VoluMill™ from Celeritive Technologies

Optima Manufacturing Achieves Productivity

and Cost Savings Using VoluMill
™

THE BUSINESS The Business Challenge CNC multi-axis machining centers and
Machining components for the energy turning centers, CNC EDM machines,
Optima Manufacturing is located in
industry grinders, and additional machining
the heart of Canada’s vital oil and gas
support equipment. Optima’s commit-
THE CLIENT industry, which stretches from coast to
ment to quality is demonstrated by a
Optima Manufacturing coast, but has deep roots and an annu-
host of gauging equipment including
Calgary, Alberta al $39 billion market in Alberta alone.
a CNC CMM and optical compara-
www.optimamfg.com By virtue of its location, 90 percent of
tors, plus surface and hardness testers.
the company’s business is machining
TOOLPATH The company prides itself in operat-
components for the energy industry.
VoluMill™ from ing an efficient, open organization
Celeritive Technologies, Inc. Optima was formed in 1990 by five with company-sponsored continuous
www.volumill.com experienced principals sharing a com- learning programs to keep abreast
mitment to the highest design, precision of rapid changes and improvements
machining, and assembly standards. brought about through the application
Today, Optima’s recently expanded of technology.
modern facility contains state-of-the-art

Optima Manufacturing’s recently expanded modern facility contains state-of-the-art

CNC multi-axis machining centers and turning centers, CNC EDM machines, grinders,
and additional machining support equipment.
VoluMill™ from Celeritive Technologies

“We can’t afford to spend a lot of time tweaking a part program. We estimate that
the time to generate a part program using our CAM system’s toolpath engine took
10 times longer than it does now with VoluMill™.”
Jonathan Wang, CNC programming supervisor, Optima Manufacturing

Although most of Optima’s business Wang’s group uses a CAM system

is in the oil and gas industry, it also that uses the traditional parallel offset
services customers in the aerospace, method to generate toolpaths. Optima
environmental control, agriculture, and recently purchased VoluMill to improve
telecommunications sectors by provid- productivity with simplified program-
ing process design services, extremely ming, shorter cycle times, and extend-
close tolerance machining, and preci- ed tool life.
sion assembly. Strict adherence to ISO
“Our four programmers are very busy,”
standards throughout the manufacturing
said Wang. “We can’t afford to spend
process benefits customers in both the
a lot of time tweaking a part program. This Inconel® gas and oil industry part
Canadian and export markets. took 40 minutes to rough using
We estimate that the time to generate a
a traditional toolpath and only
part program using our CAM system’s 17 minutes using a VoluMill™ toolpath.
The Business Solution
toolpath engine took 10 times longer
Jonathan Wang, Optima’s CNC pro- than it does now with VoluMill. Even issues. VoluMill’s approach generates
gramming supervisor, is responsible for then, we wouldn’t get the advantage all motions in a sweeping pattern with
adding productivity to the company’s of VoluMill’s controlled and consistent a smaller cutter to mill these radii. As
commitment to quality. Having been material removal rate. a result, VoluMill toolpaths remove the
introduced to the VoluMill™ toolpath material much faster while putting far
“One major area of improvement is
engine by a colleague more than a less stress on the cutter and machine.”
the milling of inside radii on pockets
year ago, he has put it to good use
and contours,” said Wang. “Traditional Still, management had to be convinced
on more than 100 components for the
toolpaths would simply plunge the to invest in this revolutionary technol-
oil and gas industry. Most of these are
cutter into these corners, placing very ogy, so comparisons were performed
machined from nickel-based and other
high loads on the tool and spindle, on actual production parts for the
difficult-to-cut materials.
often causing deflection and accuracy

Application Parameters OLD PARAMETERS NEW PARAMETERS

for Inconel Energy Part A Toolpath Traditional VoluMill™
End Mill Coated Carbide Coated Carbide
Material: Inconel® 718
End Mill Dimensions /
3 8" /
3 8"

Machine: RPM 1,000 1,000

Shizuoka Fanuc 18i Mill IPM 8 12
ADOC 0.125" 0.5"
Tool Holder:
RDOC 0.01" 0.02"
Haimer® BT40 Shrink Fit
Ramping drill a hole first to 0.5" 1.5°
Tool Life/Usage Per Part 1 part 2 parts
Cycle Time 40 minutes 17 minutes
Cost Savings $100/part
Cycle Time 68 minutes 24 minutes
VoluMill™ from Celeritive Technologies

“Not only is the cycle time dramatically shorter, but the extended tool life is impressive.
By cutting 1/2" deep, we were able to utilize the full length of the flute of our end mill instead
of concentrating the wear pattern at the corner, making the tool useless for the next part.”
Jonathan Wang, CNC programming supervisor, Optima Manufacturing

Application Parameters OLD PARAMETERS NEW PARAMETERS

for Titanium Energy Part B Toolpath Traditional VoluMill™
End Mill Coated Carbide Coated Carbide
Material: Titanium 6AL-4V
End Mill Dimensions /
1 2" /
1 2"

Machine: SFM 120 ft./min. 120 ft./min.

Shizuoka Vertical Milling Machine RPM 950 950
CLPT 0.0015" 0.0025"
Tool Holder:
IPM 5.7 9.5
Haimer® BT40 Shrink Fit
ADOC .08" 0.5"
RDOC 0.02" 0.025"
Tool Life/Usage Per Part 1 part 2.5 parts
Cycle Time 18 minutes 11 minutes
Cost Savings $70/part

energy industry. One was machined Another comparison was performed “Management was easily convinced
from Inconel 718 using a /8" coated
® 3
on an energy industry component to purchase our first VoluMill license
carbide end mill mounted in a Haimer ®
machined from titanium 6Al4V using with such a quick return on their invest-
40-taper shrink-fit holder for rigidity. /2" diameter coated carbide end
1
ment,” said Wang. “Now we have
Both toolpaths were run at 1,000 RPM, mills. Wang said the titanium part took two workstations loaded with VoluMill,
but that’s where the similarity ended. 18 minutes to rough at 950 RPM, using and ultimately, all of our programmers
a 0.08 axial depth of cut and a 0.2 will have their own version rather than
According to Wang, the Inconel part
radial depth of cut with the traditional competing with each other for it.”
took 40 minutes to rough with a 0.125
toolpath. The VoluMill toolpath reduced
depth of cut using a traditional tool- Wang also reports an improvement
roughing time to 11 minutes using the
path. Using a VoluMill toolpath, Op- in Optima’s on-time delivery results.
same size end mill and RPM, but with
tima was able to reduce roughing time In addition to shorter cycle times, with
a 0.5 axial depth of cut and a 0.025
to 17 minutes using the same size end improved tool life, operators spend
radial depth of cut.
mill and RPM, but a 0.5 depth of cut. less time changing tools and there are
According to Wang, when he factors fewer incidents of having to re-run a
“Not only is the cycle time dramati-
in the cycle time reductions and im- job due to a tool failure. As a result,
cally shorter, but the extended tool life
provements in tool life, Optima saved the machines are not only running
is impressive,” said Wang. “By cutting
$100 per part using VoluMill tool- faster, but with less interruption.
/2" deep, we were able to utilize the
1

paths on the Inconel component and

full length of the flute of our end mill in-
another $70 per part on the titanium
stead of concentrating the wear pattern
piece. He estimates VoluMill paid for
at the corner, making the tool useless
itself in less than a month.
for the next part.”
VoluMill™ from Celeritive Technologies

“Management was easily convinced to purchase our first VoluMill™ license with such a quick return
on their investment. Now we have two workstations loaded with VoluMill, and ultimately, all of our
programmers will have their own version rather than competing with each other for it.”
Jonathan Wang, CNC programming supervisor, Optima Manufacturing

The VoluMill™ Advantage

“Our first approach with VoluMill was As the world looks for alternative Celeritive Technologies, Inc. was
to tackle new parts and offer the most energy sources, those in the oil and founded to develop and market
competitive price we could to get gas industry are making every effort to advanced productivity-improving
the business,” Wang said. “But then make their products more affordable CAD/CAM technologies. VoluMill™ is
I asked the guys to scour the shop and efficient. With Optima Manufac- a patent-pending ultra high-performance
floor for more opportunities to convert turing adopting VoluMill toolpaths, it is toolpath engine that significantly
processes into VoluMill toolpaths to doing its part to not only make its op- increases machining productivity and
make them more efficient. That’s a real eration more profitable and efficient, tool life. VoluMill is a full-featured,
opportunity to directly improve profit- but it’s also allowing its customers to CAM-neutral, 2- and 3-axis toolpath
ability by up to 50 percent on jobs do the same. engine for any geometric configuration.
you already have.”

For more information and to take advantage of the 15-day free trial offer, visit the VoluMill™ Web site at www.volumill.com

Copyright © 2010 Celeritive Technologies, Inc.

VoluMill™ is a trademark of Celeritive Technologies, Inc.