Delcam, a
leading specialist supplier of CAM software, has issued a free guide to the use
of computers with parallel processing technology in CNC programming. The white
paper is based on Delcam's research into the use of the latest computer
technology in the CAM environment. "It aims to help users separate the facts
from the marketing hype and give a clear understanding of the potential
benefits," said a Delcam spokesperson. Copies can be downloaded from
www.powermill.com.
The paper begins with an explanation of the two potential benefits of multi-core computers. Firstly, background processing allows the user to prepare, simulate or edit one toolpath in the foreground, while simultaneously calculating other toolpaths in the background. This technology can work on any hardware but the benefits are much greater on multi-core equipment.
Secondly, parallel processing can perform different parts of a single complex calculation at the same time. Essentially, this divides the processing of this operation over all of the cores in the CPU chip to reduce the overall calculation time.
The ultimate benefit comes from applying both these technologies at the same time, with parallel processing being used for both the foreground and background operations, the company said.
Having explained the technology, the paper then describes how it is applied in the latest release of Delcam's PowerMILL CAM system and gives examples of the improvements obtained. Tests on a range of toolpaths show that using the latest PowerMILL release on a quad-core machine results in a saving of up to 60% in toolpath calculation times, said Delcam.
For more information contact:
Delcam
877-335-2261