The laser-based system offers many advantages over mechanical probe digitizing systems. Since all that touches the model is a beam of light, the laser system allows fragile, delicate, and highly detailed surfaces to be scanned without damage. The model may be made of metal, wood, plastic, plaster, foam or even clay. The data that is collected is true surface data without stylus offsets or deflection. Fixturing is also greatly simplified due to non-mechanical contact with the workpiece.
The sharnoa laser can be integrated into any sharnoa CNC machining center and Xtrolaser digitizing system can be used with virtually any CNC machine and control. Through a specially designed electronic multiplexer, the Sharnoa computer (supplied with the system) can control the motion of the machine while digitizing is in process.
The digitizing is performed in an unattended automatic process at speeds up to 700 points per second. Easy to use, menu driven software allows the user to define the area to be digitized, as well as the density and direction of the scanning. The system also allows areas of greater detail to be windowed to increase the density. The digitizing resolution of 0.0002" provides assurance of accurate digitized data.
From a single laser digitized file, roughing, semi-finishing, and finishing programs may be generated using flat bottom, ball-nosed, bull-nosed, or even tapered tools. A unique high-speed tool compensation algorithm eliminates undercuts and gouging. The data may be scaled up, down and/or mirrored. A special roughing program can generate tool paths at a constant height (Z level) so that a non-center rough cutting end mill may be used. The digitized data may be viewed graphically and edited through the sharnoa laser digitizing system's plot utility. The user may define the viewing parameters including color, angle or rotation, the area to be viewed (zoom), and hidden line removal. Multiple files may be overlaid to illustrate the relationship between them and editing may be performed on individual or groups of points.
During the milling process, many options are available to the user in order to customize the process. The direction for milling may be forward, reverse or zigzag. Parts may be machined perpendicular to the direction of the digitizing to improve the surface finish. Automatic tool changes can be implemented after a specified time period defined by the user. The area to be machined may be restricted to a specific region of the part in order to achieve the most efficient process. In addition, multiple files may be chained together for an unattended machining sequence.
The data and resulting tool path may be translated into a user defined ASCII format or into an IGES format compatible with most CAD/CAM systems. The data may be filtered and/or smoothed to a specified tolerance.
With the Xtrolaser, once processing the collected data into a tool path is complete, the required part may be machined in one of
