Image supplied by Delcam
Delcam claims that the new software will “mirror complete machining projects in one operation,” and points out that while it’s doing this, it automatically maintains machining characteristics, such as whether and when to climb or use conventional milling.
Up until now, for complex parts you’d have to mirror individual tool paths for the different machining strategies used. For example, you might take a roughing tool path from one area, where you’re using a specific machining strategy, and then mirror that. Then, once you’ve finished the roughing paths for a particular tool, you’d have to create leads and links between all the individual elements. You’d then move on to semi-finishing and go through the same process again, until finally you’d do the finishing tool paths and repeat the process once more to mirror the entire part. With PowerMILL 2016, you mirror the entire part and all its tool paths automatically, rather than working with a separate group of tool paths while maintaining all the machining characteristics of the part.
To check the mirroring operation, R2, a new verification tool that was first introduced in PowerMILL 2015, is used to uncover machine-tool collisions and tooling collisions, and can perform a host of other critical performance analysis tasks to make absolutely sure that you’ve produced the results you want.
Full and complete details will be unveiled in two free Future of Machining workshops, when Delcam previews PowerMILL 2016 later this month, June 24–25, 2015, at Mazak’s European Technology Center in Worcester, UK.
Do fire back (using our comment section) if you think this mirroring solution is potentially an advantage for your company.
For more info, see the PowerMILL site.