CGTech Now Shipping VERICUT Composite Applications Version 7

Irvine, California – CGTech has released the next major version of its composite applications: VERICUT Composite Programming (VCP) & VERICUT Composite Simulation (VCS).

For over 20 years CGTech has been constantly improving its VERICUT suite of software for metal cutting. But it was in 2004 that CGTech thrust full speed into the world of composites, after being asked by Boeing (a CGTech customer since 1989) to develop a program for AFP machine simulation for 787 fabrication. This project progressed in 2005 to include the development of a programming solution for AFP machines. Today, VERICUT Composite Applications are being used by leading manufactures to program and simulate their automated fiber placement machinery.

VCP reads CAD surfaces and ply boundary information and creates fiber-placement paths to fill the plies according to user-specified manufacturing standards and requirements. Layup paths are linked together to form specific layup sequences and are output as NC programs for the AFP machine.

VCS reads CAD models of the layup tool and fixtures and simulates the layup sequence directly from NC program files. Tow material is applied to the layup form via NC program instructions in VERICUT’s virtual CNC simulation environment. The simulated material applied to the form can be measured and inspected to ensure the NC program follows manufacturing standards and requirements. A report showing simulation results and statistical information can be automatically created.

VCS simulates directly from NC program files, either from VCP or from other composite layup path-generation off-line programming applications. VERICUT’s industry-leading CNC control emulation and NC program simulation technology allows VCS to be configured to simulate virtually any format CNC program and machine kinematics.

Manufactures that implement machine-independent automated fiber placement (AFP) programming and simulation software are free to select the best machine for a specific part, family of parts, or manufacturing process, without having to introduce a different piece of software into the engineering process for each different brand of machine.

“When a machine tool builder is also developing the software to program their machines, the software tends to be restricted to the technology of the machine,” said CGTech Product Marketing Manager Bill Hasenjaeger. “When software is separate from the machine and applied in a variety of applications, the software and underlying technology expands. The metal cutting industry has seen the same happen with advances in CAD/CAM.”