SURFCAM Velocity 4 for HSM

SURFCAM Velocity 4 is a new CAD/CAM software release from Surfware Inc. Additions have been made to Surfware’s 3-axis and 4- and 5-axis products, based on requests from the company’s machinist customer base. Following is an overview of some of those additions in the new release.

With increasing demands for shorter cycle times and improved part quality, high-speed machining is a critical component for the success of many machine shops. The new HSM finishing strategies in SURFCAM Velocity 4 feature smooth and fluid toolpaths that accommodate maximum cutting speeds and shorten the machining cycle.

Courtesy of Surfware

Automated rest machining is one of the new high-speed machining toolpaths in SURFCAM Velocity 4.

The rest machining functionality automatically calculates the areas where material remains after the previous operation and generates a toolpath in these areas. There is no need to manually create boundaries. The rest machining differentiates between near horizontal and near vertical corners, and it uses the best-suited cutting strategy to machine them.

The 3-D offset finishing feature provides a fine surface finish regardless of part shape. A constant scallop height is ensured by passes that are at a constant distance from each other along a surface.

To also impart an excellent finish, the software uses offset pencil milling passes to machine a part’s corners. It is possible to make single or multiple offset pencil milling passes at a constant distance from each other.

The enhanced steep/shallow feature machines a part’s steep and shallow regions as one operation by using the optimal machining strategy for each region. The feature can also enable machining only the steep or only the shallow regions. The adaptive step-down feature automatically modifies the toolpath to ensure this operation leaves a uniform amount of workpiece material.

Smooth and tangential linking moves between the passes enable maximum speeds and feeds. In earlier versions, the retracts consisted of orthogonal rapid moves to the rapid plane. In SURFCAM Velocity 4, these moves are optimized for the part topography, thereby shortening the machining cycle.