Today’s Medical Developments (TMD): How can medical manufacturers successfully manage the tools in their manufacturing workflow?

Alan Levine (AL): hyperMILL’s extensive database enables users to manage tools of all types – from drills and milling cutters to complex turning tools – which can all be mapped virtually and linked with technology data. Depending on the machining application, speed and feed values can be controlled with maximum precision. Individual process data for materials and applications can be stored while manufacturing standards are stored in a central database for easy access by a programmer. The hyperMILL tool database helps ensure only proven, efficient tools and machining values are used. A well-organized tool database is also required for automation procedures.

TMD: What is high performance cutting and what does it bring to medical device manufacturing?

AL: Open Mind offers a high performance cutting (HPC) module, hyperMILL Maxx Machining roughing for 2.5-axis, 3-axis, and 5-axis machining. Based on Celeritive’s VoluMILL kernel and extended by Open Mind to have application for 5-axis roughing, it combines many advantages, including optimum milling paths, maximum material removal, and the shortest possible production times. An alternative Perfect Pocketing technique finds optimal inscribed rectangles or circles to use simple paths over those regions, and then automatically identifies remaining rest material.

A comprehensive 5-axis HPC package allows trochoidal-like paths to be mapped to curved component surfaces. Trochoidal toolpaths are ideally suited for efficiently roughing medical components in a tool-friendly way, even when handling materials that are difficult to machine, such as titanium and stainless-steel alloys.

hyperMILL Maxx Machining roughing offers high material removal rates which facilitate extremely fast machining. The Maxx Machining roughing module controls tool engagement to improve material removal in corners, avoiding the need to reduce feed rate in certain areas and running the entire job at lower feed rates. Further, with well managed cutting, the depth of cut can be greatly increased, further reducing machining times. Avoiding large cutter engagement in corners also reduces stress on tools and can significantly extend tool life.

TMD: Medical devices are not simple parts – many have unique shapes, complex geometries, and stringent surface requirements that require many steps to complete. How does Open Mind technology minimize finishing processes?

AL: Various milling strategies make a better part that requires less post-machining finishing, saving time and process steps. For example, hyperMILL Maxx Machining finishing uses a conical barrel cutter (also known as circle segment or arc segment end mills) with contact radius of up to 1,000mm or more, producing a step-down of 10x to 15x greater than using a ball-nose end mill. This can improve surface finish and reduce cutting time by 90%. The conical barrel cutter has the large barrel radius ground on a tapered feature, compared to a traditional barrel cutter where the large radius blends to be tangent to the cutter shank. Smaller radii such as 250mm are common in medical applications when matching shaped surfaces in bone plates and knee joints. The smaller radii decrease cutting forces on hard materials and when matching the shaped surfaces.

Open Mind has added technology to focus on producing a good part, more than just developing a good tool path – smooth overlap blending and high- precision finishing.

Smooth overlap blending techniques address the complex physical problems encountered in manufacturing such as deflection between adjacent program areas that use different cutters or cutter orientation, cutter wear, and spindle growth. The smooth overlap process adds some passes to overlap adjacent paths, while simultaneously avoiding double-cut surfaces. The result is imperceptible mismatches and near-perfect blends.

High-precision finishing shifts the final tool path locations from an approximated mesh surface to the actual design surface. Though the tool path adjustments may be only a few microns, there’s marked improvement in the resulting surfaces, with no remaining witness from the approximated mesh surface, saving time on post-machining finishing. The smoothing algorithms within the CNC controls also work better when fed smoother data from the CAM system.

TMD: What does Open Mind bring to users for tool path prove-out prior to putting the job on the machine?

AL: hyperMILL Virtual Machining Center simulates and analyzes the manufacturing process while modeling the real machining environment. This streamlines throughput by avoiding surprises and costly errors at the machine from inefficient operations. It enables constant real time bi-directional communication between machine and control, improving safety, reliability, speed, and process control optimization from CAD/CAM to machine. Actual machining situations are mapped virtually and simulated based on the NC code in the hyperMILL Virtual Machining Center. The simulation solution consists of three modules: Center, Optimizer, and Connected Machining, enhancing communication between the hyperMILL CAM suite and the machine tool.

One example, in addition to checking toolpaths against the part and the machine model, Optimizer looks at toolpaths in respect to machine tool kinematics and specific geometry elements, such as an asymmetric or offset head, calculating the best toolpath while considering the entire machining environment.

TMD: How does Open Mind software support automation, especially when handling families of parts in medical manufacturing?

AL: Automation is a broad topic and is essential for manufacturers to maintain an edge against local and offshore manufacturing competition. Automation is extremely important in medical fields where many implant components are individually sized to the patient. The machined components are therefore all unique but can be machined with common workflow.

hyperMILL’s Automation Center brings together structured programming processes that model best practices, including tooling and cutting procedures. The automation scripts don’t require any special programming languages and easily map to the general cutting process more than specific geometry elements. It’s broad-based and not limited to typical holes and pockets, and can provide complete programming, or only segments of repetitive steps.

TMD: Open Mind Technologies USA is celebrating 25 years in North America. What do you consider some of your key accomplishments?

AL: As we reflect on the development of Open Mind Technologies USA throughout the years, the key accomplishments are the development of our strong team of colleagues and the service provided to our customers. Together with our hyperMILL CAM system that has many novel techniques, we’ve been able to assist many companies large and small make meaningful impact to their productivity and business results.

Open Mind Technologies USA Inc.
https://www.openmind-tech.com

About the author: Elizabeth Engler Modic is editor of TMD. She can be reached at 216.393.0264 or emodic@gie.net.

Socket machining made faster, simpler

Shaper Duo tooling is a suitable alternative to traditional socket machining methods, such as end milling and rotary broaching. The insert design and programming for the shaper tool generates less tool pressure than broaching tools, key to consistent part production. Part cycle time is greatly reduced due to an efficient machining process vs. end milling. There’s no requirement for a high-speed spindle or time-consuming, complicated programs. Shaper Duo tooling fits the back spindle of Swiss machines. The system generates consistent part socket tolerance and corner edge sharpness. NTK’s selection of hexalobular (6-lobe) insert bars can machine T6 up to T30 sockets. Each hexagon insert, 2-sided bar, can generate a range of socket sizes; the smallest bar Hex range is 1.5mm to 2mm and the newest and largest bar range is 11mm to 14mm (Base AF 12.7mm). NTK has 2-sided insert bars for square sockets as small as 1.9mm and up to an 8.1mm AF range.

NTK Cutting Tools
https://www.ntkcuttingtools.com/us

All-purpose measurement software

Zeiss Calypso 2021 reduces the time and effort needed to analyze workpieces. It offers more than 60 new functions and improvements, significantly improving performance in quality control. Improved mathematical algorithms and other innovations deliver measurements 20x faster than the 2020 version.

Users can also significantly speed up their entire optical measurement processes, reducing unnecessary travel paths and increasing the possibility to sort measurement elements. It combines as many measurement elements as possible into one camera position, which the pre-set zoom level determines automatically.

Another enhancement, Zeiss Calypso dynamic planning, allows for a simple adjustment of the inspection scope based on dynamic rules from MES/CAQ solutions. Applying the dynamic rules saves significant time during the measurement process, and because users don’t change the measurement plan themselves, these don’t need to be recertified.

The new software version also optimizes programming, making it possible to program from the PMI with STEP AP 242.

Zeiss Industrial Quality Solutions
https://www.zeiss.com/metrology

Automated laser marking systems

RoboMate LaserEtch is an integrated laser system that can be added to the ANCA RoboMate loader for the TX and MX platforms, allowing laser marking of individual tools in-process. After grinding, the tool is automatically laser marked without adding tool takt time. This means there’s no need for additional equipment on the factory floor, and it reduces work in-progress from the smart use of the robot loader idle cycle time.

An automatic stand-alone laser marking station, AutoMarkX, allows the operator to simply load up to two full pallets of tools while the robot performs the laser marking operations. The system’s flexible marking means the message can be etched on a single side of the shank or on opposite sides of the shank or at the end of the tool. Codes, such as Datamatrix, are usually etched on the shank where they risk exposure to excessive surface wear, often rendering them unreadable. The end of the tool is the best location to etch this code.

AutoMarkX is ANCA Integrated Manufacturing System (AIMS) ready, so the systems can be integrated into the AIMS Server to become a part of a fully automated production cell. Sequential tool production processes are fully automated through to laser marking on the tool. AIMS also provides a platform for extended functionality including tool traceability and serialization.

ANCA CNC Machines
https://www.anca.com

Whether it’s artificial joints for knees, hips, and shoulders, dental implants, or bone screws and plates, cutting-edge medical technology significantly improves patients’ quality of life well into old age. This is true as long as that technology delivers its promise and provides a long service life. To make sure these requirements are met, medical manufacturers need high-quality tools to achieve absolute precision when producing complex components.

Precision tools for producing prostheses, implants, surgical instruments

Just as patients rely on high-quality implants, medical technology companies rely on quality carbide tooling and manufacturing expertise to machine their products. Whether it’s a leading company from the dental sector or a manufacturer of surgical forceps or producers of implants, such as osteosynthesis products, CERATIZIT is a manufacturing partner that can help develop customized, efficient tooling solutions for every application.

Mastering the entire process chain

From powder metallurgy to digital machining with ToolScope, CERATIZIT masters the entire process chain and guarantees the highest level of quality at every stage of the manufacturing process of high-tech medical products. Quality tooling coupled with extensive experience and expertise, CERATIZIT helps you continuously optimize your processes for top performance.

Certified carbide grades meet FDA biocompatibility approval

Biocompatibility requirements for medical devices improve patient safety. Our cutting materials undergo the strictest in-vitro cytotoxicity testing. The results are confirmed by an accredited laboratory approving our tools for sensitive components that come into contact with the body*. Count on CERATIZIT carbide grades to meet specific U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requirements to benefit human health. (*FDA)

Premium quality

In the medical industry, we place a premium on quality and functionality when machining medical components. We work with you to overcome challenges posed by difficult-to- machine materials and complex contours and geometries. We work with you to understand your specific needs and requirements. Take advantage of our decades of machining experience to produce the highest quality, precision medical technology.

1. How do you define multitasking machining?

Many machines are limited to one type of operation, such as turning, milling, drilling, or grinding. As the name implies, multitasking machines can perform several processes on a single machine or operation.

2. How do multitasking machines work?

Many multitasking machines use multiple tools, sometimes three or more tools simultaneously. Depending on the machine, the tools are loaded on separate automatic tool changers, turrets, or tool magazines. Some models are equipped with a milling spindle that rotates around its axis, generally referred to as the B-axis. These models can machine complex shapes using 5-axis interpolation and high-speed machining techniques.

Most multitasking CNC machines, depending on size, allow you to equip dozens of tools on a single turret or possibly hundreds of tools on a tool change magazine.

3. What are the benefits of multitasking machining?

If you’re consolidating several processes into one machine, the most immediate benefit is floor space. Rather than having two or three machines, you can replace them with one machine.

With fewer machines comes less setup time. Instead of wasting time moving one part from a lathe to a mill, you can complete all your operations on a single multitasking machine.

Not only does using a multitasking machine reduce setup time compared to using several machines, it also removes the possibility of an operator error. Every time you stop a machine, remove a workpiece, and set it up in a different machine, you’re introducing an opportunity for a mistake, costing you time and money, and pushing your scrap rate up.

Multitasking also enables greater accuracy. By keeping a workpiece in one machine, you don’t have to worry about any variables associated with repositioning the workpiece or gripping it again. Even with advanced automation systems, gripping and positioning a single workpiece repeatedly could result in error. At the end of the day, the less you move parts between machines, the better.

4. How do you integrate automation into a multitasking machine?

Multitasking machines are well suited for automation. It’s easy to add automated components such as a bar feeder, gantry, or robot. While multitasking machines cut down on changeover compared to mills or lathes, adding a robotic arm can reduce changeovers even more by swapping out workpieces or tools.

Nakamura-Tome’s Flex Arm does just that. The robotic arm allows you to swap out chucks, jaws, and workpieces automatically. Extra chucks, jaws, and tools are loaded into the tool stocker, and you can control the arm directly from Nakamura’s Smart X HMI Panel.

5. How are multitasking machines used in medical manufacturing?

The medical manufacturing sector is evolving. Medical components are becoming more complex and diverse, driving the need for smaller lot size production runs. Medical shops are looking for machines that are easier to program and operate, minimizing setup time. Materials are also evolving, enhancing overall product durability, which requires a stable and rigid machine platform such as Nakamura-Tome.

Multitasking machines with a B-axis milling spindle enable 5-axis contouring work by combining simultaneous rotation of the B-axis head and C-axis turning spindles during a cut. Nakamura-Tome machines capitalize on this by building the shortest B-axis spindles available, which allows the machine to provide a shorter arc travel for the tool tip, resulting in greater accuracy. The short spindle length also optimizes part and tool length, resulting in better overall cycle times and flexibility while preserving tool rigidity.

FOR MORE INFO:
https://www.methodsmachine.com/builder-partners/nakamura-tome