SurfCAM now supports USB FaroArm products to provide seamless part digitizing to machining and a direct interface from Faro portable measurement arms to the CAM software.
As the result of a collaboration between Surfware and Faro Technologies, SurfCAM now supports USB FaroArm products. The alliance provides seamless part digitizing to machining and a direct interface from Faro portable measurement arms to the CAM software.
The interface lets shops use any Faro 6 or 7-axis portable digitizer as an auxiliary pointing device to input 3D coordinate data into an active SurfCAM session. It also allows SurfCAM users to freely intermix digitized input with all other input modes. This facilitates model creation, tool-path generation, and materialremoval simulation in one environment, continuously displaying the FaroArm probe tip for graphical verification.
"The SurfCAM/FaroArm interface is well-suited for reverse engineering complex 3D objects," says Don McKillop, president of CAM/CAD Technologies and author of the FaroArm USB interface and a Surfware sales partner. Within the interface is a variety of convenient coordinatealignment techniques, probe calibration, probe changing within a session, system diagnostics, and a series of digitizing modes. These modes include inputs such as discrete point, lock plane, streamingcoordinate mode, and project-onto-plane.
Surfware Inc.
Westlake Village, Calif.
surfware.com
faro.com
Device takes computer control in hand
Kennametal's Kizma-M CncMcoder handheld computer-data-storage device backs up and downloads shop-floor Mazak Mazatrol conversational programs.
Kennametal's Kizma-M CncMcoder handheld computer-data-storage device backs up and downloads conversational programs from all models of shop-floor Mazak Mazatrol controls. The device also includes all the standard features of Kennametal's original Kizma CncGcoder.
The Kizma CncGcoder backs up, downloads, and edits CNC machine tool G-code programs. Seven languages are standard, and it boasts an improved programfilemanagement system and simplified PCdata interface.
A system camera automatically saves photos with program names, and a zoom function enhances picture clarity in Setup Saver mode. A starting machining calculator, tapping calculator, Kennametal Grade Advisor, and machiningdata converter are also part of the system. A complete package comes with the handheld computer, associated software, and interface cables.
Kennametal Inc.
Latrobe, Pa.
kennametal.com/mobile
Software with a view
Besides a range of visualization features, TransMagic View, a 3D CAD-viewing product, includes access to accurate mass-properties information.
TransMagic, makers of 3D CAD-translation software, has released a specialized 3D CADviewing product, called TransMagic View, that uses the same engine as in the company's popular 3D CAD-translation applications. In addition to a range of visualization features, it includes access to accurate mass-properties information.
The viewing product supports files in CATIA V4, Unigraphics, Pro/Engineer, ACIS, Parasolid, STEP, IGES, STL, HSF, and optional CATIA V5. Users quickly calculate part volumes and measure features or bounding-box size to prepare job quotes. Other capabilities are section views, surface-area calculation, redline, wire-frame, hidden-line, or shaded views.
"We hear many horror stories about tool and mold makers spending days reworking a CAD file just so they can quote a job," remarks Todd Reade, president of TransMagic. "Companies that quote jobs faster are more competitive and increase opportunities to win business and open new markets. That's why we developed TransMagic View with the tools to make quoting fast, easy, and cost effective."
TransMagic Inc.
Denver, Colo.
transmagic.com
Software quickly responds to orders
Integrating with SolidWorks, RuleStream v5.6 ensures that automated product decisions reflect a manufacturer's most up-to-date product-based intellectual property, and design and manufacturing engineers see the impact of configuration changes on product design in real-time.
Engineers and designers use RuleStream v5.6, which now supports SolidWorks 2005 3D design software, to automate complex decisions about products to quickly and accurately design better ones, thus lowering delivery times and speeding the quote-to-order and order-to-cash cycles. As a SolidWorks Solution Partner Product, RuleStream lets users generate complete quotations, engineering and manufacturing drawings, and reports at the time of quotation.
By integrating with SolidWorks, RuleStream ensures that automated product decisions reflect a manufacturer's most up-to-date product-based intellectual property. Design and manufacturing engineers also see the impact of configuration changes on product design in real-time.
In RuleStream's user environment, subject-matter experts easily capture rules about requirements, best practices, and capabilities for engineering, manufacturing, and sales. "Combining SolidWorks with RuleStream gives engineers the tools needed to do their jobs faster and better through a unified environment for implementing design, quotation, and manufacturing automation initiatives across a product's lifecycle," comments Brian Houle, partner program manager for SolidWorks.
RuleStream Corp.
Wakefield, Mass.
rulestream.com
Simulation trims mower-design time
Murray selected the best design for its all-wheel-steering mower early in the product-development process using a Systems Engineering/Analysis Leads Design (SE/ALD) simulation-led approach from ITI.
International TechneGroup Inc. (ITI) collaborated with lawn-andgardenequipment manufacturer Murray Inc. on a productdevelopment program to provide the company's tractors with allwheelsteering capability. ITI's Systems Engineering/Analysis Leads Design (SE/ALD) simulation-led approach allowed Murray to select the best design early in the newproductdevelopment process — well before getting into detailed designing.
Murray evaluated and analyzed CAD models to eliminate multiple design-build-test cycles associated with conventional new-product development. Its all-wheel-steering design met product and development-process goals, and the company continues to rely on SE/ALD to deliver new products and features quickly and at lower development costs.
"Just as with an earlier snowthrower program, Murray's all-wheel-steering project benefited from upfront computer simulation," explains Brian Lewis, ITI program manager. "Implementing SE/ALD significantly accelerates time to market and cuts costs."
ITI specializes in improving client products and manufacturingprocessdevelopment capabilities. It focuses on concurrent product and manufacturing-development processes, implementation methods, and global web-based collaborative tools and technologies to improve development time and productivity.
International TechneGroup Inc.
Milford, Ohio
iti-global.com
