CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Online Archive
September 2004
Company News
Delcam to Show Latest Machining and Inspection Techniques at Japan Aerospace
Delcam will highlight the company's latest developments in the machining and inspection of aerospace components and structures at the Japan Aerospace Show to be held in Yokohama from 6th to 10th October. Delcam is the developer of both PowerMILL and PowerINSPECT.
At the exhibition, particular attention will be given to five-axis machining, where developments in Delcam's PowerMILL software have lead to much faster and easier programming of complex manufacturing operations. The major benefit of five-axis machining is the ability to machine complex shapes in fewer set-ups. This gives greater machining productivity, as well as reducing the time and cost of preparing fixtures. Furthermore, with multiple set-ups, there is always a possibility of incorrect alignment each time the part is moved.
Another important advantage of five-axis machining with Delcam's latest strategies is that they enable shorter cutting tools to be used. As a result, higher cutting speeds can be achieved without putting excessive load on the cutter, so increasing tool life and reducing breakages. The use of shorter cutters also reduces the vibration of the tool that can result when machining deep pockets with three-axis machines. This allows a higher quality surface finish to be obtained, so reducing, or even eliminating, the need for time-consuming hand finishing.
Another major benefit from the use of five-axis machining is the ability to machine extremely complex parts from solid that would otherwise have to be cast. For prototypes and very small runs, this approach is much quicker and cheaper. It can give lead times of one or two weeks, instead of two months or more that would be needed for castings.
In the inspection area, Delcam will demonstrate PowerINSPECT's ability to undertake real-time inspection, using a Romer CimCore portable coordinate measuring machine fitted with a Perceptron laser scanning probe. The use of laser scanning allows rapid collection of large volumes of data, both for geometric feature inspection and for assessing surface accuracy and quality. It also avoids any contact with the part that might cause marking of sensitive or brittle surfaces, or deflection of thin walls.
The main applications of this approach are expected to be in the inspection of large composite and metal components, including aerospace structures and engine components. Despite their size, these parts need to be produced to a high level of accuracy. It is also essential to ensure that they have the consistency to fit together easily-an especially important factor with the rising use of robots for assembly and subsequent bonding or riveting operations.
The laser probe is capable of collecting and analyzing up to 3,000 points each second. This allows far more detailed inspection of both geometric and surface features than would be practical with a physical probe. PowerINSPECT offers rapid methods for easy analysis of this large volume of data. A filter can be applied to the points so that only those out of tolerance are displayed on the screen or included in the report. Alternatively, the PowerINSPECT colored dots, which indicate whether the point is in tolerance, above tolerance or below tolerance, can be used to produce what is effectively an instant color map of the accuracy of the component.
The larger volume of data, together with the speed and ease of interpretation of the results, means that trends in a series of components can be identified much earlier, possibly even before any parts have moved out of tolerance. Any problem components can be removed from the line before any further work is completed on them. Similarly, any drift in accuracy, for example as a result of worn tooling, can be identified before large numbers of defective items have been produced.
All data collected can be used for more detailed off-line analysis and reporting with PowerINSPECT's wide range of editing options. Furthermore, PowerINSPECT's file format simplifies data management by allowing all the inspection information to be combined with the original CAD data, the sequence of operations and the inspection reports in a single archive.
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