Automatic Tuning Cycle can adjust machining parameters based on user selectable requirements on speed, surface finish and accuracy. Machining Cycles include a module just for 5-axis milling and turn/mill with intelligent look-head, gear generation, and grinding.Measuring Cycles include the ability to recheck and adjust volumetric accuracy of the machine as well as 4 th and fifth axis kinematics, tool scanning, and workpiece measurement.There is also a cycle for B-axis plunging that automatically looks for tool interference which can be a danger point with big parts and long tools. Handling Cycles aid part- and tool-oriented functions such as adjusting feed rate relative to table load, automatically sorting tools to minimize magazine indexing time, and more.There are 34 of these routines covering a wide range of operations: These “ Technology Cycles” are essentially preprogrammed routines that apply best practice techniques while also resulting in substantial reductions in programming time. DMG MORI does this not just to bring familiarly to operators working on multiple machines, but also to pack more process knowledge in the control to allow complex routines to be executed without extensive expertise required of part programmers or operators, which becomes all the more important with 5-axis machines. Actually, CELOS is not itself a CNC, but an HMI (human machine interface) that DMG MORI uses on all its machine tools, regardless of the CNC brand – Fanuc, Siemens, Mitsubishi or Heidenhain. The CELOS control does that and also goes a long way to ease and improve the programming process. This capability can eliminate the need for secondary processes, such as sinker EDM in die and mold work.
Full five-axis control provides the opportunity to detail hard-to-reach features-such as the corners of pockets or bosses-and create smoother surfaces in the process. The ability to access more features of a part is simply more pronounced with full five-axis control, as the tool can dynamically tilt away from interference zones on the part. In a process sometimes referred to as “sturtz milling,” the tool is tilted into the cut presenting the radius of the tool to the surface of the part. With five-axis machining, you can even use a flat nose end mill to generate some of the contoured surfaces. To get a smooth surface requires multiple passes with very small step-overs, which takes a lot of machine time and may still require another secondary process to smooth the cusps.
Moreover, with a 3-axis process, there is little alternative to the ball nose end mill to generate contoured surfaces.
The justification for a five-axis machine on these grounds is simple, with dramatic reductions in total setup, machine time and reduced fixturing. With the done-in-one approach, those additional setups are eliminated in addition to potential for error each time you reposition a part. With three-axis machining, jobs might require two, three or more setups to get at all the features of the part.
While it certainly excels at that, a significant majority of the applications are simply used to enable the machining of five sides of a workpiece in a single setup. Some people mistakenly think five-axis technology is only for the most complex parts. Whether you’re looking to introduce five axes for the first time or need higher machining capacity, there are a wide variety of options to consider. With some 47 models of five-axis machines in a variety of configurations, he says, DMG MORI is well-positioned to address the transition to increasingly sophisticated five-axis machining technology.