Page 76 - Summer 2024 EDM Today

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Q: Can you explain the retouch feature on your new Vision control?
A: Retouching is a new feature. It is considered part of the list of attributes, and it can only be found on Vision
control systems with software level 07.08.00 or later. This includes the AC Progress VP and AC CUT X000 series
machines.
Figure 1 shows the Retouching option located on
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the Attributes tab.
Attributes are a reflection of the type of cutting

conditions the system may encounter during the
execution of a contour in a workpiece. A work-
piece can obviously have multiple contours,
with each having its own cutting condition and
requirements. Retouching is related to a condition
that would be like a pocketing routine where the
wire is not fully engaged in the material. Retouch-
ing is used when you desire to remove up to
75% or more of the wire diameter per side from a
contour. Retouching takes the parameters of the
main cut and modifies them to mimic pocketing

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routine like conditions, with a calculated reduction
of the main pass offset as not to overburden
the following trim passes, and without adding

unnecessary time to the execution of the profile.
Figure 1 Retouching Option on Attributes Tab
Retouching technology is especially useful with

finishing plates that have contours precut before
heat treatment to allow the material stresses to move before finishing. Leaving 0.01”-0.05” of stock per side on a

wire cut contour to be removed after heat treating and grinding assures the stability of the part as it is being finished
in the Wire EDM. Retouching will provide you the correct parameters and offsets to complete the part to the desired
finish in the appropriate amount of time.

If, additional main passes are needed to remove an excess of material, you could simply convert the DB technology
to user technology. You then would have the ability to add additional main passes, and incrementally increasing the
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offsets by 75% of the wire diameter; in essence, creating a pocketing condition to be applied to a typical contour.
The user technology would be stored in the user database where it would be available for future profiles that would

fit the same criteria. The user technology can also be requested through most CAM systems by name.

To make the Retouching option available at the CAM system, just replace the technology database with the data-
base that matches what’s on the machine. With the proper database on the CAM system, when applying a pocketing
routine to a contour and selecting Retouching ,will apply the proper offsets during the construction of the pocketing
contour, further taking the guess work from the process.
Q: We have noticed our control is slow to respond to commands and generally acting sluggish. What could
cause this problem?
A: One of the possible causes is data overload. GF technicians have made customer visits to find that when they

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carry out an action, like opening a job in the editor of the machine, it takes longer than usual. It would be reasonable
to think that this could impact the machine’s ability to respond to conditions of the cutting process as well.
Data management is an import part of the process to assure the system provides the performance that you expect
from it. Data management is also important to protect part programs in the case of a hard drive failure and the loss
of programs.
The Vision 5 control would be any control that would be on a Microsoft windows operating system. In the Vision
control there are two places where a large quantity stored data can cause these issues.
To fix the problem, start by backing up the system. Go to File Management and click on Archive SYS – see Figure

1A. Once Archive SYS has been selected, a window will open prompting you to choose a location – see Figure 1B.
When the location is selected, click on OK to begin the archiving process.
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