ModuleWorks’ development team has been working hard to add support for barrel mill cutters to their 5-Axis machining strategies. Recent testing has shown the benefits of this as part of the main 5-Axis component and also in the MultiBlade application.
Barrel mill cutters are not new but they have not been commonly used in 5-Axis applications until recently. Their unique geometry form has a number of benefits in the machining process. The effective radius of engagement is larger than a standard cutter form and this will result in smaller cusps between passes leading to better surface finish. Larger step over values can be used and this results in shorter machining times.
The ModuleWorks 5-Axis component allows barrel mill tools to be used with all of the existing machining strategies. The video example below shows how the barrel cutter can be used with the Swarf finishing of an impeller blade. This was a really neat toolpath to watch run on the machine.
This feature is available to ModuleWorks' partners who license the main 5-Axis component or the MultiBlade application.
