Since the launch of Delcam’s entry level CNC software, ArtCAM Express 2011 only 2 months ago, it has had enormous success in the signage industry.  The customisable software, developed to design and machine 2D and 3D signage, is being sold by Delcam for only $149, making it even easier for those sign makers amongst us to expand our sign-making portfolio.

M. Boyd Raska, who recently purchased the software comments, “You can’t go wrong with ArtCAM Express!  I purchased it a few weeks ago and haven’t stopped designing items to cut.  ArtCAM Express is a very powerful and user friendly tool and comes with many models to import into your signage if you wish.”

Like its big brothers, ArtCAM Insignia and ArtCAM Pro, ArtCAM Express 2011 comes in both 32 and 64 bit versions and has a fully customisable interface.  It allows sign makers to design their own 2D artwork or, if they prefer, import a range of 2D & 3D artwork.  They can also create inlays and access libraries of relief clipart and fonts.  What’s more, if the user requires further functionality from the software it can be customised with the new ArtCAM Express modules.

ArtCAM Marketing Manager, Rebecca Freemantle comments, “The Bitmap Layers and Font Creator modules have been really successful with our signage customers.  The Bitmap Layers module, essentially allows multiple bitmap images to be imported into the software.  The sign maker can then switch between these bitmap layers, to create the vector artwork required to machine their sign.”

She continues, “The Font Creator is another useful tool as it allows the user to create their own unique fonts by altering any font in the ArtCAM font library and then storing it for future use.  This is great for creating customer logos or custom designs and can easily be repeated and used in other designs.”

Other modules available to sign makers include: The Texture Toolpath module, which creates hand-carved effects or unique textures, and the Vector Tools module, which allows vector designs to be created on several layers that can be shown or hidden to help manipulate parts of a design.  The Vector Tools module also includes further functionality to edit and create vectors suitable for machining.

Additionally, if the sign-maker needs to machine multiple items, the Nesting module can place all the pieces to be cut on the sheet of material according to their true shape to prevent any material wastage.

If you have yet to see ArtCAM Express 2011, you be pleased to know that on the 26th of July, Delcam is hosting online demonstrations throughout the course of the day.  To attend one of the free online demonstrations go to: www.artcam.com.

http://www.4-traders.com/DELCAM-PLC-4001652/news/DELCAM-PLC-Delcam-receives-a-great-response-to-its-new-CNC-software-ArtCAM-Express-2011-13719298/

The latest release of Alphacam, 2011 R2, is part of CNC software’s programme of development and enhancement, ensuring it keeps pace with changing needs and delivers maximum return on investment.

Alphacam 2011 R2 features improved parallel and flat-area 3D machining strategies for cutting solid models and surfaces.

Alphacam 2011 R2 features improved parallel and flat-area 3D machining strategies for cutting solid models and surfaces

Automatic exclusion of flat areas on parts allows for flat, rather than ball-ended cutters to be used.

Steep and shallow areas of parts detected allows for different strategies to be adopted - for example, a smaller tool step-over in a steeper gradient to that used in a shallow area.

In addition, there are options to always down or up mill, and to loop or round external corners.

Benefits of these improvements include reduced cutting time, improved surface finish and an improved tool life.

The new Geometry Query Manager feature allows a user-defined set of rules to be applied to a drawing to help automate toolpath generation.

Based on these user-defined rules, geometries are moved onto specifically named user layers.

Autostyles and CAD to CAM have been updated to take advantage of this new functionality.

Alphacam 2011 R2 also features Solid Model Extract Edge for Sawing, which enables the creation of a special sawing geometry from a selected solid model planar face, automatically setting the correct tool side, orientation and depth of cut, giving faster toolpath generation, while ensuring it is correct first time from the solid model.

The Work Plane Ordering feature allows the order of geometries and toolpaths to be optimised using Order Work Planes.

The shortest path around a four- or five-axis component is automatically calculated based on the configuration of the CNC machine.

The two main benefits of this are the elimination of time-consuming manual ordering, as well as faster machining time as a result of the reduced rapid distance.

In addition, toolpaths created to cut Splines and Polylines, including those that are simultaneous five-axis, can now be modified and updated, creating faster toolpaths and meaning the toolpath settings can be referred to at a later date.

Winona Lake, IN – OrthoTec 2011 will feature the latest in the line of powerful Mastercam machining software. Stop by booth # 416 at the Orthopaedic Capital Center at Grace College, Winona Lake (Warsaw), IN, May 24-25, for a look at Mastercam X5, as well as a preview of the upcoming Mastercam Swiss Expert.

CNC Software has acquired well-respected Swiss machining software SylvieXpert. Developed in Switzerland for Swiss machines by experts in the Jura region of Switzerland where these machines were invented, we’ve been refining and adapting it. We will be previewing the 2011 release of Mastercam Swiss Expert at this show.

Spotlighting the newly released Mastercam X5, including:

- Fast, aggressive, intelligent roughing

Mastercam’s new 3D surface high speed OptiRough toolpath is a new technique designed to remove large amounts of material quickly using its successful dynamic milling motion. Large, aggressive cuts are followed by fast, smaller up-cuts, safely delivering a fully roughed part faster than ever.

- Smart Hybrid Finishing

Hybrid finishing intelligently blends two efficient cutting techniques in a single toolpath. This new toolpath evaluates the model shape and smoothly switches between Constant Z cutting and Constant Scallop machining. The result is a dramatically finer finish with less work.

- Streamlined multiaxis machining

Mastercam’s multiaxis suite has new machining techniques and a new, easy, workflow-oriented interface. Mastercam lets you choose the basic type of work you’re doing using clear illustrations, and then gives you a clear, step-by-step process for defining how you’ll cut the part. Mastercam’s multiaxis machining also includes a new highly specialized interface for smooth, gouge-free engine head porting.

- New Dynamic Milling Techniques

Dynamic milling constantly adjusts the toolpath to ensure the most efficient cut possible and allows use of the entire tool flute length, often eliminating the need for multiple depth cuts. New dynamic milling techniques include Dynamic Rest Mill and Dynamic Contour. Dynamic Rest Mill helps ensure maximum tool efficiency during cleanup routines. Dynamic Contour uses an intelligent, efficient high speed contouring strategy to remove material along walls. It supports multi-passes and can optionally include finishing passes.

http://www.cadcamnews.in/2011/04/cnc-software-inc-showcases-mastercam-x5.html

Tolland, CT – Precision Machining Technology Show 2011 will feature the latest in the line of powerful Mastercam machining software. Stop by booth # 1212 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center, Columbus, OH, April 19-21, for a look at the latest release, Mastercam X5, and a preview of the upcoming Mastercam Swiss Expert.

CNC Software has acquired well-respected Swiss machining software SylvieXpert. Developed in Switzerland for Swiss machines by experts in the Jura region of Switzerland where these machines were invented, we’ve been refining and adapting it. We will be previewing the 2011 release of Mastercam Swiss Expert at this show.

The company will be spotlighting the newly released Mastercam X5, including:

- Fast, aggressive, intelligent roughing

Mastercam’s new 3D surface high speed OptiRough toolpath is a new technique designed to remove large amounts of material quickly using its successful dynamic milling motion. Large, aggressive cuts are followed by fast, smaller up-cuts, safely delivering a fully roughed part faster than ever.

- Smart Hybrid Finishing

Hybrid finishing intelligently blends two efficient cutting techniques in a single toolpath. This new toolpath evaluates the model shape and smoothly switches between Constant Z cutting and Constant Scallop machining. The result is a dramatically finer finish with less work.

- Streamlined multiaxis machining

Mastercam’s multiaxis suite has new machining techniques and a new, easy, workflow-oriented interface. Mastercam lets you choose the basic type of work you’re doing using clear illustrations, and then gives you a clear, step-by-step process for defining how you’ll cut the part. Mastercam’s multiaxis machining also includes a new highly specialized interface for smooth, gouge-free engine head porting.

- New Dynamic Milling Techniques

Dynamic milling constantly adjusts the toolpath to ensure the most efficient cut possible and allows use of the entire tool flute length, often eliminating the need for multiple depth cuts. New dynamic milling techniques include Dynamic Rest Mill and Dynamic Contour. Dynamic Rest Mill helps ensure maximum tool efficiency during cleanup routines. Dynamic Contour uses an intelligent, efficient high speed contouring strategy to remove material along walls. It supports multi-passes and can optionally include finishing passes.

http://www.cadcamnews.in/2011/02/cnc-software-inc-showcases-mastercam-x5_16.html

GRZ Software LLC has officially released the latest version of their CNC software, MeshCAM Version 4. Version 4 brings new power and features to the popular MeshCAM line of CAD/CAM products.

MeshCAM is primarily focused on 3D machining, allowing it to provide an easy-to-use interface without compromising toolpath quality. MeshCAM offers a wide range of toolpaths including parallel roughing, contour offset roughing, parallel finishing, waterline finishing, and pencil toolpaths. All toolpaths support a variety of options to create quality results with minimum user input. It also includes wizards for two-side machining and adding machining supports to the geometry. These features greatly simplify fixturing and workholding for oddly-shaped parts and those that must be machined using multiple setups.

The new Version 4 release builds on the existing MeshCAM core to add features focused on increased performance and usability. Version 4 introduces the ability to define multiple machining regions to limit a toolpath only to the desired areas., openning a whole new class of jobs for MeshCAM and significant reductions in machining time. The new slicing function lets users divide CAD files into layers to machine objects that are too big to machine as one piece. Each layer can be machined separately using the most efficient toolpath for its shape. All finishing toolpaths now support arc fitting to reduce NC file sizes and provide a better surface finish. Arc fitting functionality is normally seen only in CAM software costing many times more than MeshCAM. A new function to estimate machining time helps users optimize toolpath settings wihtout running a full toolpath simulation.

Large parts of Version 4 have been rewritten to fully utilize the multicore CPUs that are now standard in engineering workstations. Multicore support has lead to significant reductions in the time required to calculate a toolpath. Likewise, memory use has been reduced in this release, enabling larger files to be imported.

MeshCAM Version 4 was tested at over 500 sites during a six month beta period and feedback from customers worldide was incorporated into the final release.

About GRZ Software LLC

With over seven years of experience, GRZ Software provides CNC software to a wide range of industries including, jewelry, wood working, mold and die, and rapid prototyping. GRZ Software is committed to providing cost-effective CAD/CAM software solutions to streamline the manufacturing process.

Tolland, CT – CNC Software announces the release of Mastercam Router X5. Mastercam Router X5 continues the trend of faster and more efficient programming with new enhancements that will keep your shop ahead of the competition. Automatic Toolpathing improvements and block drill support combine with new enhancements in a package intended to improve shop floor productivity.

Automatic Toolpathing (ATP)

Mastercam includes an Automatic Toolpathing option which can read in entire projects and have them automatically programmed using presets that you choose. Mastercam Router X5 includes several improvements to ATP, including expanded customizability and streamlined operation.

Block Drill Support

To minimize tool change, Feature Based Machining (FBM) Drill now recognizes block drill units that are configured in the active Router machine definition. FBM Drill can assign block drill tools and generate block drilling toolpaths.

Importing Solids

In Mastercam Router X5, both Rectangular and TrueShape Nesting support solid operations, including operations created by FBM toolpaths. FBM parent operations, however, are not yet supported.

Other new enhancements include:

- Feature Based Machining (FBM) improvements

- WCS support for ATP single part processing

- Smart hybrid finishing and hybrid leftover machining

- Multiaxis improvements

http://www.cadcamnews.in/2010/11/cnc-software-unveils-mastercam-router.html

CGTech has announced that it will exhibit version seven of its Vericut CNC machine simulation and optimisation software at Mach 2010.

The company said Vericut v7 features enhancements that reduce the time required for manufacturing engineers to develop, analyse, inspect and document the CNC programming and machining process.

CGTech VERICUT 7 software reduces the time for developing, analysing, inspecting and documenting CNC programming and machining.

CGTech said for Vericut v7, it had focused on the customer’s use of the software and how it could be improved.

John Reed, managing director at CGTech, said: ‘We modified the user interface to create a more natural and obvious sequence to the most common user actions.

‘The user’s interaction has a top-down flow through its graphical tree layout, with context-sensitive choices that appear as the user moves along in the NC program simulation.

‘We also focused on system and graphics performance,’ he added.

Vericut is CNC machine simulation, verification and optimisation software that enables users to eliminate the process of manually proving-out NC programs.

It is said to reduce scrap loss and rework.

The program also optimises NC programs in order to save time and produce a higher-quality surface finish.

Vericut simulates all types of CNC machine tools, including complex multi-axis machines from manufacturers including DMG, Mori Seiki, Mazak, Makino and Matsuura.

The software runs standalone, but can also be integrated with CAM systems such as Catia v5, Siemens NX, Pro/E, MasterCAM, EdgeCAM, GibbsCAM, Delcam Powermill, Missler TopsolidCAM and Open Mind Hypermill.http://www.manufacturingtalk.com/news/cgt/cgt143.html

M&M Manufacturing in Tulsa is a CNC machine shop producing parts, assemblies and tooling for the energy, healthcare, and manufacturing sectors. But, the shop’s specialty is in complex-geometry aerospace components. It uses four- and five-axis machines to manufacture parts that often have three controlling datum surfaces, as well as many contoured surfaces blending into each other.

These parts are programming challenges that M&M addressed with a switch to DP Technology’s ESPRIT CAM. The software makes it possible to apply toolpaths directly to a customer’s solid geometry and view simulations of the resulting program, with the machine, tools, fixturing, etc., included, to avoid crashes.

Creative Workholding, Machining

Machining plan for a Gulfstream G-650 fitting, as demonstrated by ESPRIT software.

“A key difference that we bring to our customers comes through our

creativity in developing a strategy for holding and machining the part,” said Ken Statton, president of M&M Manufacturing. Statton said the shop developed expertise in fixturing as it worked to meet tight tolerance requirements, but these efforts have advanced to using fixturing to reduce machining cycle time. He pointed to a four-station fixture that M&M developed for a four-axis machine that makes it possible to perform a tool change then proceed sequentially through all the operations with that tool on all four parts. “This fixture allows us to machine four parts with only a single sequence devoted to changing, advancing, and retracting the tool,” he said. “The result is substantial time savings.”

M&M began to move to four- and five-axis machining because of the increasing complexity of the aerospace parts it is producing, and this meant it needed a software package that could import complex geometries. It chose ESPRIT because of its programming simplicity and optimizing ability. “ESPRIT gives us the optimum level of control to make sure the cutter stays in the cut as long as possible and that the program works the first time we run it,” according to Statton.

Automatic Feature Recognition

In the past, for example, if the company was making a composite layup tool with many changing contoured surfaces, it had to define each surface independently and generate toolpaths. The cutter had to move around to reach each of the different toolpaths, typically taking several days to generate the program. With ESPRIT, programmers simply import the solid model and access the full functionality for the solid model. Then, the CAM software is used to integrate the solid model to automatically identify the part features.

The next step is to assign metalcutting operations to the features that have been defined. ESPRIT lets users create a knowledge base of pre-optimized machining operations that include a particular tool, cutting speed, feedrate, depth of cut, etc. Programmers choose from several different machining strategies that automatically develop an efficiency approach for machining the feature.

http://www.americanmachinist.com/304/Issue/Article/False/85241/Issue