VERICUT Version 9.5 – Maximize Efficiency, Minimize Downtime
Maximize CNC Efficiency and Minimize Downtime with AIM’s VERICUT Solutions
Cascade Engineering Technologies has evolved from a small metrology shop into a world-class aerospace manufacturer, thanks to their expertise in CNC machining and precision investment casting. Leveraging advanced technology like VERICUT for simulation and probing verification, Cascade ensures every part meets the highest standards of accuracy and quality.
Dirk Ellis founded Cascade Engineering Technologies 30 years ago as a contract metrology shop. The Canby, Oregon-based outfit began adding CNC machining services around the turn of the century, but their core competency remains steeped in their metrology expertise.
With just under a hundred employees and 70,000 sq.ft. of manufacturing space, Cascade Engineering Technologies (CET) is set for continued growth. This Pacific Northwest manufacturer might have got their start checking other shop’s parts, but today they are a world-class aerospace manufacturer in their own right. “My dad founded the company back in the 80s with a single Zeiss CMM,” tells Cascade’s director of engineering Devon Ellis. “As the business grew, we added light manufacturing to support our customers. Today, we have 20 CNC machining centers with a specialty in machining critical investment castings. Our sales pitch is that we are who you want when it comes to manufacturing large, complex, monolithic, thin-walled structures because of our metrology focus.”
CET’s north cell is made up of Haas vertical machining centers, including three new 5-axis machines. The south cell houses their 4- and 5-axis horizontals. They have twin Makino T-1s, a pair of Matsuura MAM72-100H, and their latest acquisition, a Toshiba TUE 150 vertical lathe. A state-of-the-art metrology lab supports all the machining. The lab alone is 4,000 sq.ft. and houses seven Zeiss CMMs. Cascade is an ISO9001 / AS9100 Rev D registered ITAR facility and everything begins and ends in their quality lab.
Investment castings are a nightmare for most shops not equipped with the tools and experience needed to do the job right. “An investment casting is where you want to make a component out of metal by first making a wax pattern,” describes Devon. “You build a shell, burn out the wax, pour metal in it, and inspect and repair the part until it meets the customer’s requirements. What’s left is a rough shape that requires finish machining. Each casting is a snowflake, the same, but with its own uniqueness. More often than not our customers are essentially consigning to us very high-value material that we have to machine.”
The value comes from the time it took for the casting house to make the casting. It could be three months’ worth of time before the casting gets to us. They need someone to machine it right the first time. There are no do-overs. If you mess it up, you can’t just go grab another piece of metal off the shelf. There is a nuance with each casting that you don’t see in traditional machine work. That is where “best fitting” comes in. Casting is not a perfect science; each casting has a variance that is large in relationship to the machining process assigned to it.
Cascade takes in the casting and runs it through an extensive intake process that begins with a trip across one of their seven Zeiss CMM machines. They inspect the piece of material and gather data on it. From there, they are able to do an analysis and determine if it will yield a good part, and if so, how best to get that part. “We have created a methodology that allows us to verify component compliance at the raw material stage, before any chips are cut,” explains Devon. “From there, we define the exact path that will get us there. The result: no surprises.”
Cascade’s programmers write extensive probing routines before, during, and after machining the part. From start to finish, they verify what they are doing matches the predicted accuracy from the information they already gathered. They verify all their probing routines in CGTech’s Vericut software. They simulate the part in Vericut and run the probing routines from there. “We have our simulated part completely probed and verified in Vericut before it even gets on our CNC machines,” details Troy.
This excerpt was originally published in CNC West, April 2019.
AIM specializes in bringing the same level of precision and accuracy to CNC machining by leveraging the power of VERICUT software. From probing verification to advanced simulation, we ensure your CNC operations are flawless from start to finish. Ready to optimize your processes?
Contact AIM today at info@aim-cnc.com – to discover how our expertise can elevate your manufacturing capabilities.
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