Bill GwinnLead NC ProgrammerTriumph Aerostructures – Vought Integrated Programs Division
After processing the APT files through ICAM, the final output (CNC code) instructs the CNC machines to mill Aluminum billets into precision aircraft components. Typically, these large complex parts have machine times measured in days, rather than hours & minutes; and that’s with three shifts of machining. Parts this big require large programs; in many cases, multiple large programs. According to Gwinn, that’s where ICAM has paid for itself. The processing time for these programs takes about half the time as the old Post-Processor.
In the case of the Cincinnati post, Triumph was faced with a unique situation where time was a key factor in building the new post for this upgrade. Fortunately ICAM was able to work with Gwinn and help develop and finalize the post in just a few weeks. “Our goal was to use the existing APT files, over 70 of them, and run them through a new ICAM Post to achieve the same tool path” said Gwinn. Since the Control upgrade would use a different tool path method; Tool-Tip vs. the previous Knuckle-Driven method, all programs required reprocessing. “ICAM did an excellent job collaborating with us to develop the Post, in order to give us an error free CNC tool path; especially with little to no changes in the original APT files.”
