Archive for the ‘CAD-CAM’ Category

When you are using CAM you will need to know the type of CNC machine you will be using, the tooling you will be using, and the feeds and speeds of the machining process you will utilize.  You will input these variables into your CAM software and it will create a program.  You will then use this program to control your machine’s motion.

The output of CAM software is G-Code.  G-Codes are simple text commands used to instruct your CNC machine.  Usually you’ll need to know some basics about G-Code, but generally you don’t have to be an expert at it.  If you really like CNC, you will naturally start picking up how to read G-Code.  If you get good, you can even hardcode some of your G-Code.

LOS ANGELES, CA , Jan 25, 2008 – Westec 2008 features the unveiling of two major developments in CNC Software’s Mastercam CAD/CAM software. Attendees will get the first look at Mastercam’s new Feature Based Machining (FBM) as well as the Mastercam for SolidWorks add-in. Both will showcased in booth # 3258 at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, CA on March 31 – April 3.

Feature-Based Machining (FBM)

Mastercam’s new Feature-Based Machining automates the machining process. This offers shops dramatic speed improvements and allows for great reductions in programming time. Mastercam’s FBM will automatically evaluate the part and program pockets, contours, bosses, and drilling routines with minimal user input. New users to Mastercam will be machining 2D solid parts sooner thanks to FBM’s ease of use and short learning curve.

Mastercam for SolidWorks

Mastercam for SolidWorks is fully integrated CAM that runs seamlessly in SolidWorks. SolidWorks users can now program their parts directly within SolidWorks using Mastercam’s industry-leading toolpaths and machining strategies.

Mastercam’s latest release, X2MR2 will also be demonstrated in the booth. Stop by to learn about the Mastercam X2 features including: -

• The new Peel Milling toolpath moves the tool in and “peels” away material, layer by layer.
• The Operations Manager pane can now float to a different area of the graphics window or to a separate screen when you are working with dual monitors.
• The Create Boundary function greatly expands Mastercam’s toolpath boundary creation, restricting the toolpaths to highly specific areas.
• Many powerful multi-axis enhancements are included in the advanced multi-axis toolpaths.
• Common edge optimization in nesting is now supported.

About Mastercam

Developed by CNC Software, Inc., Mastercam is Windows-based CAD/CAM software for 2- through 5-axis milling and turning; 2- and 4-axis wire EDM; 2D and 3D design, surface, and solid modeling; artistic relief cutting, and 2D and 3D routing. CNC Software is a privately owned corporation founded in 1984. The U.S.-based company provides Mastercam CAD/CAM solutions to more than 124,936 installations in 75 countries in industries including mold-making, prototyping, automotive, medical, aerospace, and consumer products. Mastercam runs under Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Vista, and is compatible with all other CAD/CAM systems. For more information about CNC Software, Inc. and its Mastercam family of products, contact CNC Software, Inc., M – F, 8 AM – 6 PM EST at (800) 228-2877 or (860) 875-5006, 671 Old Post Road, Tolland, CT 06084. Or visit www.mastercam.com.

OPEN MIND Technologies CAM software product integrated within Solidworks and receives highest partner status.

The new hyperMILL® V9.7 from OPEN MIND offers CAD integration with SolidWorks®. SolidWorks Corporation, developer of the popular Solidworks CAD product has certified the integration of OPEN MIND’s complete solution and has designated hyperMILL® as a ‘Certified Gold Product’. This is SolidWorks’ highest award based on outstanding integration, quality and interoperability.

To receive the ‘Certified Gold Product’ award, the partner product must go through a multilevel certification process. The requirements include full integration of the software user interface within SolidWorks® and associative database linking of the geometric data of SolidWorks®. In addition, SolidWorks® reference customers must be able to use the software product effectively. In-house product tests are also conducted at SolidWorks to determine whether its high requirements are fulfilled. OPEN MIND Technologies released hyperMILL® V9.7, including the SolidWorks® integration in October 2007. And now hyperMILL® has now successfully completed and passed the certification process.

Integrated process chains for CAD users
“Our CAD-integrated CAM solution hyperMILL® has the advantage of allowing SolidWorks® users to implement integrated process chains on their existing user interface,” explains Frank Eckstein, responsible for hyperMILL® in SolidWorks in the Application Technology division at OPEN MIND. “In our software solution, the CAD and CAM systems both access the same database. A uniform data model is used for the entire process. This helps ensure transparency and accuracy in the production process and prevents errors.”
About OPEN MIND Technologies AG

OPEN MIND Technologies AG ( www.openmind-tech.com) is a leading developer of CAD/CAM software and postprocessors for designing and manufacturing complex moulds and parts. OPEN MIND offers an extensive range of products, from 2D feature-oriented solutions for milling standard parts through to software for 5-axis simultaneous machining. With their hyperMILL® software, which is used in the automotive, tool and mould manufacturing, mechanical engineering and aerospace industries, OPEN MIND Technologies AG is represented in all the important markets in Asia, Europe and North America. OPEN MIND Technologies AG is a Mensch und Maschine company ( www.mum.de).

Further information:
Alan Levine
Email Contact

Delcam, the software developer and distributor of such products as PowerMILL, Partmaker, FeatureCAM and ArtCAM, has a special hands-on approach to its software development process.

Delcam operates a machine shop, its Tooling Services Division, next to its software development headquarters in Birmingham, England.

The main aim of the facility is to allow comprehensive real-world testing of software before it is released to customers. However, it also operates as a working machine shop which is profitable in its own right. It uses the latest machining and inspection technology from manufacturers such as Mecof, Anyak, Matsuura, Bridgeport, Renishaw and POLI.

“The Tooling Services Division has always had a dual role within Delcam,” Brian Hawkshaw, division director, said.

“While we provide a real-world testing environment for our CAM software during its development, we are also required to operate as a profitable business in our own right.”

Delcam just added a WFL mill-turn machine with a three-meter working capacity to the Tooling Services Division.

“Until recently, we have concentrated on five-axis machining, both because that was the main focus for our PowerMILL development team and because five-axis operations increased our ability to take on more complex jobs and complete them more efficiently.

“The move into mill-turn has had similar motives. Delcam has expanded its product range with the acquisition of FeatureCAM and PartMaker, both of which offer millturn functionality, so we needed equipment with the ability to test new developments in these programs.

“Secondly, we have received more inquiries for large-scale projects that would only be possible to undertake efficiently with a mill-turn machine. We were taking orders for work even before we acquired the machine, and its capacity is already booked for most of this year,” Hawkshaw said.

He added that Delcam’s Tooling Services Division duplicated the diversification into other industries that Delcam accomplished with its software business in recent years.

“The aerospace sector now provides our biggest source of work, rather than the toolmaking industry,” he said.

Delcam sees the manufacturing expertise it gains in its Tooling Services Division as an important part of the comprehensive support it gives to its customers.

Besides helping the ocmpany’s development teams, experience it gains in the division is passed on to its support staff.

Hawkshaw said Delcam’s support staff uses the knowledge developed in the division to give its software users advice on all areas of their work, including the best choice of machining strategy and cutter selection.

Being able to test such developments on-site obviously gives Delcam a major advantage in proving out its software.

“Many CAM programs generate data that is mathematically correct but that is often impossible to machine in practice,” Hawkshaw said, adding that the company’s machine shop had a roll in the development of its PowerMILL software for high-speed machining and shop-floor programming and that he expects the mill-turn equipment to have a similar role in developing software for multi-function machining.”

January 28, 2008 — The latest version V16, under the slogan of ‘Twice the power of V8’, includes a raft of new features aimed at providing enhanced functionality for interactive tasked and further automation for users looking for semi or completely unmanned solutions. JETCAM will also be increasing the number of end user releases in 2008, ensuring that customers can immediately take advantage of each new feature as soon as it is available.

JETCAM Expert V16’s sequencing routines have been optimised to further improve the cutting path which can considerably reduce the overall cutting time of complex nests. A new reporting engine has also been included to provide comprehensive and customisable reports. A report designer is included, where users can simply drag and drop the required fields or tables of information onto the page. Single component or complete nest images can also be added. Reports of any size or format can be generated, including labels for single label printers.

Further development specific to punching machines has also been announced. Automatic tooling placement logic has been further optimised, providing users of punching machines with the same level of automation as profiling machines. Tools are automatically placed on the component based on highly configurable parameters. This information is then carried through to all related nests – if the component is updated then this is automatically reflected on the nest. ‘Tool teach mode’ further enhances the automatic tooling facilities by allowing JETCAM to ‘learn’ a user’s preferred method of tooling a particular contour.

JETCAM’s free form high performance nesting module (FFHPN) for V16 has also undergone further development, with the latest release offering even greater efficiencies. With metal prices increasing even a 1% material saving can quickly mount up to a considerable amount. JETCAM is also offering prospective customers a free ‘nesting benchmark comparison’ whereby they will compare a user’s existing nests with one created through FFHPN.

Commented Mike Weber, Managing Director JETCAM International s.a.r.l.; “These features in Release V16, when combined allow a JETCAM Expert system to rapidly become self-sufficient. It intelligently and accurately applies logic so that the whole CAM process can become truly hands-off, especially when JETCAM’s Remote Control Processing (RCP) system is employed. With our knowledge of the complexities of today’s powerful CNC machines this frees the operator for other tasks, maximises machine runtime and reduces material waste. For any size of organisation this level of automation has to be their goal to remain competitive in today’s climate of cost reductions. Companies employing manufacturing efficiency methodologies such as ‘Six Sigma’ will benefit from a system that provides a data-driven approaches to problem solving with a focus on customer impact. Any business purchase has to be justified by return on investment, and JETCAM continues to deliver this in three key areas: material utilisation, machine cycle time and programming time.”

V16 will be available for download from the JETCAM.com web site in February 2008. Existing customers under maintenance will be able to download the software immediately at no cost. Customers out of maintenance need only to purchase a maintenance contract to gain access to the latest features – there is no additional upgrade price to pay.

For more information please contact Martin Bailey at Email Contact. Product box shots and company logos are available for immediate download from www.jetcam.com/logos.htm.

Contact information:

JETCAM International
Terrasses du Port
2 Avenue des Ligures
MC98000
Monaco

Tel : +44 870 760 6469

Web: www.jetcam.com

E-mail: Email Contact

A company, which has taken over the UK agency for the Japanese Nisshinbo CNC punching machines, press brakes and shears, recommends Radan’s CAD/CAM systems for their programming

Machine tool trading company RPA has been involved in the sheet metalworking market for some 17 years, specialising in the supply of CNC punch presses. The company recommends Radan’s powerful sheet metal CAD/CAM software. RPA’s chief engineer. John Nobles, said: ‘Well established worldwide, Radan’s success lies in its wealth of industry experience.

It was established when NC machines had computers the size of an office and only 52k of memory.

Yet the company is so on top of today’s ‘game’ that, in the heart of China, it was already proven on Yawei machines months before Nisshinbo-Japan had given the punch presses its seal of approval for export to Europe and the US’.

RPA’s team of machine tool engineers supports the whole range of CNC sheet metalworking machines, as follows.

* press brakes (brake presses).

* Guillotines.

* Laser cutting and profiling systems.

* De-coilers.

* Plasma-arc cutting machines.

* punching machines and CNC turret punch presses.

RPA’s main business activity revolves around a continuous machine rebuild programme buying used machines, subjecting them to a full ‘blueprint’ refurbishment and then recommissioning them as warranted rebuilds.

Six years ago Nisshinbo withdrew from the European machine tool market and appointed RPA as its sole agent for punching machines, press brakes and shears for the UK, Ireland and the Middle East.

This involves holding all of the machine records and an extensive stock of consigned spares.

Meanwhile, Nisshinbo set up an engineering base within Yawei Machine Tools of China to oversee the redesign and manufacture of a new range of punching machines.

RPA’s general sales manager, Sonny Brown, said: ‘We were also appointed as Yawei-Nisshinbo agent for the UK, providing sales and support and continuing to recommend Radan to all of our customers.

The re-introduction of the Nisshinbo machines to the UK market has resulted in the two companies working much closer together’.

RPA’s initial launch of Nisshinbo equipment will concentrate on the HPI and HPH range of punching machines.

This CNC hydraulic 300kN (30 tonf) punching machine design has an all bridge-framed structure and has axis ranges of 1250 x 1250mm to 1500 x 2500mm.

Competitively priced, they carry even higher specifications than the earlier Nisshinbos, said RPA.

The design includes the following features.

* Powered clamps and tool hoists.

* Brush tables.

* Lowered die mounts for easy changing.

* Multiplicity of auto-index stations.

* Twin-track turret layouts.

‘The machine rebuild programme continues, but we have found it necessary to introduce material handling as an option,’ said Nobles.

‘Our customers are now able to purchase affordable used machines with all the facilities offered with new equipment and the ability to work ‘lights out”.

Nobles added: ‘This has involved more extensive use of Radan software, as the customer requires a more holistic approach to the introduction of part programming onto the shop floor’.

* About RPA – since 1990 Berkshire-based machine tool trading company RPA Limited has specialised in the supply and support of both new and warranted rebuild CNC punch presses.

Please visit .

* About Radan – Radan is the most powerful sheet metal CAD/CAM software in the world, helping customers increase their material utilisation and reduce inventory and offers a significant return on investment.

Radan is a principal brand of the Planit Group recently ranked by CIMdata as the worl’’s fastest growing CAM vendor, with most industrial users.

* About Planit – Planit is a global supplier of design and manufacturing software for the engineering, woodworking and stone industries.

The company provides its customers with products and services that enable them to improve the productivity of their machine tools, shorten design and manufacturing time, optimise material usage and deliver high quality goods and services to their customers.

Planit’s solutions are best-in-class within their respective markets and are integral to the success of thousands of companies of every size around the globe. Request a free brochure from Radan Computational….

Southfield, MICHIGAN, February 6, 2008: Planit announced today that it will demonstrate the latest releases of Edgecam and Radan in booth 3076 at the WESTEC Advanced Productivity Exposition, taking place on March 31 – April 3, 2008, at the Los Angeles Convention Center, Los Angeles, California. This premier event presents manufacturing & metalworking technologies used in the production of world-class products. WESTEC is expected to attract manufacturing professionals ranging from company executives to production engineers.

Edgecam will demonstrate Version 12 of its market-leading CAM system for solids based manufacturing, which expands on its 5-axis machining capabilities and delivers improved CAD data management, faster toolpath generation and new options for hole cycle optimization. Edgecam Version 12 extends the range of 5-axis machine tool support to include head/table configurations for both simultaneous and positional work. This is supported by full machine simulation to aid visualization of the machining process and verify work setup. The complete machine can be displayed, including all table/head and tool movements, helping to ensure safe operation and process optimization.

Radan will demonstrate the newly released version of its industry leading CAD/CAM software for sheet metal applications. Radan 08 delivers improved processing times, enhanced 3D import capabilities and significant nesting improvements. Radan will also demonstrate advancements to RadbendCNC, its off-line press brake programming package.

Education and training are critical to production and cost efficiency. The WESTEC conference includes SME-sponsored technical programming addressing advanced manufacturing technologies and processes. WESTEC is co-sponsored by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME), the Association for Manufacturing Technology (AMT), and the American Machine Tool Distributors’ Association (AMTDA).

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About Planit
Planit is the world’s largest supplier of design and manufacturing software for the engineering, woodworking and stone-cutting industries, with more than 85,000 industrial seats installed at thousands of customer sites around the globe. The company’s Alphacam, Cabinet Vision, Cabnetware, Edgecam, Jobshop and Radan solutions are best-in-class within their respective markets, providing customers with products and services to improve the productivity of their machine tools, shorten design and manufacturing time, optimize material usage, and deliver high quality goods and services to their customers. For additional information, visit www.planit.com.

About SME:
The Society of Manufacturing Engineers is the world’s leading professional society supporting manufacturing education. Through its member programs, publications, expositions and professional development resources, SME promotes an increased awareness of manufacturing engineering and helps keep manufacturing professionals up to date on leading trends and technologies. Headquartered in Michigan, SME influences more than half a million manufacturing practitioners and executives annually. The Society has members in more than 70 countries and is supported by a network of hundreds of technical communities and chapters worldwide.

Contact: Jane Briscoe
Telephone: 651-982-0100 ext. 5515
Emai: Email Contact        

Planit Solutions Inc.
25 North Lake Street
Forest Lake, MN 55025