Software & Digital Solutions

Bob Warfield from CNCCookbook discusses some toolpath tips to help you get the most from your CAM software in the sixth episode of The CNC Chef, a video series produced in collaboration with Cutting Tool Engineering.

After a year of vision and construction, Global Shop Solutions Inc., The Woodlands, Texas, a global developer of enterprise resource planning software for the manufacturing industry, has opened a state-of-the-art facility, making it the third building at headquarters.

Florence, Ky.-based Mazak Corp. continues its advancement toward the complete digitization of all its manufacturing operations with the recent transformation of its Oguchi, Japan, facility into yet another Mazak iSmart Factory.

Irvine, Calif.-based CGTech, creator of Vericut, and MachiningCloud Inc., Camarillo, Calif., have announced a Vericut enhancement in MachiningCloud software whereby Vericut customers can import cutting parameters from cutting tool manufacturers from within MachiningCloud directly into Vericut.

CADENAS is publishing Version 11 of its Strategic Parts Management PARTsolutions. The German software manufacturer aims to simplify the daily work of engineers and purchasers and to provide support for the optimization of design processes for the exploitation of hidden economic potential.

Using macros, which are pieces of instruction that provide shortcuts, greatly improves programming productivity, according to the Get With The Program column in the July 2017 issue of Cutting Tool Engineering magazine.

With the advent of technologies like the iPad, the field of predictive maintenance has become an accessible and achievable goal for many businesses. The iPad allows anyone from small companies to large multi-facility corporations to implement and commit to a predictive maintenance program utilizing technology that is constantly improving.

Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence launched PC-DMIS 2017 R2, the latest edition of its measurement software. This is the second of two major releases scheduled for PC-DMIS in 2017, with continued service pack updates to reportedly ensure maximum reliability of the platform.

Fastems introduces the latest release of its software for automated pallet handling for the metalworking industry. Fastems' Manufacturing Management Software (MMS) is for automatic production processing, complete with planning, controlling, visualization and monitoring capablities.

Capgemini's Digital Transformation Institute reports that manufacturers expect investments in smart factories will drive a 27 percent increase in their operation efficiency over the next five years. This would add $500 billion in annual added value to the global economy.

The GROB Group and Open Mind are joining forces to offer a complimentary two-day technology seminar on August 1-2, 2017. Grob, a manufacturer of universal machining centers is partnering with Open Mind, a developer of CAM/CAD systems, to present innovative production solutions for aerospace and other industries at GROB's U.S. headquarters and manufacturing facility in Bluffton, Ohio.

Job shops commonly receive corrupted or "dirty" CAD files from their customers. These files must be cleaned or repaired before toolpaths for machining the workpiece can be created. Software solutions like SpaceClaim, developed by ANSYS Inc., can fix dirty models, with the end goal of creating "watertight" solids ready for machining.