Thomson Mathew, ANCA Software Product Manager says: “This upgrade responds directly to what our customers want and need for effective tool simulation. CIM3D V9 allows for customization based on regularly-used features no matter which industry. The simulation quality of ANCA’s software is unmatched and you can simulate complete grinding sequences.”
“The offline capabilities of using the latest CIM3D version mean important background calculations are easily verified, increasing machine productivity. This not only maximizes machine time but for those working from home, CIM3D can be run independently on any computer - so it is possible to do all the programming remotely.”
“We have automated many manual steps and introduced process verification and analysis in a central hub to get improved cycle time, and better wheel and tool life. Collisions can be detected automatically and overall CIM3D V9 is more enjoyable and easier to use.”
The new software offers clearer visualization with the customizable timeline panel – effectively a central dashboard for quicker and easier tool analysis. New tool programs can be verified for size, shape, machine clearance, cycle time estimates, and more.
Chris Wagner, Tool Grind Lead at Acutec Precision Aerospace, Inc. in the U.S has been using CIM3D for 20 years and can’t imagine going back to an earlier version after trialling the latest release. He said: “CIM3D V9 is worth its weight in gold. The new look and feel is current and clean. One of the best features is progressive grinding – it gives the ability to see the exact material being removed as the wheel moves through.”
“The resolution of the graphics is far better than any previous version. Determining protrusion length, cycle time estimation, using the scroll function on a mouse to increment the position, magnification and cross-hair positioning are other great features that make using CIM3D V9 more efficient and productive.”
ANCA’s software experts are in-house ensuring the features of CIM3D are responsive, user-friendly and tailored to the cutting tool industry.
The new features save time while simulating the programmed tool path exactly as it would be ground on the machine
UPDATED LOOK AND FEEL
Brand new interface with new icons and color scheme
Better user experience and a modern look
Customizable toolbars
The animation toolbar has been replaced with a timeline
BENEFITS: Ease of use, improved visualization and highly intuitive design
PROGRESSIVE MATERIAL REMOVAL
Provides a realistic and unique view of the material removal process
Allows visualization of the grinding process during a move
Allows the visualization of the wheel imprint at any point of time
Allows better visualization of unexpected deviations in the wheel path
BENEFITS: Allows the user to view the state of the tool at any point of the grinding timeline
CLEAR VISUALIZATION WITH THE TIMELINE PANEL
Provides an interactive timeline of the grinding process that acts as an animation and analysis hub
Acts as a central dashboard for all analysis rather than having it distributed in multiple places
BENEFITS: Central analysis hub for quick and easy access to save time
TOOL BALANCE ANALYSIS
Provides complete information about the balance of a rotating tool
The output includes the quality grade and imbalance of the tool
This information is then passed on to ToolRoom to balance the tool effectively
BENEFITS: Ability to manufacture high performance cutting tools
SAVE TIME WITH BACKGROUND CALCULATIONS
Simplifies workflow by doing calculations in the background rather than having users kick this off. This saves time and the automatic display doesn’t allow for errors that are accidentally missed. Some of the tasks calculated automatically without needing to be initiated by users are:
Collisions - these are recalculated automatically when machine configuration is changed
Material removal rates - calculated when row is shown in timeline to display the MMR graph
Tool balancing - Tool balancing is calculated automatically when tool balancing dialogue is shown
BENEFITS: Simplifies workflow, saves time, less likely to miss collisions and reduced waiting time
MATERIAL REMOVAL RATE
Provides visualization of the material removal rate (Q) value to visualize jump in feedrates and is useful to normalize feedrates
BENEFTIS: MRR can be used to optimize the feedrates for better wheel life and stable process
MEASUREMENT CAPABILITIES
Allows the placing of three points to measure a radius
Behaves like a 2D overlay – moves with the tool in translation, but not in rotation
Handles the same use case as a shadowgraph
Typically used to measure the cutting profile radii
BENEFITS: Quick and easy measurement methods to save time
CHANGES TO THE SECTIONING PLANE DIALOGUE
Multi-step sectioning plane orientations can now be viewed in the measurement view
Basic and Advanced dialogues merged into a single dialogue
BENEFITS: Flexibility to measure any geometry on the cutting tools in any plane
MACHINE MODELS AND ACCESSORIES
The ‘wheel changer’ tab has been renamed to ‘wheel and coolant’
Option for MX splash guard for better collision analysis
FX5 Wheel Changer added to detect collisions with changer gripper
MX and TX machine models have been updated to use the current color scheme (as per V8 updates)
BENEFITS: Additional accessories for improved collision detection analysis
