PowerMILL

PowerMILL 2.4 is a powerful 3D CAM programme that generates roughing and finishing toolpaths to optimise the productivity of CNC machine tools while ensuring the highest quality machining of models and tooling. It maximises cutting efficiency, reduces hand finishing and produces gouge-free parts. Its high speed calculation and powerful visualisation and verification facilities mean that the user can compare different strategies with any combination of cutting tools and check all toolpaths before they are sent to the machine, minimising machine idle time and waste of materials and resources.

A major benefit of PowerMILL 2.4 is that it can handle NURBS-based machining. This offers several advantages. For example, as the toolpath is calculated as a smooth curve rather than a series of straight lines, far less data is required. This is particularly true with complex 3D shapes.

Machining can therefore be done more quickly, typically in 40% of the time taken by conventional methods, especially with high speed equipment, where process control can produce bottlenecks. Since the individual moves are longer, the machine control can look ahead, so path planning and feed rate setting can be more intelligent. The use of curves requires fewer speed adjustments than a series of lines and, in addition, problems such as dwell marks are minimised because the tools move more consistently.

Delcam is at the forefront of companies working on the integration of OLE for D&M, Microsoft's design and modelling standard that uses OLE (Object Linking and Embedding) to handle spatial arrangements of graphical objects. The company's commitment to this is illustrated by the fact that its CAM product development director, Steve Hobbs, is currently chairman of Microsoft's OLE for D&M group. PowerMILL 2.4 is Delcam's first product to include integration with OLE for D&M.

Delcam International, Inc., 3270 Electricity Drive, Windsor, ON N8W 5J1. Tel: 519-974-8088; Fax: 519-974-8170.