At CAMX, October 13-16, 2014, CGTech will be demonstrating the process of programming automated composite machinery.
Visitors to CGTech’s booth, #3656, will have the opportunity to receive a thorough overview of the steps needed to get from a CAD designed composite part to CNC programs that drive an Automated Fiber Placement (AFP) or Automated Tape Laying (ATL) machine.
“Manufacturers of AFP and ATL machinery typically supply in-house developed off-line NC programming software with their machine, forcing companies to inconveniently adopt multiple software applications for multiple brands of machines,” said CGTech Product Marketing Manager Bill Hasenjaeger. “But to survive in this industry, a company must be able select the best solutions for the job, without the cost and risk associated with being locked to a single machine supplier.”
Throughout the show, CGTech will be demonstrating VERICUT Composite Applications: VERICUT Composite Paths for Engineering (VCPe), VERICUT Composite Programming (VCP), & VERICUT Composite Simulation (VCS).
VCPe gives the user the ability to measure and evaluate the effects of AFP and ATL path trajectory, material steering, surface curvature, course convergence, and other process constraints as they would be applied in manufacturing. The software also provides produceability analysis of the fiber angle based on the curvature of the part, and overlap and gaps needed for structural analysis. Tape course geometry can be written to various CAD formats for further evaluation by the user’s existing analysis methods and tools.
VCP reads CATIA V5, STEP, or ACIS surface models. It also reads Fibersim, CATIA V5, or other external ply geometry and information. VCP then adds material to fill the plies according to user-specified manufacturing standards and requirements. Layup paths are linked together to form specific layup sequences and are output as NC programs for the automated layup machine.
VCS reads CAD models and NC programs, either from VCP or other composite layup path-generation applications, and simulates the sequence of NC programs on a virtual machine. Material is applied to the layup form via NC program instructions in a virtual CNC simulation environment. The simulated material applied to the form can be measured and inspected to ensure the NC program follows manufacturing standards and requirements. A report showing simulation results and statistical information can be automatically created.
CGTech will also be exhibiting its latest version of VERICUT software. VERICUT is CNC machine simulation, verification, and optimization software that enables users to eliminate the process of manually proving-out NC programs. VERICUT simulates all types of CNC machining, including drilling and trimming of composite parts, water jet, riveting, robotics, mill/turn, and parallel kinematics. VERICUT runs standalone, but can also be integrated with leading CAM systems.
