CAD/CAM Software

Version 3.5 now provides even more powerful automated design-geometry adjustment and repair tools that can be used to correct and/or offset issues that stem from the manufacturing process itself. Moldmakers, casting shops, and additive manufacturing (AM, aka 3D printing) providers alike can employ the software to detect and visualize material and/or design defects or distortions—and then employ sophisticated capabilities to correct their CAD designs, compare values against nominal limits and ensure that final part quality meets applicable industry standards.

Users can now define a fixed contact point on the tool that enables the cone and cylinder to be used for deburring. This makes deburring an attractive option for chamfering because the cone and cylinder leave no imprint of the tool's profile. To ensure a uniform chamfer, the tool is not tilted. Instead, to avoid collisions, the toolpath is automatically trimmed in the affected areas.

Integrating this new control for the TwinCAT Vision toolbox directly into TwinCAT HMI increases engineering efficiency even further; users no longer have to create and code these capabilities themselves. The new TwinCAT image control makes these capabilities fully available and efficient by incorporating a large number of separate controls and extensive JavaScript programming.

ESPRIT TNG now also enables manufacturers to perform face-milling operations with a unique "roll-in" lead-in strategy recommended by Sandvik Coromant to improve surface quality, reduce cycle time, and extend tool life. This lead-in technique positions the cutter for ideal thick-to-thin chip formation, which indicates that the insert engages the material deeply enough at entry to make a significant cut before exiting smoothly to reduce vibration and ensure consistent, high-quality surface finish.

Mastercam Design streamlines and simplifies modeling and editing geometry. It also supports advanced geometry creation, including solid and surface modeling, hybrid machining, NURBS curves and surfaces, 2D and 3D associative dimensioning, surface extension, blending, trimming, splitting, variable filleting, and hybrid modeling to complete your jobs quicker and more efficiently.

CNC Software Inc. changed its U.S. industrial channel for Mastercam CAD/CAM software to now also serve its educational customers throughout the country.

Since 1999 Holmatro Inc. has used Esprit CAM software to manufacture hydraulic rescue equipment for emergency responders.

With the newly integrated textures, CAD models appear more detailed and realistic. This look increases the realistic impression of the 3D objects and enhances the design aesthetically. This is particularly interesting for those areas where a realistic representation is important, such as presentations, catalogs or virtual reality. This gives customers a realistic impression of their final product as early as the design phase. The 3DViewStation supports the textures in the file formats OBJ, FBX, GLB / GLTF, DAE, U3D, 3DVS and 3MF.n

NUM's power skiving option provides the enabling technology for CNC machine tool companies to address a key market opportunity in the nascent compact gearbox manufacturing industry. It is now possible to create an entirely new generation of gear production automation that offers combined hobbing and skiving capabilities on a single machine.

The new CAMWorks wire EDM module also includes enhanced feature recognition for non-planar geometry. Instead of the user needing to project the geometry for the top and bottom of the part and create 2D sketches, the new wire EDM software uses geometry directly from the solid model to construct and create the correct top and bottom profiles automatically.

Designed to remove complexity, REcreate provides a single working environment from scan to manufacturable CAD model. The user can prepare CAD models and drawings from any point cloud data. Its fully featured CAD tool suite enables users to create complete and manufacturable CAD models as well as 2D engineering drawings. REcreate's analysis tools also enable manufacturing professionals to interrogate those 3D models and validate whether they are manufacturable before exporting as CAD or STL for computer aided manufacturing (CAM) or additive manufacturing processes.n

Common line cutting which allows operators to cut two or more parts so that they share at least one common line with one another. This provides greater material utilization and better consumable life. Costing for parts, nests, and jobs to include factors such as consumable wear, machine operating cost, labor costs, electricity, etc. Auto-select of material so operators can enter basic material descriptions in settings and automatically map to available materials. With this feature, operators no longer need to separately pick a material and thickness once a tube size and wall thickness is selected.n