Part 1 | Get More Productivity Out of Your 5-axis Machining: An Introduction to 5-Axis Pyramids

You’re looking to spend (or perhaps you just spent) a healthy chunk of change on a new 5-axis machining center. Congratulations! Your new machine tool is sure to help propel your shop forward

Unfortunately, there’s one thing we’ve seen time and again with new 5-axis machine tool owners: the wrong workholding setup is limiting their part quality, production capacity, and overall profit. Taking advantage of the full capabilities of a 5-axis machining center demands a different approach to workholding.

A critical key to 5-axis machining success is actually an old friend from our high school history and geometry classes: the pyramid.

5-Axis Pyramids: Why Do They Matter?

We don’t want to start off on the wrong foot and speak badly of traditional workholding devices. We’re big fans of vises, tombstones, and other workholding fixtures, and they all have their place when working on three- and four-axis vertical and horizontal machining centers. But when you move up to a 5-axis machining center, traditional workholding can limit the number of workpieces that you clamp in the machine on a single setup, thereby limiting your overall productivity and profitability.

This is where the pyramid makes such a big difference. A 5-axis pyramid clamps directly to the table of your 5-axis machining center, and features three or four sides that can each hold specific workholding devices. This allows for multiple parts to be clamped in a single setup while giving full access to all sides of each and every part.

Reduced setup times and improved part handling are the key benefits, but an optimized pyramid configuration also contributes to improved surface finishes, greater part accuracy, and reduced cutting tool wear.

Determining the Pyramid Face Angle for Your 5-Axis Application

The first step in acquiring the ideal pyramid for your machine is determining the optimal face angle. 5-axis pyramids are available in multiple face angles to accommodate different workpieces and applications. To determine the appropriate face angle for your 5-axis pyramid, follow these general steps:

1. Identify the part geometry: Analyze the geometry of the part you're machining to understand the features, surfaces, and areas that need to be machined.
2. Evaluate your tooling: Consider the cutting tools you plan to use, their dimensions, and their capabilities. The tool's reach, cutting angle, and radius will affect the required face angle.
3. Optimal tool positioning: Determine the optimal tool positioning to minimize tool deflection and maximize rigidity during the cutting process.
4. Collision avoidance: Analyze the risk of collision between the cutting tool, the workpiece, and the machine components during the machining process, adjusting the face angle of the pyramid to ensure sufficient clearance.
5. Machining strategy: Consider your overall machining strategy, including roughing, semi-finishing, and finishing operations. Different operations may require different face angles to achieve the desired results.
6. Software simulation: Use CAD/CAM software to simulate the machining process with various face angles for the 5-axis pyramid, checking for collisions or other issues and optimizing the face angle for your specific application.
7. Iterate and refine: Based on the results of the software simulation, adjust the face angle as needed and repeat the process until you find the optimal face angle that meets all your machining requirements.

Here are two additional pro tips to help you in the selection process:

• Accessibility and machine tilt: Choose a pyramid angle based on your machine tool tilt and the accessibility required for your specific application.
• Zero-point spacing: Start with the largest available spacing for zero-point systems, as it's better to adapt down than adapt up.

Don’t Scale the Pyramids Alone!

At AME, we are here to guide you at every step of selecting the best 5-axis workholding system for your unique applications. In addition to offering CAD files for all of our 5-axis pyramids, our application engineers are on hand to help you choose the right pyramid as well as top tooling for your unique parts. Reach out any time to get started.

It's only fair to share...