MACH 2008 visitors queue for CAM demonstrations

Offering a broader range of CAM products to high visitor numbers made the UK MACH 2008 exhibition the 'best ever' for Delcam, said the company.

Delcam said that the recent UK MACH machine tool exhibition was the 'best MACH ever'.

UK sales manager, Mark Corrigan, reported that the event had generated more enquiries, from a higher-quality audience, than any previous show in the series of biannual events.

He said: "We had people queuing up for demonstrations on Wednesday morning," said Corrigan.

"I can't remember the last time that happened at a UK exhibition".

Part of the reason for Delcam's exhibition success was its much broader range of machining software following a series of acquisitions made by the company over the past three years.

The full range of CAM systems now consists of the following.

* PowerMILL for high-speed and five-axis machining.

* FeatureCAM for feature-based production machining.

* PartMaker for turn-mill equipment and Swiss-type lathes.

* ArtCAM for routing and engraving.

Delcam told manufacturingtalk that the complete set of programs comprises the world's most comprehensive collection of machining software.

The highest interest at MACH was in FeatureCAM, the feature-based machining software added to the Delcam range in 2005.

The latest version includes the following.

* Increased support for 5-axis machining.

* More efficient turning through better and easier control of stock remaining.

* An improved tool database with more options to link pre-defined feeds and speeds to individual tools.

FeatureCAM 2008 also features numerous smaller enhancements and speed-ups, plus new and updated post-processors, in particular for CNC mill-turn centres, including the Mazak Integrex, Daewoo Puma and Nakamura-Tome machines.

Delcam's said that its latest release of PowerMILL CAM was also a big attraction, especially its recent additional options for 5-axis machining.

Other enhancements and speed-ups throughout the program were also demonstrated, in particular, the improved memory management within the software that gives significantly faster calculation times, especially for large, complex components, like press tools for automotive bodywork, and for smaller, highly-detailed models, such as moulds for fine-tolerance and high-accuracy parts.

The PartMaker range of software was shown at MACH for the first time.

PartMaker pioneered the use of CAM for complex, multi-axis, multi-spindle machines with its patented 'Visual Programming Approach'.

The software provides substantial gains in efficiency with its novel approach to the programming of these advanced machines.

Delcam said it also boosts machine productivity with its ability to optimise the synchronisation of multiple, simultaneous operations.

The latest release features a wide range of improved functionality, including the introduction of the PartMaker Full Machine Simulation module, which allows the user to view the complete machining sequence on a photo-realistic 3D model of the machine.

Delcam's ArtCAM family of software proved popular.

The complete range is aimed at skilled artisans rather than engineers and requires little knowledge of engineering or computing.

All of the programs are able to import and machine 3D models, although the range of machining functionality does, of course, increase in the higher-level options.

Back to top