PartMaker CAM programs mill-turn centres

Delcam has launched the latest version of its PartMaker family of software, which now offers programming of turn-mill equipment and Swiss-type automatic lathes.

Delcam has launched the latest version of its PartMaker family of software, which now offers programming of turn-mill equipment and Swiss-type automatic lathes, Delcam has launched the latest version of its PartMaker family of software.

The PartMaker range includes the leading systems for the programming of mill-turn centres and Swiss-type automatic lathes, as well as providing supporting software for milling, turning and wire EDM.

PartMaker Version 8.6 features productivity-enhancing improvements such as the following.

* Improved solids-based programming.

* Tool selection.

* Surface machining.

* Simulation.

All these enhancements, said Delcam, are designed to make PartMaker users more productive across the full range of applications.

President of Delcam's PartMaker Division, Hanan Fishman, said: "PartMaker Version 8.6 represents another value-added release for PartMaker users across all of our applications modules.

The enhancements will make the programming of parts requiring multi-axis machining techniques more productive than ever before".

* Solids-based Programming - PartMaker Version 8.6 introduces a 'Face Planes' concept.

When programming a part from an imported solid model, a Face Plane indicates very clearly the plane in which machining is occurring.

Face Planes simplify the programming of parts with multiple faces from solid models and improve visualisation of the areas that need to be machined on a model.

Delcam aded that they simplify the definition of multiple coordinate systems in PartMaker, which allows the user to perform surface machining more easily across multiple parts or on multiple sides of the same part.

Face Planes also give the ability to set a view normal to any surface more quickly.

For cylindrical surfaces, a Face Plane can be displayed 'wrapped' or 'unwrapped'.

The user can then specify the transfer of just slots and holes for indexing, or unwrapped geometry for cylindrical milling.

* Improvements to surface machining - the Surface Machining Wizard offers improved machining strategies by adding axial step options to finishing and projection strategies, giving effectively nine more roughing strategies and more control in finishing operations.

The ability to follow stock shape when needed has also been added.

Additionally, 3D milling can now be performed in multiple coordinate systems on milling machines, ideal for 3D milling applications on horizontal machining centres, said Delcam.

* Grooving improvements - Version 8.6 supports the simulation of inclined turning tools used on lathes equipped with 'B-axis' heads.

It also supports the simulation of mini-turrets, which must be tipped on an angle when used in practice.

This release also has a number of enhancements to grooving, including the ability to support inclined grooving.

Better control of tool retraction is possible by indicating the retract distance for a peck-grooving operation.

* Improved tool selection - in Version 8.6, users can now automatically select a turning, grooving or threading tool in any Turning Profile machining strategy, i e, Turning, Contouring, Grooving, Threading or Cut-Off.

This makes programming faster and easier, for example when performing Turning with a Grooving tool.

* Full machine simulation improvements - the Full Machine Simulation Module (FMS) in Version 8.6 has a number of improvements.

It now has the ability to support even more complicated machine architectures.

The visualisations have been made more realistic and the library of machine models has been greatly expanded.

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