the standard in intelligent solids based manufacturing

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1 the standard in intelligent solids based manufacturing Advanced Machining EdgeCAM Computer Aided Manufacturing delivers the complete solution for manufacturers of complex parts: intelligent, powerful and easy-to-use. Advanced Machining with Intelligence EdgeCAM is a simple to use, Microsoft Windows based CAM system specifically designed for the busy machine shop environment. EdgeCAM features an extensive suite of advanced 3D cycles that is ideally suited for the rapid generation of optimum toolpaths for all surface and solids machining needs. Irrespective of how complex the model is, EdgeCAM s advanced machining cycles bring optimised toolpath control, reduced cycle times and an overall higher level of machining efficiency. Power and Performance without the Cost EdgeCAM is designed with the requirements of manufacturers of complex parts in mind. Whether producing moulds, dies, patterns or prototypes, EdgeCAM, loaded with new technology, enables cost conscious manufacturers to use the power and performance normally only found in a highpriced CAM system. Increased Efficiency and Ease-of-use Pathtrace Engineering Systems has extensive production machining experience and the company has incorporated a range of intelligent features in EdgeCAM and applied them to complex part manufacture. Modern manufacturers, aware of the demands of meeting quality with cost, can now benefit by applying production machining principles to maximise the efficiency of their operations. With its standardised Windows style interface, EdgeCAM frees you from learning about several different systems, maximising your efficiency in producing CNC code. A simple tree structure for machining instructions allows easy navigation and optimisation of all machining sequences. A Complete Solution With EdgeCAM you get best in class prismatic machining combined with powerful 3D solid and surface machining strategies, all in one solution. EdgeCAM can load files from major CAD systems, including SolidWorks, Solid Edge, Pro/ENGINEER, Pro/DESKTOP, CATIA V5 and Autodesk Inventor. EdgeCAM also accepts files in the following independent formats: IGES, DXF, VDA, Parasolid and ACIS. EdgeCAM offers 2D and 3D CAD functionality to design components from concept to completion, or to modify imported CAD files. EdgeCAM Code Wizard produces NC code for any type of CNC machine tool. EdgeCAM does much more than generate NC code. Using innovative productivity tools, EdgeCAM develops machining strategies that optimise toolpaths, eliminate unnecessary air cutting, maximise tool life, reduce programming time and increase overall productivity.

2 t h e s t a n d a r d i n i n Advanced Machining with Intelligence EdgeCAM provides a complete solution for generating high quality toolpaths that meet the demands of manufacturers of complex parts and free form shapes. Mould and die makers, patternmakers, prototypers and press tool makers alike will all benefit from EdgeCAM s breadth of advanced machining capability. EdgeCAM allows the user to load surfaces, solids and STL models. Powerful surface manipulation and design tools offer fast and simple machining preparation. 2D and 3D modelling functions can be used for part construction, manufacturing modifications and fixture building. Advanced Toolpath Generation EdgeCAM s advanced toolpaths are efficient, high quality, reliable, gouge free and optimised for high speed machining, giving the user the confidence to machine complex parts. Intelligent Roughing Cycle EdgeCAM s roughing cycle generates the optimum strategy to rough machine a component with bosses, pockets and profiles in one easy to use cycle. A laced, concentric or spiral strategy can be implemented with bottom to top intermediate slicing between levels. This intelligent cycle will automatically apply the most efficient approach move for each region of the model and create trochoidal moves to avoid full width cuts. The cycle automatically adjusts the toolpath for efficient and safe machining, improving cutting conditions and allowing higher machining speeds to be maintained. Adaptive Rest Roughing EdgeCAM s roughing cycle incorporates rest roughing, where a subsequent roughing strategy can be defined with a smaller tool, only removing material left behind by the preceding larger tool. Powerful Finishing Strategies All finishing cycles offer intelligent lead and link moves. Parallel Lace and Profiling can be controlled by stepover, cusp height, cut increment, and maximum and minimum angle of cut. Used in combination, a consistent surface finish can be maintained by defining the cut angle. This angle specifies where the strategies meet on sloping shapes. The Check Surfaces option identifies surfaces or face features to be excluded from cutting. This enables the user to independently machine specific features without the need to create boundaries The Finish Shallow option of the Profiling cycle applies a projected toolpath to shallow areas of the model, producing an evenly spaced toolpath that provides a superior quality finish. The Perpendicular Lace option of the Parallel Lace cycle automatically re-machines the steep regions on the model that would normally have a poorer finish compared to the rest of the model. Constant Cusp Finishing generates a 3D toolpath that maintains a constant surface stepover from one pass to the next and ensures consistent cutter forces to generate optimum toolpaths for high speed cutting. Flat Land Finishing allows the user to machine flat surfaces more efficiently with a flat-bottomed cutter. Flat areas at all levels of the part are detected automatically and finish machined. Projection Finishing techniques offer an excellent solution to match the machining strategy to the shape of the surface or solid, resulting in higher quality machining and reduced cycle times. Rest Finishing Pencil Milling and Rest Finishing cycles are used to clean up material remaining from a previous finishing cycle with a larger tool. This allows the user to employ a larger tool for the majority of the part, then re-machine discreet areas to remove uncut material using a smaller tool. The result is reduced cycle time and improved surface finish. High Speed Machining High Speed Machining (HSM) is a powerful machining method that can deliver faster turnaround and a superior finish. EdgeCAM cycles are optimised to help you make the most of this technique. Smooth links between levels and regions are implemented and all changes in direction are smoothed, so the machine tool can maintain its feed rate.

3 t e l l i g e n t s o l i d s b a s e d m a n u f High Performance Roughing Intelligent Roughing EdgeCAM provides faster roughing with smooth approach and link moves and trochoidal milling. The intelligent Roughing cycle automatically applies the most efficient approach move for each region of the model and creates trochoidal moves to avoid full width cuts. Benefits: By minimising changes in the cutting direction the cycle achieves high and constant feedrates, leading to faster material removal. The other key benefit is a considerably extended tool life, achieved by avoiding excessive tool load. Adaptive Feedrates Machining an entire part at a single feedrate can dramatically reduce efficiency. Using the Adaptive Feedrate options of the Roughing cycle, EdgeCAM optimises the toolpath to maintain a constant chip load by automatically recalculating feed values. In addition, the cycle s spiral toolpath pattern keeps the tool on the part without any retract moves. Benefits: Adapting the feedrate to suit material and stock conditions can save time, tool wear and money. Using a spiral toolpath avoids sudden changes in direction and allows the tool loading and amount of material being removed to remain constant. EdgeCAM s advanced roughing options enable the machine tool to run at very high feedrates without compromising on quality. Rest Roughing EdgeCAM s Roughing cycle incorporates rest roughing, where a subsequent roughing strategy can be defined with a smaller tool, only removing material left behind by the preceding larger tool. Benefits: Adaptive rest roughing allows the user to rest machine any roughing toolpath on the same construction plane and pick the toolpath to rest rough directly from the model. This offers more flexibility to decide the order of manufacture and supports rationalisation. Rest Material in EdgeCAM Simulator EdgeCAM Simulator graphically simulates and verifies machining operations, allowing close examination of surface finish before committing to actual machining. It allows the user to view the stock and model, view the difference and output the remaining stock at any stage as an STL model. Benefits: Comparing the cut part with the original model ensures that the part has been completely finished. Tool and tool holder collision checking and gouge detection help reduce costly tool, machine or part damage. The simulation gives a realistic representation of the machining process, allowing the user to prove out programs off-line and move into production faster.

4 a c t u r i n g Powerful Finishing Strategies Machining Steep and Shallow Areas Parallel Lace and Profiling cycles can be controlled by stepover, cusp height, cut increment, and minimum and maximum angle of cut, known as contact angles. Used in combination, a consistent surface finish can be maintained by specifying the contact angle. This angle specifies where the machining strategies meet on sloping shapes. Benefits: Greater control through contact angles that allow the user to focus the toolpath generated by the cycle on specific areas of the model, cutting only those regions of the selected surfaces specified by the two angles. Flat Land Finishing Flat Land Finishing allows the user to machine flat surfaces more efficiently with a flat-bottomed cutter. Flat areas at all levels of the part are detected automatically and finish machined. Benefits: By using a flat-bottomed tool, the machining times for flat areas will be significantly reduced and the surface finish improved. Combined with the Parallel Lace cycle for the machining of steep areas, it provides the most efficient strategy for the machining of free-form components, by ensuring that the most appropriate tooling is used for the machining of different areas of the model. Constant Cusp Finishing Constant Cusp Finishing generates a 3D toolpath that maintains a constant surface stepover from one pass to the next. The cycle produces a toolpath that can be defined by a drive curve or boundary. Benefits: Provides consistent surface finish over the entire model. Keeping even cutter contact generates optimum toolpaths for high speed cutting. Rest Finishing and Pencil Milling Rest Finishing and Pencil Milling cycles are used to clean up material remaining from a previous finishing cycle, for example cusps left at the end of a Parallel Lace cycle. The Rest Finishing toolpath will collapse from the outer edge of this region, producing a toolpath that maintains a constant stepover in 3D from one pass to the next, generating an even surface finish. Pencil Milling detects all internal surface edges and intersections and places a toolpath at that point. Benefits: Allows the user to employ a larger tool for the majority of the part, then re-machine discreet areas to remove uncut material using a smaller tool. Can be used on hard to reach areas to improve surface finish. This reduces cycle time and offers improved surface finish.

5 t h e s t a n d a r d i n i n t e l l i g CAM beyond the Toolpath EdgeCAM Part Modeler Rapid and powerful part modelling EdgeCAM Part Modeler is a simple but powerful modelling tool for part construction, manufacturing modifications and fixture building. EdgeCAM Part Modeler enables quick and simple construction or editing of 2/3D wireframe and 3D solid models. EdgeCAM Solid Machinist Get your solid parts into production quickly and easily EdgeCAM Solid Machinist is a powerful and seamlessly integrated CAM system for generating machining strategies and NC code from solid models. EdgeCAM Solid Machinist loads solid models from Autodesk Inventor, Pro/ENGINEER and Pro/DESKTOP, CATIA V5, as well as Solid Edge, SolidWorks and other Parasolid based systems. EdgeCAM Solid Machinist is truly associative to the solid CAD model so that the intelligence contained within the model can be fully used, thus reducing programming and machining time and eliminating the risk of errors. Full toolpath to model associativity means that late design changes can be easily incorporated. EdgeCAM Strategy Manager Capture your manufacturing knowledge EdgeCAM Strategy Manager encompasses the best from the principles of rules, knowledge and feature-based machining and utilises these to produce a fast, reliable and highly automated solution for solids machining. It allows the user to develop tailored strategies for machining a component, and save these strategies as templates for machining similar components, dramatically reducing programming time. EdgeCAM Strategy Manager does not impose rules or working methods, instead it allows companies to utilise the expertise of their top programmers with every part that needs to be machined. The process is interactive and entirely graphical and no knowledge of programming languages is required. Productivity Tools The right tools for productive and profitable manufacturing EdgeCAM does much more than generate NC code. Innovative productivity tools include excellent toolpath simulation, a unique wizard approach to post processing, intuitive and flexible machine tool communications, and a comprehensive web-enabled tooling and job management system. EdgeCAM Simulator Reduce costly tool, machine or part damage through visual toolpath simulation EdgeCAM Simulator is a state-of-the-art tool that simulates and verifies machining operations. The tool, tool holder, stock and fixtures are all included in the simulation. The simulation gives a realistic representation of the machining process, allowing the user to prove out programs off-line and move into production faster. EdgeCAM ToolStore Tooling and job information at the click of a mouse EdgeCAM ToolStore stores predefined tools with graphical representation of both the tool and tool holder, together with tool and material cutting data. This allows automatic setting of feeds, speeds, and cutting parameters. EdgeCAM Job Manager allows the user to store valuable information relating to a particular machining job, including NC file number, tooling list, graphical illustrations of machine set-ups, job status and customer details. The information is stored in HTML format for posting to the company intranet or Internet and can be shared by other users without the need for an EdgeCAM application, giving everyone involved easy access to the very latest job information. EdgeCAM Code Wizard Customised and flexible code creation Most production machine shops employ a variety of machine tools with different NC code requirements. Using a simple Windows-based process, EdgeCAM Code Wizard creates instant code generators that allow NC code to be produced for any machine tool. EdgeCAM Code Wizard contains templates for all common CNC systems. Logically grouped questions and prompts guide the operator quickly and easily through the creation of code generators. Comms Wizard Communicate directly with the machine Establishing RS232 communications between the PC and machine tool can be difficult and time-consuming. EdgeCAM Comms Wizard simplifies this task by automatically detecting the hand shaking protocol and setting the system parameters accordingly. Online help includes the cabling configurations for the most popular controls. An additional option, Remote Communication, allows the machine operator to send and receive data directly from the machine tool without leaving the shop floor.

6 e n t s o l i d s b a s e d m a n u f a c t u r i n g About Pathtrace Pathtrace Engineering Systems is the driving force behind EdgeCAM, an industry leading Computer Aided Manufacturing system, offering a complete solution for milling, turning, advanced surface machining and solid modelling. With more than 28,000 users worldwide and over twenty years of manufacturing expertise, EdgeCAM continues to lead the way with software that helps businesses to reduce time to market and increase productivity. Pathtrace believes that the key to successful manufacturing lies in the effective use of innovative technology. The company is focused on providing customers with state-of-the-art manufacturing solutions that enable them to maximise efficiency and productivity and ensure maximum return on investment. Pathtrace has offices in the UK, USA, China and Japan, complementing a worldwide network of resellers. EdgeCAM is Windows 2000 Professional and XP compliant. For more information, visit Thanks to EdgeCAM, we have cut the time to machine one particular part by seven hours. We have reduced the cost of machining each component substantially and have also managed to reduce our tooling costs on that job by 37%. Tony Freeman, Operations Director, Thomson Machine & Tool Company Limited, UK EdgeCAM has given us significant advantage over our competition as we have in-house mould manufacture and production complimented with high quality components and shorter lead times. EdgeCAM has given us the confidence to seek more complex parts. Nothing is a problem for us anymore! Ruud Koorn, Managing Director, Pentas Moulding B.V., Almelo, Holland. Payback was in just a few months, based primarily on programming cycle times and improved surface finishes. Paul Beckwith, Manager of Engineering Development/Co-owner, OMC Precision Products, Indianapolis, USA It has certainly reduced the risk of manufacturing errors and we can tackle far more difficult work than ever before. Lee Henderson, Sales Engineer, Brooks Crownhill Patternmakers (BCP), Andover, UK EdgeCAM has kept us on the cutting edge of technology. It was one of the best investments we ever made. Larry Cook, Co-owner, Tryco Machine Works, Porter, Texas, USA I don t want to give all our secrets away, but do make sure you upgrade to the latest version. You ll get so much more productivity. Remember, if you are not an EdgeCAM user, you may be losing money. Derek Mitchell, CAM Supervisor, Prosper Engineering Limited, UK Head Office Pathtrace Engineering Systems 45 Boulton Road Reading RG2 0NH, UK Tel: +44 (0) Fax: +44 (0) Your EdgeCAM supplier is: Pathtrace Systems Inc Town Center, Suite 830 Southfield, MI 48075, USA Tel: Fax: Toll free: EDGECAM info@edgecam.com All Trademarks and Registrations acknowledged. E&OE. PTB103. Revised: 8/04