Discount cad software

CAM software vital to shops' productivity

Brian Kindilien is vice president of Surfware Inc. (Westlake Village, CA), developer of the SURFCAM manufacturing software.

Users are baffled by the complexity of software.

Manufacturing Engineering: What should manufacturing engineers look for most when considering CAM software?

Kindilien: Manufacturers are facing very specific problems and frustrations in the course of their business. Given the pressures facing manufacturing engineers to turn out quality products in a minimum amount of time, it is clear that they must consider only the CAM solution that actually solves their problems.

ME: What are some of the typical hurdles for manufacturers?

Kindilien: If manufacturers are fed up with the machining quality of their finished parts, manufacturing engineers should look for software that allows for exacting tolerances and rigorous gouge-avoidance performance. Some managers are shocked to find that their company is missing delivery schedules because of its CAM software. In today's highly competitive manufacturing marketplace, the last thing manufacturing engineers need to worry about is software that is cumbersome and difficult to operate. Feature windows within the software should have a consistent appearance and be easy to comprehend. Programming and processing speeds should be at peak performance, and postprocessor generators should be lightning fast to keep up with the shop's deadlines. Software also has to support new machines that manufacturers have or want. Technology evolves at a tremendous pace, and manufacturers are looking at upgrading or simply replacing their current equipment to improve their output. CAM software must keep up with the latest machine tool capabilities.

ME: What can software suppliers do to make CAM software, often criticized as too difficult to learn, more user-friendly?

Kindilien: CAM software users generally need the resources of their service provider to answer challenges the user might face in programming, interfacing with the shop's machine tools, or responding to the inevitable `how-to' questions that come up. They're baffled by the complexity of the software they have. Too many features, buzzwords, too much automation, and too many cumbersome elements can add up to software that's virtually unusable.

ME: What are some tools that make CAM easier to use?

Kindilien: Intuitive online tutorials and help are a minimum requirement. Advanced logic tools in the software can make intelligent assumptions about machining operations, and still account for best shop practices. Users also are frustrated with software that does too much thinking for them. Default settings in tool setup parameters are logical time-saving capabilities, but static tool and material libraries, limited postprocessor capabilities, and one-dimensional artificial intelligence features can puzzle users. Manufacturers know what works in their shops, and their shop software must accommodate those needs. Manufacturers are also astonished that tasks take so long to complete with their software. If it cannot be done in a fraction of the time it takes to complete by hand, then the software is hindering their efforts. Repetitive operations should be stored in libraries so that they can be reused. Tool and material libraries should be modular and flexible to accommodate the shop's inventory. The software should be easy to learn, and have sufficient supporting documentation.

CAM software has a vital impact on overall productivity by defining the quality of the shop's finished part.

ME: How can CAM software help increase manufacturers' overall productivity?

Kindilien: CAM software is one of the links in the manufacturing chain that includes the engineer, programmer, computer, software, link to machine tools, controllers, machine tool, and distribution system. But the CAM software has a vital impact on overall productivity by defining the quality of the shop's finished part. CAM software will provide the medium for the user to determine the tool directions that will be taken by the machine, the speed and feed rates of the tool, the material type, and the outcome. Software will help ensure that delivery schedules are met by allowing users to generate machine cycle time estimates and group projects according to the shop's schedules. Manufacturers will rely on CAM software to keep pace with technology improvements in machine tools themselves. As machining technology improves, so will CAM software. And by providing postprocessor editors and new machining operations, manufacturers will increase their company's productivity accordingly. Another area of interest to manufacturers as they seek to increase productivity is in human resources. Manufacturers tell us that when they recruit and hire new staff, their major concern is how quickly they will learn the shop's CAM software product. Manufacturers must demand software that is straightforward, intuitive, consistent, and supported by training aids.

ME: What are some of the biggest challenges facing CAM software suppliers and their customers today?

Kindilien: Manufacturers need to respond to increased competition, the need to produce quality components rapidly at every phase of the manufacturing process, the requirement to meet delivery schedules, and the demand for technologies to give them advantages in speed, quality, reliability, and accountability. CAM software suppliers are challenged to recognize these requirements. Software suppliers are working in close cooperation with machine builders, educational facilities, manufacturers, and users, to measure and build the necessary tools for the future. We need to communicate with our customers and respond to their needs by building software that defeats the threat to their productivity, and to do so, CAM software suppliers must ask their customers what kind of problems they face and respond directly to those problems.

Deals

PTC (Needham, MA) has signed a $10.4 million multi-year, follow-on order to supply software upgrades, new modules and services to Raytheon Co. (Lexington, MA). Raytheon's government, defense, and commercial electronics businesses have standardized on PTC's flagship Pro/Engineer CAD/CAM software and its family of related technologies for product design and development. The new software will be used to support 34 Raytheon sites worldwide.

Ansys Inc. (Canonsburg, PA) announced that its Multiphysics software products have been chosed by Technomics LLC (Plymouth, MN) for its methodology development for heat treating and quenching aluminum alloy in its rapid heat treatment system. To increase efficiency, Technomics has developed a quenching method using fluid media, and to prove out the process, the company will use Ansys' Multiphysics software to analyze the heat, flow, and structure of the product to ensure optimal conditions. Technomics received a federal grant to develop this new quenching method, which is expected to add significant savings for manufacturers utilizing the new system.

Delmia Corp. (Troy, MI) said it has entered into an academic partnership with Central Michigan University's (CMU) College of Extended Learning. Under the terms of the agreement, CMU has purchased Delmia's DPM Assembly product with the Human Solutions option at a discount for use in the CMU Vehicle Design Program in the Detroit area.

ShapeGrabber Inc. (Ottawa, Canada) has signed an agreement to resell software from Raindrop Geomagic Inc. (Research Triangle Park, NC) through ShapeGrabber's worldwide sales channel. Under the agreement, ShapeGrabber becomes a licensed reseller of Geomagic Qualify computer-aided inspection (CAI) software and Geomagic Studio reverse engineering and custom design software. Raindrop Geomagic has already integrated ShapeGrabber scanners and drivers into both Geomagic Qualify and Studio.