Www Americanmachinist Com Content Site304 Articles 09 01 2005 11568techtrends 00000005126
Www Americanmachinist Com Content Site304 Articles 09 01 2005 11568techtrends 00000005126
Www Americanmachinist Com Content Site304 Articles 09 01 2005 11568techtrends 00000005126
Www Americanmachinist Com Content Site304 Articles 09 01 2005 11568techtrends 00000005126
Www Americanmachinist Com Content Site304 Articles 09 01 2005 11568techtrends 00000005126

CAD/CAM software functions micro level

Sept. 11, 2005
An upcoming version of Cimatron Ltd.'s CimatronE 7.0 software includes an application that the software developer claims makes it the first CAD/CAM software that performs NC functions at the micro level.

Cimatron claims its CimatronE 7.0 CAD/CAM software features the first commercially available solution for milling at micro levels.

An upcoming version of Cimatron Ltd.'s CimatronE 7.0 software includes an application that the software developer claims makes it the first CAD/CAM software that performs NC functions at the micro level. Cimatron says the application incorporates a special algorithm and machining strategies that handle mold cores, cavities and electrodes for micro systems.

The software's micro-milling feature results from the company's participation in a research project by the Frunhofer Institute for Production Technology, Aachen, Germany, to investigate and test processes for manufacturing high-precision injection molds with complex 3-D structures and high surface qualities.

CimatronE 7.0 application benefits include good surface qualities and tolerances; minimal machining times and less tool wear; support of approximation and flow-line milling; and a reduced need for electrodes.

The software's micro-milling feature provides safe and efficient toolpaths and 5-axis tilting. It also handles imperfect imported data with a CAD function to repair micro gaps and overlaps and features such as rounded corners, zero-overlap trochoidal finishing, and S-connections and helical plunging for HSM and surface quality.

The industries where the software would be most useful include biomedical equipment, optics, and microelectronics.