CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Online Archive
23 March 2010
Events News
Delcam to Launch New Tooling Design Software at Amerimold
Delcam will launch the 2010 release of its Delcam Toolmaker tooling design software, which incorporates a new solid modelling kernel, on booth 623 at the PDX/Amerimold exhibition to be held in Cincinnatti from 11th to 13th May. The integration of the new kernel reinforces the solid modelling and assembly modelling capabilities of the software, and so complements the surface modelling capabilities developed by Delcam over more than 30 years. The combination of the two technologies provides a range of benefits for toolmakers, especially those that use imported product design data from other CAD systems as the basis for their tooling designs.
Users will be able to tackle all the common problems that can be found when translating low precision and incomplete data, including gaps and overlaps between surfaces, or duplicated and missing surfaces, and generate a valid, high-precision CAD model. This process uses the automatic data repair tools that are provided within the software, together with powerful surface creation and editing options. This combination means that simple repairs can be carried out quickly and easily, while more complex problems can be overcome by deleting and replacing the existing surfaces within the model.
Delcam Toolmaker also includes a wide range of analysis tools to check the manufacturability of the design. These include curvature analysis to check that fillet radii are large enough to allow easy material flow in the tool, draft angle analysis to ensure that parts can be removed successfully or to identify where slides will be needed, and model thickness analysis to help in selection of gating positions and in highlighting potential sink-mark problems.
The addition of the new kernel will also enhance Delcam’s Power Features technology. Components that contain Power Features react automatically as they are placed within the tool assembly, adding all the necessary fit-features to the connecting components. As each part is added, the tolerances between the various components are also defined automatically. This automatic creation of relationships makes the development of the overall design much quicker and also makes errors in the design process far less likely.
Of course, Power Features maintain relationships in a similar way to parametric objects in other CAD systems so that, for example, if an ejector pin moves, all the associated holes move with it. However, the degree of associativity is more flexible, such that all component dimensions, tolerances and positions can be modified either individually, as part of a group of similar components, or by using a global edit for multiple groups of components.
The new release of Delcam Toolmaker also speeds up and simplifies the development of more complex tooling assemblies. It is much easier to create solid models of any non-standard components and to define their relationships with the other components. The software will highlight suitable attachment points under the cursor. The user simply clicks the attachment points on a pair of components and they will move into position. A second click will preserve the relationship or another attachment point can be selected for an alternative relationship.
Furthermore, all identical parts within an assembly are recognised automatically as instances of the same component so preventing unnecessary duplication of data. This reduces overall model sizes and makes regeneration of the complete tool much faster after any design changes.
As well as including a wide range of standard catalogues, Delcam has made it easier for users to create and manage their own catalogues. Users can now both save custom dimensions for non-standard parts and add components that they have modelled themselves, or that they have downloaded, to custom catalogues.
Delcam Toolmaker incorporates automated methods to generate the General Assembly and all the component drawings required for manufacturing and inspection. In the 2010 release, hidden-line removal has been made faster and more reliable, while the time needed to produce a complete set of drawings for even a complex mould should now be no longer than a day. This compares with the two or three weeks that are typically needed with traditional drawing methods.
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