Delcam’s Vortex and Sandvik tools reduce machining time

By Niraj M Wanikar, Chief Editor, CNCTimes.com, 2014-07-05 11:09:05

Delcam’s Brazilian reseller, Seacam, worked together with Sandvik Brasil to machine aluminium transmission covers for a car being developed by students from the University of São Paulo State. A reduction of 73% was achieved in the machining time by using the Vortex high-efficiency area-clearance strategy in Delcam’s PowerMILL CAM system for high-speed and five-axis machining.

The students regularly participate in competitions organised by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) between Institutions of Higher Education. The competitions let engineering students participate in real examples of project development, with all the activities involved, to provide a practical application of the theoretical knowledge they have acquired in the classroom.

The target of each team is to design and build a prototype, off-road, single-seat car, for marketing to enthusiastic amateurs rather than professional drivers. The vehicle must be safe, easily transported and offer simple maintenance and operation. It must be able to win over rough ground in any weather conditions without damage.

Since being founded in 2001, the USP team has improved its results year by year, winning more than 30 awards in various categories including the national championship in 2009 and 2012, and ninth overall in the finals in South Carolina, USA, in 2010.

Left and right-hand versions of the transmission cover were produced on machines at Sandvik Brasil. Using the Vortex strategy enabled both parts to be machined three-and-a-half hours. Similar parts had already been machined in December 2012, also using PowerMILL, the same cutters and the same machines, when the machining took thirteen hours. This meant that Vortex achieved a reduction of 73% in machining time.

“With conventional roughing, it is necessary to limit the depth of cut and step-over of the tool to approximately 70% of its diameter,” explained Alexandre Magdalon from Seacam. “With Vortex, it is possible to use a much deeper cut and so remove a larger quantity of material with each pass. There is also a significant reduction in the wear seen on the tool.”

“We were very grateful to Sandvik for the help given to us during the tests,” he continued.  “A technical partner like Sandvik was essential to complete this project so successfully because the staff are specialists in cutting tools, with vast experience in all kinds of machining, as well as having a productivity centre with high-quality machining centres.”

According Mr Luis Angelo Veloso, a CAM Applications Specialist at SEACAM, “The use of Vortex strategy is very simple and intuitive; the only challenge is to set the optimum cutting parameters for safe machining. For this, I relied on the long experience of the technicians of Sandvik. Together, we were able to achieve this incredible result.”

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