March 23, 2015 -- WorkNC CAD/CAM ensures a precision subcontractor provides both accurate quotes and quality parts with no surface finish faults, to their customers. Without it, Aravis Precision say they would only have half their current turnover.
General Manager Marc Genans-Boiteux says it’s essential that their components are absolutely perfect, especially those for the aeronautical industry.
Aravis installed WorkNC when the company was founded 15 years ago, and use it to manufacture a wide range of parts and mould tools for automotive, sports, mechanical construction, industrial maintenance and aeronautics clients.
Operating from 600 square metre premises in Thônes, France, with nine employees, Aravis use WorkNC to program a recently-acquired 5-axis DMG DMF180 CNC machine, along with two Hurco 30s and 3-axios VMX 42S, and a 3-axis Mazak Nexus 410A with a 4th axis.
In addition to his General Manager and Sales Manager roles, Marc Genans-Boiteux programs the 5-axis toolpaths and looks after machining complex parts.
WorkNC, from Vero Software, is vital in two totally different domains – creating accurate quotes and machining the parts. He imports all customer files into WorkNC, and as he is responsible for producing quotes he programs the toolpaths according to part complexity, for WorkNC’s simulation feature to determine the machining time.
“This is used as the basis for our quotes. We’re a small company and can’t afford a mistake on pricing a job. Thanks to information provided by WorkNC regarding machining times and tooling, I can give an accurate quote, making sure we don’t lose money on jobs we undertake.”
Firstly, he uses the bounding box function for part volume and raw material requirements. Then he creates the 3- or 5-axis toolpaths, according to the part’s complexity, and runs the machining simulation to determine cycle times.
“After that, I check the required tool length indicated in WorkNC, which allows me to identify the required cutting tools and calculate the price of the job. Based on raw material requirements, the most suitable machining sequence and tooling, along with preparation and machining time estimates, I can give an accurate quote to the customer.”
Once the contract is awarded, he uses his extensive knowledge of WorkNC to optimise machining by finalising feed rates and other parameters. Then part production begins on the machine, and he is assisted on the shopfloor by workshop foreman Ludovic Perrillat, who is now beginning to use WorkNC’s 5-axis functionality.
Their most frequently used toolpaths are the standard roughing strategies, Z-level finishing, and optimised Z-level finishing. “Thanks to the quality of the rapid and reliable finishing toolpaths, the part requires very few further conventional milling phases.”
Before acquiring the 5-axis DMG Mori Seiki machine in September 2014, Aravis produced straightforward standard parts using 4-axis strategies. Using this latest machine, programmed with WorkNC, they manufacture new products almost daily, including single or small series parts which require specific production processes with new machining sequences and new tooling equipment.”
A steering column for a Grand Prix Moto2 motorbike chassis is a perfect example of how this has revolutionised the way they work. “It’s a particularly complex component, and on 3-axis machines it required eight operations and additional finishing. But using WorkNC on the 5-axis DMG it only requires two machining operations and the surface finish is of a remarkably high standard.
“WorkNC is absolutely vital for this. We simply couldn’t manufacture these parts without it. It’s the core element of our manufacturing capability and allows us to work double shifts.
“I have made sure WorkNC was installed at all the companies I’ve worked for, and it was absolutely the perfect choice when I set up Aravis Precision, and meant we were able to start machining immediately. If Aravis Precision didn’t have WorkNC today, we would only have half the current turnover.”
WorkNC is part of the Vero Software Group. Vero has direct offices in the UK, Germany, Italy, France, Japan, USA, Brazil, Netherlands, China, South Korea, Spain and India supplying products to more than 45 countries through its wholly owned subsidiaries and reseller network.
Vero is part of Hexagon (Nordic exchange: HEXA B), a leading global provider of design, measurement and visualisation technologies that enable customers to design, measure and position objects, and process and present data.
