Editor’s Pick: 3D and 5-Axis Milling Enhancements Round Out hyperMILL Update

OPEN MIND Technologies has released an update to its popular CAD/CAM software suite. Users will find new enhancements to existing milling strategies, new strategies and options, and a new set of processes for working with additive manufacturing (AM) or AM/milling hybrid operations. 

New Corner Rest Machining strategies for 3D and 5-axis techniques, the company says, provide significant benefits in various machining applications, including mold and die. Enabled by a simple instruction, corners can be machined largely by vertical stroking methods. Then traditional z-level steps can be used to blend with the vertical section and the lower floor. The top section has an automatic surface extension to enable smoother production of sharp edges. 

A new strategy for 5-axis Blade Tangent Milling increases efficiency and improves surface quality when milling with conical barrel cutters, according to the company. Higher feed rates are possible, while avoiding center-cutting. The use of large stepovers improves the finishing process. 

Programming in the hyperMILL Mill-Turn module has been simplified with an Automatic Contour Feature Splitting capability. This enables hyperMILL to automatically determine the area to be machined based on the turning contour. The grooving job will automatically recognize if a contour is a groove, making it faster and easier to program certain areas. 

New additive manufacturing capabilities are included in this update. The software supports 3D printing additive processes and offers hybrid processing with simultaneous additive and subtractive machining on one machine tool. There are flexible strategies for additive material applications, including filling strategies. There are also routines for hybrid machining to fix damaged parts and additive manufacturing of an existing component. 

Expect to find a variety of improvements to hyperMILL’s probing technology. Slot Rib Probing measures slots and ribs. Free tool geometry enables the use of any tool type for highly detailed programming and collision control. 

Roughing has been optimized with new area sorting functionality. 

hyperMILL 2020.1 is now available directly from OPEN MIND Technologies. 

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.