CAM Software's Nesting Engine Improves Calculation Times

Vero Software has released Alphacam 2018 R2. Tests on the CAM software’s nesting engine showed a 17-percent improvement in material yield. Providing toolpath optimization and part handling, the nesting engine is also said to enable faster calculation times along with improved feedback and graphics.

Parametric Rules have now been migrated to C# and bring enhanced GUI and functionality for greater control, improved UX and more streamlined logic statements.

The Face Milling Cycle is part of the software’s core functionality. It creates intelligent tool paths, enabling users to perform surface milling paths on irregular and multiple geometries. It creates several operations to achieve the same result, improving productivity.

Productivity has also been improved through the Order by Intersecting Geometry function, which saves time when ordering the sequence of a complex job. It works by enabling the user to select a previously created geometry to define the order of geometries or tool paths based on those that intersect it first.

The Parametric Sketcher has an updated UI for resizing the window. It provides greater visibility over the Parameters and Actions list for managing complex projects. There are also improvements to the Sketcher’s geometry creation tools for creating fillets and chamfers. This improves productivity, the company says, since it does away with the need to calculate those points.

Enhancements to the  dimensioning system provide greater clarity when printing and presenting information. User-defined suffixes for both the primary and alternate units – as well as a scale factor – mean that two separate values can now be displayed.

Importing CAD models has been updated through the support of Solidworks configurations. The interface enables users to select which configuration of an assembly to import, without the need to ascertain that the last version saved matches the one they want.