Metal fabricators who use SolidWorks CAD software can now accelerate the pre-production phase of tube bending by using a new add-in from Unison.
TubeWorks features a fully searchable tooling log that enables users to quickly check which bending tools will be needed for producing a part.
Unison tube bending machines are backed by software tools that enable users to quickly create production-ready programs.
Unison has launched a PC-based CAD/CAM product for tubular metal fabricators who use SolidWorks CAD software that, according to the company, enables them to reduce order processing and pre-production development time from hours to minutes.
The software add-in, called TubeWorks, automatically extracts key manufacturing information, including tube specifications and CNC bending data, from both native SolidWorks models and common CAD file formats such as STEP, IGES and ParaSolid. It can handle tube models with round (tube and bar), square, rectangular, oval or flat-sided oval cross-sections.
Unison secured exclusive worldwide sales for TubeWorks from its developer, 3DCompound Ltd., a UK-based software consultancy that specializes in the development of third-party value-added products for SolidWorks. The company was founded by an accredited SolidWorks Elite Application Engineer with an extensive background in CAD and tube bending technology. It produces a variety of software tools, ranging from macros to fully integrated add-in modules.
According to Alan Pickering, Managing Director of Unison, "Automating the extraction of manufacturing data from CAD files helps bending machine users to create production-ready programs much more quickly and efficiently. TubeWorks will provide our customers with an enormous competitive advantage and is an important addition to our growing portfolio of software tools. As well as offering a smart solution for metal fabricators seeking to accelerate their request-for-quotation (RFQ) procedures, the software will help companies with in-house bending machines to reduce design-to-manufacturing times."
3DCompound's Managing Director Ali Jani said, "We chose Unison as a partner because its innovative culture matches well with our own. Unison's all-electric tube bending machines are widely regarded as some of the best in the industry, enabling companies to push performance boundaries in metal tube fabrication. Our new TubeWorks add-in is designed with the same principles and for the same markets. We believe that the software provides users with a unique and powerful means of enhancing the productivity of their tube bending operations."
"The TubeWorks add-in is fully integrated into SolidWorks, allowing users to take full advantage of the CAD software's powerful design functions, and eliminates the need for any additional standalone solutions for generating manufacturing data during the design, development and production of tubular parts," said a company spokesperson. "The add-in software is inherently intuitive and easy to use, requires no special training and can be mastered within 10 minutes."
In addition to its manufacturing data extraction capabilities, TubeWorks offers a variety of functions to further help users minimize the pre-production design time of machine-based tube bending. These include automated centerline creation through tubular geometry (for both round and non-round profiles) and automated conversion of imported tube models into native SolidWorks models for CLR (centerline radius) modification. The software also extensively automates the generation of 2D drawings, as well as the creation of reports for the YBC data that will be used to control the bending machine and for the XYZ coordinates of the modeled tube.
To help maximize flexibility and ease of use, TubeWorks is fully functional in a multi-body part environment. A searchable tooling log enables users to quickly check the types of tools - such as bend former, mandrels, wiper dies, etc. - that will be necessary for a particular bending operation, while a tooling recommendation function verifies whether a part can be produced using existing tools, or suggests suitable substitutes. The software also includes a tube length calculator, which evaluates the total length of tube that will be needed for fabricating the specific formed part.
For more information contact:
Horn Machine Tools
Unison North America
40455 Brickyard Drive
Madera, CA 93636
559-431-4131
sales@hornmachinetools.com
www.hornmachinetools.com