necessity to take control over Glaser Hitecs production, recalls Paulos wife, Karin Riedel, I understood the value. What worried me was that I would have total control of accounts receivable and accounts payable. My background was in the medical industry, so I knew it would take some time for me to learn the manufacturing software the company was using. But, I have always
CNC MACHINING | 13

been confident about Paulos determination. I knew that when he sets his mind to achieve something, it gets done! I took over the company three months before the economic downturn, Paulo relates. But I had Karin to handle the accounting, and I managed to hire back one of the previous owners. I knew we could be successful, but there were some problems. ATC had long-term contracts and small-run prototypes, but the machines were outdated. I needed to upgrade the equipment, but after the financial crisis hit, I could not get a loan, even with substantial funds in the bank, he continues. I contacted Tim Stroud from the local Haas Factory Outlet, HFO Torrance. They were wonderful. I got high-tech CNC machines for a great price, with financing through CNC Associates [Haas Automations in-house financing company]. Now, I have a VF-3SS and two VF-4SS CNC vertical machining centers, and an ST-20 CNC turning center with a bar feeder. The Haas machines are tough, very reliable, accurate, and easy to operate and maintain and the HFO provides excellent service. We have 12,000-rpm spindles with through-spindle coolant, and part- and tool-probing. The machines give us the capacity to do a great variety of aerospace and other work. The company survived the downturn because of our flexibility the diversity of jobs that we do for other companies. But the Glaser Hitec woodturning tools, Paulo says, are our own products.

14 | www.HaasCNC.com

And while both the aerospace/job shop and the woodturning tool divisions of Paulos business are growing, the Glaser Hitec tool portion is growing at a faster rate, he says, because the designs are far ahead of anything else in the woodworking industry. Jerry Glasers tool design was revolutionary, Paulo points out. He used extruded aluminum handles filled with lead shot to minimize vibration, and he was instrumental in the use of powdered metals. We still use the same powdered metal for our tools that Jerry introduced in 1975: CPM 10V and CPM 15V from Crucible Industries. The high vanadium content and homogeneous structure ensure high strength, and a long-lasting edge. Weve enhanced the original design a little, but the basic Glaser style and quality and Jerrys innovative tradition remain, Paulo says. In addition to the full-sized, fixed-blade tools, weve developed the miniGlaser QR and the larger Synergy Ultragouge tools two new series with quick-release, interchangeable blades. Instead of having a big toolbox filled with full-sized tools, they use one handle and several blades. Also, we manufacture screw chucks, originally patented by Jerry. They screw into the workpiece to hold it on the lathe. ATCs Haas machines played a critical roll in the development, and subsequent production, of the new quick-release systems. The blades must be held very securely in the handle, Paulo says, and they cannot rotate. The tolerances are very tight. There must be no noticeable clearance between the miniGlaser quick-release adapter and the handle insert, explains machinist Adrian Garcia. So tolerances are held to 0.0002".

CNC MACHINING | 15

16 | www.HaasCNC.com

The Haas machines have no trouble keeping these close tolerances. We set up the adapters in soft jaws to protect the centerless-ground finishes, and use the Renishaw probing system for the presets. Then we run the program. The probing system compensates for any fixture unevenness, and gives us precise cuts. The results are always excellent, always consistent. Our aerospace and prototype work requires a variety of difficult materials, he adds, including various types of stainless steel and titanium. We sometimes have to be creative in our setups, because we have a good variety of jobs here. Some are complex, some arent, but our machines are very good, and handle everything. Jerry Glaser is still active and content in Marina Del Rey, and he still offers input on new woodturning techniques and tool designs. After all, his name is on the product and his designs still endure. I am happy, too, Paulo concludes. When I came to this country and could not speak English, I worked as a janitor, I washed cars, I was a gardener, and I delivered pizza. Later, I sold my successful communications company, and now I have another successful business! I learned in America that excellence is not a singular act, but a habit. You are what you repeatedly do. I worked hard and never quit, and now I am a businessman. This could only happen in America. I am the American Dream!
www.glaserhitec.com 805 293-1678 www.atcinc.us 805-482-1280 CNC MACHINING | 17

Increasing Productivity with Engagement-Generated Toolpaths

By Alan Diehl, Surfware, Inc.

Introduction
In todays world economy, contract machine shops and manufacturers alike must deliver quality parts on time and at affordable prices. A shops ability to increase productivity without increasing costs is crucial to winning contracts and turning a profit. A key factor in lowering part cost is reducing machining time. A sure way to produce more parts in the same time on the same machines is to increase the material removal rate (MRR), and that means optimizing the cutting conditions throughout the toolpath. The more time a cutting tool operates at optimum cutting conditions, the higher the material removal rate will be while also increasing tool life, and reducing machining time.

The Problem
Maintaining optimum cutting conditions is easy in straight cuts with a constant stepover, but cutting conditions deteriorate rapidly when the cutting tool encounters turns or corners, where the engagement with the material increases significantly.

18 | www.HaasCNC.com

Today, most toolpath generators create constantoffset or parallel-offset toolpaths, which increase engagement of the tool with the material in numerous sections throughout the entire toolpath, particularly in corners. Some newer toolpath generators create smoother-looking paths, but these systems adjust the feedrate throughout the toolpath, and do not control tool engagement. Non-engagement-generated toolpath generators slow down the feedrate every time the program foresees increased engagement conditions. The system does not maintain the optimum cutting parameters specified by the user, so the cutting conditions are no longer optimum. The CAM system is unable to create a toolpath that maintains constant cutting conditions.
CNC MACHINING | 19

The Solution
The solution is to generate a toolpath in which the cutting tool always sees the same cutting conditions feedrate, engagement, cutting-edge temperature, and chip thickness regardless of the geometry being machined. The only way to do this is with an engagement-generated toolpath. An engagement-generated toolpath closely maintains the user-specified cutting parameters to optimize the cutting conditions everywhere along the toolpath to achieve the highest possible productivity. Optimum cutting conditions create chips with the optimum geometry for the particular tool being used and the particular material being cut. The highest material removal rate (MRR) can only be achieved when the feedrate, spindle speed, depth-of-cut, and the tools engagement with the material are held to their optimum values creating the optimum chip. While there are toolpath optimization schemes available to improve cutting conditions in non-engagement-generated toolpaths either as a secondary process or one that is built into the toolpath algorithm itself they all use the same method: They slow down the feedrate whenever they encounter increased engagement, which also automatically changes the chip thickness. These systems usually base their feedrate adjustments throughout the toolpath on maintaining a constant material removal rate (MRR). This method not only depends on the accuracy of the calculated feedrates, but also on the ability of 20 | www.HaasCNC.com

the machine to instantaneously follow the rapidly changing feedrate commands (the acceleration capability of the machine).

Cutting-Edge Temperatures
Engagement-generated toolpaths produce constant cutting-edge temperatures, because the cutting edge is always subjected to the same engagement time with the material. They also generate a constant chip thickness, and a constant MRR at a constant feedrate. In non-engagement-generated toolpaths, engagement increases significantly whenever the tool encounters a sharp turn, which causes the cutting edges to be in contact with the material longer, increasing temperatures dramatically. In fact, cutting-edge temperature increases at an exponential rate as engagement increases, breaking down the cutting edge quickly, and reducing tool life. Reducing the feedrate during periods of increased engagement partially offsets the heating effect, but creates another problem: increased friction and tool temperature caused by the chip being too thin.

Corner Picking with Engagement Generated Toolpath

Engagement-generated corner picking toolpaths control engagement between each pass, totally eliminating the all-too-familiar squeaking sounds and chatter machinists are so accustomed to when machining corners. In addition, the corner radii can be machined at a dimension very close to

the radius of the tool (within 3 to 5 percent) without causing chatter, because the engagement never exceeds the value specified by the user. This eliminates the need for a separate, smaller tool to finish machining the corner.

Machine Deep Pockets in Exotic Materials

Engagement-generated toolpaths allow cutting tools to machine at exceptionally high MRR, while cutting at a depth of 2 to 2.5 times the cutter diameter, and delivering significantly longer tool life. This is possible because of controlled cutting with constant engagement, and because the cutting is spread out over the length of the tool.

Tool Load
Tool load is primarily dependent on a combination of two factors: engagement and chip thickness. Because an engagement-generated toolpath maintains the users specified optimum cutting parameters throughout the toolpath, these two factors do not change, and the tool load remains constant. A non-engagement-generated toolpath that uses feedrate to control the MRR does not maintain the users specified cutting parameters, so neither engagement nor chip thickness remain constant. Any toolpath that continuously changes these parameters is, by definition, changing the tool load.

Conclusion
The key to maximum MRR is using the optimum cutting parameters throughout the entire toolpath. Engagementgenerated toolpaths achieve the highest possible MRR, because the cutting tool always sees the same cutting conditions, and therefore is always cutting at the optimum user-specified cutting parameters. The benefits of using optimum machining parameters that do not change are: lower machining costs and maximum profit margins, because of shorter machining times. The right machining parameters result in a huge increase in productivity, and the highest possible profitability. Alan Diehl is co-owner and founder of Surfware, Inc. and TrueMill, LLC, as well as the former owner and manager of a mold and tooling shop.
Surfware, Inc. 800.SURFWARE (787-3927) www.surfware.com / www.truemill.com

Chip Thickness Variation in NonEngagement-Generated Toolpaths

In the event that a CAM system has an option to use chip thickness instead of MRR to control the feedrate, the increased engagement/increased cutting-edge temperature problem still remains. Also, the system would no longer maintain the volume of material being removed (MRR), thus substituting one problem for another.

CNC MACHINING | 21

Water Tables

Story and photos by Matt Bailey

The science of channeling light (the process is called total internal reflection) was first demonstrated in the mid-19th century; however, practical applications came much later. NASA used fiber optics in the cameras it sent to the moon, but it wasnt until the late 20th century that terrestrial TV adopted the medium. Tapered fiber optics work on the same principle of bouncing photons along a clad, glass conduit, but use clusters of fused fibers to magnify or, more typically, reduce an image for transfer applications. Incom Inc. (Charlton, Massachusetts) is the worlds leading manufacturer of commercial rigid, fused fiberoptic faceplates, tapers, and microwell arrays. The companys advanced technology supports researchers, scientists, and instrument makers in dental, medical, life science, scientific, homeland security, and defense industries. Incom offers its customers both experience and expertise. Founded in 1971, the company is a direct descendant of American Optical in Southbridge, Massachusetts. These days, it has more than 200 employees, and spreads across more than 90,000 square feet in two facilities. In the beginning, with a just handful of employees, the companys primary product was fused fiberoptic faceplates for cathode ray tubes (CRTs). Its early years were moderately successful, and its revenue graph was reliably linear. But management knew that CRT technology would eventually be replaced by LCDs, they just didnt know when. 22 | www.HaasCNC.com

In 1994, we had the opportunity to purchase a competing line of fused fiberoptics from a local company called Galileo Electro-Optics, says Anthony (Jay) Detarando, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. We didnt fully realize it then, but it was very good timing; our existing business was about to take a nose dive. Like the proverb says: The afternoon knows what the morning didnt suspect. As part of the deal, we also acquired the formula for the fiberoptic glass that we still use today. Galileo was one of two nearby companies that specialized in manufacturing fused fiber optics for military applications. The two companies were competing with each other for contracts the government warned would soon disappear. They did not disappear, and today continue to generate a large part of Incoms revenue. We also acquired the technical expertise to make 50 mm tapered fiber optics in high volume, says Detarando. Many of Galileos employees came to work here. All of a sudden, we were twice our previous size, and one of the two main government suppliers for night vision systems. Incom manufactures tapers from billets produced using its own hot-drawing process. Individual fibers are bunched coherently together, heated, and stretched like warm taffy to create the desired magnification. The more fibers in a bunch as many as 16 million per square inch the higher the resolution.

CNC MACHINING | 23

Six or seven years ago, we looked at how we wanted to grow, says Scott Farland, Director of Business Development. We decided to get much better in military applications, and to find new opportunities in the life science, scientific, and medical sectors, such as X-ray. Photographers have long since embraced the flexibility and speed of digital imaging. Now, radiographers are swapping X-ray cassettes for oversized CMOS sensors with thin, fiberoptic plates (instead of lenses) providing the image transfer function. It was making these types of larger tapers that first led us to investigate automation and CNC machine tools, Farland explains. The company divided its manufacturing into business units, each of which was allocated its own equipment, configured, and arranged to maximize efficiency. We are very focused on yield, continues Farland. Glass is expensive, and its easy to make mistakes during hot-drawing and end up with damaged and useless fibers or clusters. Weve developed our process to reduce this possibility. So when it came to automating the mechanical and machining operations, we had to make sure we kept scrap to an absolute minimum. By the time the taper gets to the machining stage, most of the cost has been incurred. 24 | www.HaasCNC.com

Incom bought its first Haas CNC machine tool a used VF-2 vertical machining center in late 2003. Since 2005, Incom has bought an average of two additional Haas machines per year, for a current total of 11, including five Mini Mills. During a walking-tour of the factory, Facilities and Compliance Manager Michael LeBlanc guided us away from several of the latter. Part of his job is to safeguard the companys secrets, and some of the Haas machines are making specialized lenses for military contracts. Incoms newest Haas is a DT-1 drill/tap center that currently is cutting medical and dental faceplates. In the early days of its reorganization, Incom had very little in-house CNC machining experience, so they recruited programmer Dean Westhoff to pilot the company around the hazards of machining glass. Westhoff, in turn, was guided by Product and Process Development Engineer John Escolas. At the beginning, we were only machining around ten percent of our production on Haas machines, says Escolas, at feedrates of around 0.200 inches a minute. It was a slow and expensive process. We were holding the part using an old traditional wax compound, and the wax would often fail and the part pop off the mount, even at these low feeds. Incom gave Dean and John free reign on CNC machining standards. The only advice I offered Dean was to turn off the control panel and go by sound and feel, Escolas relates.
CNC MACHINING | 25

Westhoff and Escolas began by changing the composition of the wax to give greater shear strength. Once Dean felt confident the parts were fixed, he tweaked feedrates with the patience of a piano tuner, increasing them gradually until the Haas hit the right note. Incom machines its glass with diamond-coated tooling, which will burn the part if there is insufficient coolant. Conventional machining uses nozzles to deliver the liquid from multiple directions, spraying the contact area. But when the tool is changed, the direction of the coolant needs to be adjusted. To achieve the high-volume machining we had in mind meant we couldnt adjust the coolant manually, says Westhoff. It just wasnt practical. The answer was to submerge the parts and the tools completely. Each time a component is loaded and the operator presses cycle start, a custom-made, watertight tank mounted on the machines table floods until the part disappears. It took a lot of faith, says Escolas. We were fine-tuning cutting operations, but we couldnt see what was going on with the part. Sometimes, wed drain the tank, and there would be nothing but shards of glass. Incom now machines more than 90% of its production, and feedrates are typically 30 inches per minute. Now that weve perfected it, Escolas continues, cutting under water produces better surface finishes, the tools last longer, and we can use coarser diamonds.

26 | www.HaasCNC.com

Once Dean Westhoff and John Escolas had worked out how to make the product, it became Quality Engineer Earl Daviss job to understand the processes. The subject of his initial study was one of Incoms Haas Mini Mills. Our priority is always improving and maintaining yield, Davis says, echoing the wisdom of his colleagues. We aim to reduce scrap to a minimum by really understanding the machining process. We felt confident that the Haas machines were sufficiently accurate, so we introduced statistical process control techniques to measure what was causing variation. One feature of the Haas machines that Incom uses more frequently than most others is the Renishaw probing system. The probe allows Incom to export data off the machines that can be used to understand process parameters. Davis chose to use the Renishaw probe data to track the outside diameter of a machined part. This gave him a consistent measurement to track the machines capability for tolerance. A sample was taken every 150 minutes across three shifts. Because each Mini Mill produces 250 to 300 parts per day, Davis explains, this gave us a measurement about every 30 parts.

CNC MACHINING | 27

The first series of tests revealed a process capability of .61 Cpk, equating to 35,000 ppm out-of-spec. Not very good, remembers Davis. So we introduced X-bar charts to the cell so the operator could see what was happening in real-time and an out-of-control action plan, which indicates what to do when the process is going out of control. It turned out that most variation was due to tool wear, and came immediately before and after a tool change. A few years back, we were achieving yields of around 84% for that part, says Davis. Now, were closer to 99%, and process capability has improved to 1.06 Cpk, equating to 750 ppm out-of-spec. The other amazing thing is that the Haas machine is only supposed to cut to 0.0002 inch, but we are regularly achieving tolerances of 0.00015 inch! Its been a long and intensive learning process since Incom first acquired the know-how to compete in the tapered fiber optic sector, but the companys engineers and managers have applied themselves in a way that even W. Edwards Deming would have approved of. Quality cannot be inspected in, the late quality-guru once told manufacturers. Its already there. The key, of course, is knowing where to look, and Incom found it under several inches of water.
Incom Inc. incomusa.com 508-765-9151

28 | www.HaasCNC.com

CNC MACHINING | 29

LIGHTS CAMERA ACTION!

Story and photos by Matt Bailey

Thrilled by the latest Hollywood blockbuster? Amazed by the 3D special effects and entranced by the slow motion action shots? It is too easy to overlook the work that goes into making movies; the finished result depends on technology almost as much as creative vision. The very latest cinema camera technology comes from the likes of P+S TECHNIK. In just 20 years, the company has helped transform the way films are made.

30 | www.HaasCNC.com

Each year at the Oscars, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) celebrates not just the stars of the silver screen, but also the technicians and engineers who help create the movie magic. In 2009, Slumdog Millionaire dominated the glittering 81st annual presentations, winning eight Academy Awards, including Best Motion Picture, Best Cinematography, and Best Director. Less well known is that Slumdog Millionaire was the first movie shot mainly in digital to be awarded the Academy Award for Best Cinematography. The camera that made this possible was the SI-2K Mini from P+S TECHNIK. The team at P+S TECHNIK, based in Munich, Germany, consists of optical engineers who specialise in designing and building high-end digital cameras and equipment for the professional motion picture industry. Founded in 1990 by CEO Alfred Piffl, P+S quickly established a reputation for precision engineering and cutting-edge technology with the development of an award-winning range of image converters (the MINI35 and the PRO35) that, according to Alfred, represent a fusion of classic 35 mm film lenses with digital recording. That reputation rests in part on the firms decision in 1999 to invest in Haas CNC mills starting with a VF-1 vertical machining centre which helps us produce parts with very fine tolerances, including surface flatness of 0.01 mm, says Alfred, a photography enthusiast who originally trained as a mechanical engineer. Then, in 2000, the firm established a creative partnership with acclaimed director of photography (DoP) Sebastian Crammer. This led to the development of the SKATER Mini, a compact, lightweight camera dolly the only one of its kind to merge a small camera head with the dolly in a single unit, giving the photographer direct control over tracking shots in any direction. Once again, the Haas VF-1 mill, with its excellent price
CNC MACHINING | 31

to performance ratio, enabled the firm to make a wide variety of aluminium parts in small, economical batches. Eight years after coming up with the idea, Sebastian Crammer collected that coveted Technical Achievement Award for the invention and general design of the SKATER Mini along with Andreas Dasser, head of development at P+S TECHNIK GmbH, for the mechanical design of the dolly and its family of products. But the SKATER Mini wasnt the only P+S product to help cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle realise director Danny Boyles vivid ideas. Slumdog Millionaire is a brilliant story made all the more magical by its fluid action and amazing sets. Many of these were actually live locations in Mumbai, where only the actors and crew knew that a film was being shot, thus creating the feeling of authenticity that helps make the story credible. Such discreet filming was only possible with a digital recording device that could deliver professional images without looking like a movie camera, which would have alerted the unknowing extras to their role, and jeopardised the real-life feel. That device was P+S TECHNIKs SI-2K Mini digital camera, which the firm launched in 2007 in cooperation with Silicon Imaging. The SI-2K Mini is a complete digital movie recording system that combines flexibility with efficiency in production and processing. It has interchangeable hard drives, giving up to 4 hours of data storage, different viewfinder solutions, battery mounts, and a shoulder set option that provides photographers with an independent digital cine camera ready for use in all kinds of sets or locations. However, the real beauty of the SI-2K Mini is that the lightweight camera head, which houses a 2/3" CMOS image sensor, can be separated from the rest of the camera body. 32 | www.HaasCNC.com

In this way, the eye of the camera can be hand-held or attached to any moving object, such as a helmet, the underside of a train, or a car. Meanwhile, the recording components can be hidden elsewhere such as in Anthony Dod Mantles backpack, cooled with dry ice! As Danny Boyle noted at the time: You can capture a bit of the life thats going on around you without people realising it and becoming self-conscious. In effect, the SI-2K Mini helped Dod Mantle devise a unique visual style that perfectly suited the story. In order to make the SI-2K camera head as small and light as possible, P+Ss manufacturing division, P+S TECHNIK Przisionsteile GmbH, made it from aluminium on its Haas high-speed VF-3SS mill equipped with a TR160 trunnion table. The Haas enables us to precision mill the parallel surfaces between the lens and the sensor location face to a tolerance of 0.01 mm, explains Richard Wagner, who heads the division. It also has fine-pitch threads of M2 X 0.25, and requires high-quality surfaces (it is important that the parts look as good as they work). For machine

CNC MACHINING | 33

finishing, we mount the part in a high-precision clamp using special gripping jaws. In fact, it is the precision and reliability of the Haas machines that Richard particularly likes. The firm now has five Haas mills the original VF-1, and four 5-axis models (a VF-2, VM-3, and two VF-3SS). We currently make some 8000 different parts for customers, with average batch sizes of 50-100 (although they can range from one prototype to 1000 finished items), he explains. Some of these can only be machined on a 4- or 5-axis machine, because you have to be able to simultaneously mill angles and radii so they merge into each other. It is also very economical to produce free-formed surfaces on the VF-3SS using 3D copy milling. Mistakes are rare, because the machines are almost foolproof, but the local Haas Factory Outlet (HFO Gefas) provides quick, friendly, and efficient, on-site repairs, with a well-stocked service van that carries common spare parts, says Richard. In most cases, they can solve a fault with one service call. The machines are also simple to operate, with the same user-friendly control panel, which makes training new employees a fairly quick process. P+S TECHNIK now employees some 40 engineers and continues to invest in machines and employees as it develops 34 | www.HaasCNC.com

new technologies for over 1700 clients, including other optical specialists around Munich. However, the design and development of new film equipment remains the firms main focus, accounting for some 70% of the manufacturing divisions business. So, the next time you find yourself in awe of some spectacular images on the big screen, remember the team at P+S TECHNIK and their dedication to enhancing your moviegoing experience. P+S TECHNIK www.pstechnik.de

Watch on YouTube!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFaMln5WLYw&feature=channel_video_title

CNC MACHINING | 35

The NeW GeNeRATION

hAAS TuRNING CeNTeRS

Haas Automation, Inc. | 2800 Sturgis Road, Oxnard, California 93030

www.HaasCNC.com | 800.331.6746 | 805.278.1800

Normally, we roll these incremental improvements into production without fanfare you simply get a better machine. For our new generation turning centers, however, we redesigned the entire product line to incorporate a wide range of enhancements that make Haas lathes better than ever. Our engineers reviewed all aspects of the machines including motion control, coolant containment, chip evacuation, ergonomics, and serviceability then made improvements, and put everything into an all-new package.

onstant improvement is a way of life at Haas Automation. Were always looking for ways to improve our CNC products and give you our customers more value.

Base castings: Increase rigidity and improve chip and coolant flow . Spindle heads: Increase rigidity and improve thermal stability . Tailstocks: Shorter geometry, improve cutting performance . Redesigned enclosures: Provide easier service access .

New Content

Cogged-style drive belts: Transfer power more efficiently and run cooler . Parts catchers: Capture a lot more parts and require less adjustment . Automatic tool probes: Intuitive interface and unattended operation . Live tooling: More efficient power transmission & max continuous torque .

Engineering is hammering imagination into substance.

Creating the Concept

Story and photos by Brad Branham

California Polytechnic State University sits at the feet of the Nine Sisters a spectacular line of volcanic plugs running through the San Luis Obispo foothills. Its an unusual setting for a university campus, but there is little thats not unusual about Cal Poly. Even its motto is singularly and brilliantly appropriate: Discere Faciendo Learn by Doing. And Cal Polys approach to engineering education raises that motto to philosophy. Unlike most colleges, the education experience here is weighted heavily to hands-on learning and project-building, explains Student Project Facilitator George Leone, manager of the Hangar, one of two Cal Poly student-project labs. The Hangar is a Quonset-style building at the edge of the campus, named for its resemblance to a small aircraft hangar. The other project lab, dubbed the Mustang 60 shop in honor of the universitys mascot, is located in a more conventional building nearer the campus center. In addition to several manual machine tools, the Hangar houses a Haas TL-1 CNC Toolroom Lathe and a Haas TM-1 CNC Toolroom Mill. For engineering students, the ability to program and operate Cal Polys CNC machine tools is a necessity. But other students may require precision machining for their projects, as well, so the Hangar and Mustang 60 labs are open to students of all majors. 38 | www.HaasCNC.com

In many schools, students cant use the machine tools until they are juniors or seniors, but freshmen from a variety of departments get their basic safety certification here at the Hangar, Leone says. They come here to get things done for their project; we give them the capability to make what they imagine. We teach students the basics on the manual machines, then they transition to the CNC machines, he continues. The Haas CNC machines see a lot of use. Theyre bulletproofreliable, and so user-friendly that students can help train other students which we monitor very closely. We have 27 student techs to help us out, and we are really proud of our safety record over a quarter-million student-hours without an injury. While the Hangar is geared toward those just starting to use machine tools, the Mustang 60 lab is available to more advanced students. This lab is something unique, Machine Shop Engineer and Mustang 60 Manager Eric Pulse remarks. This is not a classroom. Its really an open workshop; it is not restricted to any particular class. Thats what makes it different. Thats what makes it so important.

CNC MACHINING | 39

Today, we have two or three engineering design classes and senior projects, as well as some other departments Capstone projects, Pulse adds, looking around. Besides engineering students, there are business students, art students, and even a Graphic Arts guy. We have manual and CNC machine tools, including a Haas TL-1 CNC Toolroom Lathe, a Haas VF-2 CNC vertical machining center, and a Haas TM-1P CNC Toolroom Mill. Projects can get very complex, so the CNC machines are a necessity. Theres no direct lab time or place where these students can work on their projects, other than Mustang 60 and the Hangar. Cal Polys Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering (IME) labs also use CNC machine tools. At the IME lab building, Lab Manager Martin Koch teaches foundry practices and techniques. There are no prerequisites for the basic class, Koch says. We have about 125 students per quarter in this program. Our students learn how to program and use our two Haas CNC Office Mills to quickly produce patterns and dies for making metal castings. Students in the basic class design medallions using their own graphics and MasterCam, Koch explains. Then they generate the codes for our Haas CNC Office Mills, and machine the pattern into an inexpensive machinable wax blank for sand casting. They cast the medallion using lead-free brass. We can go from art to part in about 30 minutes. Students love it, he says. After they see what is involved and what they can do, they come back and learn the details. Our more advanced classes use aluminum and aluminum alloy for lost-foam and investment casting. The IME lab building also houses classrooms and CAD/CAM stations. Our program gets students ready to go out and design for manufacturing, states Dan Waldorf, 40 | www.HaasCNC.com

Professor in Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering. They learn how to set up and operate equipment, how to solve problems on the production floor, and how to design manufacturing production processes. Students plan their projects as if they were going into production, Waldorf concludes. They are constantly reprogramming, retooling, and machining. We have 12 Haas CNC machines here, and students use them a lot. The interface is great. When compared to others . . . well, there is no comparison. James Doerfler and Mark Cabrinha, co-directors of the Architecture Department Digital Fabrication Lab, have different requirements for a CNC machine. An essential element in architecture is how people interact with space, shapes, and contours, Doerfler points out, holding up a small construction of several rounded panels seemingly floating above a wooden frame. These were cut on our Haas CNC router, and mounted on this form to help students visualize the joints. It is a complex space covering. In architecture, we often work at reduced scale, Cabrinha adds. It is very important to demonstrate physical changes, how you see things, lighting effects, and the interaction of people and structures. Thats hard to convey to people around a table watching a computer screen. Models are extremely important. We use our Haas SR-100 CNC router to give texture and contour to our model projects. The Haas allows us to make larger-scale designs and contours. Cal Polys CNC machining capabilities in multiple departments and its unusual student-project labs, heavily reinforce the schools hands-on philosophy. And to great effect. For 2010, U.S. News & World Report rated Cal Poly the best public masters university in the West for the 18th consecutive year. Among institutions offering degrees up to a masters, Cal Polys College of Engineering program was ranked third just behind the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis. Design Intelligence ranked Cal Polys Architecture Department curriculum the best public architecture program in the country. We like to give students the freedom to really challenge themselves, George Leone observes. We drive them to take the risks to succeed or fail. Discere Faciendo.
CNC MACHINING | 41

CNCMACHINING

cycle Time
New European HTEC Website: Tools to Change CNC Manufacturing Education
In June, Haas Automation Europe launched its revised and redesigned Haas Technical Education Centre (HTEC) website: www.HTECnetwork.eu The HTEC website was created to offer improved communications for everyone involved with the HTEC programme in Europe, including students, teachers, HTEC Industry Partner companies, government departments, manufacturing companies, and potential employers. The new site is current in English, German, Italian, French, Dutch, and Swedish; it incorporates links to social media, such as Twitter, YouTube, and the blog of Haas Europes HTEC Coordinator, Mr. Bert Maes. All visitors to the site will have access to exciting, informative, and regularly updated content, such as videos, news reports, and case studies, as well as the latest issues of the Haas e-newsletter and the Haas magazine, CNC Machining. Visitors can also access the HTEC manual, and download the HTEC Concept pdf, which outlines the principles behind the programme and how a school or a teaching establishment can become an HTEC. We are always striving to improve communication amongst the many different HTEC stakeholders, says Mr. Maes, wherever they are, and whatever part they play. This new site is easier to use than the previous one, and it better reflects our vision to help more and more young people get into exciting careers as CNC machinists. It has also been designed with business leaders in mind, and will help, we hope, facilitate discourse and links between education and industry around the world. Rejecting the claims of some mainstream media, Haas Automation believes that Europe is not a post-industrial continent, but is an economic region with the expertise, technology, and incentive to lead the world in high-tech manufacturing. However, much of the Continents engineering know-how resides with professionals who are due to retire in the next decade, which, unless addressed, could lead to a severe shortage of highly skilled workers. Europe faces a crisis, adds Mr. Maes; one which many employers are already having to contend with. We want 42 | www.HaasCNC.com

to be part of the solution. The HTEC programme is based around well-equipped CNC technology labs, and improved relations between education and industry, locally, nationally, and internationally. Companies can see that HTECs increase student motivation by focusing on and improving learning processes, and giving graduates the skills they need for a career as super-technicians in the exciting world of advanced manufacturing. The exciting new HTEC website is a key HTEC communication tool that reflects Haas Automations objective to work ever-more-closely with principals, teachers, and governments to address the skills challenge faced by the hightechnology manufacturing sector.

Metalworking Medalists By Brad Branham

This past June, 5700 of the most skilled and talented high school, technical center, and college students in the nation gathered at the 2011 National SkillsUSA Championships in Kansas City, MO, to compete hands-on in 94 different trade, technical, and leadership categories. The national event brings together students who have won state-level competitions in their respective categories, and pits them against one another and the clock to determine the best of the best. Three contests of particular interest to the manufacturing industry are the CNC Milling, CNC Turning, and Precision Machining Technology competitions. The Precision Machining Technology contest is coordinated by the National Institute for Metalworking Skills (NIMS), with support from several industry partners. NIMS is the only ANSI-accredited developer of precision manufacturing skill standards and competency assessments in the U.S. These national competitions provide a goal for thousands of bright young men and women, observes NIMS Director Stephen Mandes. While preparing to compete at their local school level, theyre honing their skills against national industry standards. The CNC Milling and CNC Turning contests assess a number of crucial production skills, including CNC programming and CNC machining, writing and communication, reading drawings, and performing related mathematical calculations. Also tested are the abilities to complete all aspects of machine setups and produce a part on a CNC mill or lathe, along with many other areas of knowledge and expertise. The Precision Machining competition focuses on proficiencies such as basic machining, manual machining, CNC programming, communication, engineering drawing interpretation, technical math, and using precision measuring and hand tools. NIMS Deputy Director Jim Wall is a SkillsUSA volunteer chair for the CNC Milling, CNC Turning, and Precision Machining Technology competitions. Its a big job, he says, but it is worth it! All the volunteers are just amazed by the quality of the young people from around the country. They are so dedicated and serious about their occupation and trade. Haas Automation, Inc., and several Haas Technical Education Centers (HTECs) also played important roles in this years contests. Haas Automation supported the competitions by donating the use of 34 control simulators, a TL-1 Toolroom Lathe, and a TM-1P Toolroom Mill for use in the competition, as well as providing support personnel. As in past years, HTEC involvement and success in the machining events was extensive, with 72 percent of the medalists in the machining categories having attended HTEC schools. Congratulations to everyone who won medals, especially the contestants in the CNC Milling, CNC Turning, and Precision Machining Technology competitions.

2011 MEDAL WINNERS

CNC MILLING High School Category Justin Gagne Gold Trey M. Smith Silver Ryan Stoll Bronze College/Postsecondary Category Aaron Van Wormer Gold Colton Nunnally Silver Joshua Bedell Bronze CNC TURNING High School Category Tyler Maikranz Gold Casey Rodriguez Silver Jason Saliga Bronze College/Postsecondary Category Macintosh McGrew Gold Sean Parker Silver Ronald Olkowski Bronze Princeton Community High School, Indiana Diman RVTHS, Massachusetts (HTEC) Romeo Engineering & Technology Center, Michigan (HTEC) Diman RVTHS, Massachusetts (HTEC) Apollo Career Center, Ohio Princeton Community High School, Indiana

Vincennes University, Indiana (HTEC) Gadsden State Community College-Anniston, Alabama (HTEC) PTEC Clearwater Campus, Florida (HTEC)

Alexandria Tech College, Minnesota (HTEC) North Georgia Technical College, Georgia (HTEC) Ferris State University, Michigan

PRECISION MACHINING TECHNOLOGY High School Category David A. Calamita Gold Darrell W. McDaniel Silver Troy Howes Bronze College/Postsecondary Category Sean Johnson Gold Terrence Hill Silver Jerry Bonifield Bronze Saint Clair TEC, Michigan (HTEC) Etowah Career Technology Center, Alabama Smith Vocational & Agricultural HS, Massachusetts (HTEC)

Renton Technical College, Washington (HTEC) Alexandria Tech College, Minnesota (HTEC) Southwestern Illinois College, Illinois (HTEC)

CNC MACHINING | 43

CNCMACHINING

the ANSWER M N
Dear Answer Man, I was wondering if it was possible to set up a tool-breakage alarm for a tool that has a different H than the T. If it is possible, how would I do this? Sincerely, Jairus Dear Answer Man, We are considering buying a 40-taper VF-3 with a two-speed gearbox. Can you tell me if it is able to perform thread milling? I was told that you needed a CAM system to do this, is this true? Sincerely, Scott Dear Scott, All Haas mills have thread milling capabilities. It is not necessary to use a CAM system; there are many methods that can be used to generate the G-code required to thread-mill. To calculate the tool path, you need the size, pitch, and length of the thread. You will also need the feedrate, rpm, radial depth-of-cut, and diameter of the thread mill. With these parameters, you can use a program provided by the thread mill supplier, an online thread milling program, or you can write out the code longhand. Dear Jairus, You can create a normal toolbreakage cycle in the WIPS system, and then change the tool number in the line of the program that calls the toolbreakage sub-routine. For example, if you are using tool #5 and offset #66, you would edit the T number in the tool-breakage cycle to (T5.066). You will also need to turn off Setting 15 (H & T CODE AGREEMENT). Here is an example of the edited program:
(Tool Breakage) (ToolNo = 5) (Tol = 0.02) G28 G91 Z0 G90 G49 T5 M06 G00 G90 G65 P9023 A24. T5.066 H0.02 (TOOL BREAKAGE SUB-ROUTINE CALL) % O12345 (THREAD MILL) T1 M06 S1910 M03 G00 G17 G54 G90 X0 Y0 G01 Z-0.6 F50. G01 G41 D01 X0.125 F30. (Turn on Cutter Comp) G03 X0.75 Y0. R0.3125 F11.5 (Move to I.D. of bored hole) G03 I-0.75 Z-0.475 (One full revolution with Z moving up .125 G03 X0.125 Y0. R0.3125 F30. (Move away from the new threads) G01 G40 X0. Y0. (Cancel Cutter Comp) G00 Z0.1 M09 G28 G91 Y0. Z0. M30 %

Dear Answer Man, How do I change my active work offset? The default seems to be G54. I am running the whole length of the table, but keep getting X over travel alarms. I am trying to input the correct values for my G58 work offsets. Whenever I put G58 into MDI and press Start, it stays at G54 on my Positions page and Current Commands page. Sincerely, Kenneth

Example: 1.5x8 tpi thread, depth of .6" using 2-flute 1/2" thread mill at 1910 rpm and 11.5 ipm feedrate. The center of the thread is at G54 X0. Y0. The thread is cut from the bottom up, because it is right-handed; this is also the preferred direction, because of chip control issues.

EXAMPLE

44 | www.HaasCNC.com

More expert Tips Online!

Dear Kenneth, Please change Setting 56 (M30 RESTORE DEFAULT G CODES) to OFF. Then go into MDI and input G58 and press Cycle Start. Your G58 will remain active until another work coordinate system is selected. Here is a detailed description of Setting 56: Setting 56 M30 RESTORE DEFAULT G CODES This is an ON/OFF setting. When it is OFF, no change to the modal G codes occurs at the end of a main program that ends with an M30. When it is ON, an M30 will reset all the modal G code groups to their defaults. If this setting is ON, pressing RESET will also reset defaults. Initially set to OFF from the factory. Dear Answer Man, I am having a problem using the G13 command on our VF-0. The same program runs fine on our Haas Mini Mill, but when transferred to the VF-0, it incorrectly calculates the cutter comp. The tool radius was registered in T03 tool diameter offset at .25, just like in the Mini Mill. Here is the code using a .25 endmill: G13 I.5 D03 F11. This should produce a 1.0" diameter hole, but since it ignored the cutter comp value, it went way undersize. Sincerely, Tim Dear Tim, The problem is a difference in the value for Setting 40 (TOOL OFFSET MEASURE). The Mini Mill is set to DIAMETER, while the VF-0 is set to RADIUS. Please change Setting 40 on the VF-0 to DIAMETER to match the Mini Mill. This setting selects how tool size is specified for cutter compensation. It can be set to RADIUS or DIAMETER. The label on the offsets page should reflect how the offsets need to be entered. Dear Answer Man, In the past, we have made some mold parts. We now have similar parts that are slightly different sizes. Is it possible to scale a part in X, Y, and Z? Is it possible to rotate the part? Joel Dear Joel, This is possible using G51 (Scaling) and G68 (Rotation) commands. G51 will affect all axes X, Y, and Z. Note: The Z axis will not be scaled during canned cycles (G73 through G89). You will need the rotation/scaling option for this program; both are included in the COORD option. If you are not sure if your machine is equipped with this option, contact your local dealer. Here is a programming example:
% 054321 (G51 WITH G68 EXAMPLE) T1 M06 G00 G17 G54 G90 X0 Y0 (THIS IS THE CENTER OF SCALING AND ROTATION) S7000 M03 G43 H01 Z1. M08 G51 P2 (THIS WILL SCALE BY A FACTOR OF 2) G68 R60 (THIS WILL ROTATE THE TOOLPATH 60 DEGREES) (INSERT YOUR GEOMETRY G-CODE HERE) G69 (CANCEL ROTATION) G50 (CANCEL SCALING) G00 Z1. M09 G28 Z0 Y0 M30 %

CNC MACHINING | 45

Dont be distracted by good looks.

Its whats on the inside that really counts.

A trained service technician with the right tools and plenty of the most commonly used parts, ready to solve your problem on the first call now thats a thing of beauty. Thats why every local Haas Factory Outlet has a large, on-shelf inventory of service parts ready to use, and every HFO service van is stocked and ready to get the job done.