The acquisition of HSMWorks by Autodesk back in 2012 had many of the manufacturing software’s users worried. The majority of these users had SOLIDWORKS as their CAD product—and with competition building up between Autodesk and SOLIDWORKS, the future of HSMWorks looked uncertain.
Back then, Autodesk promised that existing SOLIDWORKS customers would continue to receive support and updates.HSMWorks incorporates three-plus-two- and five-axis operations to integrate CAD and CAM within SOLIDWORKS. (Image courtesy of Autodesk.)
"We are committed to providing ongoing support for all of our HSM CAM products, regardless of our customers’ chosen design software," said Al Whatmough, product manager for Autodesk HSM CAM products. "This latest release gives SOLIDWORKS users access to a truly integrated CAM solution.”
This recent release of HSMWorks should go a long way in assuring SOLIDWORKS users that Autodesk will continue to update the product and add considerable capability.
Here are some of the update’s purported new features include:The HSMWorks workflow is designed to enable the user to create toolpaths directly from the SOLIDWORKS design environment. (Image courtesy of Autodesk.)
- Silhouette sketch
- Notes visualization
- Improved defaults
- Albrecht and Maritool holder libraries
- Work coordinate system (WCS) definition
Toolpath Generation Improvements
- Morphed spiral
- Rest machining for turning
- Stay-down linking and even step-downs in adaptive clearing
- Engrave strategy
- Semi-automatic chamfering
- Automatic holder detection for adaptive clearing
Post-Processing Additions
- CAMplete interface
- Generic Haas UMC-750
- Generic Haas mill/turn
- Factory-tested DATRON
- Generic Siemens turning
HMSXpress for SOLIDWORKS is available as a free download and HSMWorks for SOLIDWORKS starts at USD$7,500 for a perpetual license. Subscription options are also available. Visit the pricing website for more details.
For more information, please visit the Autodesk HSMWorks website.