Adaptable software maximizes toolmaker's technology: CNC grinders with flexible programming deliver the precision and consistency demanded by a toolmaker working with advanced materials.

Focusing on hard metals, Superion, Inc. (Xenia, OH) specializes in designing and generating precision carbide and carbide-tipped, ceramic, cermets, PCD--the more advanced materials used in tools that high-speed machine tools are designed to utilize. Part runs may be a single piece or several hundred, usually specific to a customer application, from 1 mm to 10" dia.

"To solidify our competitive position in a global tooling market, we continue to improve our capability in producing high quality exotic and special tools. Among its products are specialty knives that produce DuPont Kevlar fibers that are woven into bullet-proof vests and other armor type products. Other tools Superion designs and creates include carbide burnishing drills, boring reamers, and specially engineered carbide, PCD, cermet end mills, reamers, and port cutters," explains Al Choiniere, Superion president.

"Consistency of tools within an order and between orders is essential to being competitive," says Choiniere. "That's why we've invested in CNC tool grinding with multiple wheel packs, brought on automated 100% inspection systems, and wire spark erosion machines for shaping polycrystalline diamond (PCD) tooling. Tools made in any shift are made the same way in any other shift.

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Flexible Software

"Very often all we are presented with is a part drawing, and we are asked to develop the tool to machine the material to tolerances and surface finish requirements. That's where our toolmaking knowledge and the ANCA software come together to make our efforts successful," adds Choiniere.

With several ANCA machines on the floor, Superion recently took delivery of a new ANCA TX7 production CNC tool and cutter grinder. Because part runs vary in quantity, precision and consistency are essential, the TX7 fit into Superion's toolmaking strategy.

"The direct drive, 3000 rpm work head (A axis), allows us to fully grind stepped or tapered blanks to the final tool. We can produce tools complete in a single setup, and minimize production time for many tools that might have required two operations to complete," notes the company president. The wheel mounting system contributes to production quality with a complete and concentric flange contact, resulting in a highly rigid assembly that nearly eliminates runout and deflection, and benefits wheel life, surface finish, and part tolerance.

Quick Changeover

A complete changeover of wheel pack, coolant system, and workholding collet can be accomplished in less than three minutes. "Wheel packs and coolant manifolds are prepared off-machine and can be quickly exchanged to grind a new tool so short runs are not an inconvenience," Choiniere says.

"In addition to speed of changeover, the CNC wheel changer allows us to apply two wheel packs to one application, accomplishing more operations in a single setup, making a lot of projects very productive for us. Mounted on a manifold, coolant piping changes with the wheel packs, so that coolant flow is always tuned to the wheel in use for optimum coolant application."

Mounted to the back of the chuck on the high-speed work head, the dresser roll is easily accessed or introduced to the wheels during the grinding process with minimal axis strokes. "With increasing requirements [for] higher quality tools on some difficult geometries, in-process wheel dressing is a critical capability," stresses Choiniere. "The easy availability of dressing helps us assure tool accuracy, especially in profile tools."

ANCA's CIMulator3D[R] provides an off-line tool development environment which enables the efficient design of new tooling and the required manufacturing process, avoiding loss of production. Setup time for new tools is dramatically reduced, and production can begin more quickly.

Offline Programming

Typically used as an offline workstation, CIMulator3D can also simulate tool production programs before grinding. "Then we can dress the wheels to generate the form required. And we can optimize the process properly and consistently," Choiniere adds. "We produce several hundred different tool designs a month; all of the designs and manufacturing programs are stored in our CAD files.

"We have a good understanding of how metals like to be cut," Choiniere notes. "With special cutting tools, you have a look at the whole picture, including the way the customer's metalcutting machines are built and operate. Combining that knowledge with the tool programming capability in the ANCA software allows us to develop special tools in hard materials fairly quickly and accurately. When the tool program is finally downloaded, it is virtually proved out, reducing delivery time."

"A standard tool made to cut something generic will not be effective in cutting a specific material. Nearly anyone can design a tool, but to understand and successfully tune the process used to make it requires a lot of creativity by the toolmaker. The ANCA CIMulator3D software lets us put our toolmaking knowledge to work and allows us the freedom to alter the canned programs to accommodate our methods. It provides a solid foundation on which we can do our thing and be more creative in designing a tool for a specific application."

PCD Tooling

For polycrystalline diamond tooling (PCD), Superion has recently invested in an ANCA-Vollmer wire erosion machine. There is no other method of satisfactorily removing large volumes of PCD. And certain tools require a form into which you cannot effectively reach with a grinding wheel, so the wire machine truly helps.

Having the combination of the Vollmer and the ANCA allows the toolmaker to process a tool with both PCD and carbide. "The wire machine allows us to accomplish special features in a tool unachievable any other way," states Choiniere. For some tools, the process is to profile grind and then use the wire erosion machine to put edges and reliefs on the tool material with extreme accuracy and significant time savings.

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"Prior to the ANCA-Vollmer, PCD tools would be ground manually in cycles that could be up to eight hours per tool. The ANCA-Vollmer accomplishes the same tool with vastly greater consistency in minutes," says Choiniere.

The Vollmer probe is a key element. Once the machine probes the tip of the blank, it can identify the center of the tool and begin the cutting process. "We can program some very creative wire travels to carve tools for maximum metal removing productivity. Two generator settings--one for carbide and one for PCD--contribute to the machine's versatility for us," advises Choiniere. "The ANCA Vollmer has become indispensable in meeting customer's need for high quality, consistent tooling delivered on time."

5-Axis

The 5-axis ANCA-Vollmer CNC QWD 755 horizontal wire spark erosion machine uses a patented rotating work head--E and A axes--to accomplish continuous path profiling of complex tool shapes, such as step tools and profile tools. The electrode swivels around the center of the head to cut angles in hard material in single setups and relatively short cycle times. "This makes it possible to achieve axial and radial clearance angles at any point in the tool profile--a unique capability. The machine produces stepped tools, circular milling tools, radius-profile milling cutters up to 320mm dia., drills and other cylindrical tools up to 500mm in length, and other cutting tool designs," Choiniere points out.

"We've found that the Vollmer-designed and built generator is the key to the machine's erosion quality," says Choiniere. "Erosion output can be controlled according to how much material is to be removed and can result in surface finishes of less than 0.2 microns Ra. Many parameters are already defined for materials and operations. Modifying the erosion parameters in the generator menu allows us to adjust erosion."

Users can select from four erosion stages within each generator setting: coarse roughing, roughing, finishing, and fine finishing--each with its own erosion rate. Feed rates can also be programmed in each stage resulting in finely tuned shaping programs for ultra-hard materials and complex geometries.

The software enables the machining of very complex geometries, such as tools with internal cutting edges. "Our operator, Steve Noren, answers prompts about the tool to be shaped, and the software develops the program to accomplish it. Open architecture allows us to implement a wide range of solutions such as dividing a tool profile into profile elements," explains Choiniere.

During erosion, the software displays the gap value and erosion speed as an aid to process optimization. Through the generator program, erosion parameters can be easily optimized by the operator. Tool configurations can be generated at a CAD workstation, while operators can access cutting programs through the control panel, following simple, menu-driven prompts that minimize errors. While one tool is machined, another may be programmed.

"We are determined to stay ahead in tool development and production quality," Choiniere asserts. "That is why we have invested in tool engineering talent, an apprenticeship program, and the most capable tool making software and equipment we could find. It's the difference that we feel will preserve our added value and competitiveness in a global market." Anca Inc.

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