Universal Presetting, Measuring Machine Aids Cutting Tool Assembly 

According to Zoller Inc., the company’s »redomatic 600« machine and a pair of powerful software programs give mold builders the peace of mind that their cutting tools are perfectly measured and assembled before production, optimizing the process to save time and produce a high-quality part.

The »redomatic 600« combines a presetting and measuring machine with a heat-shrink system for a two-in-one solution that maximizes accuracy and efficiency in five-axis CNC machining. The machine presets tool lengths within 10 µm to meet the high tolerances required in moldmaking. A recent redesign shortened the heat-shrink process, which has the added benefit of conserving tool life.

A presetting machine such as the »redomatic 600« is required to run Zoller’s 3D Scan and »tool realityCheck« measuring programs. These modules are reported to provide mold builders quick, precise data to avoid CNC machine crashes and reduce the need to rework or scrap parts.

The 3D Scan rotates a tool and scans its contours to generate a highly accurate digital twin. The data can be output into several formats, including DXF, XML, STP and STL.

Zoller Tool Management Solutions users can include this digital replica in their tool library so the operator can easily locate and put together the components of each unique tool assembly.

The company’s »tool realityCheck« performs a collision check prior to production. After entering the start and end points, the program scans the physical tool and compares it to the digital twin to ensure the tool assembly aligns correctly. A green dot means production can start, while a red dot warns a collision will happen. This safeguard is especially important in an industry where significant time often passes between the creation of an NC program and the actual machining.