volume 9 issue 33

CONTENTS
26 20

TABLE OF

In This Issue
Who in the world came up with this stuff?
There are so many things in this world that we take for granted. Theyve become such a part of our everyday lives that they no longer raise even the slightest blip on the radar of our consciousness. Yet, those same things once instilled a sense of awe and excitement: They were the greatest things since sliced bread. Take, for instance, the CNC machine tool. Not long ago, the mere fact that a milling machine could automatically carve a finished part from a chunk of raw steel and do it quickly, accurately and repeatably would have had even the most jaded machinist oohing and aahing at the accomplishment. Today, even the most advanced machine tools those multi-axis, multi-tasking, high-accuracy, lights-out wonders of modern technology often raise little more than a slight glimmer of interest. Other examples abound: Imagine the Wright brothers reaction to todays jumbo jetliners, or Henry Fords response to the modern automobile assembly line. And what would Alexander Graham Bell think if exposed to the hordes of men, women and children constantly chatting away on their ever-present cell phones? Perhaps their response would be: Who in the world came up with this stuff? In this issue of CNC Machining we not only ask that question, but also provide a few answers. For our cover story we visited Rexam Glass in the United Kingdom. Arguably the largest glass-packaging manufacturing plant in Europe, the companys facility in Barnsley produces a staggering three to four million bottles each and every day. We show you how they do it, and provide a bit of bottle-making history in the process. On the technical side of things, we have a piece on finite element analysis (FEA), a powerful design tool for analyzing stresses and deflections. Once used solely by the aerospace, defense and nuclear power industries, todays FEA software makes the technique accessible to the masses. We give you a brief overview of the process, and show you how its used to make better machine tools. Better machine tools require better tool paths. Undeniably, modern CNC machines are a quantum leap above their manual counterparts. But according to our friends at Surfware, CNCs still have a lot of untapped productivity potential. To mine that potential, theyve developed a new tool path strategy that disregards traditional machining approaches to dramatically increase programmed speeds and feeds. The results are impressive: Watching a machine with their tool paths in action is truly aah-inspiring. Such innovation is what keeps the world interesting, and keeps the industry advancing. But its the fresh blood coming up through the ranks that will ensure our future. For our education piece this issue we visited Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI). The nations first technical university, RPI was founded to instruct persons in the application of science to the common purposes of life. In the schools Multidisciplinary Design Laboratory, students gain practical, real-world experience as they tackle engineering challenges for some of the largest and most innovative companies in the world. As always, theres much more. Be sure to look over the latest installment in our Taking Control series, which delves into the inner workings of the Haas control. In this issue we explore the Help and Calculator pages. Also check out Cycle Time, for the latest news and information about Haas Automation, and peruse the Answer Man for solutions to some interesting applications problems. Theres a lot to take in. So sit back, relax and enjoy!

VOLUME 9 ISSUE 33

FEATURES
FEA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 GOB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 BOTTLES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 SURFCAM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 CONTROL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

EDUCATION
POLYTECHNIC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

CYCLE TIME
50K . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 EXPANSION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 NEWTECH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

THE ANSWER MAN

TIPS/TRICKS/ANSWERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

On The Cover

6
CNC MACHINING is published by Haas Automation, Inc., 2800 Sturgis Road, Oxnard, CA 93030, 805-278-1800, Fax 805-988-6918. Postmaster: Return invalid addresses to Haas Automation, 2800 Sturgis Road, Oxnard, CA 93030-8933 postage guaranteed. CNC Machining is distributed free of charge by Haas Automation, Inc., and its authorized distributors. CNC Machining accepts no advertising or reimbursement for this magazine. All contents of CNC Machining are copyright 2005 and may not be reproduced without written permission from Haas Automation, Inc. CNC Machining is distributed through a worldwide network of Haas Automation distributors, and by individual subscription request. Contact Haas Automation headquarters via mail or fax to be added to the subscription list. Haas Automation, Inc. & CNC Machining Magazine names. Designed and printed in the U.S.A. CPC # 40675626. www.HaasCNC.com. Haas Automation Europe, ++32-2-522-9905 | United Kingdom, ++44-1603-760 539 | Haas Automation Asia, ++86 21 5046 2202

The UKs Rexam Glass pumps out nearly 4 million glass bottles each day, using hundreds of precision molds machined on Haas equipment.
Photo by Scott Rathburn

Finite Element that is used to Analysis (FEA) is a technique predict and analyze stresses in a design. It is ain thetool vital used extensively aerospace, automotive, electronics, civil engineering, materials-fabrication, and machine toolwas first industries. The process use in the developed for nuclear aerospace and where the power of structures is industries, safety essential. Today, automobile companiesstresses and use FEA to determine in vehicles deformation And during a crash. electronics companies use FEA to solve electromagnetic equations and predict when magnetic-field A N A LY S I S ( F E A ) : strength In F I N I T E E L E new devices. T designing M E N finite element fact, modern analysis software enables nearly any engineer to run a quickly set up athen display model, simulation, graphically. and the results In the not-to-distant-past, however, stress analysis was carried out manually, by performing a series of tedious calculations. Every force acting on an objectit, has a vector associated with and each vector/forcean combination requires to individual calculation it determine the stress these causes. The results of must individual calculations then be combined to an in overall calculation determine the total
N o t J u s t A n o t h e r T h re e - L e t t e r A c ro n y m
B Y A L A S TA I R B R E N N A N

Finite element analysis (FEA) is a technique that is used to predict and analyze stresses and deflections in a design. It is a vital tool used extensively in the aerospace, automotive, electronics, civil engineering, materials-fabrication and machine tool industries. The process was first developed for use in the aerospace and nuclear power industries, where the safety of structures is essential. Today, automobile companies use FEA to determine stresses and deformation in vehicles during a crash. And electronics companies use FEA to solve electromagnetic equations and predict magnetic-field strength when designing new devices. In fact, modern finite element analysis software enables nearly any engineer to quickly set up a model, run a simulation, and then display the results graphically. In the not-too-distant past, however, stress analysis was carried out manually, by performing a series of tedious calculations. Every force acting on an object has a vector associated with it, and each vector/force combination requires an individual calculation to determine the stress it causes. The results of these individual calculations must then be combined in an overall calculation to determine the total stress on a part.

ecause performing these complex calculations requires tremendous computing power, FEA use in the early 1970s was generally limited to high-end industries aerospace, defense, nuclear power with access to mainframe computers. It wasnt until the advent of microcomputers (PCs) in the 80s that FEA began to see widespread use. In recent years, significant advances in computer technology and software development have made FEA methods accessible to the masses. Modern FEA programs are more powerful and affordable than ever before, and the number of industries using them continues to grow. The engineers at Haas Automation have used FEA to evaluate their designs for quite some time. They use a program called COSMOSWorks, which interfaces closely with the 3D modeling program (SolidWorks) they use for their designs. An engineer can open a solid model in COSMOS and run a virtual stress analysis module against it. Forces can be directed at the 3D model at the same angles and magnitude that the part or assembly will see during use. Based on the results, the engineer can make modifications to the component or structure to optimize the design. On parts that have low stresses, Haas engineers use FEA to focus more on deflections. This is the initial step in developing an accurate machine. The accuracy of a machine tool is due to the stiffness of individual assemblies or parts,

rather than their overall strength. Before any new prototype machine is built at Haas, all major components and structural members are evaluated using FEA. This process ensures that every machine built will perform as required, and exceed customers expectations.

What Is Finite Element Analysis?

Finite element analysis is a numerical technique for solving a complex set of differential equations. FEA methods are used primarily to analyze structural, thermal and fluidflow situations when hand calculations cannot provide accurate results. This is often the case when the geometry or model is very complex. While its not necessary to have a thorough knowledge of finite element theory to use such programs as COSMOS, some basic theory is required to understand both the physical problem and then interpret the results.

The Meat and Potatoes of the Program

The FEA program automatically breaks up a complicated shape into a collection of many simple shapes, or finite elements (the analysis software calls this a mesh). Rather than solving one very complicated equation, the computer solves a series of simpler equations for each of the finite elements, and then tabulates and summarizes the results to provide a solution.
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While its not necessary to have a thorough knowledge of finite element theory to use such programs as theory COSMOS, some basic is required to understand the physical problem, and then interpret the results.
While its not necessary to have a thorough knowledge of finite element theory to use an FEA program, some basic theory is required both to understand the physical problem and then interpret the results.
FEA computer programs calculate deflection using the users inputs of geometry, material properties, constraints (locations where the part is fixed or movement is prevented) and loads (stresses). The shape of the element mesh defines the geometry, and the user enters the strength of the material and the constraints. The part design and material define the overall stiffness of the structure, and the applied loads and given boundary conditions on the structure result in deflections at various points in each element. Stress results are computed in secondary calculations using the deflection results. Engineers can use the deflection results to evaluate product performance, and the stress results to check for failure of the structure or compliance to safety factors. Stress or strain results, together with variations in loading and cyclic material properties, help identify areas of concern within the design. The design can then be modified to minimize or eliminate these concerns.

How did FEA come about?

1909: The Ritz method of numerical analysis is introduced.

1960: The term finite element is coined and used widely in the aerospace industry.

1980: The introduction of the PC (microcomputer) allows FEA to be used by virtually every industry.

1943: The Ritz method and calculus are applied to create piecewise approximations.

1953: Use of computers to solve structural problems.

1970: FEA becomes the general method for solving differential equations (stress analysis).

Why Should You Care?

Because it results in better products that are optimized for stiffness, without over-designing them and adding unnecessary material. This, in turn, lowers the cost of the machine. While the benefits of using an FEA program are numerous, the end result almost always equates to a superior product and a reduction in costs. For example, a company can use FEA to simulate the operating range and function of a design early in the development cycle to determine if the concept is even viable or on the right track. This can prevent costly redesigns down the road.

EA programs also allow engineers to test new designs and modify existing designs without having to build actual prototypes. This reduces the cost of testing, decreases the need to make physical prototypes and speeds up the development cycle. And, because designs can be optimized and thoroughly tested using FEA, the overall quality of the product is improved and warranty costs are reduced. As you can see, the common denominator here is the reduction of costs. At Haas Automation, these reductions are passed on to the customer in the form of affordable prices for an ever-expanding line of high-quality, high-value, reliable machine tools.

The Bottom Line

Finite element analysis has gone from being a technology used only in very high-end engineering fields to being a powerful and affordable design tool used by engineers from every industry. This does not mean, however, that just anyone can whip up a design, run it through an FEA program, and have it become the next big thing in the engineering world. On the contrary, finite element analysis is just one of many tools available to design engineers. It does not replace an engineers knowledge and experience; it complements it. And theres more to creating a good design than just eliminating structural and mechanical stresses. Heat transfer, fluid flow and electrostatics will affect a design, as well. But in the end, it takes the engineers experience, research into industry trends, the application of new technology and feedback from customers to create a successful product.

These are examples of the types of forces a machine tool must endure during the machining process. As it operates, the machine is subjected to various forces acting toward or against each other.

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Machine tool components are analyzed to determine the type of stress they will see, and then tested using FEA to optimize their design. This ensures that the finished machine will perform as required, and maintain the necessary accuracy during the machining process.

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Gob.
[ Its
Story and Photos by Scott Rathburn Its a typical English winter afternoon, slightly overcast and damp, with the temperature hovering near 5 degrees C (thats 41 degrees Fahrenheit for you non-metric types). Bits of glass crunch underfoot as we make our way across the yard toward the building that houses the forming machines. We pause outside the door to don ear protectors and safety glasses before entering. Then we step inside. A wall of intense heat rolls over us as we walk through the door, as if from a blast furnace or foundry. A cacophony of mechanical clatter dominates the aural landscape, assaulting our ears, despite the previously donned protectors. Overlying the din, an unusual sound rises above the clatter. A whoosh of sorts, changing pitch from high to low, emanates from above. Looking overhead, I discover the source. Three stories up, glowing gobs of molten glass drop two and three at a time into a network of scoops and troughs, changing from white-hot to yellow to orange as they descend. Each super-heated mass emits an otherworldly screech as it plummets to the equipment below. The individual sounds overlap and intertwine, bringing to mind tiny meteors screaming through the Earths atmosphere like something out of a science-fiction movie. I widen my view to take in the entire scene. Before my eyes the glimmering globules of glass disappear into the tops of the towering apparatus, only to emerge seconds later completely transformed. The machines before me are called individual section machines IS machines for short and their sole purpose is to transform liquid glass into solid containers, in this case, narrow-neck beverage bottles. As I watch this nearly incomprehensible process, one of the first things that crosses my mind once the overwhelming sense of awe wears off is this: Who in the world came up with this stuff? 6 | www.HaasCNC.com
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a Technical Term]

A fish-shaped glass bottle formed using the core-mold process. From el-Amarna, Egypt, circa 1350 BC. The British Museum/Heritage-Images

[A Long Time Coming]

The manufacture of glass containers is nothing new. In fact, the oldest fragments of glass vases (evidence of hollow glass production) date back to the 16th century BC, in Mesopotamia. By 1500 BC, both Mesopotamian and Egyptian craftsmen were producing glass containers regularly, using a core-mold process in which a core of compacted sand or clay was covered with molten glass. While still hot, the vessels were decorated by applying strings of different colored glass to create designs, or by rolling them across textured surfaces to create patterns. When the glass hardened, the core was dug out, leaving a hollow vessel. It wasnt until around the first century BC that the process changed dramatically, with the invention of the blow pipe in Syria. Hollow glass vessels were made by collecting a 8 | www.HaasCNC.com

gob of molten glass on one end of a long metal tube, and then blowing on the other end of the tube to introduce a bubble of air into the glass. The vessel could be shaped and decorated by rolling and pinching the glass while it was still hot. This process has changed little over the centuries, and is still in use today, primarily by artisans and hobbyists. By design, glass blowing is a rather imprecise process. Objects are created one piece at a time, and its difficult to maintain any sort of uniformity from piece to piece. For the skilled craftsman, creating one-of-a-kind masterpieces for the privileged few, this was a desirable situation. But for the workaday laborer, making glass bottles in quantity, there had to be a better way. That better way came courtesy of the ancient Romans, who, with the invention of the two-part mold, developed the first method for mass-producing hollow glass objects. By blowing glass bubbles inside the molds, they were able to create nearly

identical vessels quickly and easily; the process also greatly increased the variety of shapes it was possible to produce. This blow-mold process remained the primary method for manufacturing glass containers well into the nineteenth century. During the 1800s, the typical glass shop consisted of three skilled glass blowers and three or four boys serving as helpers. Using blowpipes and metal molds, the craftsmen created glasses, bottles, jars and other glassware. With the Industrial Revolution came advancements in the glass industry, but primarily to the glass-making process itself improved glass formulations, better melting furnaces and the like. The bottle-making process, however, despite gradual improvements in speed and quality, continued to rely on lung power and human skill to create the finished product. As demand for glass containers increased driven largely by food, beverage and drug manufacturers looking

for cost-effective packaging inventors the world over strove to develop a mechanical means to produce glassware. By the late 1800s, patents for semi-automatic bottle machines had been issued in the United States and the United Kingdom. Philip Arbogast of Pittsburgh developed the first semiautomatic press-and-blow machine in 1882, and Englishmen Howard Ashley and Josiah Arnall developed the first semiautomatic blow-and-blow machine in 1886. (More on these two processes later.) While these machines automated much of the process, they still required skilled labor to operate them. It wasnt until 1899 that a patent was issued to Michael J. Owens, an
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Bottles in the Making

By Scott Rathburn

photo courtesy Owens-Illinois (O-I)

employee of the Libbey Glass Company in Toledo, Ohio for a glass-blowing machine for the automatic production of glass bottles. Owens had earlier developed semi-automatic machines to manufacture light bulbs, drinking glasses and lamp chimneys, but these machines still required the glass to be gathered by hand on individual blow pipes. In 1899, Owens turned his efforts to creating a bottle-making machine that would automatically gather glass in the proper quantities, and then produce a finished bottle all without human intervention. With the financial backing of company owner Edward D. Libbey, and the support of a talented engineering team, Owens turned his ideas into reality. In 1903, the first Owens bottle-making machine, dubbed Number 4, was ready for trials; and in 1905, the first commercial model, the A, was offered for production and licensing. Once the machine proved commercially viable, Owens and Libbey, along with three others, formed the Owens Bottle Machine Company to build and license the machines. At the same time, they applied for patent rights in all other countries outside the U.S. where glass was made. Soon, Owens machines were in production around the world. The model A consisted of six arms, or heads, mounted on a circular rotating frame. As the frame rotated, a series of stationary cams caused the entire machine to oscillate up and down over a gathering pot of molten glass. Each head carried a blank mold, a neck mold and
Continued on page 12

The Owens automatic bottle-making machine (above) arguably was the most significant development in glassmaking since the invention of the blowpipe around 50 BC.

lass, in all its forms, begins as a collection of raw materials: sand, soda ash, limestone, dolomite and cullet (crushed recycled glass), as well as minor ingredients for the refining process. The materials arrive at the glass plant via truck and rail, where theyre stored in huge silos at a batch house. Although vast quantities of raw materials are used, they must be weighed out very accurately to ensure the proper proportions for the type of glass being made. This is done electronically and automatically in the batch house, before the materials are conveyed to the furnace for melting. Fired by gas, oil or electricity, the furnace produces a temperature of 1580 to 1600 degrees centigrade to melt and homogenize the glass, which takes on the order of 24 hours. From the melting furnace, the glass stream flows to the forehearth, where it undergoes conditioning and is brought to the proper temperature for the production machines. Plungers shape the conditioned glass stream and force it to the gobbing point of the feeder, where synchronized mechanical shears cut the stream into precise gobs of glass of the same weight as the eventual container. A distribution system of scoops and troughs delivers the gobs to the IS machine below, where they enter the blank molds. Each section of the IS machine contains two sets of molds:

a set of blank molds and a set of forming molds. The blank mold forms the neck of the container and the parison (a precisely formed pre-shape of red-hot glass). In the blow-and-blow process, the neck of the bottle is shaped first by blowing the gob of molten glass into the bottom of the blank mold (settling blow), and then a second blow of compressed air through the newly formed neck (counter blow) shapes the parison. In the press-and-blow process, the neck of the bottle and the parison are shaped at the same time by a metal plunger pressing the molten glass against the blank mold. For both methods, the rest of the forming process is the same. The parison is then inverted and transferred to the forming mold, where a blast of compressed air blows it into the final shape of the container. Once the containers have cooled sufficiently to maintain their shape, take-out tongs transfer them to a conveyor. The entire process takes only a few seconds. The conveyor transports the cooling bottles through an annealing lehr, where theyre reheated and slowly cooled to relieve any residual stresses in the glass. Once annealed, the bottles are individually inspected, both optically and mechanically, for dimensional accuracy and quality, and then placed on pallets and protected with shrink-wrap for delivery.

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Owens solved the problem with the introduction of the AN machine in 1912. Rather than the entire machine moving up and down, the AN had 10 individual heads that dipped independently into the gathering pot. The dip head design bumped output to an average of 50 bottles per minute, or around 72,000 bottles in a 24-hour period. By 1923, according to a study by the National Association of Bottle Manufacturers, 94 out of every 100 bottles in the U.S. was being made by either semi-automatic or automatic machinery. The introduction of the gob feeder that same year a device that provided a rapid supply of consistently sized gobs for bottle production added further momentum to the evolution of the automatic bottle-making processes. But it was the introduction of the IS forming machine in 1925 (IS standing alternately for independent section or Ingle and Smith, the machines inventors) that took glass container production to the next level. An IS machine consists of multiple forming sections that are fed by a central feeding mechanism, rather than a gathering pot. Since the sections are independent of each other, one or

more can be taken offline for maintenance without affecting the others. Operating in conjunction with a gob feeder, an IS machine allows high-volume, simultaneous production of multiple bottles from a single machine. IS machines generally consist of 6 to 12 sections, with some machines having as many as 16 or 20 sections. The machines can use either the blow-and-blow method or the press-and-blow method to form the containers. Double-gob and triple-gob production (two and three mold sets per section, respectively) are commonplace, with quadruple-gob production also available. Which brings us to the present: The gob feeder/IS machine combination is the basis for nearly all automatic glass container production today. Modern IS machines are capable of producing upwards of 1 million bottles per day, in myriad colors and shapes. With large glass-container manufacturers running multiple IS machines, that number easily jumps into the 3 to 4 million bottle range every day, 365 days a year.

Annealing A controlled heating and cooling process designed to relieve internal stresses introduced in a glass container during and immediately after glass container formation. Batch A properly proportioned mix of raw materials melted to produce glass. plunger for forming the neck, and a finish mold. On each down stroke, a different head would come into contact with the gathering pot, and a suction device dubbed the bicycle pump, because thats what it resembled would gather a charge of molten glass into the blank mold. A plunger then pressed into the gather of glass to form the neck of the bottle. Suspended by the neck, the gather was transferred to the finish mold, where a reverse stroke of the bicycle pump blew the glass into the final shape. The Owens A machine could produce 12 pint bottles per minute, or 17,280 bottles in 24 hours. By comparison, a shop of six men and boys could produce approximately 2,880 bottles per day. The Owens machines also produced a superior product that was more uniform in weight and size than those produced by hand or by semi-automatic machines. This high-volume production, combined with the uniform height and capacity of the bottles, in turn, led to the development of high-speed filling and packing lines. Between 1905 and 1914, the Owens bottle machine underwent numerous design changes and improvements, all of which led to faster manufacturing speeds and higher production volumes. Ultimately, though, the speed at which bottles could be produced was limited by the constant dipping of the machines, which caused excessive wear and vibration. 12 | www.HaasCNC.com Blank Mold The metal mold in which the parison is formed. Blow & Blow Process A method of glass container manufacturing in which the parison is shaped by blowing the glass into a blank mold with compressed air. Cullet Waste or broken glass intended to be remelted. Cullet can be plant generated or recycled from the marketplace. Finish The specifically shaped formation of glass surrounding the container opening, which will eventually accept a cap. Forming Mold (also finish mold) The forming mold, sometimes referred to as the bottle mold, is the mold in which the bottle is blown into its final shape after being preformed in a blank mold. Gob A lump, or globule, of molten glass with a specific shape, temperature, viscosity and weight. The gob will be processed by the IS machine into a glass container.

Glossary
IS Machine A term short for Individual Section Machine. The IS machine is used for the formation of glass containers. It has the ability to have one or more sections taken out of production for maintenance purposes, while the remaining sections continue making containers. Lehr The long, heated oven through which glass containers move on a conveyor belt so gradual cooling will properly anneal and remove stress from glass. Mold A set of cast-iron or aluminum-bronze forms fastened on a bottle machine to provide a means of shaping a glass container. Parts of the set are tips, neck rings, blank molds, finish molds and bottom plates, with a plunger used in producing wide-mouth containers. Parison The preliminary, shaped red-hot glass that hangs from the neck rings as the blank molds open. The parison is also called a pattern or blank. Press & Blow Process A method of glass container manufacturing in which the parison is shaped by pressing the glass against a blank mold with a metal plunger.

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The Law
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Numbers
Story by Matt Bailey | Photos by Scott Rathburn

of

Big

I i

n a day and age when the media makes frequent references to 10-, 11- or even 12figure numbers the personal fortunes of a few high-profile individuals, the market capitalisation of public companies or the number-crunching power of the latest super-computer people have become accustomed to thinking in terms of billions, even if it does stretch the average imagination to the point of brain-fade. For the average engineering job shop or production line, however, an output exceeding 1000 million finished products per year isnt just difficult to comprehend, its simply inconceivable. For Rexam Glass, its business as usual. In terms of physical size, Rexam claims that its Barnsley factory is the largest glass-packaging manufacturing plant in Europe. A total of 13 production lines manufacture an average of between 3 and 4 million glass containers every day. These are formed using a series of blank and blow moulds, and Rexam estimates that up to 400,000 worth of mould tooling is in use on the factory production lines at any one time. To manufacture and service the mould tooling for such a demanding production environment, the company employs a total of eight Haas machine tools including VF-3 and VF-5TR (trunnion) CNC vertical machining centres, and SL-20 and SL-30 CNC turning centres supplied by Norwich- and Leicester-based Haas

Automation Ltd. Roy Illingworth, manager of the companys mould services division, explains the mould manufacturing process. We buy a casting for each particular style of glass container, he says. The material is either cast iron or aluminium-bronze, depending on the final application. The first operation is performed on a Haas VF-3 machining centre. We cut the joint faces, rough out the cavities and prepare for hard edging. After a trip to the welding bay, the job returns to the machine, where the joint faces are finished and the welds are roughed to within a couple of millimetres, ready for turning. The two halves are then bolted together and go on to what we call wasting, which is performed in a special cell consisting of a Haas SL-30 turning centre and another Haas VF-3 vertical machining centre. Wasting is a Rexam process where the rough castings are finish machined to fit into the moulding machines. Firstly, all of the outside diameters are turned on the SL-30, which is configured with a purpose-built fixture designed by Haas UK. It uses custom clamping systems in the chuck and mounted to the tailstock to secure the moulds for machining, representing a quick-change system for fast part changeovers. When this is finished and while it is still bolted together the operator will transfer the job to the Haas VF-3 machining centre, where all of the external milling takes place. This VF-3 also has a customised fixture system that holds the mould between two Haas CNC

rotary tables, allowing all of the drilling and milling operations to be performed in a single setup. From there the two halves are split and go on to profiling, where the cavities are turned and finished. Then, its back on to various Haas machining centres for drilling and engraving operations. As all of this happens theres another area in the Rexam machine shop where two Haas SL-20 turning centres are set up in a cell for machining the mould caps. One of the two Haas turning centres has live tooling to drill holes in the caps, which eliminates having to move the parts to a mill for second operations. Since we bought the Haas machines, mould tool leadtime has been reduced by approximately 10-15 percent, says Illingworth, equating to 1-2 weeks in real time. This translates directly into our ability to bring new products to market faster, a vital factor if we want to stay competitive. But fast, as Illingworth knows, is only part of the story. The accuracy of the Haas machines allows us to keep material costs under control, he adds. For example, if an inaccurate mould produces 1 gram of excess glass per unit, multiplied by three million a day, we have a serious problem on our hands. We sell our products by weight.

Rexam also sells its products by design, pleasing aesthetics being vital to successful packaging. Using Delcams PowerMILL CAM software, the company creates tool paths for a Haas VF-5TR five-axis trunnion machining centre, which engraves decoration into the surface of the mould. Many of the designs were creating simply couldnt be made without the Haas trunnion machine and the Delcam software, says Illingworth. Our ability to produce exactly what our customers want gives us a tremendous competitive advantage.

Lean
Operating a two-shift system, Rexams mould services division has recently embraced lean manufacturing, adopting a one-piece flow format for much of its machining. As one Haas machine finishes a cycle, the next is also just finishing, and is ready to accept a new component. This concept has helped Rexam to reduce both its casting stock and its work in progress. To maintain our production system, machine reliability is paramount. If one of our Haas machines stops it can spell disaster, says Illingworth. Of course, its not good for our

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mould-making operation, but thats the least of our problems. If that mould doesnt leave here and start producing a bottle, we have an idle production line, and we cannot afford for our production lines to stand idle. In fact, the production lines at the Barnsley factory do not stop. They operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and in the event of an electricity failure, the company even has its own generators. The Haas machines have proved to be models of reliability, says Illingworth, which is no mean feat, considering that the material being machined is mostly cast iron. As many a machine tool operator knows, machining cast iron produces a sludge that can settle and solidify when saturated with coolant, becoming heavy to transport along standard swarf conveyors. Such is the scale of the problem at Rexam that Haas UK engineered specially modified swarf conveyors to help the company overcome potential difficulties.

In-House
The company has steadily increased the amount of mould making it undertakes in-house, from 50 percent 15 years ago to nearly 100 percent today. The complexity of the moulds, along with the pressures associated with faster production speed, higher output and reduced cost, have forced Rexam to carefully consider each of its machine tool investments.

Accuracy and repeatability are particularly vital, says Illingworth. As we took the decision to increase our in-house mould production, we have invested in machine tools that are capable of producing the tolerance levels demanded by the factory and our customers. Its all about keeping pace; its no good having state-of-the-art production lines supported by archaic machine tools; it doesnt work like that. The latest Haas SL-30 turning centre purchased by Rexam replaced an older, retrofitted CNC lathe. In fact, the company still operates a further three of these vintage machines within its machine shop, all due to be replaced by Haas machines in the next year. However, Illingworth points out that only two new machines will be required to handle the equivalent quantity of work. The decision-to-buy process at Rexam is not bestowed upon one person; the company deploys a team to undertake a thorough investigation and assessment of options, before reaching a conclusion and making an application to the board for investment funding. This process has always proved very successful, as is the case regarding the Haas machines, concludes Illingworth. The Haas machines have revolutionised the mould services division, and we would have shut down if we hadnt moved forward. The selection of Haas has been the right decision, and they have served us very well.
Rexam Glass Barnsley Ltd +44 (0) 1226 710 211 www.rexam.com/glass

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A N E W T O O L PAT H S T R AT E G Y TA P S T H E T R U E P O T E N T I A L O F CNC MILLING MACHINES

Theres no denying that CNC milling machines represent a quantum leap in productivity over their manual brethren. Even so, numerically controlled milling machines still fall short of their true productivity potential. A bold statement, yes, but the limiting factor in material removal rates is not the machine tool itself, or the cutting tools. Rather, the limiting factor in the productivity of CNC milling machines is the input to the machines the tool paths that drive them. Tool paths force machine tools and cutting tools to perform under the worst possible conditions. Cutting tools are driven into corners where the machining load increases dramatically. Sharp directional changes require machine tools to come to complete stops, and to accelerate and decelerate rapidly and often. Feedrates are maintained at the center of the cutting tool, which does not control how fast the chips are removed, except when cutting in a straight line. Machine tool builders and cutting tool manufacturers have made many technological advances to better cope with these worst-case conditions, but until tool path logic is reinvented, these adverse conditions remain and machining productivity is limited.
B y G l e n n C o l e m a n , V i c e P re s i d e n t o f P ro d u c t D e s i g n , S u r f w a re , I n c .

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Fig. 1

This cycle is what produces the groaning and screeching heard all day, every day, in every machine shop throughout the world. This obviously adverse machining condition is not only tolerated, but is accepted as normal. NC programmers compensate for this with some combination of slower spindle speeds, slower feedrates, smaller stepovers or shallower depths of cut, which, in all cases, cause increased machining time.

Fig. 2

Constant Feedrate
The other staple of existing tool path generators is to maintain a constant feedrate at the centerline of the cutter. But maintaining a constant feed at the tools center causes a nonconstant feedrate at the periphery of the tool, where the chips are actually produced. A simple analogy can be found on a running track. An Olympic track has an inside running length of 400 meters. Most tracks have 85-meter straights, and turns that have a radius of 36.41 meters. On the straights, a runner in lane 2 keeps pace with a runner in lane 1 (the inside lane) by running at the same speed. In the turns, however, the runner in lane 2 must run significantly faster to keep pace; he must cover a longer distance in the same amount of time. Now, move the runner in lane 2 to lane 8, and he must run dramatically faster to keep up, perhaps impossibly so. If the inside radius of the turn is reduced from 36.41 meters to, say, 1 meter, the outside runner must now run even faster. The distance between lanes represents the radius of the endmill. The greater this value is, the greater the disparity in speed. (Imagine a track with many more lanes.) The inside radius of the track represents the tool path radius at the centerline of the tool. The smaller this value is, the greater the disparity in speed. The numbers are dramatic. For example, when a 1.00" diameter endmill, programmed at 100 ipm, traverses a concave tool path radius of 0.010", the effective feedrate at the periphery of the tool is 5,100 ipm. Reduce that tool path radius to 0.005", and the effective feedrate is 10,100 ipm.
CNC MACHINING | 23

Existing tool path generators maintain a constant stepover between cuts, and a constant feedrate at the center of the tool. These two core strategies, though unavoidable with manual milling, actually limit the utility of numerically controlled machines. NC machines have always been capable of running free of these restrictions, but the tool path engines developed by CAM software vendors and even the early computer-assisted programming languages, such as APT keep these strategies not only in play, but front and center. A brief look at these machining dynamics illustrates how a tremendous opportunity to increase productivity has been overlooked for many years.

Constant Stepover
There is a relationship between a stepover value and a tools engagement angle with the material. A stepover value of 50% of the cutter diameter results in 90 of the periphery of the tool being engaged with the material. A 30% stepover equates to a tool engagement angle (TEA) of 66.42, and a 70% stepover yields a TEA of 113.58 (Figure 1). For any given stepover value there is one, and only one, corresponding TEA. But this is true only when cutting in a straight line with 22 | www.HaasCNC.com

a constant radial depth of cut. When traversing a sharp, concave corner, the TEA increases by the supplement of the angle of that corner. For example, when a tool programmed at a 70% stepover (113.58 TEA) encounters a 135 concave angle, the TEA increases by 45 (180 135 = 45) to 158.58 (Figure 2). Consequently, a tool reaches full burial (180 of TEA) when the angle of the sharp, concave corner equals the original TEA. So a tool programmed at a 70% stepover reaches full engagement whenever it encounters a sharp, concave corner of 113.58 or less (Figure 3). These significant increases in tool load are extremely common. A tool machining a rectangular pocket with a 50% stepover value reaches full engagement every time it makes a turn. Each such turn requires the machine to come to a complete stop, however briefly, in order to change directions, as evidenced by the circular dwell marks commonly left on the floor of a part. As the tool enters the corner, it is rapidly and significantly overloaded, increasing the push away from its natural attitude (parallel to the spindle). It then quickly comes to a stop, where it is rapidly unloaded and attempts to spring back toward its natural attitude. As the tool exits the turn, it is then rapidly reloaded, this time to its expected level.

Fig. 3
Fig. 1 For 70% stepover, tool engagement angle (TEA) = 113.58 when cutting in a straight line. Fig. 2 When the tool encounters a corner, the TEA is increased by 180 minus the angle of the corner. In this example, the corner angle = 135. Therefore, the TEA = 113.58 + (180 135) = 158.58 Fig. 3 Therefore, the tool is at maximum engagement (180) when the corner angle is straight line tool engagement angle. For 70% stepover, TEA = 113.58 in a straight line.

In our track analogy, a runner in an outside lane simply falls behind under these circumstances. Clearly, the periphery of a cutting tool has no such option: The effective feed per tooth becomes tremendously out of sync with the spindle speed. As a result, the chips cannot clear, and the tool breaks. Recent tool path innovations that add small radius arcs to keep the machine from coming to a stop (most HSM algorithms), or small-radius circular moves to keep from fully burying the tool (trochoidal milling), actually cause dramatic increases in stress and wear on the machine tool and the cutting tool. To compensate for this phenomenon, whether it is realized or not, NC programmers reduce the programmed feedrate, which, of course, slows the entire tool path. If feedrates arent slowed enough, machine operators must diligently man the feed override control to slow the tool in the corners, which is an additional drain on productivity. Such tool path deficiencies force machine tool builders, cutting tool manufacturers and NC programmers to compensate for the CAM software industrys lack of vision. Efforts to develop software to automate the NC programming process, with the apparent goal of eliminating NC programmers (a bad idea), divert attention from where it should be. CAM software should leverage the tremendous

capabilities of numerically controlled milling machines and modern cutting tools to reduce machine cycle time. This has finally happened.

A True Revolution
A completely new, patent-pending, tool path engine has been developed that maintains the tools engagement angle with the material at or below a user-controlled threshold. This software completely disregards the stepover value, other than using it to calculate a TEA. Since the TEA is controlled, rather than the stepover, the tool paths look completely unlike the tool paths generated with traditional methods, with the shape of the machined feature not evident until the final cuts. The constant machining load on the tool enables the use of significantly more aggressive machining parameters. In addition, the system automatically manipulates the programmed feedrate to maintain an effective feedrate throughout the entire tool path. Every unique, concave radius in the tool path has a unique, appropriately adjusted feedrate. In the above example of the 1.00" diameter endmill traversing the 0.005" radius, the tool path engine adjusts the feedrate at the center of the tool to 0.99 ipm, which maintains the speed at the periphery of the tool at a constant and uninterrupted 100 ipm. Dramatically increased programmed feedrates can now be used. Tests reveal that the feeds and speeds recommended by cutting tool manufacturers are now obsolete. At the recent EASTEC show in Springfield, MA, this new tool path engine was used to drive a Haas VF-2SS a high-speed VMC with a 12,000-rpm spindle and 1,400-ipm rapids. Using a 0.500" diameter, 3-flute, solid carbide endmill, a freeform shape was milled from 6061 aluminum. The tool ran at 12,000 rpm, with a 0.500" depth of cut, 0.375" programmed stepover and a programmed feedrate of 756 ipm! This is triple the recommended feed per tooth for the tool, and the machining was so smooth as to be almost inaudible. Due to the much lower machining loads, the stress on the tool was drastically reduced. After three days of machining, the cutter still looked new. Since this new tool path engine precisely controls the TEA, the tool never encounters excess material. Therefore, the shape of the part is irrelevant. For a given tool in a given workpiece material, any combination of spindle speed, feedrate, depth of cut and stepover that yields the desired combination of material removal rates and cutting tool life when cutting in a straight line on the edge of a block can safely be used on any part, regardless of its shape. With this software, it is now possible to fully utilize the full capability of numerically controlled machines. Tool paths no longer limit material removal rates. Rather than force machine tools and cutting tools to operate under worst-case conditions, this new tool path engine turns all conditions into best-case conditions. This new patent-pending technology, called TrueMill, is only available in SURFCAM Velocity by Surfware, Inc.

Surfware, Inc. 818-991-1960 www.surfware.com

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I N N O VAT I O N O N T H E H U D S O N
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
S t o r y a n d P h o t o s b y R i c h a rd B e r r y

Of course it can be done . . . quite simply, too. Then why hasnt someone already done it?
O p i n e d t h e N e w Yo r k G a z e t t e , O c t o b e r 2 4 , 1 8 0 6 .

It was mid-summer of 1807 when someone surprisingly did just that. Before a crowd of interested bystanders and jealous competitors, an outsider named Robert Fulton lit a fire and sailed his steamboat up the Hudson River . . . all the way to Albany. In the process, he ushered in a golden age of American technological innovation. Despite what you may have learned in third grade, Fulton was not the man who invented the steamboat. He was the man who made it work. And the distinction is important. Details considered trivial by the insiders how to collect clean water for the boiler, how to insulate the steam pipes for more efficiency, how to keep the bless-ed boat from catching on fire were all taken seriously by Fulton. Those trivial details made all the difference, and when Fulton resolved them, he turned scientific theory into practical reality.

Two centuries later, we find the Devil is still in the details, so to speak. And all too often, those closest to the technical problems just cant see them. Wheres the person who can think and do, who has solid theoretical knowledge and a clear sense of the practical? The person who can make it work? A very modern old traditional university in the State of New York is educating that person at this very moment. We have no way of knowing if Stephen Van Rensselaer was one of the interested bystanders on the banks of the Hudson that day in 1807, but its a pretty good bet he was. Well heeled, technically inclined and politically savvy, Van Rensselaer was, above all, a man who appreciated the practical side of things. He probably wouldnt have missed it for the world. Born to wealth and privilege in the years just before the Colonies became a new country, Van Rensselaer became a Harvard graduate and a four-term member of Congress. In later years, he became a driven philanthropist, devoting his considerable wealth and influence to projects he felt would change the world . . . for the better. The greatest American building project of the time was the Erie Canal, and Van Rensselaer gave that endeavor all the support he could muster. As the engineering marvel neared completion at the top of the Hudson, Van Rensselaer felt the need to do something more. Four months before the Erie Canal opened, changing the face of American commerce, Stephen Van Rensselaer established the nations first technical university on the rolling bluffs above the town of Troy, New York.

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), as it became known, was idealistically chartered in that golden time to instruct persons in the application of science to the common purposes of life. And so it has. After 180 years of steady growth, Rensselaer today is effectively applying scientific knowledge to the common purposes of life better than just about any institution of its kind. With a tradition of esteemed movers and shakers in its long history of graduates, Rensselaer is one of the preeminent technological universities in the world. An early RPI alum came up with the fantastic idea of the Ferris wheel, and turned it into reality. Another developed an ingenious cathode-ray tube that made possible the miracle of television. More recently, the university lays claim to numerous astronauts and aerospace engineers, as well as the visionary Intel engineer now regarded world-over as the father of the microprocessor. A few years ago, RPI was described as a place where MTV and Nintendo meet Sir Isaac Newton. Given the schools current curriculum, however, which spans such diverse fields as media arts and nanotechnology, its probably more descriptive to say its where iPod meets Einstein. While continuing to revere the tradition of being the oldest operating school of its kind, RPI has consistently built a reputation for instructing students with the most modern technology of the times. Today, that technology includes state-of-the-art CNC machine tools. RPIs renowned Multidisciplinary Design Laboratory, part of the School of Engineering, is where practical, realCNC MACHINING | 27

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world experience meets cutting-edge textbook theory. Its here that students use what theyve learned to solve real engineering challenges for some of the worlds biggest and most innovative companies, the RPI website states. Integrated into the MDL is a full-featured machine shop. A cooperative effort between RPI, Haas Automation and the local Haas Factory Outlet (a Division of Allendale Machinery), the shop is an official Haas Technical Education Center (HTEC). Haas Automation has played a growing role in RPIs educational process for more than 4 years, providing the university with an array of CNC machines, technical support and material contributions. According to Sam Chiappone, RPIs Manager of Fabrication and Prototyping Resources, its made a significant difference for our students. The HTEC is considered the most sophisticated CNC machine shop on campus, and its dedicated exclusively to student use. Theres a VF-2 vertical machining center, a Mini Mill, a Toolroom Mill and an SL-10 turning center installed at present. MDL Director Mark Steiner confides, When I bring students around to the Haas Tech Center, their first question is, Can I really use those machines? Most people who go into mechanical engineering want to get their hands dirty and actually cut parts, Steiner adds. I know I did. Students quickly discover that sophisticated machines neednt be intimidating, and through hands-on experience they learn the operational requirements and practical limitations of modern CNC machining. As Sam Chiappone sees it, We need to make sure the engineers who graduate from RPI have a true appreciation for the different manufacturing processes, and for what it takes to make something: What are the steps involved? What is that person on the shop floor actually going through with programming and working with that machine? What are the implications if I put a hole

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Hindsight is
power plants, needed a practical, magnetic crud catcher that would allow them to . . . collect clean water for the boiler. That, you may recall, is one of the small details that Robert Fulton faced and solved when his project was the next generation. Remarkably, Rensselaers 21st Century challenges dont seem all that different from those of the 19th Century theyre just a round or two up the spiral of technical evolution. But with one foot planted solidly in each of those centuries, RPI clearly is more than just a simple interested bystander on the bank of the Hudson. Its the one who will continue to change the world . . . for the better.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) 110 8th Street, Troy, NY 12180 518-276-6000 www.rpi.edu

or in this case, it can get you

20/20
road test of some missed opportunities.

a 200-HOUR
The Haas try em before you buy em offer

Performance-Enhancing

CNC Options
For Your Haas Machine
in this part at this particular orientation? Do I need another setup on a machine, or can I do it in one? Its really important that our students get practical knowledge in those areas. Understanding the whole process helps when designing for complete efficiencies. Some students naturally have more of a feel for the CNC machines than others do. If theyve gone through the CAM class, explains Chiappone, theyre usually pretty proficient at generating code and understanding exactly whats going on with the machine tools. Students who work on involved projects like the Formula SAE car theyre very good. With the Haas equipment available for the students to use, were finding that more and more students are becoming really proficient with them. That proficiency allows students to tackle applications as simple as soap-dish molds for their senior Advanced Manufacturing Laboratory class, or as complex as concentric fittings for an industrial sponsors magnetic water filter for nuclear power plants. The students particularly enjoyed the last one, which has been dubbed the crud catcher. Industry-supported projects are a major dividend of the Multidisciplinary Design Lab. Some of the worlds biggest and most innovative companies turn to Rensselaers MDL students for fresh outsider thinking. In the process, they reap practical solutions to some major engineering challenges. General Motors used the students engineering knowledge, and their first-hand knowledge of the Generation Y consumer, to help redesign the Saturn Ion for more marketplace appeal. General Electric approached RPI for ideas to wring more power and efficiency from their steam turbines. And Lockheed-Martin, which is designing the next generation of nuclear

Whats Available?
VMC and HMC try-out options:
High-Speed Machining Rotation and Scaling Spindle Orientation Rigid Tapping Macros Spindle Orientation Rigid Tapping Macros (Parameter 315, HIGH SPEED) (Parameter 57, ENA ROT & SC) (Parameter 57, M19 SPND ORT) (Parameter 57, RIGID TAP) (Parameter 57, ENABLE MACRO) (Parameter 57, M19 SPND ORT) (Parameter 57, RIGID TAP) (Parameter 57, ENABLE MACRO)

Lathe try-out options:

How do I try them?

Contact your local Haas Factory Outlet or distributor. They will fax, e-mail or walk you through the routine over the phone. Its a quick 8-step process that will take you only a few minutes. To find your local distributor, go online to www.HaasCNC.com or call 800-331-6746.
Once activated, your option demo will last for 200 running hours. You will not be warned when the maximum time is approaching. However, the free demo will not turn itself off in mid-operation, but will shut off at the next power down. Talk to your dealer about managing your 200 free demo hours by toggling the demo options on and off.

How do I buy them?

To purchase any of the options from this demo, contact your local Haas Factory Outlet, or go to www.HaasCNC.com for the authorized distributor nearest you.

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T A KI N G
Help

C ONTROL
a nd

Part

II
Or, use the alpha keypad to enter a topics single letter designation to jump directly to its page. Most of the topics are pretty self-explanatory. Give them a quick look now, and youll know what information is there if or more likely, when you need it later. On the newest Haas controls (starting in June of 2005), the Help feature got even easier to use. The same initial Help page gives you a quick summary of information, but you can also now search for a topic or a word within the Help Manual. This is similar to the Help feature on a desktop computer. Pressing the HELP/CALC button a second time takes you straight to the CALCULATOR pages. Here youll find five interesting screens designed to make the task of programming linear moves, circular moves, and speeds and feeds on the machine much easier. Use the PAGE UP and PAGE DOWN buttons in the cursor group to step through the calculators. Each calculator page has a simple math calculator in the upper left corner. Values are entered using the numerical keypad and the WRITE/ENTER key, and the desired math function (LOAD, +, -, *, /) is selected by using the left or right cursor button to highlight it. To perform a simple computation, highlight the LOAD function first, and then enter a number with the keypad and press WRITE/ENTER. Then, highlight the desired math function (+, -, *, /), and enter a second number using the keypad. Pressing WRITE/ENTER will perform that calculation and show the result in the calculator box. To perform multiple operations in sequence, simply repeat the process.

Screens

Calculators

B y E r i c B o w m a n a n d R i c h a rd B e r r y

Theres no argument that computer numerical control has made modern machine tools unimaginably productive, or that interfaces like the Haas control have made them easier to operate than ever before. But certain things remain unchanged. Although CNC puts never-before power and precision at your fingertips, its still get the job done knowhow that defines a good machinist. At Haas, thats one area where the computer part of CNC really shines. Inside that familiar gray box theres a wealth of practical information and powerful features to help you get the job done. In the last issue, we presented a general introduction to the Haas control. But, as we hinted, youve only seen the tip of the iceberg. In this issue, well dip below the waterline a

bit, and explore some features more deeply. Again, if youre new to Haas machines, this articles definitely for you. But even if youre a longtime user, you stand a good chance of discovering a nugget or two you may have overlooked. This time out, were directing your attention to the HELP/CALC button. Youll find it in the lower right corner of the DISPLAY group in the middle of the keypad. Press this button once, and youll find a 27-page mini-manual briefly outlining nearly every function of your machine. The first page, titled HELP FUNCTION, provides a complete directory of topics, along with simple instructions for finding them. To find each of the topics in order, simply use the cursor keys or the jog handle to scroll down the page.

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Taking C
CNC MACHINING | 33

Most of the topics are pretty self-explanatory. Give them a quick look now, and you'll know what information is there if or more likely, when - you need it later.

The basic calculator will also accept longer mathematical equations that can be typed in on the input buffer, such as 0.25*8/0.25+4-2. When a problem has multiple steps, highlight the LOAD function first, and then enter the complete equation, using the numerical keypad for both the numbers and the math operators (0.25*8/0.25+4-2). Press WRITE/ENTER after the entire equation is entered to perform the calculation (=10). The equation is evaluated by doing multiplication and division first, and then the remaining operations. This internal calculator has the advantage of allowing you to copy and paste your results directly into the program youre working on, or into one of the specialized calculators well discuss later. Theres no need to transfer numbers manually and risk transposition errors from re-entered data. Well explore this more in a paragraph or two. In addition to the basic calculator in the upper left, this section has four specialized calculators to help solve trigonometric problems with triangles, circles and tangents, as well as a speeds-and-feeds calculator. The first screen that comes up is the triangle calculator. Begin entering the lengths and angle values for your problem triangle, and when enough data has been entered, the calculator will solve the triangle and display the remaining values. Use the UP and DOWN arrow keys to select where to enter your numbers. Then use the numerical keypad and press WRITE/ENTER to enter each number. You cannot write over a

number that has a highlighted title next to it, because that is a calculated number. To enter a different value over that calculated number, you must clear one of the other entered numbers. To do this, press SPACE and then ENTER. If youve arrived at one of your entry numbers using the basic calculator, you can move that result into any highlighted line of the specialty calculator box by pressing the F3 key. You can also reverse that trick. To copy any highlighted value from the specialty calculator into the basic calculators window, press F4. Whichever math operation is highlighted (LOAD, +, -, *, /) will be executed at the same time. Then youre free to add, subtract, multiply or divide the value using the basic calculator.

In addition to the basic calculator in the upper left, this section has four specialized calculators to help solve trigonometric problems with triangles, circles and tangents, as well as a speeds-and-feeds calculator.

Control
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Taking C
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Taking Control
To try out this copy-and-paste trick, switch to the EDIT mode (press EDIT) to view the program youre working on. Press F3, and the value thats in the calculator box will show up at the bottom left of the EDIT page on the data entry line, ready to be entered into your program. Youve now come full circle, or in this instance, full triangle, without ever touching paper or pencil. The next screen really will take you full circle. Press the PAGE DOWN button and the triangle calculator page changes to the circle calculator. This screen works almost exactly like the last one, but even better: The circle calculator generates sample G code in the process. Youre given code for circular moves in absolute and incremental commands. Simply highlight the line that you desire, switch to the EDIT screen and press F3 to copy the selected line from the circular calculator to the data entry line, ready to be inserted into your program. Press PAGE DOWN again, and youll discover the third specialty calculator, often referred to as the milling and tapping (turning and tapping on lathes) calculator page. This calculator may be the most useful. On mill controls, the screen heading reads MILLING; on lathe controls, it reads TURNING. Enter recommended surface-speed and chip-load values for the material youre cutting, along with the diameter of the part or tool and the number of flutes. The control will calculate the rpm and feedrate based on the numbers you entered. You define certain values, and the control will calculate the rest. This comes in handy when programming at the machine, or when fine-tuning a program thats already running to make it run better. The MILLING version of this screen includes a field called MATERIAL that provides recommended surface-speed and chip-load values for 21 different metals. Use the LEFT and RIGHT cursor keys to scroll through the list for materials as diverse as Gray Class 20 Cast Iron and Cobalt Based Heat Resistant Alloy. The lower half of this same speed and feed screen contains a straightforward calculator for computing thread pitch, rpm and feedrate values for rigid tapping. Enter any two values, and the calculator will figure out the third. The last two calculator screens help solve additional trigonometry problems. Successive PAGE DOWN presses reveal the CIRCLE-LINE-TANGENT and CIRCLECIRCLE-TANGENT pages. These screens let you determine points of intersection between a circle and line meeting at a tangent, or between two circles and the tangential lines connecting them. Such problems appear more often than we assume, and are awkward to solve without a calculator. The CIRCLE-CIRCLE-TANGENT situation is the most involved, because there are four points that are tangent within two lines and two circles. Entering the XY location and the radius for both circles will give you the four tangent points in both X and Y axes. Pressing F1 will toggle you between the two different solutions. Then follow data prompts to enter F (from) and T (to) point coordinates, and youll be given an automatically generated G-code solution. As before, you can transfer the line of G-code into your program, in EDIT mode, by pressing F3 to paste the highlighted code into the data input line. In nearly no time, your interpolation command is ready to go. In addition to these useful calculators, you can access two more useful screens with the HELP/CALC button. Pressing the button a third time reveals a complete decimal and metric-equivalent drill-and-tap chart. Scroll down to find fractional, numbered and letter drill sizes up to 1", along with tap sizes and metric equivalents. Pressing HELP/CALC again will display a real-time clock showing the current date and time. This is an easy location to change the date and time on your machine so that the information recorded on your machine is correct. We realize that most, if not all, of the information found in the HELP/CALC screens is also printed in your Haas Operators Manual or a good machinist guidebook. But when youre operating a Haas machine, the control is right in front of you, and theres no need to waste time searching elsewhere. Just press a button, and youll most likely find your answer. The HELP and CALCULATOR features were designed into the Haas control for one important reason your convenience. This series continues in the next issue, where youll discover still more of the hidden power in the Haas control. Features weve covered are found in the latest versions of the Haas control software. If you own an older machine or an earlier version of the software, check with your local Haas Factory Outlet. It may be a simple task to upgrade your unit to include these latest resources.

This article is the second in a series that will examine the many advantages of the Haas control. The information youll find here can also be found under the solutions/applications menu on the Haas Automation website, www.HaasCNC.com. Check us out there if you cant wait for the next installment!

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CNC MACHINING | 37

CNCMACHINING

cycle Time
Haas News Thats Fit To Print
Company Ships 50,000th Machine
Haas Automation, Inc., the largest machine tool manufacturer in the U.S., is pleased to report the companys latest milestone: The production, sale and installation of the 50,000th Haas CNC machine tool. Machine number 50,000 an SL-20APL CNC turning center with automatic parts loader came off the production line February 16. Bearing a commemorative plaque, the machine went to Western Saw of Oxnard, California. A leading manufacturer of saw, tube and laser technology for more than 60 years, Western Saw is a neighbor of Haas Automations. The SL-20APL is Western Saws fifth Haas turning center.

New Haas Technology

EC-400 HMC with Pallet Pool
The new Pallet Pool for the Haas EC-400 caused much excitement at WESTEC in April. Customers agree that the Pallet Pool provides a new dimension of affordable, flexible machining capabilities. The Pallet Pool will be offered as part of a new, packaged machine called the EC-400PP. The EC-400PP will include the 6-pallet Pallet Pool, 70-tool sidemount tool changer and belt-style chip conveyor. The Pallet Pool is graphically integrated with the machine control through the Pallet Schedule Table (PST) page under the Current Commands display. The machine will also include a group of control options of high value in flexible machining operations. Currently, the Pallet Pool HMC is scheduled for first deliveries as early as October of this year. (See it moving online at http://www.haascnc.com/news_videos.asp#news)

Haas Automation General Manager Bob Murray (center) presents the 50,000th Haas CNC Machine commemorative plaque to Kraig (left) and Kevin Baron, President and CEO of Western Saw, respectively.

New Expansion: Facility to Top 1 Million Square Feet

Haas Automation has begun construction of a new 211,000-sq-ft building at its headquarters and manufacturing facility in Oxnard, California. The new addition represents the third building expansion in 9 years for Haas, and will push the company past the million-square-feet milestone.

Thats why we bought 86 acres when we moved here, explains Haas General Manager Bob Murray. We planned that, as our business grew, wed put up new buildings to expand our capabilities. With worldwide demand for its products reaching alltime highs, the companys sales have more than doubled over the last two years, driving production to record levels. Haas now is on target to produce a staggering 10,000 machines in 2005 a number to challenge any machine tool builder in the world. This new building will serve as a warehouse for component parts, as well as inventory of finished machines, continues Murray, freeing existing space for more manufacturing. Its completion in February (2006) will coincide with the delivery of millions of dollars worth of new equipment we purchased at IMTS last year. This expansion will give us the additional machine shop capacity and mechanical assembly space well require to continue our growth.

The EC-500 HMC A Late Summer Blockbuster

Haas Automations new generation of horizontal machining centers the EC Series is designed to meet the needs of todays customers right out of the box, without requiring them to invest in a lot of expensive options. The performance is built into the machines.

The latest addition to the Haas EC Series is the EC-500. It features a 32" x 20"x 28" work cube, dual pallet changer with 500 mm pallets and a built-in, high-precision pallet indexer. The machine comes standard with an 8,000-rpm, 40-taper spindle powered by a 20-hp vector dual drive system. Also standard are a 40-pocket side-mount tool changer, 1000ipm rapids, a floppy disk drive, 1 MB of program memory and a high-volume coolant system. To eliminate downtime associated with manual chip removal, the EC-500 is equipped with a triple-auger chip conveyor system that removes chips from the enclosure quickly and efficiently. For added performance, a 12,000-rpm spindle powered by a 30-hp vector dual drive system is available as an option. This spindle provides additional horsepower for heavy cuts, as well as 50% more speed for high-speed machining operations. Both spindles feature a unique inline, direct-drive system that couples the motor directly to the spindle rather than using belts, and the on-the-fly wye-delta switching provides plenty of low-end torque and a wide constant-horsepower band, without having to stop the spindle to change windings. The EC-500 comes standard with a high-precision, face-gear pallet indexer (Hirth-type coupler) that provides 1-degree indexing. The machines enclosure allows a maximum part swing of 29.5" on the indexer,
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with a maximum swing of 71" for the pallet changer. A full 4th axis is also available. The servo-driven pallet changer on the EC-500 swaps pallets in just 9 seconds, and each 500-mm pallet has a load capacity of 1,000 lb (660 lb with full 4th axis). A separate load station allows the operator to safely load/unload parts or change fixtures on one pallet while parts are being machined on the other, keeping spindle run time at a maximum. spindle accepts a number of optional chucks. The machines high-speed cross slide features travels of 12"x 8" (x, z) and accepts a variety of gang-style tooling.

Extended Y-Axis Machines Expand VMC Line-Up

To meet the needs of shops wanting additional Y-axis travel without stepping up to a much larger machining center, Haas Automation now offers two new extended Y-travel vertical machining centers. The VF-2YT features travels of 30" x 20" x 20" with a 36" x 18" table an increase of 4" in Y over the standard VF-2. The VF-3YT has travels of 40"x26"x 25" with a 54"x 25" table up 6" in Y from the standard VF-3. Both machines come standard with a 7,500-rpm spindle powered by a 20-hp vector dual drive system. A 20-pocket carousel-style tool changer is also standard. As with all Haas VMCs, a large selection of highproductivity options are available to tailor the VF-2YT and VF-3YT to the specific needs of each shop, including 10,000rpm, 15,000-rpm or 30,000-rpm spindles. For heavy cutting operations, a two-speed gearbox option that yields 250 ft-lb of torque is also available. Other options include a chip auger system, programmable coolant nozzle, high-speed machining with full look-ahead, a hard disk drive with Ethernet interface and USB support, a side-mount tool changer and much more.

70-Pocket SMTC
To support automated machining on the EC-400 and EC-500 HMCs, Haas now offers a 70-tool side-mount tool changer. The 70-tool changer features 1.6 second tool-to-tool and 2.8 second chip-to-chip times. The SMTC 70 will allow a maximum tool diameter of 2.75" with all pockets full, and 6" with adjacent pockets empty. Maximum tool length is 12" and max tool weight is 12 pounds.

An Office Mill with Larger Travels

More and more industries are discovering the advantages of CNC machining, but many are unable to fit a normal CNC machine into their facility. The new OM-2 Office Mill provides the solution. This ultra-compact machine is small enough to fit through a 36" doorway, and can be moved easily with a pallet jack or equipment dolly. With its small size and light weight, the OM-2 also fits into most freight elevators, and with the optional caster kit, it can be rolled from one location to another. The machine runs on single-phase power (240 VAC). The OM-2 features a work envelope of 12" x10"x 12" (xyz) and a 20"x 10" T-slot table. In standard configuration, the machine comes with a 50,000-rpm brushless micro motor spindle. For higher-production work and added flexibility, a Haas-designed ISO 20 spindle (40,000-rpm) and 20-pocket automatic tool changer are available. For full 4th- and/or 5th-axis operation, Haas has designed a pair of ultra-compact rotary tables that fit easily into the OM-2s work envelope. The HRT110 is a single-axis rotary table, and the TR110 is a dual-axis trunnion table. Both units index at up to 300 deg/sec, and provide 65 ft-lb of spindle torque. They each feature a 110 mm (4.33") platter that accepts a variety of workholding and fixturing options. For facilities needing turning capabilities as well, Haas also offers the equally compact OL-1 Office Lathe. It features a 5-hp (peak) spindle that spins to 6,000 rpm; the 5C threaded

More Good Tool News

Increased tool capacity for EC-1600 series HMCs is on the way. The new 50-tool, 50-taper tool changer will be available in limited quantities for delivery in mid-August this year. Maximum tool diameter will be 4" with the tool changer full and 10" with adjacent pockets empty. Maximum tool weight will be 30 pounds.

The VM-2 is equipped with a 12,000-rpm, 40-taper spindle that uses a unique inline, direct-drive system that couples the motor directly to the spindle rather than using belts (a major source of heat). This results in less vibration, less heat and less noise than other drive systems, providing excellent surface finishes, extreme thermal stability and quiet operation. Powered by a 30-hp vector dual drive system, the spindle produces plenty of low-end torque, as well as the speed necessary for high-speed machining. On-the-fly wyedelta switching provides a wide constant horsepower band. To ensure thermal stability, coolant is circulated through a jacket in the VM-2s head casting to remove heat generated by the spindle. The headstock is also lined with insulating material to prevent radiated heat from affecting the casting, and air is circulated through the entire assembly for additional cooling. An electronic thermal compensation algorithm in the Haas control accurately models ballscrew heating from high duty cycles and automatically corrects for any expansion that could cause positioning errors. Available options include linear scales, Visual Quick Code probing and expanded program memory (up to 16 MB).

Expanded Line of High-Speed VMCs for Mold Makers

Following on the success of the VM-3, Haas expands its new line of VMCs designed for the mold industry. The companys latest entry is the VM-2, a high-performance machine with a 30" x 20"x 20" work cube, 36"x 18" table, 12,000-rpm inline direct-drive spindle and a high-speed control with full look-ahead. Like all Haas VMCs, the VM-2 features massive cast-iron construction. Heavy internal ribs on the castings increase rigidity and damp vibrations. Highprecision linear guides on all axes further increase rigidity and stiffness, while providing a low coefficient of friction and long-term reliability. High-speed brushless servos, combined with fine-pitch ballscrews and high-resolution digital encoders, ensure ultraprecise positioning and extreme repeatability.
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Dear Applications: It would save me a lot of time if I could edit another program while Im making a part. Is it possible to edit or load a new program while my VF-3 is running a different one? Art Contreras Dear Art: Yes, you can use Background Edit to create or edit a program while another program is running. (In fact, you can even edit the program thats running, although the changes wont take effect until after the machine reaches an M30.) In MEM mode, from the PRGRM display, call up Background Edit by typing in the program number you want (Onnnnn) and pressing F4. This will bring up the program you requested on the screen and open it for editing. When youre done editing, push F4 again to go back to the program thats running. The easiest way to load a program is using the I/O menu in the Advanced Editor (EDIT mode, then F1 to activate the menus). You can only use EDIT mode when there is no program running, however, so it is not possible to load a program while another one is active. (If you have the HD/ENET option, you have to load programs from LIST PROG mode, which, again, can only be done when no program is running.) Sincerely, Haas Applications fall within the range for that type of tool. For 303 stainless, using stainless steel II in the calculator would be a good starting point. Remember, the values given in the milling calculator are recommendations. There are many variables in machining, so you may need to use values smaller than these recommendations. The Machinerys Handbook discusses details and adjustments to many different cutting conditions. Sincerely, Haas Applications Dear Applications: What is the recommended calibration period for Haas machine? Do most customers get their machines calibrated periodically, or only after they start experiencing problems? Do you publish a calibration procedure? Bill Garcia Dear Bill: All Haas machine tools use highprecision linear guides on all axes, and every machine is fully calibrated before it leaves the factory. Unlike box ways, linear guides do not wear over time, and therefore maintain accuracy throughout the life of the machine. If you wish to verify your machines accuracy for your own peace of mind, most HFOs offer a preventive maintenance program that includes an annual ball bar check. A certified Haas service engineer can perform a ball bar test for you. A properly maintained and operated Haas machine, though, will hold the factory tolerances for many years. If you do work for certain industries, however, such as aircraft, aerospace and defense, you may be required to calibrate your equipment regularly in order to maintain certification. We have numerous customers who make parts for companies such as Boeing, General Electric and Pratt & Whitney, and have to meet this type of requirement. Typically, these customers must perform ball bar testing twice a year, and their Haas machines typically meet the required specs with no problem. Since we recommend that ball bar testing be done by a trained professional, we do not publish a calibration procedure for our customers. If youre interested in understanding the procedure better, just ask the next Haas Service engineer who visits your shop. Sincerely, Haas Applications Dear Applications: I have been reading the macro programming section of the Operators Manual, and I see it is possible to use the DPRINT statement to print to a serial printer attached to the Haas control. Is it possible to write to a text file on the controls floppy disk drive, or would

I need to connect a PC to the machine and write to something like Windows Terminal? Alan Dear Alan: While it is not possible to use the DPRINT statement to output data to the controls floppy disk drive, you are in luck; you can connect a PC to your Haas machines RS-232 port and output data that way. You will need a null modem cable and communications software for your PC. If you like, you can use Windows Terminal. Simply follow the instructions in your manual to connect the PC to the machine. Then start your communications software, and youre ready to start using DPRINT. Sincerely, Haas Applications Dear Applications, Is the Haas mill control capable of utilizing feed-per-revolution mode? Thanks, William Alvarez

Dear William: Yes, this is a new feature of the Haas control. G95 will interpret any feed value as Feed Per Rev. When G95 is active, a spindle revolution will result in a travel distance specified by the feed value. If Setting 9, DIMENSIONING, is set to INCH, then the feed value (F) will be taken as inches/rev. If Setting 9 is set to MM, then the feed will be taken as mm/rev. The G95 mode will stay effective until another feed mode, such as G94, Feed Per Minute, has been specified. Note that the default at power-up is G94. Feed Override and Spindle Override will affect the behavior of the machine while G95 is active. When a spindle override is selected, any change in the spindle speed will result in a corresponding change in feed in order to keep the chip load uniform. However, if a feed override is selected, then any change in the feed override will only affect the feedrate and not the spindle. A command block that contains a tap cycle will ignore any feed and spindle overrides, and perform that block at 100%. Setting 56, RESTORE DEFAULT G, will determine whether or not an M30 should reset the Feed Per Rev mode. If
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Dear Applications: We use 303 stainless steel. Is that the stainless steel I or II in the Haas milling calculator? Also, on the same calculator page, the recommended chip load for both steel I and II is 0.002" to 0.004", while the recommended surface feet per minute is 300550 sfm for steel I and 275525 sfm for steel II. Why is there only a 0.002 range for chip load, but a 250 range for sfm? Dan Bohm Dear Dan: The milling calculator gives a range of recommended values that are typical for machining a specific material. It does not define an exact value because it has no way to know what your particular machining conditions are. If youre not sure what values to use, you can start with the lowest ones and increase them as needed. Presumably youre using a carbide tool the values you mention

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this setting is enabled, then an M30 at the end of a program will reset this mode to its default G94, Feed Per Minute, mode. Alarm 309, EXCEEDED MAX FEEDRATE, will be generated if the combination of spindle speed and feed value (F) exceeds the limit specified by Parameter 59, MAX FEED IN/MIN. Sincerely, Haas Applications Dear Applications: Could you help me with a program example for my SL-30? I want to use G76 for a tapered pipe thread without a thread chamfer. Its a 1.25 NPT thread, 0.875" deep. Thanks! Larry Cho Dear Larry: The taper is 3/4" per foot, so: 1) 0.75 2 = 0.375 2) 0.375 12 = 0.03125 3) 2nd tan 1 of 0.03125 (need a calculator for this) = angle of 1.7899 degrees. This is the taper of the thread. Now determine the minor diameter, which is X1.161 at Z0 (the face of the part). Determine the X position at Z0.5, which is X1.1785, and the X value at Z-0.5, which is X1.1435. Then: 1.1785 1.1435 = 0.035 0.035 2 = 0.0175, which is your positive I value. The rest should be easy. % O00005 (1-11.5 PIPE THREAD) G54 T101 44 | www.HaasCNC.com S1000 M03 G00 X0.95 Z0.5 M23 (or M24 for chamfer off) G76 X1.1785 Z-0.5 I0.0175 K0.03 D0.01 F0.0869 G28 M30 % You can use a CAM system or the calculator on the Haas control to make points, lines and angles with which to determine X values. Sincerely, Haas Applications Dear Applications: Ive been running a program on our VF-2 that was written for a part made from stainless steel. I would like to run the same program on a titanium piece, but set an override for both speed and feed to 60%. My concern is that theres a rigid tapping operation involved will the overrides affect the G84 commands? Can I do this without having to go through the whole program and change everything? Josh Alstead Dear Josh: There is one exception to the override keys: tapping canned cycles. The override keys will not affect feedrates or spindle speeds within G84 (or G74) canned cycles. Fnnn and Snnnn values on the G84 line will run as programmed. Sincerely, Haas Applications programming with a CAM system, set up the post processor to output inverse time feedrates (G93) during 4-axis machining. The CAM system will determine the distance the tool tip travels in each block, and output inverse time feed values to control both linear and rotary motion based on your desired feed per minute (G94). Your CAM system distributor can help you set up your post processor. If you are not using a CAM system, we would suggest adjusting Setting 34 for one of the diameters and programming the correct feedrate. Then, modify the feedrate for the other diameters. Example: If you want to mill at 10 inches per minute on a 5" diameter, a 3" diameter and a 2" diameter, set Setting 34 to 5.0 and program F10.0 for the 5" diameter. On the 3" diameter, program F16.6667 (5 3 = 1.6667; 1.6667 x 10 = 16.6667). For the 2" diameter, program F25.0 (5 2 = 2.5; 2.5 x 10 = 25.) Sincerely, Haas Applications Dear Applications: Dear Applications: Do you have software that will simulate a new program on a PC, and show the same alarms that I would get from the Haas control? We program using a CAM system, but we still have a few problems when we load a program into one of our Haas machines (we have five), and then it takes up time on the machine to troubleshoot the program. Tony Palazzo Dear Tony: Given the number of Haas machines your shop has, it might be worth your while to invest in a Haas control simulator (you now get both lathe and mill capabilities in one simulator). While you can write programs on a PC and easily transfer them to your Haas machines, we do not have PC software that will simulate running a program. That said, if youre getting the same alarms every time you send a new program to the machine, those alarms can probably be fixed by modifying your CAM systems post processor. Send both the original G code that your CAM system We are investigating the purchase of a vertical CNC for high-speed machining. Are any special G codes needed for HSM on a Haas machine, like they are on other machines? Also, HSM hardware is typically faster (i.e., speeds, feeds, etc.). What would be the difference in software? Leo Pawelczyk Dear Leo: No special G codes are needed for the Haas control to utilize high-speed machining. The Haas HSM option is enabled electronically, via a code entered into your control. This means that no special software is required for the HSM option. With HSM, shorter cycle times will be realized for surfacing programs that use shorter strokes at higher feedrates. The Haas control achieves this via the ability to look ahead up to 80 blocks of code. The control anticipates vector changes, and decelerates and accelerates more efficiently, thus reducing cycle time. Sincerely, Haas Applications generated, and the modified G code that doesnt alarm out, to your CAM dealer. With this information, they can modify your post processor. Sincerely, Haas Applications

Dear Applications: I have a Haas TM-2 Toolroom Mill with an HRT 160 rotary table. When I do rotary milling, I program the feed in inches/min, and let Setting 34 correct the feed for the diameter. If I have two or more diameters that Im milling on, how do I correct the feed for the different diameters? Is there a method of changing Setting 34 in the program? I understand that this is possible using an R or Q value with G107, but I program my rotary motion using X and A rather than cylindrical mapping. What should I use to calculate feed for the varying diameters? Any help that you could give would be great. Thank you, Jeff Conrad Dear Jeff: Although its not possible to change Setting 34 from within a G-code program, there are two good ways to work around this. If you are

You can order a mill/lathe simulator from your Haas distributor.

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RELENTLESS.