machine. Other considerations include
transferring the part between spindles
and programming a full range of mill and
turn tool paths in a single program. There
are more features and modes on the machines, so the CNC programs are generally more complex.
2. How does this type of program-
ming differ from the conventional
style?
Programming for multitasking is not
a purely sequential operation. The programmer needs to consider the interaction between different streams and determine how to synchronize these streams to
avoid collisions and minimize cycle time.
They will also consider which operations
are best done with which stream and, in
some cases, on which spindle to get the
job done in the most efficient way.
3. How important are simulation
tools?
Machine simulation is a very important tool for programming multitasking
machines. Simulation is used to detect
programming errors that may result in
expensive collisions. These issues cannot
be picked up at the tool path-generation
stage because the state of each movable
part is not known at this point. This makes
Questions
With …
Dave Boucher,
Lathe Product
Manager,
CNC Software
5
Today’s multitasking equipment allows many operations to be car- ried out at any one time, which
can potentially increase productivity,
reduce WIP, and reduce the cost of the
final part.
However, as the machine’s axis movements and tool paths become more complex, so does programming.
1. What are the challenges with pro-
gramming multitasking machines?
Challenges include balancing and syn-
chronizing operations between different
streams [tools] and spindles to minimize
cycle time and avoiding collisions be-
tween the many moving pieces of the
simulation of the process necessary.
