"If you continue to operate a bankrupt company in the same manner you will continue to be bankrupt." This was the primary thought of Steve Brown before he acquired a failed stretch forming company in Gardena, CA. Steve Brown was President of Camarillo Dynamics, an aerospace machining company. He knew that the key to a successful stretch forming operation was accurate pre-machining of the blank.

Steve Brown merged the two companies into the single Advanced Machine & Stretchforming International, Inc. (AMSI). He brought stability to the company, improved working conditions, upgraded the salary structure and extracted a commitment of quality from each employee. He then launched a modernization and equipment refurbishment program designed to make it a world class entity in machining and stretch forming.

Windows NT Controller
At the center of a very impressive equipment list were six Cincinnati Skin Mills with bed lengths of thirty to seventy feet. They were six to twelve years old and had the original Acramatic controllers.

Graham Aerospace, Inc. located in Cowansville, Quebec had a track record of rebuilding skin mills and fitting them with state of the art controllers. Graham was selected for the AMSI project. A key ingredient of this selection was their position as a certified system integrator for the Vickers A2100 machine controller. Graham had recognized that at the heart of the Vickers A2100 controller were dual Intel Pentium powered PCs with the Microsoft NT Operating System.

This system allowed Graham to provide customized solutions to specific problems and specific solutions to generalized problems. The A2100 provided them a commercial platform that met recognized industry-wide standards. This was a platform that allowed them to offer value added implementation of a machine/controller combination. Jim McDonald, a key integrator of this hybrid system says "I have never worked on a project that I so totally believed in. The possible payoffs in management control, quality, and production are enormous."

Communications Capabilities
NT supports the industry standard Ethernet as the communications medium with a transfer rate of 10MBPS. A transfer rate of 100MBPS is supportable when implementing a 100Base-T network. The system uses the Microsoft networking features of Windows 95 or Windows NT for file sharing and for implementing a common work environment to allow schedulers, Q.A. Personnel and management to exchange critical production flow information. The system also has Network File System (NFS) that allows it to communicate directly with the Unix based CAD/CAM system. The CNC programs can be stored off the machine tool and assigned for execution, eliminating current DNC requirements. This feature also permits remote log-in from the A2100 and access to the CAD/CAM software on the Unix based workstation. Program changes can be accomplished directly from the shop floor. Video images, such as the tool path, can be viewed at the A2100 monitor. This feature essentially allows use of the A2100 controller as the Unix workstation.

Renishaw Probe on the machine
The AMSI skin mills are equipped with Renishaw probes and the output is delivered to the Unix workstation for evaluation, decision making, and S.P.C (statistical Process Control). The output is automatically placed in the Q.A. system for evaluation and action. True vector probing is then integrated into the machine tool controller allowing it to probe any surface while eliminating the CMM machine process requirement. This has the effect of checking the part directly to the original data base stored on the Unix workstation, a feature greatly desired by prime contractors. Other probes, strain gages, etc. can be installed on the machine and intelligent decisions can automatically be made based on their feedback, even decisions which require reprocessing through the CAD/CAM system.

Upgrading CAD/CAM
One of the first steps that AMSI took was to implement a CAD/CAM system capable of taking advantage of their new machine and control technology. NCL is a powerful Computer-Aided Manufacturing software package which generates simultaneous 2 through 5-axis NC tool paths and provides parametric 3D modeling. All geometric modeling and tool path functions are fully associative. A change to the model results in an immediate change to corresponding tool paths. NCL is ideally suited for environments where design changes are frequent, such as the aerospace industry. NCL also supports full parametric programming where a family of parts can be machined by simply filling in a form.

Part Program Verification
NCL/IPV is a verification program that simulates the metal removal process right on the computer screen. IPV stands for In-Process-Verification. It allows verification during the programming cycle, operation by operation, instead of at the completion of a program as is usually done with traditional verification systems and tool prove outs. With the NT communications capability of the A2100, a programmer can make a change, verify it using NCL/IPV, and run the new version, all without leaving the machine tool. The operator can also play back the IPV file to familiarize himself with a new program.

Postprocessing
NCCS has developed a special version of their universal postprocessor, PostWorks which resides on the A2100 control. Through a joint marketing agreement with NCCS, Graham Aerospace is able to provide PostWorks on all A2100’s that they sell. This allows the A2100 to accept generic binary or ASCII CL files from virtually any CAD/CAM system. Says Terri Brown, "Using this technology, our NC programmers no longer have to concern themselves with postprocessing at the CAD/CAM system. In addition, we can receive ASCII or binary CL files from our customers and load them directly into our controls. This saves valuable time that is usually wasted trying to communicate correct NC program formats with customers and outside vendors."

Both revenue and profit have significantly increased at AMSI. It is expected that these increases will be even more dramatic as the changes are fully implemented and mature. Terri Brown, Chairman of the Board of AMSI, is a firm believer in doing it right the first time. "At AMSI we don't throw money at problems, we invest in solutions."