b'\x1b\x1a\x19 \x1f\x18\x1d\x17\x16Get With the Programcycle times were far better. The lab wondered if similar results were pos-sible in superalloys, such as titanium.The lab often is approached by cutting tool partners to test new tools, and the teams effort isnt lim-ited to our own shop. So when Ar-lington, Texas-based Iscar Metals Inc. offered to test a new tool at the companys new technology center in Charlotte, North Carolina, on an Okuma MB-4000 horizontal machin- CNC Softwareing center, we jumped at the chance. With most HSM applications, climb cuts are the norm, yet they can create extra motion as a cutter rapids back for the next pass (left). However, to address some material applications, Tom Raun, chief technical officera bidirectional option was added to Mastercams Dynamic Milling toolpaths, resulting in an at Iscar Metals, suggested usingaverage cycle time reduction of 15% (right).a 9.525 mm ECKI (Ti-Turbo) series carbide endmill for the titanium testdate any cycle time gains. promising but not jaw-dropping. cut. This line of endmills is designedUsing Dynamic Motion, the firstThe average difference between specifically for aggressive roughtest cuts used typical HSM param- making fast, multiple passes and milling of titanium and is capableeters: a 15% step-over at a depthperforming a large step-over with of full slot machining at depths upof 19.05 mm (0.75") and a feed ratefewer passes at a slower feed rate to two times the cutting diameter.of 1.07 m/min. (42 ipm). A secondwas only about a 4% improvement The HMC had the horsepower andrun machined the part at an 80%in cycle time. It was time to return to performance needed to compare astep-over and the same 200% DOCthe drawing board.high-speed chip thinning approachbut at a typical feed rate of 229WithmostHSMapplications, with a power cutting strategy to vali- mm/min. (9 ipm). Initial results wereclimb cuts are the norm, yet they can Personnel ranging from application engineers and product specialists to the partnership team use CNC Softwares manufacturing lab to test new ideas under typical shop conditions.CNC Software16JUNE 2020 GetwithProgram.indd 16 5/14/20 12:27 PM'