WorkNC Transforms Coin and Medal-making at the Bank of Algeria

By DE Editors

The Bank of Algeria Mint has embarked on an extensive investment program in both equipment and methods to help it respond to the demands of modern banking and encourage the growth of the country’s economy. The tooling department needed a CAD/CAM system to help it improve its range of capabilities and shorten lead times. The Bank of Algeria purchased WorkNC from Sescoi.

Before the introduction of WorkNC, programming was carried out on the machine tool control, which required high levels of skill from the operator, reduced the available capacity and hence productivity of each machine, and limited the complexity of the parts being produced. WorkNC-CAD is used to design existing or new components and parts using its recently incorporated parametric solid modeling.

The WorkNC-CAD turning module makes CNC lathe machining easy and reliable, according to Sescoi. For machining and engraving, the Bank uses WorkNC to create programs from 2-axis right through to full 5-axis.

For its 5-axis programming, the Bank of Algeria uses WorkNC’s Auto 5. The software automatically translates 3-axis toolpaths into 5-axis, making 5-axis machining as easy to program as 3-axis, according to the company.

Using the technology gives the Bank the advantages of using short rigid cutters and the ability to reach more of the part in one setting, resulting in improved surface finish and shorter machining times. Sescoi's 5-axis routines include collision avoidance algorithms, which consider the limits of the individual machine tool, introducing unwind and flip movements so that machining can continue safely and uninterrupted.

For more information, visit Sescoi.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company's website.