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Case Study / Topic 36 MoldMaking Technology —— OCTOBER 2017 Case Study / Machining that time from one day to less than an hour. "The HMS is a high-precision alternative to the traditional dial gages and is a very important facet of the five-axis cutting technology. The HMS keeps the five-axis head as accurate as possible, usually within 10 microns. This is vitally important when the mold is being machined unattended, which is usually at night," Correa says. He adds, "The Fidia measurement software within the control manages the mold cutting. The software is equipped with three high-precision displacement measuring devices and allocated to measure 3D volumetric errors. By process- ing incoming data in real time, the software can check and compensate for limited geometric error, avoiding costly cor- rective mechanical interventions." Guckian says it lets Century Tool save the desired settings and 'stick with what was set,' all within 5 microns. "The machine ran for eight months without having to change calibration parameters on the head," he says. A laser maintains the Rotation Tool Center Point (RTCP) function, which is another feature that the Fidia control soft- ware manages. The laser will accurately measure the length and diameter of the cutter at each tool change, which provides for a continuously accurate height setting on the mold from cutter to cutter. Having multi-processor architecture in the control allows for updates and empowers the system through the partial or total replacement of the PC (memory, hard discs, adapters, etc.) without modifying other computer components. The GTFM machine has three central processing units. As a result, it is possible to keep the CNC constantly up-to-date with the most powerful hardware and software developments. For example, Fidia's Velocity Five upgrade is a new, multi- axis trajectory control technology with a dynamic-selectable set of roughing and finishing parameters. These parameters allow the user to execute fast and highly accurate, high-quality milling by improving the acceleration control techniques. Century Tool estimates the Velocity Five upgrade can reduce finish milling time on 3D profiles between 15 and 20 percent and roughing between 30 and 40 percent. The machined sur- face quality shows significant improvement and faster execu- tion of machining small radii areas. "We are adding another Velocity Five upgrade to another finish milling machine this year, and we are adding two or three more C40 Vision Controls with ViMill collision control to additional machines," Guckian says. "We also have a new FPT Ronin horizontal mill on order that we will equip with the Fidia C40 Vision Control with the ViMill anti-collision software." The Fidia control shown here is one of the first retrofitted systems that Century Tool and Gage had installed on a CNC machine. The first control was fitted onto a Heyligenstaedt vertical mill in 1987. Today, the company has more than 30 Fidia controls with plans to add more in the near future. FOR MORE INFORMATION Fidia / info@fidia.it / fidia.it Century Tool and Gage Co. / 810-629-0784 mickey@centurytool.com / centurytool.com If machines were to decide... ...they'd love the Tebis NC programs! Tebis CAD/CAM software packages provide complete solutions for all technologies, innovative software structures, low-cost access and specifi c process solutions to bring you unheard-of productivity! HIGH-QUALITY EFFICIENT RELIABLE Manufacture high-quality molds and dies faster. Tebis America 400 E. Big Beaver Rd., Troy, MI 48083 • 248.524.0430 Find out more at www.tebis.com