ModuleWorks announced the availability of Simulation for hybrid additive/subtractive manufacturing applications.
Additive manufacturing builds a part from a powdered material as opposed to the traditional subtractive process where material is removed to create the final part. Although still relatively new, the technology has seen significant growth and is now seen in many walks of manufacturing. Machine Tool companies have reacted by producing a new generation of machine tools that combine additive and subtractive technologies in a hybrid approach. Typically the part is built using additive technology and then finished using subtractive machining techniques.
ModuleWorks Simulation, which is found in many of the leading CAD/CAM products and also on many machine tool controls now offers the ability to simulate the additive process and combines it with the subtractive process to provide complete simulation of the manufacturing process. Full stock material addition and removal is provided along with full kinematic machine simulation.
David Plater, Technical Director for ModuleWorks, comments “We’ve seen an increasing number of requests for simulation for the additive manufacturing process from our partners and prospects around the world, so we have engineered our simulation technology to offer this capability. We’re now able to produce a realistic hybrid simulation and the results have been well received by our partners”.