CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Online Archive

12 December 2007

Events News

Delcam to Show Latest Machining Developments in India

Delcam will demonstrate the latest developments across its full range of CAM software at the AMTEX exhibition to be held in Delhi from 23rd to 27th February. Delcam was ranked as the world's leading specialist supplier of CAM software and services in the latest CIMdata report. The company expects to reinforce its leading position with the productivity-boosting features in its new software releases.

Like other recent versions of Delcam's CAM software software, a major focus of PowerMILL 8 is additional options for five-axis machining. However, the new release also includes enhancements and speed-ups throughout the program. In particular, improved memory management within the software gives significantly faster calculation times, especially for large, complex components, like press tools for automotive bodywork, and for smaller, highly-detailed models, such as moulds for fine-tolerance and high-accuracy parts.

The most significant of the new five-axis options is a powerful tool-axis editing function that allows the user to select any region of a toolpath and redefine the tool-axis vectors within that region. The new ability to use different options in different regions of the toolpath enables users to optimise cutting conditions and avoid any sudden machine tool movements that could result in a poor surface finish.

The new version of Delcam's FeatureCAM feature-based CAM system includes increased support for continuous five-axis machining, more efficient turning through better and easier control of stock remaining, and an improved tool database with more options to link pre-defined feeds and speeds to individual tools. FeatureCAM 2008 also features numerous smaller enhancements and speed-ups, plus new and updated post-processors, in particular for turn-mill equipment, including the Mazak Integrex, Daewoo Puma and Nakamura-Tome machines.

The new five-axis machining options in FeatureCAM 2008 offer a variety of methods for controlling the tool axis. This can be done either to access areas unable to be reached with three-axis machining or to give better cutting conditions.

Many three-axis toolpaths generated in FeatureCAM are able to be converted to a five-axis equivalent by using automatic collision avoidance to change the tool axis when collisions might occur. The software automatically tilts the cutter away from the obstacle by the specified tolerance and then returns the cutting angle to the value set for the overall toolpath once the obstacle has been cleared. Other new options include five-axis trimming and swarf machining.

Five-axis drilling is also supported. This new functionality, coupled with the advanced feature recognition in FeatureCAM, makes it possible to create drilling programs in seconds for multiple hole types and sizes, oriented in a variety of directions.

Recent improvements to the PartMaker and SwissCAM programs have been equally extensive. Most important have been the enhancements to the Process Table function, the unique method within the software to control and optimise the synchronisation of operations on advanced machine tools. This has been made both more flexible and easier to use.

A new option is Full Machine Simulation. This provides a more realistic simulation of the machining process by allowing the user to simulate true solid models of a machine's actual components. Also new is the PartMaker Documentation Wizard, an optional module which allows the user to create, preview and print documents incorporating multiple views.

Delcam is expanding its business in India at a rapid rate, especially since the opening of its new head office in Pune earlier this year. During 2006, software sales in India grew by 18% and further increase is expected this year. The company now operates eight offices in Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Coimbatore, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Ludhiana in addition to its head office and employs a total of around 50 staff.

Delcam has approximately 400 customers in the country, including automotive majors Tata Motors, Bajaj Auto, Force Motors and Maruti Udyog, component suppliers Amtek Group, Varroc and Anurang, the Footwear Design and Development Institute and the National Aerospace Laboratories, as well as leading toolmakers such as CTM India and ASB International.

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