OPEN MIND Experiences Growing Interest in Virtual Machine Technology

EMO 2023 ended on a thoroughly successful note for OPEN MIND. The company behind the hyperMILL CAM system experienced a lot of interest in virtual machine technology, with which a digital twin of the machining situation can be realized. In addition, there was also a lot of interest in hyperMILL TURNING Solutions.

"Users are showing themselves to be open and interested in topics that can be summarized under the heading of digitalization," says Claudio Jorio, Sales Director DACH & Global Reseller at OPEN MIND Technologies. He continues: "People are increasingly thinking in terms of process chains, and our path from CAD via CAM to the CNC machines already represents the starting point for digitalization in the sense of networked production, which obviously makes sense. Users are looking for ways to become even more efficient. This fits with the great demand for the Hummingbird MES that we have seen."

hyperMILL TURNING Solutions

As expected, hyperMILL TURNING Solutions for turning, turn-milling and mill-turning also attracted significant interest during EMO. This was emphasized by live demonstrations on a GROB G350T mill-turn machine. hyperMILL TURNING Solutions include technologies for turning, turn-milling, and mill-turning, meaning they can be used for all corresponding machine configurations. OPEN MIND has chosen a housing component made using high-strength EN AW 7075 aluminum to demonstrate the capabilities of hyperMILL in practice. The component is 372 mm in diameter and 200 mm high and engages in turning operations on the outer and inner contours. It also features various milled geometries inspired by typical requirements in different industries. These include housing elements from plant engineering for the semiconductor industry, surfaces such as those used in mold making, as well as reverse counterboring and angular head support functions – demonstrated live for the first time – which is in particular demand in mechanical engineering.

Tool-friendly turning

When roughing and finishing the external and internal contours, the benefit of simultaneous machining is impressively demonstrated alongside standard machining. Two areas that would otherwise have to be finished individually can be machined in one step with simultaneous turning and without a visible edge. Among the high-performance strategies shown will be trochoidal roughing. A high material removal rate is achieved quickly and gently without any major lifting movements.

The advantage of 3-axis simultaneous turning is also clear from the undercuts when machining the inner contour. Without this technique, these areas would be difficult to manufacture. Trade show visitors can see how easy it is to program 3-axis simultaneous turning. For even better performance, simultaneous roughing can also be used with the HPC option.

Milling rates

The live machining demonstration at EMO contains an example of a 5-axis halfpipe with finishing operations. OPEN MIND shows how quickly optimized tool paths can be programmed for grooves and tubes that produce the highest quality surface finishes. Perfect surfaces are also shown in another geometry. To minimize the effort required for grinding and polishing steps, hyperMILL® offers a machining strategy with gentle overlapping, creating perfect transitions that are barely measurable.

Secure programming

As an example of the safe programming of machining operations with a high risk of collision, a reverse counterboring task has been integrated into the demonstration, i.e. the control of a tool for deburring and milling cylinder countersinks on the inaccessible rear side of a bore.