Overview

Welcome to the Multi-Axis Surface Machining User's Guide!
This guide is intended for users who need to become quickly familiar with the product.

This overview provides the following information:

Multi-Axis Surface Machining in a Nutshell

Multi-Axis Surface Machining enables you to produce NC programs dedicated to machining parts designed in 3D wireframe or solids geometry using multi-axis machining techniques.

Based on industry recognized and leading edge technologies, Multi-Axis Surface Machining provides tight integration between tool path definition, verification and modification. 

Multi-Axis Surface Machining is an add-on product to 3-Axis Surface Machining. Thus, the user benefits from superior 3-axis multiple surface machining and leading edge 5-axis simultaneous machining tightly integrated in a flexible NC Programming workbench.

Multi-Axis Surface Machining is particularly adapted for mockup and die machining in automotive domains where the use of 5-axis simultaneous machining brings unequalled surface quality. Moreover, it is targeted at prototype machining, 5-axis trimming and special machining where full 5-axis machining is the requirement for quick and accurate manufacturing.

Multi-Axis Surface Machining is also an add-on product to Prismatic Machining and Lathe Machining.

As an add-on product, it takes advantage of functions such as material removal simulation and NC data generation. It adds the following dedicated multi-axis surface machining techniques to the capabilities offered by the other NC Machining products: 

  • Multiple surface machining with various tool path styles 
  • Capability to machine the entire surface with full collision avoidance of the tool holder and cutter active part
  • Multiple curve machining with various tool path styles for programming quickly and efficiently grooving, engraving, swarf cutting, flank machining for any desired area
  • Various tool axis strategies including dynamic tool axis orientation for both multiple surface and multiple curve machining
  • Complete toolkit for controlled and collision free transition tool paths provided for both multiple surface and multiple curve machining.

Before Reading this Guide

Prior to reading the Multi-Axis Surface Machining User's Guide, you are recommended to have a look at the Infrastructure User's Guide for  information on the generic capabilities common to all products.

 

Getting the Most Out of this Guide

To make the most out of this book, we suggest that a beginning user reads the Getting Started chapter first of all and the Workbench Description to find his way around the Multi-Axis Surface Machining workbench. The User Tasks section gives a quick description of the operating mode of the various actions, whereas the Reference Information section lists the parameters used in those actions.

 

Accessing Sample Documents

To perform the scenarios, sample documents are provided all along this documentation. For more information about this, refer to Accessing Sample Documents in the Infrastructure User's Guide.