Published 1/24/2011

CAD Partner for PartMaker CAM

Delcam offers a modeling partner product for its PartMaker CAM system for turn-mill equipment and Swiss-type lathes.

Edited by: MMS Editorial Team

Delcam offers a modeling partner product for its PartMaker CAM system for turn-mill equipment and Swiss-type lathes. PowerShape Companion for PartMaker is based on PowerShape design software. The 3D CAD offering includes functionality for creating solid models, repairing data, editing part designs for manufacture and designing accessories such as toolholders and machine components. The companion software is based on the Parasolid solid modeling kernel, which ensures interoperability with both PartMaker and other major CAD/CAM systems, the company says.

The data repair functionality includes PowerShape’s Solid Doctor, which is said to virtually eliminate problems common to translating low-precision and incomplete data. These include gaps and overlaps between surfaces and duplicate or missing surfaces. Users can read in and repair models from sources, including standard formats such as IGES and STEP, plus native files, such as CATIA, Siemens NX and Pro/Engineer. An output file can be read directly into PartMaker.

The Solid Doctor uses a combination of automatic data repair tools, plus surface creation and editing options available within PowerSHAPE. Simple repairs can be carried out quickly and easily, while more complex problems can be overcome by deleting and replacing surfaces within the model, the company says.

The companion software enables users to create 3D solid models from 2D drawings. It also provides a range of other CAD tools. The software is designed to modify any aspects of the part that might cause difficulties in manufacturing. These include adding chamfers to avoid secondary operations such as deburring and adjusting or removing fillets that could add machining time and cost to a part. The same tools can also be used to generate extra geometries.

Additionally, the extra modeling tools can also be used in conjunction with PartMaker’s Full Machine Simulation module to design machine components, including turrets, gang slides or custom tool holders.

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