Delcam Advanced Manufacturing Facility expands metrology and machining
Delcam has expanded the range of equipment within the Advanced Manufacturing Facility at the company’s Birmingham headquarters with the addition of a GOM ATOS ScanBox inspection cell for 3D metrology and reverse engineering, and a Hermle C50 UMT five-axis machining centre.
- (1888PressRelease) June 15, 2012 - These latest additions form part of a more general expansion of the Delcam Professional Services subsidiary as demand grows for its process development and prototype manufacturing services. Delcam’s unique in-house manufacturing facility was incorporated into DPS at the beginning of 2011, after the two groups had worked closely on a number of major projects. In each case, processes developed by the DPS team were proven within the AMF before being transferred onto equipment at the customer’s site.
The GOM ScanBox contains the ATOS Triple Scan 3D sensor mounted on a robot, so combining the accuracy of the ATOS blue-light technology with the flexibility of the robot. This combination offers the highest resolution data from small, detailed parts, while also providing extremely fast scanning of large objects up to two metres in length. The point-cloud data generated can be used for either reverse engineering or inspection with Delcam software.
The Hermle C50 UMT machining centre offers five-axis machining through the incorporation of a trunion for the a axis and a rotary table to provide the c axis. This provides an alternative approach to the existing DMG, Mazak and Huron five-axis equipment and so increases the ranges of processes that can be undertaken and components that can be produced.
Another benefit is that the table within the Hermle can be rotated at up to 500 revolutions per minute, so giving mill-turn capabilities. The main milling spindle is locked in place during turning so that larger loads can be accommodated, while still retaining high speeds and accuracy.
The new equipment will increase the ability of DPS to help its clients to improve their manufacturing processes. These services are attracting increased demand, especially from the aerospace and power generation industries, as many companies now find that their engineering resource is needed to maintain their on-going operations, leaving them limited capacity to introduce new products and develop new processes.
The new equipment will also be used in testing new developments in Delcam’s software. Being able to test developments on-site on industrial-sized equipment obviously gives Delcam a major advantage in proving out its programs before they are delivered to customers.
The manufacturing expertise gained from the AMF forms an important part of the comprehensive support given by Delcam to all its customers. As well as helping the development teams, the experience gained can be passed on to the support staff. They can use this knowledge to give software users more detailed advice on all areas of their work, including aspects like the best choice of machining strategy and cutter selection, as well as the operation of the software.
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