CAM on the Cloud


The focus of this experiment is to generate the tool path for the production of a blade system already defined in a CAD system. After reading the CAD geometry, the strategy for machining and producing the part has to be selected. Based on the chosen methodology, the tool path for an NC machine is computed. This time-intensive process requires large computational resources and is therefore very well suited to be offloaded to the Cloud. Stellba as the end user provides all necessary data for the topology of the blade. Then a tool path is requested that is computed in the Cloud. This kind of computation can take hours on a standalone station. The Cloud provides additional processors to reduce computation time. After the computations are carried out, the results are downloaded and visualized on a local machine.

Description of the infrastructure

  • Models and data provided by Stellba
  • HPC Cluster and Cloud infrastructure by Arctur
  • Test and usage scenario, assessment and validation by University of Nottingham

Description of the Cloud-based process

The Cloud simulation service will allow working on an HPC machine providing access to a large amount of processors. The CAM processes remain essentially the same except that the computation of the tool path will be parallelized and will be sent to the Cloud.

It is expected that this way of working ensures shorter calculation times.

Innovation and novelty (business perspective)

Using a specific and expensive in-house CAM software can be replaced by a Cloud service. This service can work for a full process from the definition of the needs down to the manufacturing, and can allow companies to develop their products for a lower price, and different versions of their design.



Project:

Enterprises:

Leader: Missler Software (France).
Participants: University of Nottingham (UK), Arctur računalniški inženiring d.o.o.(Slovenia), Stellba Hydro GmbH & Co KG (Germany)

Sector
Other manufacturing

Keywords