CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Online Archive

22 April 2009

Product News

New SmartCAM V16.0 Released

SmartCAMcnc has announced the release to field test of SmartCAM® V16.0. SmartCAM Version 16.0 delivers a variety of new enhancements and capabilities to the SmartCAM suite of computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) system software, including automated toolpath generation directly from a solid model, additional solid model translation, and visualization, verification and usability improvements. SmartCAMcnc plans the standard release of version 16.0 for early June.

The SmartCAM product family consists of applications for Computer-Numerical Control (CNC) milling, turning, fabrication and wire EDM. Version 16.0 continues the Solids-Machining theme found in the past four major SmartCAM releases, with key improvements to both solid data handling and machining directly from a solid.

Version 16 adds new toolpath generation routines for roughing and finishing prismatic pocket and profile features directly from the solid to the mid-level SmartCAM Advanced Milling and SmartCAM Advanced Turning products, as well as the company’s premier milling application, SmartCAM FreeForm Machining.

Another major component of the SmartCAM V16 release is a new integrated data translator that now allows both import and export of solid or wireframe models in the STEP format. Additionally, fully integrated, native-file format translators for Autodesk Inventor and SolidWorks are optionally available with SmartCAM V16.0.

“SmartCAM Version 16 is another milestone release for us.” said Doug Oliver, Senior Product Manager at SmartCAMcnc. “Soon after we resumed development of SmartCAM, we added solid model support to all our products, which was a significant advantage for SmartCAM users. Of course this led to our customer’s anticipation of being able to machine directly from those solids. The addition of solids-based roughing and finishing for prismatic parts is a significant advancement in this area.”

“These new toolpath generation capabilities save significant time by eliminating many of steps required with previous versions,” continued Oliver. “They also support full 3D tool offsetting, which allow the fillets, corner rounds and drafted walls that are found on many prismatic parts to now be machined directly from the solid feature. Customers can now accurately cut those features using standard flat, ball, and bull end mills, instead of expensive, custom form tools.”

“When you combine that with the new integrated STEP translator, and the optional native CAD translators, this SmartCAM V16 delivers substantial advances in Machining from Solids.”

Ongoing improvements to the visualization/verification, user interface and usability areas found in several of the most recent SmartCAM releases include:

Showpath Tool Motion Verification

§ Persistent Tool Display

Verification improvements now allow preservation of the tool display while dynamic viewing during toolpath verification, allowing the user to confirm complete machining in a single session.

§ Optional Display of Rapids

In cases where the toolpath contains many rapids, turning off the display of rapids makes it much easier to view the cutting toolpath.

ShowCut Material Removal Verification

§ View Change While Paused

It is now possible to pause the material removal animation, reorient the model display to zoom, pan or rotate, and then continue the animation from the paused point.

§ Stock Defined with Voids (holes, slots, etc.)

Voids in the verification stock model can now be specified by a set of profiles. The void profiles are then extruded (or revolved in the case of a turned part) to form volumes which when subtracted from the stock model allows cast-in features and near-net stocks to be easily modeled.

User Interface and Usability Improvements

§ UI optimization for widescreen and dual monitor configurations.

§ Reduced mouse movement for faster, more accurate interaction with the CAD and toolpath models.

About SmartCAM & SmartCAMcnc

The SmartCAM family of computer-aided manufacturing software provides toolpath modeling and CNC programming for prismatic production work to complex molds, dies, and prototypes. SmartCAMcnc provides affordable maintenance contracts, updates, upgrades and technical support for all SmartCAM users, regardless of version. All SmartCAM products include updated data translators and market-leading NC editing software from Predator Software, Inc (www.predator-software.com).

SmartCAMcnc is a Springfield, Oregon-based company that was established in December 2003 to develop, sell and support SmartCAM for the benefit of its worldwide customer base of over 12,000 companies in 63 countries. The company has successfully delivered at least two major releases of the software each year since then.

To monitor further developments please visit http://www.SmartCAMcnc.com

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