CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Online Archive

14 February 2008

Events News

Delcam to Launch New PowerINSPECT Release at Control

Delcam will launch Version 5 of its PowerINSPECT software on stand 3110 at the Control exhibition to be held in Stuttgart, Germany, from 22nd to 25th April. This new release hardware-independent inspection software includes support for five-axis scanning with Renishaw’s REVO probe, the ability to use multiple alignments within parts or assemblies, improved CMM connectivity and more flexible report generation.

PowerINSPECT 5 is believed to be the first inspection software to support Renishaw’s REVO for the verification of both geometric and free-form shapes on all major makes of CMM. The combined solution offers faster and more accurate measurement of feature-rich parts, such as powertrain components, and complex doubly-curved surfaces, including those found in aerofoils and turbine blades.

As the five-axis REVO head is much lighter and more dynamic than the CMM, with a significantly better frequency response, it is able to quickly follow changes in the part geometry much more quickly. In addition, five-axis scanning minimises dynamic errors caused by the inertial forces that affect the moving mass of the CMM structure.

The new PowerINSPECT release incorporates proven five-axis simulation and collision avoidance technology from Delcam’s PowerMILL CAM system. As a result, users can be confident that the inspection routines will operate safely and efficiently.

PowerINSPECT’s new ability to use multiple alignments within a single part will allow independent verification of distinct areas within the component. This will make it simpler to identify the source of any error in a faulty example and so make it quicker and easier to rectify the problem.

Multiple alignments can also be important when checking assemblies of parts. They can be used to discover whether the error is in an individual component, and, if so, in which one, or whether the problem has resulted from an inaccuracy in the way in which the parts have been put together.

The introduction into PowerINSPECT of I++ technology will make it easier to add the software to new hardware, especially for companies that use a variety of different devices. I++ is the standard communication format for CMMs and is supported by all major equipment manufacturers.

PowerINSPECT’s easy-to-understand reporting has always been one of the software’s most popular features. With the new release, users have been given more control over the way in which the results are displayed. The previous highly-automated reporting methods are still available but users are now able to customise reports more easily. For example, the positions and contents of results labels can be adjusted to highlight the most important measurements.

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