Great Article in Aerospace Manufacturing and Design on how Turbomeca relies on NCSIMUL Machine to reduce lead times and eliminate risks in parts production.

Slashing time to market

Approximately 20 years ago, engineers at Turbomeca, a helicopter engine maker, needed a solution that reduced lead times and eliminated risks during production of high-added value parts, including simultaneous 5-axis machining.

After conducting an in-depth study of the two machining simulation solutions, Turbomeca chose Spring Technologies’ NCSIMUL Machine, says Gilles Cazenave-Laroche, head of engineering at Turbomeca’s Excellence Center for rotating parts.

“At the time we went for the better of the two products,” he explains. “It was the right choice because the solution is very integrated into our specialty, spanning the whole machining process for our compressors, from CAM to the actual cutting of end parts on the machine. This is more than just realistically simulating ISO code.”

After implementation, Cazenave-Laroche saw gains quickly. Given the cost of programming for the 5-axis machines, Turbomeca experienced payback as soon the second year of operation.

Long-term value was just as rewarding, helping to make tool paths more robust and reliable while acting as a training tool for programmers.

“Our task is complex,” Cazenave-Laroche says. “With NCSIMUL Machine, we not only train new employees, we also use it to innovate. By simulating and testing we can explore new, more efficient machining strategies.” 

For the full story click here