Delcam to Show Full CADCAM Range at Autodesk University
Delcam will demonstrate its full range of CADCAM software at Autodesk University in Las Vegas from 2nd to 4th December. The latest releases on show will include the 2015 versions of the PowerSHAPE Pro CAD package, the PowerMILL CAM system for high-speed and five-axis machining and the FeatureCAM feature-based programming software. In addition, Delcam staff will present classes in advanced machining, artistic CADCAM and clay milling during the conference program.
By offering a combination of solid, surface and direct modelling, together with reverse engineering functionality, PowerSHAPE Pro provides the most comprehensive range of design techniques available in a single CAD program. Having all the different technologies in the same package reduces the need to transfer data between multiple programs and so streamlines the whole product development process.
The main enhancement in the 2015 release is the Smart Feature Selector. This option allows multiple similar features to be found and selected using either a specific value or a range of values. Once the particular group has been selected, all the features within it can be edited simultaneously.
This new functionality will speed the preparation of models for manufacturing significantly. For example, one common problem in product designs that are to be moulded or cast is that fillet sizes are set so small that they restrict the flow of material. The Smart Feature Selector can be used to identify any fillets below the required radius and then all the fillets found can be increased to the desired minimum size simultaneously. Full details, including video demonstrations, are on the Learning Zone – www.delcam.tv/ps2015
The new release of PowerMILL, Delcam’s programming system for high-speed and five-axis machining, includes improvements to the Vortex high-efficiency area-clearance strategy, expanded collision checking to also cover near misses, and more efficient raster finishing.
Vortex produces safe toolpaths with a much deeper cut by using a controlled engagement angle that maintains the optimum cutting conditions for the whole toolpath. As a result, higher feed rates and material-removal rates are possible, making the cutting time shorter by as much as 70%. Enhancements in PowerMILL 2015 will give even greater reductions in machining time with Vortex compared to conventional roughing.
As well as including the latest developments in the Vortex strategy, the 2015 version of FeatureCAM incorporates a range of enhancements in three-axis milling, two-axis and five-axis drilling, turning and turn-mill, and wire EDM to make the software even more powerful and easier to use.
FeatureCAM was the world’s first feature-based programming software when it was launched in 1995. Constant development since then has ensured that the system has retained its leadership in programming speed and ease of use, while an increased range of strategies has been added to provide more efficient toolpaths that give greater productivity on a wider range of machinery, including mill-turn machines, five-axis mills and wire EDM equipment.
