Delcam to show biggest and best CAM range at WESTEC

Delcam's latest FeatureCAM release includes increased support for mill-turn equipment

Delcam has over the last several years been in the process of changing the balance of its business to create a more comprehensive family of machining products. Today Delcam is the largest CAM specialist with the most complete range of CAM software. The full range will be demonstrated on booth 3368 at WESTEC 2009, to be held in Los Angeles from March 30 to April 2nd.

Delcam's North American President, Glenn McMinn said, "For several years, we have built our company's sales by diversifying outside our traditional markets in the mould and die industry. With ArtCAM, FeatureCAM, PartMaker or PowerMILL, we now offer a CAM system to machine virtually any product, in any material on any type of equipment. No other supplier has such a broad range of software to increase productivity, improve quality and shorten delivery times in so many applications."

An important area for the new release of FeatureCAM 2009 is increased support for mill-turn equipment. These machines are becoming more popular because of their ability to complete parts in a single set-up on one machine, instead of having to use multiple set-ups on two or more different pieces of equipment. With FeatureTURN/MILL, both turning features and milling features can be programmed together so that you can reduce both programming time and machining time. Additional post-processors for these types of machine have also been introduced.

The latest release of Delcam's award-winning PowerMILL CAM software offers more comprehensive strategies for high-speed milling and five-axis machining, plus the introduction of new strategies to provide greater functionality for 2D machining, including 2D cutter compensation, and 2D pocketing and profiling directly from wireframe curves.

The new versions of PartMaker and SwissCAM feature a wide range of improvements including a new, more productive user interface, enhancements to the system's unique synchronization functionality, plus improvements in 3D simulation and handling of solid models, and 3D surface machining. Delcam PartMaker also has a Full Machine Simulation module, which allows users to view a photo-realistic 3D model of the machine which they are programming.

ArtCAM 2009 continues with the seamless upgrade path for small businesses that want 2D drawing and basic 3D machining but the possibility to move into 3D modelling and machining as their business needs grow. ArtCAM has been particularly successful in the sign making, woodworking and jewellery industries, where it allows users to increase productivity and deliver new designs more quickly.