Delcam will preview FeatureCAM 2015 and PowerMILL 2015 at IMTS.
FeatureCAM 2015
Delcam will unveil its latest version of FeatureCAM for advanced feature-based and knowledge-based programming. The first productivity-enhancing option in FeatureCAM is a new command that allows entire parts or projects to be mirrored more easily than before. The option supports parts to be milled with multiple set-ups, including 2.5D, 3D and 3+2-axis configurations. Both "Move" and "Copy" options are available to reflect all the features within the part or project relative to a choice of a particular plane, line or axis in which to mirror.
Continuous enhancements have been made to the FeatureCAM user interface to improve ease of use. One simple improvement in the new release makes tool windows respond to the machine choice. Tools now appear in the window in an orientation that matches how the tool will be used on the machine, eliminating any mental disconnect when selecting the desired tools for particular operations.
Another change allows the picking of the bottom radius of solid faces through curvature analysis. This improves interactive feature recognition by removing the need to take measurements of the part to identify the bottom radius.
FeatureCAM also sees the introduction of a new hole type, "Thread Mill Hole," which eliminates the need to create holes, pockets or sides, and thread features as separate items. It can be used either with holes created with the "Hole" feature or those that have been identified with "Feature Recognition." A range of preset threads for standard depths of drilling and thread depths can be applied or users can customize their own thread combinations.
FeatureCAM gives more control when creating z-level roughing toolpaths, with a new option to establish pre-drill locations for the toolpath. This can be done through the use of single-point positions or curve-point positions to define the plunge locations.
Although FeatureCAM comes with extensive automation built in, it also comes with Addins, such as the "Port Cavity" Addin, that users can customize for any repetitive operations. A new version of this Addin, integrated with FeatureCAM's "Part Library" functionality, has been developed for the new release to provide more flexibility and to make it easier for programmers to define their manufacturing processes. The user can now create a template feature set for each port, using regular drilling features, and then configures the recognition to copy toolpaths for this feature set from the part library when a similar feature set is recognized.
The availability of a wide range of post-processors has always been a key benefit of FeatureCAM, together with the ability for users to customize their posts. In the latest release post variables can be assigned user-defined names. This allows users to quickly see exactly which post variables are configured for use with a particular post-processor and to understand their intended use. This change will be particularly valuable when programmers need to understand customizations in posts that have been made by other users.
PowerMILL 2015
The new release will include improvements to the Vortex high-efficiency area-clearance strategy resulting in higher feed rates and material removal rates, making the cutting time shorter by as much as 70%, according to the company.
"The Vortex area-clearance strategy produces safe toolpaths with a much deeper cut by using a controlled engagement angle that maintains the optimum cutting conditions for the whole toolpath," said a company spokesperson. "As a result, higher feed rates and material removal rates are possible, making the cutting time shorter by as much as 70%. In addition, cutting is undertaken at a more consistent volume removal rate and at a near constant feedrate, so extending tool life and protecting the machine."
Two enhancements in PowerMILL 2015 are designed to give greater reductions in machining time compared to conventional roughing. The first change allows toolpaths to approach the part from outside the stock at the cutting height for open pockets or in areas where earlier cuts have made this possible. Previously, all entry moves had to be made by plunging onto the surface or by ramping into the material.
The second change allows an increased feedrate to be set for non-cutting moves. The default value is set at double the rate for the cutting moves but this can be altered as required for each machine tool. The extra time that can be saved depends on the shape of the part, but the company reports an additional saving of around 20% should be expected above the earlier releases of Vortex.
Another problem in previous versions of PowerMILL was that unnecessary lifts could be added to area-clearance toolpaths when the cutter moved outside the stock or close to its edge. Changes to the roughing algorithm have now reduced the number of lifts per toolpath slice to the minimum needed and so made area clearance more efficient.
Companies using PowerMILL for either positional or continuous 5-axis machining will benefit from improvements to the collision checking within the software. Firstly, collision checking has been changed so that warnings can also be flagged for near misses. The user can now specify a clearance value and when the machine tool comes within this value it will turn yellow in color to highlight a near miss. Collisions will still be shown by a change of color to red.
Secondly, the display showing the list of collisions, and now near misses, has been updated to be easier to read, making it simpler to extrapolate the coordinates at these points. For near misses, the clearance distance is shown in the display, with the distance shown as zero for collisions.
Another improvement will help companies using 4- or 5-axis machines with trunnions or similar tilting tables. Previous PowerMILL toolpaths could exhibit unwanted changes of azimuth as the cutting tool approached a position vertical to the part. This would slow down the machine, often to the extent that a witness mark would be left on the surface. New options are now available to specify the information used by PowerMILL to distribute the toolpath points so that the machine's gimbal-lock position is avoided and a smoother motion results.
Raster finishing has also been improved in PowerMILL 2015, with the software now able to set automatically the most appropriate angle for each region of the part. In previous versions, the user had to select each area and specify the angle manually. The new option, which provides the same functionality that already existed for steep-and-shallow finishing and face milling, is most beneficial when finishing a series of pockets aligned in different directions.
A number of improvements have been made to the PowerMILL interface. Most important is a clearer form for the strategy selector that makes navigation easier when choosing which strategy to use. It has also been made easier to create folders of strategies, for example, those most suitable for a particular machine tool, material or type of part, and to add and remove strategies from those folders.
Finally, three new curve-creation options have been added to the curve editor - ellipse, spiral and helix. These options can be used to create patterns or boundaries when generating toolpaths.
For more information contact:
Delcam
877-335-2261
marketing@delcam.com
www.delcam.com
IMTS 2014 Booth E-3222