hyperMILL^® CAM solution ready for Farnborough Take-Off

The International Airshow will provide OPEN MIND with an opportunity to demonstrate how it helps manufacturing companies in the aerospace sector gain a critical edge in the face of tough competition. On Stand 1056 in Hall 1 of the Farnborough show, OPEN MIND will introduce the latest version of its hyperMILL^® CAD/CAM software. Version 2022.1 now incorporates more features, optimised strategies and a host of major enhancements for more powerful and simplified machine and controller independent NC programming.

On the booth, OPEN MIND experts will demonstrate the optimisations to hyperMILL^® that include enhancements to the 5-axis strategies in VIRTUAL Machining. This will provide users with better results in terms of surface quality, new options for 2D functionality as well as efficient innovations in electrode manufacturing that deliver more convenient and faster programming for the aerospace supply chain.

hyperMILL^® VIRTUAL Machining is all about generating, optimising, and simulating NC code reliably through a collection of targeted solutions. Virtual Machining can be used to map all process steps in CNC manufacturing for perfect process control. The modular technology now also supports additive machining programs. The Optimizer module, which delivers powerful optimisation algorithms for efficient multi-axis machining, also features the ‘Optimized Table-Table Logic’ function for easy programming and reduced air time between cuts. The user selects a distance value, and the Optimizer automatically calculates the safety distances using the raw part, component and clamps selected in the job list.

Intelligent component alignment at the touch of a button

Another tool for ensuring greater efficiency and cost-effectiveness in machining is the intelligent real-time component alignment in CAM using hyperMILL^® BEST FIT. The unaligned component is probed on the machine using 3D probing, and the probing points are sent back to the CAM system in the form of a measuring log. hyperMILL^® BEST FIT then precisely adjusts the NC code to the actual component position. The adapted NC code is subsequently simulated in the virtual machine on the actual clamping setup and optimised automatically. This has already proven to deliver significant savings for aerospace manufacturers worldwide.

5-axis radial machining

Machining strategies for 2.5D, 3D, HSC, Mill/Turn and 5-axis applications will also be demonstrated to show how they offer the ideal solution for any machining situation. The new ‘Flow Equidistant’ infeed strategy is the first of its kind that supports the generation of toolpaths with a constant infeed for vertical and challenging surfaces. This means that these surfaces can be integrated into the overall machining sequence and processed in a single step to provide seamless machining with a very high surface finish quality. New undercut detection automatically identifies undercuts and makes the corresponding machining adjustments, if desired. This means that undercut areas can now be skipped with no manual intervention necessary. As a result, users do not need to generate additional surfaces.

A dedicated 3-axis machine mode greatly simplifies the use of radial machining on these machines, and the ‘Smooth Overlap’ function can be applied to the general milling area without selecting a boundary curve. For instance, the ‘Smooth Overlap’ function blends the transitions between two surfaces that have been milled in different machining directions. This results in perfectly transition-free surfaces. Of course, as the market-leading CAD/CAM system for the aerospace sector, hyperMILL^® offers so much more. So, be sure that you make your way to the international airshow in July.