Delcam to demonstrate NC-PartLocator at JEC

NC-PartLocator, which has been developed in association with metrology specialists MSP, gives the ability to adjust toolpaths to the actual position of the part, rather than having to ensure that the component is in, exactly, the nominal location, specified in the CAM system. NC-PartLocator gathers data using a probe fitted onto the machine tool. A probing sequence is created to collect a series of points from the component. This data is then used by best-fit routines to determine the part's exact position. Any mismatch between the nominal position, used in the CAM system, and the actual position of the component, on its fixture, can be calculated. The software then feeds the results to the machine tool control, as a datum shift or rotation, to compensate for the differences in location and alignment. This adjustment can be made much more quickly and easily than placing, and holding, the part in exactly the specified position, especially with large, flexible components. NC-PartLocator can also save time that could be wasted in machining and inspecting parts that are already scrap. The process can discover, during the set-up phase, that the component is so distorted that no realignment will give a satisfactory part.