NUMRoto grinding software’s Draw function can automate production verification
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NUM (UK)'s NUMRoto Draw function for NumRoto grinding software now allows tool manufacturers to create dimensioned engineering drawings of tools showing their precise geometry. By producing cross-sectional views of a tool – at any position along its length – Draw can effectively automate production verification, explains NUM (UK). The drawings can also incorporate images obtained directly from 3D simulation of a tool, enabling even complex grinding details to be portrayed graphically and unambiguously.
NUM (UK), which claims there are over 3,000 installations of NUMRoto, says Draw would be of value to tool manufacturers who wish to show customers precise details of tools prior to production, or as confirmation of the ground geometry of a tool as part of the delivery process. It would also enable tool resharpening companies to provide customers with documented confirmation of work, either before or after it had been carried out.
NUMRoto Draw is tightly integrated with the core NUMRoto software which provides a wealth of data sources. The drawing is derived directly from the same data source as the CNC program, ensuring there is no ambiguity in the process. Using data that defines the spatial course of the tool's cutting edge, the software automatically calculates all dimensions that require presentation and then generates the appropriate drawing. If any of the dimensions do not meet a customer's requirement, they can be amended very easily.
Using grinding wheel data in the program, NUMRoto Draw can create 3D details and integrate them into the drawing. These can be represented as colour images or as wire frame models, and provide an extremely accurate portrayal of the tool's profile or cross-sectional geometry between or at any position(s) along its length.
The drawings created are fully editable. Header information can be structured by the user to suit the customer's requirements, and the tool designation can be taken directly from the database. A separate table, showing the main parameters of the tool can either be created by the user or adapted from one of the templates supplied by NUM, and again can be populated using values from the NUMRoto database to help save time.
NUM (UK) has also enhanced the capabilities of its NUMRoto software in a number of areas. The number and type of measurements that can be performed during grinding operations has been extended and operators can now maintain tolerances to within ±3 microns, even when producing tools that may involve as many as 15 different measurements. The software now also features XML data interface, enabling tool geometry parameters such as length, diameter, rake angle, relief information, etc, to be exported for use elsewhere.
