Top Product

CAM upgrades

          • complex 3D machining
            • for milling and multifunction machines

Shown in late June at this year’s NPE trade show was FreeForm CAM solutions, available with ESPRIT 2003, a collection of machining cycles for milling and turning. SolidMill FreeForm, designed for 3- and 5-axis milling, can optimize machining between any complex stock body (surfaces, solids, STL models) and a part. The module also provides simultaneous 5-axis support for Swarf milling, plus 5-axis Finishing and 3D Projection Finishing cutting cycles. SolidMill Turn has a 3D Roughing cycle that performs zigzag and offset rough machining. There are seven different semi-finishing and finishing cycles provided — Planar, Translation, Normal, Rotation, Offset, Parametric and Spiral. High-speed machining and G-code optimization are available for every machining cycle.

DP Technology Corp, Camarillo, CA.

www.rsleads.com/309df-156

Visualization software
Integrating real-time rendering with the company’s Surf and Viewer suites has created Adaptive Visualization, an advanced, surface-based modeling software for product design. Curve-based animation and turntable tools allow true fly-through capabilities, and facilitate animations of complete vehicles to be either generated on the fly or stored for later design reviews.

ICEM Ltd, Southampton, UK.

www.rsleads.com/309df-157

Product configurator
A 12-page brochure is offered to describe how Concept can reduce lead times by automating many of the pre-manufacturing operations typically associated with order flow in a standard manufacturing operation. Covered are deliverables that Concept can automatically render, including: Bill of Material, Quotations, Sales and Production Drawings, and Virtual 3D models. 

Configure One, Oak Brook, IL.

www.rsleads.com/309df-158

Converter
CADverter has been extended to enable the exchange of CAD data between CATIA v5 and Unigraphics 18/UGNX. This enhancement expands the existing database converters that cover proprietary formats such as ACIS, I-DEAS, Pro/E, Autodesk Inventor, Solid Edge, SolidWorks and ICEM, as well as CATIA V4 and V5 and a range of Unigraphics products.

Theorem Solutions, Loveland, OH.

www.rsleads.com/309df-159

CAD/CAM
Version 8 of this company’s software incorporates burst technology to increase assembly modeling speed. The assembly modeling module also now offers dynamic interference checking. Adaptive Feedrate Control provides more efficient operation and reduces wear, particularly on large machine tools. Other improvements include Flow 3D, which lets users specify flow lines in mold cavities.

VX Corp, Palm Bay, FL.

www.rsleads.com/309df-160

Say it
Voice 4.0 permits engineers to add voice control to their CAD and other windows-based applications. Voice macros can run multiple commands simultaneously, while a Decision Commands function has the computer asking questions, then using the user responses to run commands, output speech, or even ask follow-up questions.

Realize Software Corp, Sunnyvale, CA.

www.rsleads.com/309df-161

Faster analysis
COSMOS 2004 has performance upgrades that potentially enable solvers to use processor cycles more efficiently. Behavior of assemblies can be performed without prior full modeling of component connectors, such as pins and springs. Another feature simulates processes such as heat regulation using a thermostat, with simple menu-driven commands.

SolidWorks, Concord, MA.

www.rsleads.com/309df-162

Upgradable RP
The FDM Vantage was designed to allow future upgrades to a larger modeling chamber, more material bays, and new modeling materials as they are developed, extending the potential life span of the machine. The device is built on a platform that can use high-temperature, high-performance thermoplastics, and comes standard with ABS and polycarbonate modeling materials.

Stratasys, Eden Prairie, MN.

www.rsleads.com/309df-163

Application Xtra 

Data exchange software
With more than 30 enhancements and updates over its predecessor, CADporter 8 offers rapid translation of geometry between major CAD systems. The latest version now supports CATIA V5R9 and R10, I-DEAS 9 & 10, ParaSolid V14, SolidWorks 2003 and UG NX 1.0. Healing is now user-controlled, and there are added wire frame and surface entities.

Elysium Inc, Southfield, MI.

www.rsleads.com/309df-164

3D translation
In addition to file translation improvements, the R4 upgrade to this company’s products now reads assemblies for all supported CAD types. New features include enhanced large model visualization, a dynamic section-cutting tool, new tool bars and annotation options. Other highlights include Auto Repair for IGES files, a new assembly browser, more efficient application architecture and better memory management.

TransMagic, Westminster, CO.

www.rsleads.com/309df-165

Solid Edge guide
Walt Silva has again applied his approach to CAD instruction in his latest volume, Doctor Walt’s Solid Edge Surface, this time covering the powerful surfacing tools introduced in Solid Edge version 14. The text concentrates on the interplay of surface and solid tools in a hybrid modeling environment. Hundreds of illustrations are combined with an easy-reading text style to simplify the task of learning.

Conceptual Product Development Inc, West Caldwell, NJ.

www.rsleads.com/309df-166

Spring design
Free trials of Advanced Spring Design 6.0 (ASD6) are available by CD or download. ASD6 is built in a completely graphical environment. The software covers 27 spring types or loading options, including compression and extension springs, spiral forms, torsion springs, washers beams and torsion bars. There are built-in report formats that can be customized.

Universal Technical Systems, Rockford, IL.

www.rsleads.com/309df-167

CAD template library
This company’s fluid components have been made available on-line in CAD formats for most major modeling programs, including AutoCAD, Mechanical Desktop, Solid Works and more. The 3D drawings are searchable by product category, part number or key parameters; accessible in Chinese, English, French, German, Japanese and Spanish. They are available on CD-ROM.

Swagelok, Solon, OH.

www.rsleads.com/309df-168

Machine CAD-CAM
Version 19.0 of this company’s Solids & Surfaces software has the ability to import and read in Solids through IGES, STL and Step formats, allowing direct machining. Additional features include the ability to draw basic solid primitives such as cubes, spheres, cones and cylinders. Through Boolean functions, solids can be manipulated, and surfaces can be offset to compensate for material shrinkage.

BOBCAD-CAM, San Jose, CA.

www.rsleads.com/309df-169

Scan data analysis
RapidForm Basis is a free application for RapidForm model sharing and compressing, viewing, measuring and annotating 3D scan data. Models can be shared throughout organizations, and users around the world can compress, view and measure 3D models. Point clouds, polygon meshes, NURBS curves and surfaces, and geometric dimensions and tolerances can be viewed simultaneously.

INUS Technology Inc, San Jose, CA.

www.rsleads.com/309df-170

Opto-mechanical analysis
Release 3.1 of TracePro features faster audit and raytracing times for illumination and opto-mechanical analysis. Other additions and upgrades include measurement tools, an ACIS R10 kernel, macro recorder and incident ray table visualization. New ray tracing algorithms feature octree voxels and faceted spline surfaces to speed analysis of systems with large unused white space.

Lambda Research Corp, Littleton, MA.

www.rsleads.com/309df-171