have the opportunity to apply digital
techniques to unlock more value. OEMs and
major suppliers should invest in digital
throughout their organisation, such as
upgrading how new aircraft are designed and
developed. Digital tools such as VERICUT
can dramatically accelerate the development
process ensuring components can be
produced ef ciently and reliably. This makes
organisations more agile and responsive
when dealing with dramatic changes in order
volumes.
“In addition, any digital investment will
capture better data allowing the Commercial,
Financial and Managing Director to derive
clear insights from it, leading to better
decision making. So, the case for making
digital investments is clear and we believe
the global application of VERICUT along with
its FORCE module within the aerospace
industry speaks volumes about the
commercial bene ts available.”
FORCE is a software module within
VERICUT that uses a physics-based
optimisation method to determine the
maximum reliable feed rate for a given
cutting condition based on four factors. They
are force on the cutter, spindle power,
maximum chip thickness, and maximum
allowable feed rate. FORCE calculates ideal
feed rates by; analysing tool geometry and
parameters, material properties of the stock
and cutting tool, detailed cutting tool edge
geometry, and of course VERICUT cut-by-cut
contact conditions.
COMMERCIAL BENEFITS
FORCE excels in dif cult to machine
materials, especially complex multi-axis cuts
such as 5-axis ank milling. Whilst the
calculations undertaken within the FORCE
module are complex, the commercial
bene ts are straightforward and easy to
measure.
UK Sales Engineer, Scott Ravenscroft,
explains: “Using the digital twin to simulate
every important part of the CNC machine tool
VERICUT covers the obvious and visible
production concerns, such as crashes,
scrap, gouges and prove outs. However,
FORCE addresses the hidden opportunities
for cost savings, such as inef cient
programming and suboptimal feed rates
caused by the CAM system’s inability to
adjust cutting feed rates for varying cutting
conditions.”
Using the football analogy of ‘attack’ and
‘defence’ he highlights how the software
achieves its goals: “In attack - we create
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optimal cutting conditions by maximising
chip thickness and keeping the chip
thickness constant. Defence comes from
setting limits to prevent failure, such as
maximum feedrate, cutting force and
de ection. All of which are done without
altering the trajectory or path of the cutting
tool.”
Makino D200Z
Any business can access the commercial
bene ts available from VERICUT FORCE. The
software relies on proven technology to
maximise program ef ciency and productivity
and typically achieves savings of 8 - 15 % on
aluminium and more than 15% on dif cult to
cut materials. Return on investment can
often be as little as one production
component, with the opportunity to analyse
cutting conditions, improve tool life, protect
CNC machine tools and reduce operational
costs.
This example of a typical aerospace
component, an aircraft pylon produced from
a titanium forging, has been FORCE
optimised. The original cycle time for this
component was 2 hours 47 minutes and the
FORCE optimised cycle time dropped to 2
hours 12 minutes, a reduction of around
21%. Based on 500 parts charged at £100
per hour machine time, the optimised cycle
would offer a £29,000 cost reduction over
the batch.
And, FORCE is not only effective on exotic
materials, as this example of an aerospace
component that has been manufactured
from aluminium billet shows. The original
cycle time was 39 minutes and the
optimised cycle reduced this by 17% to 32
minutes.
“Businesses don’t need to fully
understand how FORCE works to apply it,
CGTech has a global technical team that can
help any company unleash its commercial
bene ts. We know the savings the software
offers are measurable and robust, so the
results are sustainable. Cycle time savings
of around 20% should not to be ignored. If
your machine shop has ten machine tools
running these parts using FORCE
optimisation, then two of the machines are
now potentially operating for zero cost. How
the gains are applied to the bottom line of
the business is an internal commercial
decision, but with year-on-year cost down
pressures across the industry, having such
an opportunity to make these savings should
be a ‘no brainer’,” Gavin Powell explains.
He concludes: “The industry nds itself in
strange and unprecedented times. It is
critical that manufacturers embrace new
methods, strategies and technology to
ensure that processes are secure and
stable. This will reduce scrap and waste, as
well as increase pro tability and capacity.
Digital data applications can improve
performance internally by showing clearly
what is happening in areas such as
operations, production and assembly. The
array of applications is wide and varied, but
VERICUT and, more recently, FORCE, have
proven track records of providing commercial
success for aerospace businesses around
the world. If you want your company to
exceed its Key Performance Indicators (KPI)
you need to talk to CGTech.”
www.machinery.co.uk | MachineryMagazine | @MachineryTweets | February 2021 41
Karsten / stock.adobe.com
/www.machinery.co.uk
/stock.adobe.com