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Product category: Software, off-line programming, CAM, for metal cutting machine tools
News Release from: Pathtrace Engineering Systems | Subject: EdgeCAM CAM Solid Machinist software
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial Team on 02 June 2004

Learning CAM quickly enabled business
growth

Learning a CADCAM system quickly enabled a rapid prototyping devlopment company to expand the business quickly and the company has added a further seat and doubled capacity.

"Because we picked EdgeCAM up so quickly, we've been able to take on additional work and expand the business very quickly In February 2004, we added a further seat of EdgeCAM Solid Machinist with Advanced Surface Machining," says Managing Director Karl Hamlin of Hamlin RPD

"We now have a second four-axis machining centre, bringing our investment in software, hardware, training and machine tools to over GBP 100,000.

We have doubled our capacity and we are still continuing to grow.

We have committed to EdgeCAM, and it has really paid off." Hamlin RPD has a tagline: designed by professionals, shaped by technology, developed with passion.

Those who visit Hamlin's premises in the Midlands will know how appropriate those words are.

Established in 1987, Hamlin RPD has fast become one of the most innovative and successful Rapid Product Development (RPD) businesses in the UK.

Hamlin has a long experience in model making and rapid prototyping and has put this to use in building the company to its present position.

Hamlin is positive, "Rapid Product Development is all about being rapid and there are not many companies that are quicker than us." The growth and success of Hamlin RPD has been well thought out, well planned and well executed.

The company has grown from five people three years ago to 15 today.

In particular, there has been very significant growth since the company concurrently acquired a CNC machining centre from Dugard and an EdgeCAM intelligent CAM solution from Pathtrace Engineering Systems in 2002 to add to its SolidWorks mechanical design software installed 18 months earlier.

You just have to deliver - Julian Harding is a Director at Hamlin and a very experienced design engineer.

He characterises the company by saying, "Some people would see the work we do as an immense challenge, but it is everyday stuff for us." He adds, "It is still a challenge, but one we've met head on through investment and through skills.

In addition, we have built very good relationships with our customers.

We tend to be an extension of our customers own organisation, a part of their own workforce for the period of time that they need us." However, the biggest issue for Hamlin is time.

Harding explains, "We are called on to work to incredibly tight deadlines.

When a client needs a prototype for an exhibition for example, you just have to deliver; you can't delay the exhibition instead." Questions well received and well answered Some two years ago, Hamlin detected a significant and increasing demand from customers for the CNC production of rapid prototypes.

The need was for higher accuracy than could be provided using fused deposition modelling and stereolithography technology.

After six months of investigation, Hamlin decided to invest in a Yang VMC600 high-speed vertical machining centre from Dugard, together with associated CAM software.

The company considered Licom AlphaCAM, X-NC, Delcam PowerMILLTM, and Teksoft CAMWorksTM and eventually chose EdgeCAM.

Why was this? Harding recalls, "We had a very good on-site demonstration of EdgeCAM.

Without a doubt, the people from Pathtrace knew what they were doing.

Our questions were well received and well answered." In Harding's experience, "EdgeCAM seemed so easy to use.

For example, we just opened a machining strategy and told it how to mill - climb, conventional, whatever we needed." Harding adds, "Personally, the fact that EdgeCAM is a SolidWorks Certified CAM Product was big deciding factor.

We also bought an EdgeCAM Solid Machinist licence, which meant we could import models directly from SolidWorks." EdgeCAM is very safe With EdgeCAM, the overall process is very straightforward.

If customer designs are not already in SolidWorks native format, they are imported using STEP or IGES.

Any modifications such as clamp points or dowel holes that are needed for machining purposes are made and the file is handed over to the CAM operators.

The solid model is opened in EdgeCAM using Solid Machinist, which uses Parasolid, the same modelling core that is used by SolidWorks.

Any modifications made to the model in SolidWorks will be highlighted automatically through the feature recognition capability.

According to Harding, "This means that if the CAM operator is part way through creating the CNC programme, he is automatically made aware of the changes made to the original model when he opens it in EdgeCAM.

EdgeCAM is very safe in this respect if someone is working on the model in SolidWorks and someone else working on it in EdgeCAM." Getting easier all the time - Harding points out, "With EdgeCAM, everything is verified on screen before it goes to the machine.

The operators can even check the level of surface finish that might be achieved." The next stage, says Harding, "Is for the operators to check all their speeds and feeds, then generate the code and send it to the dedicated PC linked to the machining centres.

The sort of programs that we generate are pretty big and we generally store them on the PC and batch load the controllers, which are Ethernet connected." He continues, "It may take the operators up to a couple of hours to create the sort of complex tool paths we need here and machining some of these parts can take up to ten hours.

We quite happily run finishing paths overnight, unattended." Harding notes, "We are producing work that cannot be produced by any other machining process.

With EdgeCAM, we have so many levels of machining strategy available, and with the latest release there is even less searching for the strategy.

The roughing cycle can now handle anything from a simple 2D strategy to a 2D strategy with a contour wall, or a 3D strategy, or even a combination of all of those.

It's getting easier and easier all the time." Exceptional and flexible training - however, training is required for even the most easy-to-use software, and Harding is very impressed with the support from Pathtrace.

He says, "Training has been pretty exceptional and very flexible.

We recently employed a very experienced CNC operator but with no experience of CAM software.

He sailed through the basic training and soon needed the advanced machining course.

To help him be as productive as possible as quickly as possible, Pathtrace trained him on a one to one basis in record time." Harding also praises the close links that Pathtrace maintains with its customers.

He says, "The User Meetings are very good.

We attended one prior to the release of EdgeCAM Version 8 where they took on board product improvement suggestions from the audience and demonstrated some of the new functions prior to new product release.

We learned about future releases and we were able to discuss any issues we had." Could not do it without EdgeCAM Julian is clearly pleased with the contribution EdgeCAM has made to the success of the company.

He says, "We have taken on two people dedicated only to working with EdgeCAM and running the CNC machining centre, where previously I was running the CAD and the CAM and setting and running the machine.

We are now able to offer more to our existing customers and also generate new customers." Harding continues, "With some of the motor sport work we do, we are working to deadlines of less than 24 hours.

For one of the motor bike racing teams, we regularly turn things round overnight.

We just couldn't do it without EdgeCAM." Summing up, Karl Hamlin concludes, "Because we picked EdgeCAM up so quickly, we've been able to take on additional work and expand the business very quickly.

In February 2004, we added a further seat of EdgeCAM Solid Machinist with Advanced Surface Machining.

We now have a second four-axis machining centre, bringing our investment in software, hardware, training and machine tools to over GBP 100,000.

We have doubled our capacity and we are still continuing to grow.

We have committed to EdgeCAM, and it has really paid off.".

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