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New PowerMILL CAM software at IMTS

THE next release of Delcam’s PowerMILL CAM software will be launched in September at the IMTS exhibition in Chicago.

The new version will offer a more complete solution for complex machining operations, together with more control for experienced machinists.

The program will also include a range of enhancements to existing functionality to enable both faster programming and faster machining.

Delcam’s CAM development director Steve Hobbs said since its first release, the CAM software had focussed on the more complex parts of manufacturing operations.

“Many of our toolmaking customers tend to program the simpler tasks, like sizing the starting block of material, and finishing operations, such as cutting off, on the machine tool control rather than by off-line programming,” he said.

“However, as we have become more established in production machining, a growing number of our customers want to program everything with their CAM system.

“This has always been possible in PowerMILL but the new options in PowerMILL 9 will make the complete programming process much easier.”

Using a completely offline approach to programming is said to give other benefits as well.

“Firstly, it ensures that a fully-detailed record is maintained of the whole manufacturing process. This will make it easier for jobs to be repeated by different staff, or even at different locations, and will ensure a consistent approach is maintained whenever and wherever a part is produced subsequently.

“Secondly, it makes simulation of the complete process easier and more reliable. The simulation can begin from the starting block of material, rather than the user having to produce a model of the stock remaining after the manually-programmed operations have been completed.”

More machining control

Recent program developments has focussed on making it easier for inexperienced and casual users to generate high-quality toolpaths for high-speed and five-axis machines tools.

However, very experienced users tend to know exactly how they want to manufacture a particular part, or undertake a particular operation. They need greater control over the results that their software can give to achieve maximum productivity, even if this requires more skill and experience with the program.

The software has been designed to give this control by making it easier for experienced users to generate toolpaths based on any 3D curve.

According to the company this was possible previously using the program’s machining commands but the new approach makes it easier both to create the required 3D curve and to drive the cutter along it.

Faster programming and machining

The program includes a range of enhancements to give faster programming and faster machining.

It incorporates a number of improvements to reduce calculation times, together with some simplification of the user interface that makes it easier to select the required command and so makes programming faster.

In addition, toolpath ordering has been made more efficient, especially for roughing and rest machining, so ensuring that the cutter speeds more time machining and minimal time making air moves.

Camplex 03 9532 4566

www.camplex.com.au

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