Multitask Machining and Maximizing CAM Capabilities

March 26, 2020
ARCH Cutting Tools uses multi-axis CNC mill/turn machining and GibbsCAM to speed up the process of producing precision steel parts.

ARCH Cutting Tools - Mentor in Mentor, Ohio, is an ISO 9001:2015-certified manufacturer of designer-built special and custom tooling. Founded in 1992 as Competitive Carbide, Inc. and acquired by ARCH Global Precision in 2019, ARCH Mentor designs and programs in-house most anything cutting-tool related, primarily for the automotive industry. “If you're making chips, we make tools for it,” vice president Charlie Novak boasted.

ARCH Mentor operates multi-machining center cells and makes efforts to reduce tool changes, combining operations and cutting cycle times for mass-produced parts. “We pride ourselves on making 'specials' just as fast as standards, if not faster,” according steel department foreman Phil Jurick.

To that end, in 2018 ARCH Mentor purchased an Okuma Multus U4000 multi-tasking machine to complement its 5-axis mills, lathes, and OD grinders. The Multus is a mill/turn machine or lathe with live tooling capabilities: It has a full B-axis and single spindle with a tailstock. “It's the strongest mill in the shop," Jurick said. "That's why we purchased it, to take us further. It was time to step it up.”

Eric Podmore, CNC programmer at ARCH Mentor since 2012, added: “Multi-task machines can take us way into the future.”

ARCH Mentor has been using GibbsCAM since 2007 to program every job run on its CNC machines — including indexable drills, cartridges, and PCD inserts. “Our systems give us the ability to turn tools around, from engineering to CAM, to machining, quicker than anybody in the industry,” Novak claimed.

With the time-saving features of GibbsCAM software and the Multus multi-task machining (MTM) equipment, ARCH Mentor can manufacture parts faster. The finished parts' quality has improved significantly.

One machine, one set-up — When one lathe started acting up, ARCH Mentor replaced it with a multitasking machine with one machining center. “Since we've purchased the MTM equipment, we've essentially eliminated two lathes and using live tooling on those lathes," Podmore explained. “The ability to cut with two tools at once is tremendous. We're eliminating almost all set-up time. We can have up to 9,999 tools set up, and 80 in the machine all at one time.”

Having a single machining center and set-up means the ARCH Mentor team can create more accurate parts because they can set it up and run both sides all in one process on one machine, instead of three separate machines. “Obviously, that saves two-thirds of the effort, so 66 percent of the time. It also eliminates a lot of variables, travel time between machines, transporting parts, and doing multiple set-ups," Podmore noted.

"We can just program it all as one (unit), and don't have to take it offline or set it up again,” he continued. “We could do it, guaranteed, 50-percent faster just by not having to change out parts.”

The multi-tasking machine also allows him to set up and use the sub-spindle to do backside work that would normally require another set up and tool changes. “That saves at least 30 minutes to an hour per job, just for the set-up,” Podmore pointed out. And with the ability to pinch turn, he can use the upper and lower spindles to turn at the same time, effectively giving 100-percent more steel removal per revolution.

“Without GibbsCAM, we wouldn't be getting as much done as far throughput on the machines," Jurick said. "We have guys who can put three or four set-ups on one machine in one day, in one shift. If we didn't have GibbsCAM, we would never be able to do that.”

Program any machine — Before switching to GibbsCAM in 2007, ARCH Mentor programmers were using hand-written G-code for their lathes and OD grinders and Mastercam for their mills. “Since we've switched to GibbsCAM and have post processors for different machines, I could single-handedly program any machine in the shop right now,” said Podmore. Jurick adds: “GibbsCAM works on every machine we have on the floor, even our 25-year-old machine. We can set up posts easily for all of them.”

“With GibbsCAM, we are 100-percent turning out parts quicker than what we normally would do with our past programs. Without GibbsCAM, we'd be spending a lot more time looking at G-code and not actually programming,” Podmore said.

And, the compatibility accomplished when all the machines are programmed exactly the same way means no one needed special training to program the new MTM. ARCH Mentor wanted an easily-programmable CAM software and heard about GibbsCAM through word of mouth. “Once it clicked how easy it was, GibbsCAM sold itself,” the programmer recalled.

He said learning GibbsCAM was easy. It took him about two weeks to start making real programs on the machines, with no errors.

“Of all the software that we've used, GibbsCAM was the easiest to pick up. It’s very easy to read and manipulate. It’s pretty clean,” Jurick offered.

GibbsCAM's accessibility is among of Novak’s primary recommendations. “Everyone we've instructed has been excited about it. It's got pretty much any function anyone could ask for in a CAM system, regardless of your industry. And, it's a very popular system, so finding someone who has experience with it isn't difficult.”

Single, customizable interface — Another time-saving feature is GibbsCAM's single, customizable user interface (UI). Because programmers can program multiple machines (mill, lathe, MTM) with one interface, they only need to learn one way of programming. Podmore said he appreciates that he can customize the GibbsCAM UI so that all the features he uses regularly are easily accessible. Everything’s easily visible, and only one or two clicks away without searching, which he said represents a time savings up to 30 percent.

Setup Sheets — The ability to customize set-up sheets and tool lists in GibbsCAM saves time, too. Having a set-up sheet for every machine provides operators with every detail needed to set up the machine — basically, a recipe for the job. “Now it looks clean, neat. It's all laid out for them. There's no confusion or questions, which makes it a lot easier,” Podmore said.

Jurick noted that as long as a job is done right the first time, it's set for good. An operator can set-up the job again and, if the tooling extensions are correct, he can turn the machine to 100 percent and walk away. “That alone saves 100 percent of the time needed for changes, versus having to rewrite everything by hand,” Podmore emphasized.

Automation — The biggest challenge that Podmore faces as a CNC programmer is completing repetitive tasks in a simple and timely manner. GibbsCAM automation features help address this challenge.

ARCH Mentor makes a lot of symmetrical parts. So, for example, a part with three pockets on one side would have 12 total (three at zero, three at 90, three at 180, and three at 270 degrees). With GibbsCAM, Podmore programs just three pockets and the CAM automatically programs four times around 360. “So, I'm saving 75 percent of my time because I only have to program one side instead of all four.”

With just two clicks GibbsCAM can handle RPMs, and slow down or speed up feeds through all processes at once for the entire program.

Saving processes and tools — Unlike their previous CAM software, GibbsCAM can save multiple processes together to repeat over and over again. “The customization of saving multiple tools, speeds, and feeds to reuse saves us hours a day for mills, lathes, multi-tasking machines, you name it,” Podmore said.

After switching to GibbsCAM, ARCH Mentor programmers saved a process for all of their tools so that they could install it once and then forget about it. “I haven't had to change much of anything since I started programming,” Podmore reported.

He said GibbsCAM makes it easy to simplify everything and boosts programming speed at least tenfold. They can save multiple tools together to re-do multiple tool jobs together at once, instead of one at a time. “That right there saves me at least 50 percent of programming time.” Podmore adds, “Bringing in multiple tools at once with pre-saved speeds and feeds is pretty specialized to GibbsCAM. And the tool pathing is way easier than Mastercam or any other program that I've worked with; two or three clicks and it's good to go.”

Macros — Another favorite automation feature in GibbsCAM is macros, which allow a programmer to automate repeatable tasks. For instance, Podmore can create a macro to draw geometry with a certain diameter or length and then create solids and processes from that. He can indicate what tool, speed, adjustments, and solid to use in the macro.

“Time savings with GibbsCAM macros may be 100 percent because filling in three boxes is a lot quicker than drawing geometry or solids,” he said

The VoluMill toolpath engine's high-speed machining feature is another time-saver. Podmore claimed the high-speed roughing capability paid for GibbsCAM almost instantly because it cuts down roughing time by at least 200 percent. ARCH Mentor is saving at least five to ten minutes per small part and more than an hour on larger parts. “What would normally be a four-hour part, we're knocking down to about an hour with VoluMill high-speed machining," he said, "So, for 10 parts we're saving 30 hours in just one day.”

Rendering and machine simulation — ARCH Mentor renders everything in GibbsCAM for the MTM and other CNC machines to avoid crashes and save time. “I can honestly say rendering saves us at least an hour for a four-hour program, so 25 percent per part per program,” Podmore said. And no one needs to watch over the program, which frees operators' time to work on something else.

GibbsCAM's machine simulation features also free operators’ time. They can set up and initiate the simulation, and walk away knowing that it’s going to run "true." So, a program that takes one hour to run frees an hour for the operator. And with sync control, ARCH Mentor can complete 50 percent more work because they can implement left-side turning while milling on the right side, for example.

Improved tool life and machine use — According to Podmore, ARCH Mentor is at least doubling the service life of every tool with VoluMill high-speed machining, and by rendering in GibbsCAM, it avoids machine crashes and gets at least 20–30 percent more usage out of its tooling.

ARCH Mentor uses carbide for most of the steel-cutting tools it produces, and while it's expensive material costs are saved with GibbsCAM's ability to simulate toolpaths.

Staying competitive — With GibbsCAM, ARCH Mentor can make more-complex parts and stay ahead of its competitors. And, with the Okuma Multus multi-tasking machine it can manufacture parts like shanks and front ends that cannot be produced on a regular five-axis machine.

ARCH Mentor plans to continue growing, and appreciates GibbsCAM because it’s a scalable machine-programming platform. Jurick noted that GibbsCAM has grown with the shop so far, and that GibbsCAM versions keep improving as ARCH Mentor adds newer machines, maintaining the performance that the shop requires.