NCG CAM v13 Released

By DE Editors

NCG CAM Solutions officially released NCG CAM v13. This major release provides a number of new features including helical machining, the ability to cap holes, shaft profile export, optional origins, the ability to save values in the edit transform dialogue, the ability to pick a surfaces' color and make other surfaces the same color, tapping with chip break, the ability to use lollipop and dovetail cutters for 5-axis surface machining, as well as improvements to the rest machining and waterline linking strategies.

Helical passes are generated from a set of horizontal slices, which cut through the surface geometry. The profiles that are created are then joined in a continuously descending ramp, which follows the surface data between the profiles. Helical passes are expected to be used for semi-finishing and finishing routines. They will reduce the witness lines between Z-level passes when using waterline passes. The load on the cutter will also be more consistent compared to waterline passes during the linking move down to the next level, the company says.

A new feature has been added so that circular holes in the triangulated model data can now be capped, including holes that span across different surfaces. Either a circular planar patch can be created at the upper limit of the hole, or for holes that pierce a 3D form, a patch that follows the surface edge can be generated.

The results of enabling the Shaft Profile can now be exported as a .csv file format. This data can then be used as a template to turn a custom tool holder that allows clearance with the part to be kept to a minimum, providing a more robust tool-holder.

The ability to save values in the edit transform dialogue now allows the user to save either a single or a combined set of transformations to re-use in another plan or even another database. Saving in the transform dialogue saves the current set of transformations into a pull-down menu; the user can then accept the default name or supply a name that is more suitable.

The ability to pick a surfaces' color and make other surfaces the same color allows users to select other surfaces and apply the remembered color to them. This makes it easier for the user to change the color of numerous different surfaces to be the same as an existing color.

For more information, visit NCG CAM Solutions.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company's website.