GibbsCAM 2023 Includes Sandvik Coromant’s PrimeTurning Strategies

Cambrio, a CAD/CAM provider and division of Sandvik, has released GibbsCAM 2023 software which features a number of turning enhancements, including the implementation of Sandvik Coromant’s PrimeTurning strategies. These new cutting methodologies permit turning and facing in all directions, which is said to deliver dramatic increases in high-volume production.

According to the company, PrimeTurning can deliver cycle time reductions of up to 50% and a more than 500% increase for insert tool life. PrimeTurning uses the slope of the insert for chip thinning to enable users to make heavy cuts, and spread cutting forces and heat over a larger portion of the cutting edge which, in turn, contributes to longer tool life.

It is said PrimeTurning also adapts the feed rate (which is excellent for cutting on a taper) to constantly manage chip thickness, making it well suited for high-volume and unattended environments. It also supports two new tool types that both utilize a low lead angle to improve surface finish. The first is the CoroTurn Prime Type-A with three, 35-degree corners for finishing and fine roughing, getting into grooves and more. The other is the CoroTurn Prime Type-B with two strong corners for bulk roughing and heavy cutting.

“We have now extensively tested the PrimeTurning cycle in GibbsCAM and it’s really good,” says Åke Nilsson, global product application manager for turning tools at Sandvik Coromant. “The team [has] taken an innovative approach and I must say that they’ve made a tremendous job with the technology implementation".

Other enhancements include a new option in most turning processes to control Cutting Load Variation in order to suppress resonance-induced chatter and improve chipbreaking for CNC machines. VoluTurn functionality has also been extended to manage the active control of chip thickness during the cut by varying the feed rate instantaneously with any changes in cut depth.

Thread turning operations have been expanded with Face Threading, Variable Pitch Threading, Multipitch and Position Tool Front options. Users can produce a spiral thread on the face of a part, vary pitch threads incrementally per revolution or generate different pitches on a continuous thread, with easy control of exact start/end specifications in the tool dialog.

It is also now possible to specify Rake and Back Relief for tool inserts to more accurately define the 3D geometry of the tool inserts to provide a tool representation that perfectly matches what the customer is experiencing. Also, the Elliptical Contour process may now be used for elliptical bores inside of solid parts, and supports a radial (Xr) stock offset for both ID and OD machining.