Experience GibbsCAM
FALL 2011
GibbsCAM 2011 Features Extensive New
Enhancements and Improvements
Hot Off the Press
On July 11, 2011, Gibbs and Associates,
developer of GibbsCAM® software for programming CNC machine tools and a Cimatron
company, announced their release of GibbsCAM
2011, with dozens of enhancements to make NC
programming easier and faster.
m
GibbsCAM 2011 to Be Demonstrated in Matsuura Exhibit at EMO
m
GibbsCAM to be Demonstrated at Haas Demo Days
MORE ON PAGE 2 g
GibbsCAM Has Reached Another
Landmark Developing 1000th MTM
(Multi-Task Machine) Post Processor
On August 29, 2011, Gibbs and Associates,
developer of GibbsCAM® software for programming CNC machine tools and a Cimatron
company, announced that it developed its
thousandth post processor for GibbsCAM in
support of a large variety of Multi-Task Machines (MTMs) in late July.
m
GibbsCAM 2011 to Be Demonstrated in Willemin-
Macodel Exhibit at EMO
SEE LATEST NEWS ONLINE g
See GibbsCAM at These
Upcoming Events
Mechatronics Technology Show
Sep 29 -Oct 2, 2011 | Nagoya, Japan
MORE ON PAGE 3 g
Upgrade Your CAM Abilities
Anyone who programs a CNC today has to be
using CAM software, and the odds are they didn’t
acquire it last week. All the leading CAM software
companies have been in business 25 years or
more. So, on average, companies have had their
CAM software a dozen years. Would you believe CAM technologies have improved
in that time? Have you kept up? Have you invested the small amount of time and
money necessary to keep up?
MORE ON PAGE 7 g
GibbsCAM Success Stories
Weatherford Case Study: CAM Delivers
Links to Recent Press Releases Online
MSV 2011, International
Engineering Fair
Oct 3-7, 2011 | Brno, Czech
Wisconsin Manufacturing &
Technology Show
Oct 4-6, 2011 | West Allis, WI
SOUTH-TEC
Oct 11-13, 2011 | Charlotte, NC
CMTS
Oct 17-20, 2011 | Toronto, ON
Wichita Industrial Trade Show
Oct 18-20, 2011 | Wichita, KS
SEE MORE EVENT DETAILS ONLINE g
MORE ON PAGE 4 g
Free MTM Webinar
Presented by Andy Heffner, MTM Specialist
MORE ON PAGE 6 g
Customer Showcase
KDM Oilfield Manufacturing Ltd.
MORE ON PAGE 8 g
GibbsCAM Video Showcase
www.Cimatron.com
GibbsCAM Vertical Lathe MTM Simulation
WATCH VIDEO ONLINE g
www.GibbsCAM.com
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GibbsCAM 2011 Features Extensive
New Enhancements and Improvements
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2}
Includes New Features for Automatic Feature Recognition &
Preservation, Hole-Making Automation, and 5-Axis Machining
O
n July 11, 2011, Gibbs and Associates, developer of
GibbsCAM® software for programming CNC machine
tools and a Cimatron company, announced their release of
GibbsCAM 2011, with dozens of enhancements to make NC
programming easier and faster.
“I am very pleased with the result of our development effort
in the past year,” said Bill Gibbs, founder and president of
Gibbs and Associates. “The 2011 release delivers many
significant new features to improve efficiency in programming and machining, all
while retaining the ease
of use for which GibbsCAM
is known. Across the
product line, users will
find new tools to make
their jobs easier and their
work more productive.”
GibbsCAM 2011 was
officially released on July
8, 2011. Among the
multiple additions and
enhancements within the 2011 release, are the following:
Enhanced Feature and Color Recognition and
Preservation – To optimize efficiency and throughput, new
tagging capabilities, combined with automatic feature
recognition (AFR), allow users to control how GibbsCAM
imports CAD models and manages part features and attributes.
Color Modes were added to extend tagging and selection
criteria of geometric elements – geometry, faces, surfaces
and solids. When a part contains user-defined features, or
elements tagged with a color attribute, users can switch
among Color Modes to distinguish, select or isolate features
or elements for manipulation, copying or machining.
www.GibbsCAM.com
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As a result of these enhancements, upon opening CAD
models, GibbsCAM can read attributes, then recognize and
preserve them as attributes in the GibbsCAM part file. Colors
are preserved as CAD colors in the part file, and hole features
in the model are recognizable and usable as hole features
within GibbsCAM hole operations.
Hole Making Capabilities for selecting, organizing,
recognizing and drilling holes have been broadly enhanced.
Hole Manager, a productivity tool within GibbsCAM, now
includes a new Auto Wizard, which allows users to store
default settings for reuse, quickly and easily, at any time.
Using AFR, holes (and entities that resemble holes) are
selectable by part face, set of faces, a hole’s interior faces, or
by coordinate system to which a hole feature is aligned. This
streamlining enables users to automatically recognize and
program hundreds of holes with as few as three mouse
clicks, greatly simplifying and speeding up hole-making
operations. Also, GibbsCAM now includes support for the full
range of SolidWorks hole features.
Custom drill cycle options were added and, to reduce traverse
and cycle time in drill cycles,
a new check box enables
reverse-order drilling.
5-Axis Enhancements
include various new drill
cycle options, toolpath
conversion, toolpath
smoothing and additional
machining styles. The
new hole making features
make programming drill
cycles at off-axis
orientations very easy and extremely fast. Programmers can
choose drill, variable peck, tap and custom drill cycles.
A new Operation Modifier enables the conversion of 2.5- and
3-axis toolpaths for 5-axis machining, which allows use of
shorter tools to achieve smoother toolpaths through
tool-axis rotation when the work piece or tooling interferes
with the tool holder.
Toolpath smoothing methods have been implemented for all
types of geometry, both STL (triangle mesh) and traditional
surface geometry, to improve both tilt and rotary toolpath
smoothness.
Swarf cutting can now be specified two ways. Users can drive
the tool using a) upper and lower curves, with or without a
drive surface, or b) a parallel-to-curve strategy with tool-axis
rotation. Also new is a 5-axis trimming strategy that uses
wireframe geometry.
Support for B-axis (tilting live tooling) was added to enable
programming 5-axis milling with Y-axis offsets on lathes and
multi-task machines equipped with a live-tooling B-axis. For
more information about GibbsCAM and GibbsCAM MTM, or to
locate your local GibbsCAM Reseller, go to www.GibbsCAM.com,
call 1-800-654-9399, or email sales@GibbsCAM.com.
GibbsCAM Has Reached Another
Landmark Developing 1000th MTM
(Multi-Task Machine) Post Processor
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3}
O
n August 29, 2011, Gibbs and Associates, developer of
GibbsCAM® software for programming CNC machine
tools and a Cimatron company, announced that it developed
its thousandth post processor for GibbsCAM in support of a
large variety of Multi-Task Machines (MTMs) in late July.
Each of the 1,000 post processors is uniquely developed and
configured for a specific MTM machine-control combination,
representing machines from nearly 60 manufacturers. This
landmark is significant for two reasons: 1) the use of MTMs is
increasing rapidly because of the productivity that these
machines can provide –and most MTMs require a CAM
system for programming – and 2) after finding a CAM
system that readily programs MTMs and overcomes their
complexity, the biggest challenge for users is obtaining post
processors that generate CNC code that optimizes efficiency
of the machine tools, takes advantage of all available control
options, and accommodates shop-process preferences, all
critical to minimizing the cost of part production. In
combination with its GibbsCAM software, widely known for
its ease of learning and ease of use, the library of MTM post
processors allows Gibbs to provide a more complete and
immediate solution to customers who need the productivity
offered by multi-task machines.
“We are proud and gratified to have the strongest ensemble
of MTM post processors in the industry,” said Robb
Weinstein, Senior Vice-President of Sales and Strategic
Planning of Gibbs and Associates. “We have been at the
forefront of MTM programming since we decided to
strategically focus on the MTM market, developing
relationships with the largest manufacturers, and in five
years, we have gained the renown of having the best, easiest
to use, and most complete solution for MTM programming.”
www.GibbsCAM.com
www.Cimatron.com
Whereas most CAM software vendors provide a post
processor as a generic tool, and relegate configuration and
implementation – reiterative testing, trouble shooting and
correcting – to their users and resellers, Gibbs has a
complete post processor department which develops,
implements and maintains post processors. In support of
customers and machine-tool builders world wide, the
GibbsCAM post processor group maintains a current library of
over 10,000 unique post processors to accommodate all
types of lathes, mills and multitask machines, in combination with their associated controls.
The 1,000 MTM post processors support the various
multi-task-machine model-control combinations from the
following manufacturers:
• Amera Seiki
• G. Boley
• Century
• Cincinnati
• Clausing-Colchester
• Doosan
• EMCO
• Fagor
• Giddings & Lewis
• Gildemeister
• Haas
• Hanwha
• Hitachi Seiki
• Index
• Johnford
• KMT (Knowledge)
• Mazak
• Monarch
• Nakamura-Tome
• Okuma
• RCR
• Star CNC
• Takisawa
• Toshulin
• Trevisan
• Victor
• Wasino
• WFL Millturn Technologies
• Yama Seiki
• Anca
• Bumotec
• Chiron
• Citizen
• DAC International
• DMG
• Eurotech-Biglia
• Farrell
• Ganesh
• Gital
• Hankook
• Hardinge
• Hwacheon
• Intertech
• Hyundai-Kia • Matsuura
• Miyano
• Mori Seiki
• Nomura
• PCC Olofsson
• Schaublin
• SMT Swedturn
• Tornos-Deco
• Traub
• Tsugami
• Warner & Swasey
• Weiler
• Willemin-Macodel
• ZPS
Customer Spotlight
T
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4}
Weatherford Case Study: CAM Delivers
en years ago, Oil Country Manufacturing, Ventura, CA,
drew the attention of Weatherford International Ltd.,
with a larger new model of tongs – the large multi-jawed
wrenches used for making and breaking pipe, tubing, or casing.
Oil Country’s development caused a stir because the product
was similar and competitive to one produced by Weatherford.
Taking an interest in Oil Country, Weatherford – also
attracted to Oil Country’s flexibility and facility – bought the
company. It became Weatherford Oil Country Manufacturing
and a part of Weatherford’s Artificial Lift Systems division.
Weatherford transferred some manufacturing to Oil Country,
provided backing to increase production, and expanded the
global reach of Oil Country products. Output more than tripled,
straining CNC programmers already responsible for creating
programs to machine parts for the traditional product lines.
www.GibbsCAM.com
“One of the challenges we faced immediately was that
Weatherford used Pro/Engineer as their corporate CAD
standard,” says Marcus Baertschi, Oil Country manufacturing
engineering supervisor. “We needed to acquire all that part
geometry to program CNC machines, while continuing to use
geometry from Ashlar- Vellum’s Graphite, our CAD standard.”
www.Cimatron.com
Baertschi, an experienced tooling machinist and manual NC
programmer, says they were too busy to search for computer
aided manufacturing (CAM) software that would import Pro/
Engineer solid models without translation problems, use the
models to program machine tools, and simulate machine
motion. A year and a half later, they tackled the project, but
by then, they had a good idea of what they needed.
SELECTION CRITERIA
There were many parts requiring several milling operations,
sometimes needing additional conventional milling. The
goal was to transfer them to horizontal machining centers,
where they would run in fewer operations, back to back
without waiting, so that parts came off ready for assembly.
To achieve that, Oil Country established aggressive, but
realistic, CAM software search criteria.
“We evaluated cost and ROI; ease of use to get up to speed
quickly; integration with Pro/Engineer and Vellum for various
departments; accommodation of current manufacturing
software; a trial period before purchase; and technical
support,” says Baertschi.
Among the many required features were the ability to
import, translate, and manipulate solid models in industry
standard formats; the ability to create and use machine
models for simulation; toolpath verification and machine
simulation; the ability to manage and simulate tombstone
machining; and the ability to create and use an extensive
cutting tool library.
CONTINUED ON PG. 5 | GO THERE g
Customer Spotlight
CONTINUED FROM PG. 4
“We used a spreadsheet to compare five CAM packages, and
GibbsCAM Solids Machining won hands down, with flawless
import of the Pro/Engineer models,” Baertschi explains. “It met
our criteria for solids import, ease of use and machine simulation,
and the company had a reputation for good technical support.”
Oil Country programmer Tino
Velasco, agrees that GibbsCAM
solids machining provides the
tools he needs for visualization
and simulation. He likes having
multiple options when it comes to
importing geometry, machining
directly from it, or using a profiler
to take cross sections to extrude
into part shapes; manipulating
stock material rendered with
toolpath into new stock; easily
hiding or revealing geometry,
tools, or tooling; and interrogating
models anywhere to obtain
dimensional verification.
www.GibbsCAM.com
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5}
“I have the part and tooling designs in front of me, before I put
any tools on the part,” he says. “The machining is very simple,
usually some flats, then some boring and drill cycles. My
challenges are seeing the casting, seeing how it is mounted,
and avoiding collisions between part, cutting tool, fixtures,
Top left: Tino Velasco uses precise models of castings and all workholding devices and
runs his finished NC programs in GibbsCAM Machine Simulation to detect and correct
potential collisions.
Top right: The challenge is seeing the casting, seeing how it is mounted, and avoiding
collisions between machine, cutting tools, parts, and workholding components. Here,
GibbsCAM runs the NC program for a rod hook bail in Machine Simulation.
“Everything about seeing and
using solids for programming
Bottom left: To do all the milling, drilling, and tapping without adding setups and
saves me time,” Velasco says.
programming, Velasco had to machine the back through an opening on the mounting
plate, and then reach from the end, between the part and the plate, with a 4” tool
“But, I really like the simulation.
mounted on a 15-5/8” extension.
When we first got new Niigata
Bottom right: GibbsCAM can create or import accurate representations of all machine
machines, I was a very nervous
tool components, tooling, and fixtures, and combine them with models of castings for
programmer, afraid of breaking
programming and machine simulation.
something. Simulation gives me
confidence that I have clearance and no collisions.”
workholding devices, and the tool changer. Having these virtual
tools is a real plus. Visualization is very difficult if all you have is
He uses a gear case cover, which comes into the shop as a
wireframe geometry. Lines and points in space to represent
casting, to describe his challenges before solids machining and
surfaces and holes can make programming impossible.
simulation. Velasco would get a drawing, or CAD data treated
as a blueprint, where he was to ignore measured geometry and
Velasco says that having the ability to import and machine from
follow specified dimensions. To arrive at the shape of the casting,
solid models reduced his programming time by 70%. Baertschi
he would start with a virtual block and nibble away at it.
adds that using GibbsCAM solids machining and machine
simulation to program the Niigata HN-63D (equipped with tool
“The part has multiple profiles, steps and dips, plus cutouts,
matrix and dual pallets) also reduced set-up time by 33% and
handles and flanges. It took 75 to 100 operations to get my
cycle time by 52%, replacing three conventional and two CNC
stock to look like the casting,” Velasco states. “I would have
milling operations with two back-to-back CNC operations.
to measure the casting, draw it in Graphite, and go back and
forth until I was done. Now I just import the model, and if I
“Often,” says Velasco, “having machine and tooling component
need to do some manipulating, I can do it in GibbsCAM,
models is only the beginning.”
without having to go back to Pro/E, and then run the program
“I need assurance there will be no collisions at the machine,”
in machine simulation, checking for collisions.”
Velasco explains. “On the Niigata, I have a 39.4” diameter for
Velasco explains that aside from eliminating repetitive
part motion; it seems like a lot, but you add the special
measuring and drawing operations, solid models enable him to
workholding, plates, and clamps on a big part, and you may
combine all the elements he needs to see before programming.
have a problem changing tools.”
CONTINUED ON PG. 6 | GO THERE g
Customer Spotlight
CONTINUED FROM PG. 5
REALIZING GAINS
He cites a recent project, a rod hook bail, as an extreme example.
| PAGE
6}
and eliminated worry about on-machine crashes. Aside from
saving 50% of programming time, they replaced six manual
operations – conventional mill, lathe, saw, radial drill, pin
stamp, and deburring – with three CNC (two lathe, one mill)
operations, reducing set-up time by 22% and cycle time by 66%.
“In programming, we always talk about machining
strategy,” Velasco says. “For this part, the strategy was
clearance, clearance, clearance. How can I move to get tools
where I need them? The part, mounted on a vertical plate on
Baertschi says they continue to realize gains in productivity
a pallet, is about two feet
as they introduce parts
long, with a larger
into the new processes.
diameter on one end, but
Through use of GibbsCAM
we needed to mount it so
solids machining and
its centerline was parallel
simulation, we have
to the plate. To do all the
greatly reduced new
milling, drilling, and
process and tooling
tapping without adding
turn-around time with
set-ups and programthe ability to verify and
ming, I had to machine
simulate feasibility;
the back through an
improved accuracy by
opening on the mounting
replacing drawings with
plate, and then reach
solid models; increased
According to Tino Velasco, the machining strategy for this
from the end, between
shopfloor confidence;
rod-hook bail casting mounted on a Niigata Pallet, ready for
the part and the plate,
machining–is clearance. The opening in the plate provides
improved safety and
with a 4” tool mounted
access to machine from the back side.
quality; and greatly
on a 15-5/8” extension.”
reduced programming,
Velasco knew that the tool would require manual changing,
setup, and cycle times. For us, it is ideal,” Baertschi concludes.
but simulation assured safe motion and clearance for the
Reprinted in part by permission of GIE Media, © 2011 Today’s Energy Solutions June/
other tools. In the end, the visualization saved a lot of time,
July 2011. A full version of this article can be found at www.GibbsCAM.com.
Free MTM Webinar: Presented by Andy Heffner, MTM Specialist
If you haven’t had the chance to attend our “Higher Profits from Complex Parts or High-Volume Part Production” Webinar presented
by Modern Machine Shop and Gibbs and Associates, you can view it now!
Primary topics: • The many benefits of using multi-task machining (MTM)
• Typical MTM machine configurations & matching parts to machines
• The challenges of programming and using MTM machines
• Examples of MTM parts and programming, from simple to complex
www.GibbsCAM.com
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Click Here to Watch Webinar Online
Upgrade Your CAM Abilities
| PAGE
7}
BY BILL GIBBS, FOUNDER & PRESIDENT, GIBBS & ASSOCIATES
Anyone who programs a CNC today has to be using
CAM software, and the odds are they didn’t acquire it
last week. All the leading CAM software companies have
been in business 25 years or more. So, on average,
companies have had their CAM software a dozen years.
Would you believe CAM technologies have improved in that
time? Have you kept up? Have you invested the small
amount of time and money necessary to keep up?
Step 5: Does everyone who might benefit from CAM
have training and access?
Expanding access to your CAM software has many opportunities to benefit your business, if only being less dependent on
a single individual programmer. Ease of use is a helpful
feature of CAM software to minimize the cost of training.
A CNC machine doesn’t improve or gain new abilities with
time—it just wears out. But a CAM system does improve
with time and gains new abilities. If you are not keeping up,
not only are you not protecting the value of your CAM
investment, but you are not protecting your ability to remain
competitive in your CNC business. Your ability to produce
parts at a lower cost than your rivals is very important.
•
Ways to program faster. The latest GibbsCAM offers
users automation through Macros to fully automate
repetitive family of parts or create custom drill cycles. It
has new feature recognition from CAD data and new
automatic program generation capabilities.
•
Ways to cut faster. The latest GibbsCAM offers VoluMill
high efficiency roughing, plunge roughing per Sandvik
recommendations, and groove tool turning per Iscar
recommendations.
•
Ways to get post processors perfected. There is no need
to edit G code.
Step 1: Are you using your CAM software’s latest
version?
Most CAM companies offer a maintenance service (an annual
subscription fee) to provide updates to their software. Costs
vary with the company from 12 to 20 percent of the original
purchase price. This provides you access to the latest and
greatest version of your software. Having a product that
offers this and provides ongoing improvement is a valuable
part of your CAM software.
Step 2: When was the last time you utilized
training courses?
Training is a valuable tool in making sure you are using your
CAM software fully. For example, we get experi¬enced
GibbsCAM users coming to factory training classes, making
comments like “I didn’t know I could do that,” or “Who knew
there was a better way to program that part?” Most CAM
companies offer training through their resell¬ers, as well as
online and video training.
Step 3: Do you use your tech support?
Most CAM companies offer phone support—people you can
call and discuss your issues and desires with. Again using
GibbsCAM as an example, you can call your GibbsCAM
reseller, a CNC expert in most cases, for insight and
assistance. Gibbs also offers a free factory phone sup¬port
that customers can call.
www.GibbsCAM.com
www.Cimatron.com
Step 4: Does your CAM support all your machines?
Perhaps your shop has grown in the classes of machines it
uses. Perhaps you’ve added five-axis, MTM or Swiss
machines. Have you expanded your CAM to keep up?
Benefits you are likely to discover:
Take some time now and then to review how well you are
using your CAM software. Invest a bit of time and money to
keep up with the latest and greatest improve¬ments.
Empower your people to stay current and trained on your
software. I think you will find the results will help your
business every day.
For more information from Gibbs and Associates, a Cimatron
Company, please visit www.GibbsCAM.com or call (805)
523-0004.
Reprinted from the July 2011 PRODUCTION MACHINING
Magazine and Copyright © 2011 by Gardner Publications, Inc.,
6915 Valley Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio 45244-3029
Customer Showcase
COMPANY:
| PAGE
8
KDM Oilfield Manufacturing Ltd.
Nisku, AB Canada
USER SINCE: March 2010
LOCATION:
The mark of a successful job shop is the ability to meet
and exceed client needs, whatever the project on the
floor. KDM Oilfield Manufacturing of Nisku, Alberta, went
a step above and beyond that when it invested in a new
5-axis machine to help a client get out of a bind. To speed
the success of that contract, the company invested in GibbsCAM software, which helped them get up and
running on the new machine in short order.
KDM has been serving oil and gas drilling contractors for a little more than four years. The company’s 15
employees, four CNC lathes and 10,000 square foot facility has primarily serviced equipment and built
subcomponents for those drilling contractors, working in 4145 alloy steel.
PART DESCRIPTION:
This drill bit was created using the application of a 5-axis toolpath in GibbsCAM. GibbsCAM helped speed
the process up when KDM was approached with the opportunity to find a new source for drill bits, as
long as they were able to respond quickly to their supply requests.
Are you doing some really cool programming with GibbsCAM?
Would you like to show off your stuff in front of other GibbsCAM customers?
If your answer is “Yes!” then forward your VNC files to us, along with pictures and other interesting information about the job. A panel of qualified experts will
select winners to be published in the next customer newsletter. Entries that get published will receive a free GibbsCAM baseball hat. But here’s the best part:
all submissions will be reviewed for potential selection as a case study story that may be published in a national manufacturing trade publication. Interested?
Then e-mail marketing@GibbsCAM.com or call us at (805) 523-0004.
Experience GibbsCAM is published quarterly by Gibbs and Associates, a Cimatron Company,
based in Moorpark, CA, and is distributed free of charge.
www.GibbsCAM.com
©2011 Gibbs and Associates, a Cimatron Company. All rights reserved. The Gibbs and GibbsCAM logos, GibbsCAM, Virtual Gibbs and “Powerfully Simple. Simply Powerful.” are
either trademark(s) or registered trademark(s) of Gibbs and Associates in the United States and/or other countries. All other brand or product names are trademarks or registered
trademarks of their respective owners. This document is for informational purposes only and is subject to change.
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