NCL with VoluMill Gets an Add-On Making Bulk Material Removal More Efficient

NCCS Corp. has developed an add-on module to NCL with VoluMill, its multi-axis machining software commonly used in the aerospace, automotive and turbo-machinery industries, to enable high-speed bulk material removal rates. The add-on is said to shorten cycle times compared to traditional milling with less machine wear and better tool life. 

For open shapes, the programmer can cut any combination of part/stock boundaries; all open edges are fully leveraged for efficient machining and to minimize plunging into the material. 

Intelligent slot and side milling options comprise another feature. For softer metals, the software determines the fastest possible cycle time and intelligently selects slot milling or side milling to maximize the material removal rate. Feed rates and axial depths of cut are automatically adjusted in slot milling to maintain a constant material removal rate but can be overridden by the programmer. For harder materials, users can configure side milling over the entire tool path to avoid burying the cutter. The software behaves similarly to make small-pocket machining more efficient. 

The software provides high-feed repositioning with floor clearance, taking advantage of the machine’s capabilities in order to move the tool as safely and as quickly as possible when not engaged in material. It ensures that the tool clears the floor by a small amount when repositioning at the highest possible speed without dragging it across an already-machined floor.

With automatic feed adjustment, the programmer can maintain a more consistent load on the cutting tool with no feed rate optimizer needed. VoluMill tool paths include precise and automatic feed rate optimization, the company says.