Delcam will demonstrate the 2014 versions of its PartMaker CAM system for Swiss-type lathes, turn-mill equipment and bar-fed mills, and the PartMaker Modeling CAD-for-CAM software at the SIAMS exhibition to be held in Moutier, Switzerland, from 6th to 9th May.
PartMaker 2014 marks the introduction of Delcam’s Vortex high-efficiency strategy for area clearance into the PartMaker CAM suite. Other enhancements in the 2014 version include improved back-turning and 2D pocketing functionality, support for additional tool types and faster programming of lead-in and lead-out moves, and a new NC program viewer among other improvements.
Vortex is Delcam’s newest proprietary high-speed roughing technology. Vortex controls the maximum engagement angle of the cutter in the material, such that the angle calculated for the programmed stepover is never exceeded, even in internal corners. This allows for optimal cutting conditions to be maintained throughout the toolpath.
By controlling the maximum engagement angle and the load on the tool, Vortex can take deeper cuts than traditionally used in roughing operations. Depths of cut up to the full flute length enable maximum material removal rate from solid carbide tooling and reduce machining times by up to 70%.
PartMaker 2014 also includes improved functionality to support the automated programming of back-turning tools. These tools are used across a wide variety of small-part turning applications, particularly in Swiss machining. With their unique geometry and cutting characteristics, back-turning tools can eliminate the need for multiple tools and so can reduce cycle time and improve surface finish.
However, given the multiple included angles and programmable radii found on these tools, they can present toolpath calculation challenges. PartMaker 2014 overcomes these challenges with a unique, proprietary method for automating programming with back-turning tools on both the inside and outside diameter of turned parts.
PartMaker Modeling is the most powerful 3D CAD system available alongside a production-oriented CAM product on the market today. It is a particularly focused on users that make parts on turn-mill centres and Swiss-type lathes as it includes a wide variety of functionality for creating milled features on parts that are cylindrical in nature.
The new and unique Radial Cut Wizard allows very quick and intuitive creation of solid cut features on cylindrical surfaces. This functionality is particularly helpful for creating "wrapped” features on cylinders that typically require cylindrical interpolation programming when they are machined.
Additionally, PartMaker Modeling 2014 includes automated functionality for snapping both geometry and solid features to existing faces. This makes creating both milled and drilled features, such as hexes, flats and holes of any orientation, much faster than previous versions.
PartMaker Modeling 2014 includes a number of enhancements to the software’s direct modelling functionality for altering "dumb” solid models or 3D models with no feature history that have been created in other solid modelling systems.
The software’s feature-recognition functionality has also been hugely improved and further automated through the addition of the Smart Feature Manager which allows solid features to be extracted automatically from dumb solids. Using the Smart Feature Manager, users can also control and filter which feature sets, such as just holes, are extracted from a dumb model.
