Product category:
CAD/CAM systems (not machine tools)
News Release from: Vero International Software | Subject: VISI-Series CAD and STRATEGIST CAM software
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 19 February 2003
Software link-up ups machining
productivity 20%
Running two sets of CAD/CAM software has realised a 20% increase in productivity in the mould and diemaker's machining operations in the manufacture of injection mould tooling.
Following Vero International Software's recent acquisition of the machining STRATEGIST CAM software solution from NC Graphics, one of the East Midlands premier toolmakers supplying the die and mould sector has endorsed the benefits of running the software in tandem with Vero's VISI-Series products Leicester based CGP Engineering Limited were among the UK's first purchasers of machining STRATEGIST, purchasing its suite only a week after its launch four years ago
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 22 Apr 2004 at 8.00am (UK)
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Company director Phil Harrison has highlighted a number of benefits, not the least of which is a 20% increase in productivity in the company's machining operations.
CGP specialises in manufacturing long life, fully automatic plastic injection mould tools for high volume production environments.
Its end users include leading automotive producers such as Jaguar and Opel, electronics manufacturer Siemens and industrial products manufacturer Rutland Plastics among many other high volume producers.
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In the past 18 months the organisation has invested in excess of GBP 1/4m in software and machine tools.
"When we purchased machining STRATEGIST we were operating software from one of Vero's competitors and were unhappy with the performance of the CAM programme in particular," explains Phil Harrison.
"It very quickly became apparent that machining STRATEGIST offered a lot of significant improvements in our machining operations but also highlighted the shortcomings of the CAD software.
As such, after only a few months, we took the major decision to run with VISI-Series as our front line CAD software along with machining STRATEGIST.
"The two systems perfectly complement each other and in our opinion offer just about the best software combination on the market.
The step-change to move to VISI-Series has significantly contributed to the range of design and manufacturing services we now offer our customers." "VISI offers more highly flexible data interpretation, which is vital for an independent operator such as ourselves.
We have VISI-Modelling, VISI-Split and VISI-Mould and after these modules have satisfactorily completed the design and mould feasibility stages we use machining STRATEGIST to create the CAM programme.
It is very quick and importantly very stable, as is the VISI software." CGP typically receives customer input in a range of formats ranging from faxed drawings to DXF, IGES and Parasolid files with VISI-Series' extensive range of standard interfaces offering reliable and stable data transfer conversion.
"The combination of the VISI-Series and machining STRATEGIST is an optimum package in our view," says Phil Harrison.
"The speed of cutter path creation is very impressive as are the options of creating and proving alternative cutter paths in order to provide the best combination of both finish and speed." To illustrate the inherent speed within the package, Phil Harrison highlights a prototype tooling project CGP undertook for Opel prior to purchasing VISI-Series.
"Three years ago we were asked to produce four items of tooling for a prototype inlet manifold component.
Because of the very tight time scale we agreed with the customer to develop loose insert tools, taking two weeks to fully design the tools in 3D.
"Recently, using VISI-Series and machining STRATEGIST we undertook a similar project for the same customer, only this time necessitating the design and manufacture of 7 individual tools.
This time the design stage took just 5 days and we delivered all tools on time in a total time scale of 7 weeks.
"Without the speed and accuracy of the CAD modules and the preparation of the CAM data we could not have completed the project in that time scale." CGP's CAD/CAM system is directly interfaced via an Ethenet link to the CNC machining centre's programmers for fastest data transfer.
"We set out to offer our customers a turnkey end-to-end solution, taking in the very earliest component sketches and offering services such as moulding feasibility through to high quality visualising and prove-out drawings," concludes Phil Harrison.
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