Windows 7 Supported
11/22/2011
Windows-7 Support
December 17, 2009
A. S. Thomas, Inc. is pleased to announce that the complete NUFORM System, SCROLL-EX, and ASTRRA products are supported on MICROSOFT Windows-7 32-bit versions.All of the NUFORM System, i.e. Level-I, Level-II, Family of Parts, postprocessors and other components have been tested and run on Windows-7.In tests Windows-7 has proven to require less memeory and take better advantage of the underlying computer hardware than Windows-VISTA. A. S. Thomas, Inc. recommends that any customers utilizing WIndows-VISTA consider upgrading to Windows-7.
NUFORM Performance Enhancements
INTEL High Performance Compilers | 11/22/2011
NUFORM System performance enhanced
December 17, 2009
NUFORM Level-II utilizing the performance enhancement and optimization features of the INTEL FORTRAN compiler takes advantage of multiple computer processors/cores and I/O sub-system enhancements to reduce run times.Depending on the nature of the inputs, performance improvements range from slight to 50% or more.
DMG DMU60 Installed
11/22/2011
DMG DMU60 Installed
September 24, 2008
In order to support development of new manufacturing processes, tooling and allow for small lot production of parts for selected customers, A. S. Thomas, Inc. has purchased a DMG DMU60. The DMU60 is a true 5-axis machining center equiped with high performance rotary axes, a high power spindle, HSK63A tooling, laser tool setter, contact probe and a high performance Heidenhain CNC control.
Blades Technology
NUFORM Software Installed | 11/22/2011
NUFORM Software installed at Blades Technology
June 19, 2008
A. S. Thomas, Inc. is pleased to announce the installation of NUFORM Software at Blades Technology Limited in Nahariya, Israel. Blades Technology Ltd. (BTL) was established in 1968 by industrialist Stef Wertheimer as Iscar Blades in Nahariya, Israel. The company has developed from a small operation, founded to supply the Israeli Air Force with spare parts into a multinational corporation that provides high quality components to major OEMs around the globe. From its founding, the company has been guided by innovation, versatility, and continuous improvement of its manufacturing technology.Blades Technology Ltd. is a subsidiary of Blades Technology International (BTI), a multinational manufacturing group which comprises three additional industrial plants: Precision Component Inc (PCI) in Columbus, Georgia, USA (1995) ; Xian Aero Technology (XAT) in Xian, China (1998); and Techjet in Tefen Plant, Israel (1999).For nearly four decades, tens of millions of BTL parts have powered the world's aircraft, successfully accumulating hundreds of millions of hours in flight.BTL is continuously improving its capabilities and increasing its capacity to keep pace with rapidly growing market demand.
VISTA Support Available
11/22/2011
NUFORM System supported on VISTA
October 09, 2007
A. S. Thomas, Inc. has finished validation of the NUFORM System software running on Windows VISTA. Aside from third party import/export of model data for those packages that do not run on VISTA, i.e. UG, all components work with no restrictions.
Misubishi Heavy Industries
Expands NUFORM Installation | 11/22/2011
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries expands NUFORM Installation
July 04, 2007
Aikoku Alpha Corporation, A. S. Thomas, Inc.'s customer and distributor in Japan has recently accepted an order for a significant expansion of the NUFORM Installation at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.The installation at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries supports the manufacture of turbine blades for steam and gas turbines.
Honeywell Waterford, Ireland
Expands Blade Cell | 11/22/2011
Honeywell Expands Blade Cell
July 04, 2007
The blade manufacturing cell has been expanded to allow for the addition of new porducts and to meet increased demands for the engines in which the blades are utilized.For information on turn-key manufacturing solutions please contact sales@asthomas.com
Unigraphics NX
Export/Import | 11/22/2011
Import/Export to UG NX
July 04, 2007
A complete bi-direcitonal interface has been developed to allow for the transfer of information between NUFORM and UG NX. The interface provides for the transfer of geometry and descriptive parameters.For further information contact sales@asthomas.com
IMTS 2002
Exhibits | 11/22/2011
IMTS 2002
September 01, 2002
A. S. Thomas, Inc. is proud to be present at IMTS-2002 with the following manufacturers: Mikron-Bostomatic, Booth D-4000, and MDSI/G&W Machine Tools, Booth D-4232.
Manufacturing
Mikron HSM 400U 5-axis machining center showing live machining of an impeller.
A. S. Thomas, Inc. has developed this and numerous other production machining processes which have provided dramatic reduction in machining cycle while improving part quality and consistency.
NUFORM CAD/CAM and JIT
The NUFORM CAD/CAM System as well as various Expert systems were demonstrated. The Expert Systems demonstrated included Blade Milling Expert Systems and other Knowledge Based CAE/CAD/CAM Systems designed to solve numerous manufacturing problems.
A.S. Thomas, Inc. has provided a large variety of turn-key manufacturing solutions across a wide spectrum of products, including: medical instruments, surgical saw blades, turbine blades, thread rolling dies, feedscrews, tooling hobs, etc.
Turbine Bucket machined on G&W BD305 5-axis Machining Center
Spring 1999
Software and Corporate Update | 11/22/2011
Spring 99 News
March 06, 1999
GE90 Engine
A. S. Thomas, Inc. is pleased to announce that General Electric’s Aircraft Engine Group is utilizing the NUFORM System and consulting services from A. S. Thomas, Inc. to manufacture various compressor components for the GE90 Engine.
Allied Signal Ireland
Partnering with Boston Digital Corporation, A. S. Thomas, Inc. has been selected to provide a turn-key compressor blade manufacturing cell to Allied Signal's Blade Manufacturing Center of Excellence in Waterford, Ireland. NUFORM System software will be utilized to generate tool paths to manufacture compressor rotor blades from forgings to finish in two operations. Thomas Mills and other manufacturing technologies will be utilized in the manufacturing process.
General Electric - Toshiba
General Electric Power Generation and Toshiba have formed a manufacturing subsidiary, GTTC, which will manufacture turbine blades in the world's largest steam turbine blade manufacturing facility in Monterey, Mexico. The NUFORM System has been selected as the sole CAM system for this new venture. Extensive use will be made of NUFORM Family of Parts and knowledge base systems, NUFORM Level-II, NUFORM Level-I, as well as custom software systems to provide advance manufacturing capabilities.
Y2K Update
In testing for Year 2000 compliance, a bug was found. All customers will be receiving software updates correcting the problem.
Software Enhancements
Shadow Surfaces - a utility has been created which will calculate the "shadow" that a surface casts on a plane. The shadow surface can be thought of as the contour which must be cut to allow a surface to pass through without rotation.
Automatic Roughing Surfaces - once a shadow surface is generated, automatic roughing surfaces can be created. The roughing surfaces are designed to facilitate "slab" cutting a raw stock prior to semi-finish and finish operations. The roughing surface may be globally convex, i.e. span the concave faces, or in the case of a blade, have two faces forming a notch over the concave region.
Windows-NT, Windows-95, Windows-98 - alpha testing has commenced on the port of NUFORM Level-II, Family of Parts, Interactive NUFORM, and the myriad of software components of the NUFORM System on Windows-NT, Windows-95, and Windows-98. The SOL3D graphics display program and Interactive NUFORM will havemultiple display modes including wire frame and dynamic solid modeling.
Horizon Curves - A new type of curve is under development for NUFORM Level-II V7, the horizon curve. The horizon curve is the locus of points on the target surface which is the extent of possible contact of a given cutting tool and orientation.