What's New in ESPRIT 2013

What's New in ESPRIT 2013

Copyright 2012 DP Technology Corp. All rights reserved.
Information is subject to change without notice.
No part of this manual may be reproduced, transmitted, translated in any form or by any means, graphic, electronic, or
mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without written
permission from DP Technology Corp.
The software described in this document may only be used or copied in accordance with the terms of the furnished license
agreement and/or non-disclosure agreement. It is illegal to copy the software onto any medium except as specified in the
license or non-disclosure agreement.
All DP Technology Corp. software products contain integrated security programs and/or plug-in modules that are required
for the software license to properly operate. It is a violation of the DP Technology Corp. copyrights and U.S. Copyright law to
disable or attempt to disable or remove or otherwise operate the software without the security programs and/or modules
installed. Any software not supplied by DP Technology Corp. which is intended to allow the operation of the software without
the required plug-in security module and/or integrated security programs is a copyright violation.
ESPRIT is a registered trademark of DP Technology Corp.
All brand or product names or proprietary file types mentioned in this document are trademarks or registered trademarks of
their respective holders. Contact the appropriate companies for more information regarding trademarks and registration.
DP Technology Corp.
1150 Avenida Acaso
Camarillo, California 93012
USA
Phone: +1 805 388 6000
Fax +1 805 388 3085
www.dptechnology.com
Printed in the United States of America

2 | What's New in ESPRIT 2013

New Geometr y for Multi-A xis Machining

The machining of engine ports and turbine blades requires precise control of tool motion and ESPRIT 2013 makes the task
easier with new curves and surfaces to guide the tool.
The Curve From Surface command has been enhanced with a new option to create either a parametric curve or a spine
curve. Previously, the command only extracted a parametric curve from a selected surface or solid face.
Now a new type of curve can be created, a spine curve.

The new Spine Curve option creates a curve along the center of radial surfaces.

This new spine curve is perfect for port machining to guide the tool as far as possible into the opening. Using Curve From
Surface to create a parametric curve at each opening puts additional limits on the tool motion.

New Geometry for Multi-Axis Machining | 3

A new Mid Surface function has also been added to the Knitted Surfaces toolbar.

A Mid Surface is created between two solid faces or sets of faces.

The new Mid Surface is perfect for blade machining, where it serves two purposes. First, the Mid Surface allows the
calculation of toolpath from a single source instead of multiple faces on the model. Second, the Mid Surface can be used to
control the orientation of the tool axis throughout the cut, rather than the individual surfaces of the blade.

4 | What's New in ESPRIT 2013

Enhanced Turning Profile Features

When a solid model includes both turned and milled features, rely on experts in machining to know how to identify and
extract those features correctly. Instead of relying on an external engine to generate a true turned profile, ESPRIT now utilizes
an internal method that is faster and more precise.
Until now, the Turning Profile feature relied on a Parasolid method to extract a turned profile by revolving a solid model
around the X axis. This method had a few drawbacks:
A profile could only be generated from a solid model
The method only worked well on revolved solids
This was not an ideal solution for ESPRIT users, so DP Technology has developed a new, internal method of calculating turned
profiles.

The new ESPRIT Turning Profile:

Recognizes a turned profile from a solid model, solid faces, surfaces, or an STL model
Produces a profile every time
Faster and more precise than the previous Parasolid method
ESPRIT now recognizes the profile in 3 steps:
Tessellate the selected input to approximate a solid
Find the revolution profiles based on the approximated solid
Reconnect the points and recognize segments and arcs

Enhanced Turning Profile Features | 5

New ProfitMilling
Experience better CAM programming with a smarter, more efficient toolpath to put more profit in your pocket.
ProfitMilling represents the best of both worlds between trochoidal tool motion and a traditional offset of the toolpath.

Controlled engagement of trochoidal movements

Long consistent offset motions
Requires less frequent accelerations

The results? Typical 70% reduction in cycle time. Typical 500% increase in tool life.

6 | What's New in ESPRIT 2013

This new 2-, 3-, and 5-axis roughing strategy is available for:

Pocket ing
The 'Tool Motion Pattern' setting has been updated with the new 'ProfitMilling' option.

The new strategy applies to roughing and floor finishing using the 'Rough & Floor' settings on the Strategy tab and the
'Strategy' settings on both the Rough and Floor Finish tabs.

The settings that control the tool motion combine the familiar settings from offset milling and trochoidal milling.

Variable-Z Roughing
The ProfitMilling option has also been added to Variable-Z Roughing.

New ProfitMilling | 7

The new settings are similar to Pocketing.

Mold Roughing
Mold Roughing also has the new ProfitMilling strategy.

The ProfitMilling option has been added to the Cutting Strategy setting, which then displays new ProfitMilling settings on the
Tool Path tab.

8 | What's New in ESPRIT 2013

New 5 -A xis Roughing

Since the new 5-Axis Roughing is based on the familiar technology of 3-axis Mold Roughing, the same ProfitMilling settings
are available.

New ProfitMilling | 9

Enhanced Trochoidal Tool Mot ion

The workhorse of high-speed machining, trochoidal tool motion has been improved in ESPRIT 2013 to take you even faster
through the cut.
Trochoidal tool motion in Pocketing and Variable-Z Roughing is now more effective:
Improvements to complement the Profit Milling pattern
A minimum corner radius eliminates small trochoidal moves
The tool lifts during transition moves to reduce tool drag

10 | What's New in ESPRIT 2013

New Engraving
Simplify your engraving jobs with a new milling cycle dedicated solely to engraving that includes True Type and Single Stroke
fonts.
Engrave text or features with your choice of machining strategy: V-carving, contouring, or pocketing.

Control:
Character height/width
Horizontal/vertical spacing
Character slant
Character angle
Alignment

Align:
Circular
Linear
Rotate
Mirror

New Engraving | 11

V-carving:
Pleasing and accurate designs
Ability to machine sharp corners
Utilize an angled cutter at a variable depth
Single centerline pass for shorter machining time

12 | What's New in ESPRIT 2013

Improved Strategies for Lathe Grooving

To take advantage of multifunction grooving inserts that can cut laterally and axially at the same time, ESPRIT has new
options to cut grooves faster and more efficiently.
When a zigzag pattern is used for the rough pass, new Plunge settings let you add a pre-plunge to reduce the tool load against
walls and cut wide grooves faster.

There are 2 ways to utilize extra plunges: using an incremental distance or total depth.

Also added is a lateral feedrate setting to give more control, along with extra plunge along profile which can be used when an
extra plunge is not deep, and delivers fewer scallops for the finish pass.
When a zigzag diagonal pattern is used, 3 strategies are now available: Constant, Thin to Thick, and Thick to Thin.

Improved Strategies for Lathe Grooving | 13

The Constant option uses a constant step over to ramp into the groove.

The Thin to Thick option adjusts the ramp angle to always cut from thin to thick.

The Thick to Thin option adjusts the ramp angle to always cut from thick to thin, similar to a climb cut with similar
advantages: metal can be removed fast without vibration, finish can be considerably improved, and tool life may be
prolonged.

An extra plunge can also be added to the finish cut to prevent the tool from rubbing on the walls, thereby reducing vibration.

14 | What's New in ESPRIT 2013

Built-in Collision Avoidance in Mult i-A xis Milling

Detect collisions while toolpath is calculating, saving time and headaches later. New collision detection strategies have been
added to all 3-axis and 5-axis milling operations.
Let the system notify you of collisions as toolpath is calculated instead of waiting for simulation after the fact.

New Collision Detection settings can instruct the system to:

Report collisions and recommend the minimal tool length to avoid the collision
Detect collisions and automatically trim the colliding toolpath
Detect collisions and automatically tilt the tool to avoid the collision (the machine must be capable of rotary motion)

Built-in Collision Avoidance in Multi-Axis Milling | 15

When toolpath is trimmed, it can be reconnected with feed moves or rapid moves. When rapid motion is chosen, additional
options let the user choose whether to simply reconnect the toolpath at each trim location or let the system reorganize the
toolpath to minimize retract moves.

When collisions in 3-axis toolpath are avoided by tilting the tool, the standard 5-axis AutoTilt options are used. AutoTilt
options are displayed only when at least one rotary axis is defined in machine setup and a ball mill or tapered end mill are
used.

16 | What's New in ESPRIT 2013

Improved Blade Machining

Optimally machine a single blade from one end to the other in one uninterrupted cut.
New options eliminate undesirable interruptions in the cut that happen when the tool reaches the end of the blade and
comes in contact with the hub surface.

From a direct comparison, the enhancement is obvious.

Improved Blade Machining | 17

Enhanced Impeller Machining with Built-In Remachining

Completely machine an impeller all the way to the hub without worrying about tool dimensions.
The enhanced Impeller cycle will machine as far as possible with the current tool, automatically stopping at the first
unreachable level.

The maximum depth machined can then be used to start the next remachining.

This flexible method allows multiple remachinings with decreasing tool sizes.
18 | What's New in ESPRIT 2013

Easier Channel Milling

Direct model machining is now available in 5-Axis Channel Milling. Select the walls on either side of the channel, set the
incremental depth and go.
Machining the channel between thin blades is now faster and easier than ever with new options that allow the direct
selection of channel walls without creating complicated features.

For maximum flexibility, ruled features are still supported.

Now, instead of relying on the bottom edges of ruled features to define the cutting depth, incremental depths can be defined
in the machining technology.

Easier Channel Milling | 19

Let the system automatically synchronize the cutting passes between the left and right sides of the channel geometry.

An additional option allows the creation of a separate wall finishing cycle similar to pure flank machining.

20 | What's New in ESPRIT 2013

New 5 -A xis Roughing

Quickly and easily rough a 5-axis part using the same familiar technology as roughing a 3-axis part.
ESPRIT uses the same technology as 3-axis z-level roughing except that the tool is always kept at a 90 degree angle to the
floor surface, eliminating any undercuts, regardless of tool shape (end mill, ball mill, bull nose mill).

New 5-Axis Roughing | 21

New Por t Milling

Building on the reliability of the 5-Axis Composite cycle, new Port Milling improves on the thru-point tool orientation strategy
with an automatic recalculation of tool points along a spine curve.
This new 5-axis milling cycle avoids excessive inclination of the tool at the beginning of the machining while allowing the tool
to go as deep as possible into the port.

22 | What's New in ESPRIT 2013

Wrap Milling on C ylindrical and Conical Stock

Wrap Pocketing and Wrap Contouring now support the machining of non-cylindrical stock.
In previous versions of ESPRIT, conical stock could only be machined using the Legacy Wrap Pocketing and Legacy Wrap
Contouring cycles.
Now cylindrical and non-cylindrical stock can be machined using the standard Wrap Pocketing and Wrap Contouring cycles,
which have many more options than the Legacy cycles.

In addition, a new setting has been added to the Wrap tab that lets the user specify whether the feature to be machined is
wrapped or planar.

YES

NO

When a feature is planar, the system will automatically wrap it around the working diameter.
Wrap Milling on Cylindrical and Conical Stock | 23

24 | What's New in ESPRIT 2013