CAM software turns to manifold manufacturing

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Jul 5, 2004

Manifold CAM Expert is a novel addon for the PEPS CADCAM suite developed by Camtek Pacific, working with manifold manufacturing companies.

Manifold CAM Expert is a novel addon for the PEPS CADCAM suite developed by Camtek Pacific, working with manifold manufacturing companies.

A hydraulic or pneumatic manifold has to provide control of multitude of operating units accordingly to the customer specification.

As a result manifolds can vary substantially in their configuration and complexity, although they generally consist of standard elements that represent ideal parametric features.

Custom Fluidpower uses the latest in cartridge valve technology including Sun Hydraulics and Waterman Hydraulics to design and manufacture state-of-the-art hydraulic manifolds covering industrial, mobile, agricultural, marine and aerospace applications.

The design is produced on Pro-Engineer CAD system using manifold elements as parametric features.

Manifold CAM Expert retrieves features data generated during design.

For every parametric feature, CAM Expert has rules for its machining setup by the company's personnel.

CAM Expert is using these rules and tool-cut data base to resolve all required machining operations to produce all features and to cut the manifold.

Preprogrammed manifolds can be loaded onto the machine tool's table or a multisided pallet.

CAM Expert is a process planner which automatically sequences and groups all operations for all manifolds in the layout and subsequently generates a comprehensive NC machining program for the layout as a whole.

The flexibility of CAM Expert allows customisation to suit the requirements of different manifold manufacturers.

Practically any CAD system can be used when parametric features are used, and parametric feature data is subsequently generated during the design process.

Users can create unique features and apply different parameters to define them.

The machining methods differ substantially between companies as well as cutting tools and cutting parameters.

Machining rules of features are compiled by the company using parametric machining operations provided by CAM Expert and conditional control if required.

The tool-cut database is modified accordingly to the user's piece materials, tooling and cutting parameters.

The strategy of the layout machining also changes from one company to another.

Accordingly to the company requirements some operations can be grouped to be machined with the same tool on all sides to minimise number of tool changes and some can be grouped to machine side by side to provide better precision by minimising number of pallet settings.

Custom Fluidpower is using Okuma machining centre with 100 tools in its automatic tool changer.

Practically any machine tool and CNC control can be used as CAM Expert provides 100% adapted NC output to use all machine tool and NC control capabilities.

The open structure and extensive macro programming and customisation facilities of the PEPS CADCAM system greatly assisted Camtek Pacific in the creation of Manifold Cam Expert.

Functions for creating user-commands and algorithms, interface dialogue boxes, database accessing and other tools are frequently used by Camtek sales partners around the world to deliver bespoke solutions built around PEPS.

Says Camtek Pacific Managing Director Mark Goldfeld: "The main advantage of Manifold CAM Expert is its capability to generate complete NC program to machine a manifold directly from the design data practically eliminating human factor".

"The reliable NC program ready to go for unmanned NC machining is generated in minutes instead of hours".

"CAD and CAM go hand in hand at last".

Added Terry Antobus, Director of Sales and Marketing for Camtek: "This is an excellent demonstration of how our partners can customise the product to meet a user's specific need".

"Our developers work closely with both partners and OEMs worldwide to ensure that they can deliver a product that can be married with other solutions to provide seamless integration".