CAD / CAM software for tombstone machining

GibbsCAM TMS (Tombstone Management System)

Tombstones are a very productive means for machining multiple parts, greatly extending the time a machining system can run without operator intervention. GibbsCAM TMS (Tombstone Management System) streamlines multi-part setups to move more material through a center tool while dramatically reducing the overall time required to create error-free machining processes.

Is it more efficient to keep the tool in the spindle manufacturers and index around the tombstone or would it be better to finish all operations on one face of the tombstone before indexing to the next? GibbsCAM TMS makes it easy to try a variety of strategies to find the optimal strategy for any group of parts.

Perfect for lean manufacturing environments, or for job shops that want to implement lean principles, tombstone machining automates the output of a continuous flow of parts. The simplest strategy is to arrange the same part across multiple locations and sides of a tombstone and machine them one after the other by simply repeating the CNC program. With each rotation of the tombstone, a fresh group of parts is presented for machining.

With only a few mouse clicks, parts and their associated fixtures are located on the tombstone. GibbsCAM TMS offers numerous options for automatically arranging parts on a tombstone face with the choice of duplicating the same configuration on all faces of the tombstone or creating custom configurations for each face.

For parts that require different operations using a variety of tools, a more complex strategy can be defined that optimizes tool changes and minimizes rotations of the tombstone. Different faces of the same part can be programmed, at different Z-levels, on each side of the tombstone or mix different types of parts. GibbsCAM TMS handles the simplest to the most complex tombstone configurations.

Operations can be added or cleared to modify the sequence of operations on each side of the tombstone to accommodate certain exceptions. For example, features can be selectively excluded on the sides of parts that face other workpieces instead of the open side of the tombstone where the spindle can reach. These operations can then be addressed later in another setup. Separate clearance values control the safe distance for the tool when moving from part to part on one face of the tombstone and the safe distance when indexing from face to face on the tombstone.

When GibbsCAM TMS is combined with GibbsCAM Machine Simulation, a dynamic rendering of the complete setup-tombstone, parts, fixtures, and machine tool component-shows all inter-operation and intra-operation moves. Different strategies and their cycle times can be compared and adjusted quickly and easily.

After various scenarios have been tested and the user is completely satisfied with tool movement, tool changes, sequence of operations and index moves, GibbsCAM TMS will generate a complete post processed set of G-code for the entire tombstone of parts. GibbsCAM TMS also provides support for the posted output of subroutines, canned cycles, and B-rotation positions.

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