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Publish Date : 04-Aug-2014

Delcam will launch the 2015 version of its FeatureCAM CAM system at IMTS 2014 in Chicago from 8th to 13th September on booth E3222, the largest CAM software booth at the show. FeatureCAM 2015 includes a range of enhancements in three-axis milling, two-axis and five-axis drilling, turning and turn-mill, and wire EDM to make the software even more powerful and easier to use.

FeatureCAM was the world's first feature-based programming software when it was launched in 1995. Constant development since then has ensured that the system has retained its leadership in programming speed and ease of use, while an increased range of strategies has been added to provide more efficient toolpaths that give greater productivity on a wider range of machinery, including mill-turn machines, five-axis mills and wire EDM equipment.

In FeatureCAM 2015, programming of complex parts has been made easier and more reliable with the addition of automatic collision checking of the tool shank and holder, as well as the cutter, for both three-axis roughing and finishing toolpaths. The user has the choice of either stopping the simulation immediately when a gouge is detected or of running the complete toolpath with any gouges being highlighted on the model as they are detected. The toolpath can then be recalculated with any segments that will cause a gouge clipped away.

Removing these segments of the toolpath will leave an area of unmachined stock that will need to be removed with a longer tool. This extra toolpath can be calculated using a stock model of material remaining after the shorter tool has been used to ensure there is no re-machining of stock that has already been removed.

As part of this development, an additional function, called 'maximum machine stock', has been added that removes direct moves where clipping has occurred. These direct moves can leave witness marks on the part so their removal improves surface finish.

Another improvement in three-axis machining allows stock models to be used in conjunction with other geometry, such as the part surface dimensions, solid models, the stock dimensions and boundary curves. This addition gives better control over the area to be machined by each toolpath and so gives more efficient machining by allowing the user to confine toolpaths to specific regions and to minimise air-cutting by referencing the stock model.

Five-axis programming of multiple holes has also been made easier in FeatureCAM 2015. It is now possible to create patterns of holes of a similar size with regular positioning. Any subsequent changes to the program can then be made for all the holes in the pattern in one operation, rather than having to edit the toolpaths separately for each individual hole.

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