SMART MOVES SPOTLIGHT
Galil Smart Moves Partner
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his kind of rapid prototyping is
vastly reducing the time to mar-
ket for new products in many
industries. The southern California com-
pany counts among its customers univer-
sity research and super computer centers,
as well as makers of automobiles, toys,
appliances, sporting goods, electronic
hardware, medical devices, aerospace
components, and others. Its prototyping
machines produce the highest speed and
the largest working envelope (32" x 22" x
20") in the world.
To form a three-dimensional proto-
type, a Helisys machine accepts a 3D
CAD file in STL (stereolithography)
format which is translated into posi-
tion commands for a Galil motion
controller. Guided by the CAD soft-
ware and controlled by the Galil
motion controller, the machine cuts
paper, plastics or composites with a
laser and laminates the layers one layer
at a time until the high-precision pro-
totype is completely formed.
The Helisys LOM-2030H rapid
prototype machine uses Galil's DMC-1070
seven-axis motion controller.
Helisys Combines Lasers and Galil Motion
Controllers to Build
Fast Prototypes.
By a clever combination of laser technology and
the myriad capabilities of Galil motion controllers,
a company called Helisys is making machines that can
produce precise physical models from three-dimensional
CAD images in a matter of hours.
Helisys chose Galil
motion controllers because of
their flexibility and simplicity of
programming. The company currently
uses a Galil DMC-1070, a seven-axis con-
troller, but is evaluating Galil's new
DMC-1780 motion controller for its still
higher speed and its ability to control
eight axes from just one card.
Galil's DMC-1070 controls all the
motions needed by the Helisys machine
in addition to all the I/O events. In form-
ing the prototype, Helisys uses most of
the motion modes available. For example,
the XY linear and circular interpolation
mode ensures smooth, continuous
motion between path segments. Another
axis precisely controls the laser intensity.
The laser axis is actually geared to the XY
axis so that the laser intensity is propor-
tional to the vector speed. In developing
a precise physical model, it is important
to know the speed at every sample period
and adjust the laser power to control the
exact depth of the cut.
The Galil motion controller's uncom-
mitted analog inputs are used to monitor
the temperature of the hot roller used for
laminating. The temperature must be
within a critical range for proper lamina-
tion. Helisys also uses the controller's
digital I/O to monitor other signals in
the process in order to control relays and
evaluate external signals.
The microprocessor-based controller
also allows parameters such as speed,
acceleration and position to be changed
in real time for determining the opti-
mum cutting profile.
Another aspect Helisys appreciates is
the economy inherent in Galil's con-
trollers, because they need only buy the
number of axes they require. The num-
ber of axes needed has grown with the
development of its machines. Helisys
started with the DMC-1030 three-axis
controller, moved to a seven-axis con-
troller and is now considering the DMC-
1780 eight-axis controller.
Helisys is located in Torrance,
California at 1-888-515-8585. The
newest addition to its product line is
called the Precisor, a desk top model
named for its high precision accuracy
of 1.0 thousandths of an inch over
three inches.
Helisys chose Galil motion controllers because of
their flexibility and simplicity of programming.
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