SolidCAM's Version R11.2 Improves Machining

By DE Editors

September 11, 2007 -- SolidCAM, developer of the integrated CAM engine for SolidWorks, released SolidCAM2007 R11.2, which offers enhancements to all areas of machining processes including 2.5D and 3D Milling, automatic feature recognition and machining, turn-mill, and WireEDM.

SolidCAM2007 R11.2 provides new options that enable easier definition of Coordinate Systems, including the automatic generation of sketch points; it also provides extended functionality of splits -- by giving a name to the split it can act as a folder containing operations and fixtures.

In 2.5D Milling, the software provides the ability to define an offset for the cutting depth thus enabling you to change the depth while preserving its associativity to the model. It provides additional functionality of the Thread Milling operation to support conical tools and a standard thread table contains the parameters according to ISO, Whitworth and other standards.

A new option combines two machining strategies in a single High Speed Machining (HSM) operation -- the HSM module lets users extend the linear and radial passes tangentially to the model faces in the Linear and Radial HSM machining strategies. A Tangential option is for the positioning of the tool relative to the boundaries of the working area.

In simultaneous 5-axes milling, SolidCAM2007 R11.2 lets users perform separate machining of steep and shallow areas, and provides the functionality to limit the machining to specific model areas by defining a planar boundary that is projected on the model. SolidCAM also provides a new Spiral Cutting method and a new functionality for simultaneous 5-axis roughing, mainly used for impeller machining.

SolidCAM2007 R11.2 enables you to display and edit the normals of the model surfaces during the geometry selection; updates the WireEDM module, allowing users to define the start point automatically for geometries consisting of multiple chains; and enables use of the points of the CAD sketch to define the insertion point for the model geometry.

See more features on SolidCAM 2007 R11.2.

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