June 16, 2010

One of the major challenges in using a plasma cutting machine is achieving high quality small holes. The two measures of hole quality are roundness and cylindricity. If a hole is cylindrical, but not round, it is an indication that one of four key variables is WRONG. The key variables affecting hole quality are:

1. Feed rate
2. Height control
3. Lead-in and lead-out configuration
4. Start–up and shut down synchronization and timing

All four of these variables can be controlled by... READ MORE

SigmaNEST's Reorder NC Path function is a specialized NC operation. It allows the user to reorder, group, or remove NC paths after Auto NC has created the toolpath. SigmaNEST users can adjust the cut path sequence without having to remove NC.

This can be achieved by selecting the Reorder function from the Edit NC menu ribbon. The NC path list for the nest is displayed and the part's internal and external contours are shown in the cutting order.

There are two primary reasons why the use of the fillet corner function is advantageous when cutting parts with sharp corners:

1) The fillet corner function allows for an improved cut-time because it is no longer necessary for the cutting machine to stop at each corner. This can be done without editing the parts geometry but modifying the NC code.

2) The fillet corner function will produce a higher quality part. If a machine slows down too much when it tries to cut a 90 degree angle, it will melt away some of the metal. This results in poor corner quality.

SigmaNEST allows the user to auto apply a fillet to the corners of parts. To access this feature go to Nesting NC tab/Motion Optimization ribbon/Fillet Corners or under the Auto NC command. A minimum and maximum angle value is defined which allows the cutting head to approach the part corners. If the corner is between the specified angles the head will follow the fillet path for a smoother and continuous cutting path.