Modern Machine Shop is focused on all aspects of metalworking technology - Providing the new product technologies; process solutions; supplier listings; business management; networking; and event information that companies need to be competitive.
Issue link: https://mms.epubxp.com/i/313389
feature Mr. Francis says, since the software can auto- matically do this for any CNC machine t ype without reprogramming and without NC program- mer intervention. "In the early days of this partnership, they were really keen on the software's ability to transfer programs from machine to machine, but I told Brian and Javad that this was really more of an everyday tool," Mr. Gustafson says. "I program for certain machines every day, so every time I change from cutting this pocket to rotating around to cut another one, this program is helping save me time. That's where your investment really begins paying off, by slashing the time you have to spend programming. And setup time is signifcantly reduced as well—and I mean by a couple of days, not hours." In addition, SmartPath helped save Valley a signifcant capital investment by making a machine productive that hadn't been functioning up to expectations. "We'd put a lot of money into that machine," Mr. Gustafson says, "so to fnally have it up and running smoothly was icing on the cake." Point of Entry After more than two decades in the aerospace industry, Mr. Gustafson possesses an in-depth understanding of metalworking and how it has evolved over time. Equipment and technologies upon which he now relies on a daily basis were once unimaginable, and he admits to sometimes thinking of how much easier the transitions Valley has made—from three- to four- and fnally to fve- axis machining, for example—would have been, had software such as SmartPath been around. "I think a lot of companies have struggled with getting into fve-axis machining because the pro- gramming has traditionally been so diffcult, and this software has really minimized the need for that kind of in-depth knowledge," he says. "If you're a company that wants to get into fve-axis machining, but you've never done it before, the learning curve has been fattened signifcantly." ICAM Technologies, call 514-697-8033 or visit icam.com. 0614_MMS_Valley.indd 93 5/14/2014 9:54:48 AM