New software release brings 5-axis functionality into focus 

Release 6 sees new and optimised functions in 5-axis simultaneous milling which are a highlight for all companies wanting to better utilise the potential of their modern high-performance machines.

Tebis users can now experience multiple 5-axis simultaneous milling benefits with the new release: new efficient adaptive and contour parallel roughing strategies, simple, fast machining of connected milling areas in isoparametric surface layout and integrated tilt direction preview when milling between vectors. Many features have been integrated to simplify workflow.

Within the CAM functionality, the ‘NC5ax/MSurf’ function for 5-axis simultaneous roughing is ideal for companies looking to take advantage, with minimal effort, of the benefits of 5-axis simultaneous machining when roughing free-form surfaces.

For example, in die manufacturing, where large free-form surfaces often need to be manufactured with few cavity fractions, the user simply selects the surfaces and blank – the function provides the adaptive and contour-parallel path layout.

The NC5ax/MPocket function is also effective on the 5-axis simultaneous roughing of part areas with multiple cavity fractions. Adaptive and contour parallel milling strategies are integrated and high-performance HPC tools can machine high volumes of material quickly, especially in adaptive roughing.

Connected milling areas can now be machined in a single operation and with no extra design effort, even for isoparametric path layouts – select the surfaces, display the milling area and start the calculation. Highly complex part areas can be easily prepared with the ‘NCPrep/Drive’ function.

5-axis simultaneous finishing with NC5ax/MSurf function was already available in previous releases. The tool tilt direction is interpolated between easily selected vectors and surface quality is often better than in simple machining normal to the part. This function has been further optimised in release 6 where the integral tilt direction preview lets the user check and optimise the quality of the tool direction already during programming.

For CAD preparation milling, areas for 5-axis simultaneous milling can easily be defined. For parts with highly complex geometric properties, NCPrep/Drive provides a convenient way to generate and optimise milling areas for 5-axis simultaneous milling – for instance using guide curves or planar cuts.

The path layout can be displayed in advance, the starting position can be adjusted, overlaps, kinks and head movements can be detected and if necessary the cutter offset can be changed or if needed smooth the paths in the milling or stepover direction. These milling areas can in turn be automatically selected in the NCJob templates for 5-axis machining.

Tebis UK www.tebis.com