Page 31 - MMI- Nov-Dec-2021

Finding solution
Challenges: “We decided to switch to

Programmers at Paragon ESPRIT CAM software because
it supported the latest machine
Medical – Southington
tool features and its powerful
previously programmed
simulation capabilities that en-
complex parts using
able us to optimize the program
machine control. They would
without taking up valuable
enter manual commands machine time,” says Dale Aker-
but would not be sure of ley, Advanced Manufacturing
accuracy or collisions until Department Leader, Paragon
they ran the part for the first Medical – Southington.
time. Balancing operations Akerley began programming
between the machine’s two the tubes with ESPRIT by im-
spindles was also difficult porting the SolidWorks CAD
and time-consuming. file that was provided by
the customer. Importing the
Solution: part geometry saves time and
minimizes errors by ensuring
The company switched that the program matches the Balancing
to ESPRIT CAM software customer’s original vision. ES- operations
because it supported the PRIT then analyzes the import- between the
machine’s
latest machine tool features ed geometry and automatically two spindles
and its powerful simulation recognizes all the features, such was also
capabilities that enable it as the holes and boots men- difficult.
Programmers
to optimize the program tioned earlier. had no way
without taking up valuable He selected each feature of the to determine
machine time. part and picked a tool to ma- whether it
was efficient
chine from a graphical repre-
to perform
sentation of the Citizen Swiss
turning and
commands to coordinate the grammers had no way to deter- lathe. The knowledge base, in- drilling on
operations of the two spindles. mine whether it was efficient to cluded with the software, au- the main
After completing the program, perform turning and drilling on tomatically generates typical spindle and
programmers would not be the main spindle and perform machining parameters such as perform a
secondary
sure of accuracy or collisions a secondary operation on the cutting speed, feed rate, and
operation on
until they ran the part for the sub-spindle at the same time. If depth of cut. Both the detailed the sub-spin-
first time. time is money, then these deci- features on the front end of the dle at the
Balancing operations between sions were doubly important. part and the holes were pro- same time.
the machine’s two spindles was One spindle often sat idle until duced by the laser—which can
also difficult. For example, pro- the other finished its operation. produce nearly any geometric
shape to an accuracy of 0.00001
inch. When the company first
began using the laser, it wasn’t
supported by any CAM soft-
ware, so it required time-con-
suming manual programming.

Benefits abound
ESPRIT sent a technician to
Paragon Medical – Southing-
ton. The technician spent days
working with Akerley to devel-
Source: ESPRIT op a post-processor that auto-

matically generates the instruc-
Paragon Medical – Southington’s first laser Swiss machine, a Citizen L220 Type 8, was installed in 2016. tions needed to set up the laser
Development of laser cutting processes continues to open new avenues of business for the shop. and perform the machining

www.mmindia.co.in November-December 2021 | 31