SolidCAM 2011

SolidCAM 2011
What’s New

SolidCAM operations ribbon
SolidCAM Ribbon by SolidCAM Professor >>

Improvement in selection speed (highlighting)
• Use SolidWorks highlighting in:
– 3D model selection
– Face selection
– Target and Stock selection
• Important for big CAM-parts

Improvement in simulation speed
• Speed of simulation with “Show data” closed:
– 436% time savings in HostCAD.
– 68% time saving in SolidVerify
• Speed of simulation with “Show data” opened:
– 57% time savings in HostCAD.
– 28% time saving in SolidVerify

Improvement in geometry synchronization
• Suppressed chains are not erased from geometry. Can
be repaired after “Unsuppress“ automatically.
• Suppressed faces are not erased from geometry, just
hidden. Can be repaired after “Unsuppress”
automatically.

Improvement in operation names and CAM-tree view
• Tool deleted from operation name – user can define
whether to show it or not, as property of CAM-tree.

Improvement in SolidCAM settings
• Customization of Simulation modes
• Automatic CAM-part definition settings
SolidCAM settings by SolidCAM Professor >>

SolidCAM 2011 - What’s New
New operations

New: Toolbox cycles

Toolbox - strategies
• Spiral open slot
• Spiral open slot wide
• Spiral closed slot wide
• Simple slot
• Closed slot
• Spine slot
Spiral slot by SolidCAM Professor >>
Simple/Closed/Spine slots by SolidCAM Professor >>

Toolbox - strategies
• Simple corner
• Broaching
• Simple multi bosses
• Ruled
• O-Ring
• Flattened surface on cylinder
Simple corner, Broaching, Simple multi bosses by SolidCAM Professor >>
Ruled, O-Ring, Flattened surface on cylinder by SolidCAM Professor >>

SolidCAM 2011 - What’s New
MACHINE DEFINITION

New: Machine ID definition
• Complete definition of CNC machine
• Define Machine Devices and options
• Define Machine Kinematics
• Define Machine table-turret submachines
• Define Machine work-zone
• Define Turret stations
MachineID definition by SolidCAM Professor >>

New: Sub-machines
• Sub-machine = combination of Turret and Table

New: Machine Control operation
• The Machine Control Operation enables managing the various machine devices
• Define action process for a number of devices
• Control over device’s options – easy generation of output for CNC machine that
activates the device options
• Available both in Milling and Turning
Machine Control Operation by SolidCAM Professor >>

SolidCAM 2011 - What’s New
Tool Table

Tool Table
• New interface of Tool table
• Composite turning tools
• Turrets definition
• Mounting

New interface of Tool table
User-interface improvements to make the tool table easier to use
Tooltable interface by SolidCAM Professor >>

Turning tools: composite, drilling, simple
Composite tools provides the user with two tool types – Turning and Boring
Drilling tools provides the user with following drilling tools – Drill, Center Drill, Chamfer Drill, Spot
Drill, Reamer, Tap and Bore.
Solid tools provides the user with the following turning tools – Ext. Rough, Ext. Thread, Ext. Groove,
Ext. Contour, Int. Face Back, Int. Thread, Int. Groove, Int. Contour, and Int. Rough.

Composite Turning tools
New composite turning tools built from the
insert and holder
Composite turning tools by SolidCAM Professor >>

Turrets definition
• Rotary turrets
• Linear turrets
• Spindle head
• Tool Storage

Turning tool Mounting
• Tool angle
• Setup angle
• B-angle

Milling tool Mounting
• For Rotary and Linear turrets.
• Define tool position in turret related to Main Spindle.

Coolant
• Coolant options according to Machine ID
• Separate Machine and Turret coolants
Coolant by SolidCAM Professor >>

Tool change position
• Possibility to define tool change position in operation
• Separate X, Y and Z axis movements
Tool change position by SolidCAM Professor >>

Support STL holder in Milling

Custom setup of STL holder
• Holder mounting point
• Tool mounting point
• Possibility to rotate STL holder

SolidCAM 2011 - What’s New
Tool path editor

Tool path editor for HSR/HSM
• Tool path editing to remove any unneeded moves

SolidCAM 2011 - What’s New
2.5 Milling

2.5D milling – Improve Profile Link
Improve lead-in/lead-out:
• Tangent Extension
• User-defined
2.5D Link improvements by SolidCAM Professor >>

2.5D milling – Profile/Pocket - Improve Keep tool down
Improve Keep tool down in:
• Links between passes
• Links between chains
by providing 2 types of links:
o Through Safety distance
o Through Clearance level
Keep tool down by SolidCAM Professor >>

Transformation with and without M-codes
Use M-codes =>
@rotate/mirror
Don’t Use M-codes =>
transformed coordinates

SolidCAM 2011 - What’s New
HSR/HSM

New: HSR (High Speed Roughing)
• Roughing strategies of High Speed Machining
High Speed Roughing by SolidCAM Professor >>

New: HSR (Rest Roughing)
• Automatic updated stock creation – no need to select previous operations

New: HSR/HSM (Separate links calculation)
• After change in Links only – calculation is executed only for links.
• Economy of time on calculation

HSM – Link facet tolerance to passes tolerance
• Facet tolerance automatically changes when Passes tolerance is changed
(Facet tolerance = Passes tolerance/2.1)
Tolerances and Fillets improvements by SolidCAM Professor >>

HSM - Fillets
• Add the Basic option that provides fillet
quickly – but with less parameter control
Tolerances and Fillets improvements by SolidCAM Professor >>

HSM - Possibility to use Part clearance level

Improve link in HSM to sim 5x – Relink option
• Possibility to use links like in 5x. Sim.
operation
Link improvement (Relink) by SolidCAM Professor >>

SolidCAM 2011 - What’s New
Turning and Mill-Turn

SolidCAM 2011 - What’s New
Stock and Fixtures

Stock definition
• Single dialog box for the stock model definition
• Extended functionality for the stock model definition:
• Cylinder
• Box
• Revolved boundary around Z
• Extruded boundary
• 3D Model
• STL
• Automatic Material boundary generation
• Automatic Cylinder stock definition
• Automatic Stock definition for Turning parts
• Show on model – shows box and cylinder
Stock and Fixture definition by SolidCAM Professor >>

Fixture definition
• Single dialog box for the fixture model
definition
• New fixture types:
• Fixture (3D Model)
• Chuck (User Defined)
• Chuck (Standard)
• Automatic Clamp geometry generation
• No need to define Clamp at the beginning

Standard chuck fixture library
• Definition of standard chuck dimensions in Fixture
library
Fixture library by SolidCAM Professor >>

SolidCAM 2011 - What’s New
New Turning operations

New Turning operation: Face
• New Face operation to perform facial turning
• Replaces the current possibilities of facial turning within the Turning and
Grooving operations.
Face turning operation by SolidCAM Professor >>

New Turning operation: CutOff
• New Cutoff operation to perform cutoff of machined part
• Replaces the current Cut Work type within the Grooving operation.
CutOff operation by SolidCAM Professor >>

New Turning operation: Angled Grooving
• New Angled grooving operation to perform machining of angled grooves
Angled grooving operation by SolidCAM Professor >>

New turning operation: Sim. 4x Turning
Possibility to change tool angle during turning operation.

SolidCAM 2011 - What’s New
Enhancements of Turning operation
Enhancement of turning operation by SolidCAM Professor >>

Enhancements of turning operation – Modify Geometry
• Modify geometry :
• Start/End Extension/trimming
• Modify offset

Enhancements of turning operation (grooving tool)
Rough type - Ramping
• New Rough type – Ramping

Enhancements of turning operation – iMachining stratgy
• Grooving tool with round tool tip.

Enhancements of turning operation
• Advanced Stairs method for Turning finish with possibility to control stairs angle

Enhancements of turning operation - Strategies

Enhancements of turning operation – Break edges

Enhancements of link in turning operations
Define the link movement for finish cuttings for the following SolidCAM operations:
•Face operation
•Turning operation
•Grooving operation
•Angled Grooving operation
•Cutoff operation

Enhancements of link in turning operations
Approach point
Retract point

Enhancements of link in turning operations – lead-In/leadout
Lead IN
Lead OUT

SolidCAM 2011 - What’s New
Enhancements of Drilling operation in Turning

Enhancements of Drilling operation
• Start and End position
• Delta depth
• Center Shift
• Depth type improvements
• Virtual flat bottom of hole
Enhancement of drilling operation by SolidCAM Professor >>

SolidCAM 2011 - What’s New
Enhancement of Threading operation in Turning
Enhancement of threading operation by SolidCAM Professor >>

Enhancements of threading operation – Modify geometry
• Modify geometry :
• Start/End Extension/trimming
• Modify offset

Enhancements of threading operation – Thread standards
• Thread standards

Enhancements of threading operation – Number of starts
Enables the user to perform the machining of multi-start threads, within
the Threading operation
Thread Start
Thread Start
Thread Start
Thread Start
Thread Start
Thread Start
Circular: creates a circular pattern of threads
around the revolution axis (Z-axis) - the
threads are evenly distributed.
Linear: creates a linear pattern of threads. The
threads are distributed in the positive direction of
the revolution axis (Z-axis). The distance between
two successive threads is defined according to
the following formula: Distance = Pitch / Number
of threads.

Enhancements of threading operation – Threading cycles
• Threading Cycles support

SolidCAM 2011 - What’s New
Enhancements of Grooving operation in Turning
Enhancement of grooving operation by SolidCAM Professor >>

Enhancements of grooving operation – Modify geometry
• Modify geometry :
• Start/End Extension/trimming
• Modify offset

Enhancements of grooving operation – Break Edges
•The Break edges option enables you to modify the geometry by applying
chamfers/fillets in the external/internal corners of the geometry.

Enhancements of grooving operation - Technology
Finish Options:
• Turn-Groove method
• ISO-Turning method
• Down only
• Advance down only
• Stairs method

SolidCAM 2011 - What’s New
Multi-Turret synchronization

• Multi-Turret timeframe
• Operations synchronization
• Limitations control
Multi-Turret synchronization
Multi-turret synchronization by SolidCAM Professor >>

Multi-Turret timeframe
• Turret Synchronization dialog box
• Timeframe
• Operation boxes
• Uniform view (without timeframe)

Operations synchronization
• Start-Start synchronization
• End-End synchronization
• Start-End synchronization
• Automatic waiting adding.

Limitations control
• Detection of clashes between milling and turning operations with different
turrets on same table.
• Detection of clashes between turning operations using different Spins on the
same spindle.

AN iNTELLIGENT APPROACH TO MACHINING
July 9, 2010
Chris Calderone

iMachining Goals
1 2
Simplified
User Experience
Optimized
Tool Paths
3
Efficient Cutting
4
Consistently
Higher Material
Removal Rates

iMachining Two Modules
Technology Wizard
Speed & Feed Manager
Intelligent Tool Path
Generator

3 Problems with Typical Standard Tool Paths
Standard
Tool paths
1
2
Over Loaded Tools
(unpredictable loads)
Cutting Air
(inefficient)
3
Non Tangent Tool Paths
(sharp changes in the tool path)

iMachining’s Intelligent Tool Path
Controlled Step Overs
1 (no over loading of the tool)
Exact Stock Material Machining
2 (no air cutting)
Smooth Tangent Tool Paths
3 (smooth machining)

iMachining’s Intelligent Tool Path
Controlled Step Overs
(no over loading of the tool)
Exact Stock Machining
(no air cutting)
Smooth Tangent
Tool Paths
(Smooth Machining)

iMachining Tool Path

iMachining - Complete Controlled Step Over
Controlled
step over

iMachining - Controlled Step Over viewed as cutting angle
80 degrees maximum
90 degrees
Controlled cutting angle
Never exceed cutting
angle in iMachining!

iMachining - No Air Cutting
Machined
corner first

iMachining - Tangent Tool Paths Automatically
Smooth and
Tangent

3 Problems with Standard Tool Paths
Over Loaded Tools Cutting Air Non Tangent Tool Paths

iMachining’s Intelligent Tool Path
Controlled Step Overs
(no over loading of the tool)
Exact Stock Machining
(no air cutting)
Smooth Tangent
Tool Paths
(Smooth Machining)

Entire Part Using iMachining

Electrical Housing

2 Features Only Found in iMachining
Morphing Spirals Only in iMachining!
Intelligent Separation only in iMachining!

Min and Max Step Over (Cutting Angle) for Morphing Spirals
80 degrees
20 degrees
Maximum cutting angle
Minimum cutting angle

Morphing Spirals After Separation
Morphing Spiral

iMachining Rest and Finish cuts
Finish
Clean corners
then profile pass
Rest
Remove material from areas
where larger tool could not fit.

Optimal Speeds and Feeds by the Technology Wizard
1
Material &
Machine Databases
2
Synchronize
All Parameters
3
Seamless
Integration

Key Features of the Technology Wizard
Chip Thickness
Speed and Feed
Adjustment
Anti-Vibration

#1 Chip Thickness
Chip Load at 90 Degrees
Chip Load at 20 Degrees
Faster feed Rates!
Efficient

Reasons to reduce speeds and feeds
Not preferred
Need to reduce force

#2 Speed and Feed Adjustment

Anti Vibration Techniques
Tool diameter
Number of flutes
Helix angle
Depth of cut
ACPs = Axial Contact Points
4.5 ACPs
4 ACPs
3 ACPs
2 ACPs
2 ACPs
Perfect Depth
Many Contact Points

The best tool path!
Morphing spirals
Intelligent separation
Reduced programming time
Best user interface
Reduced cycle times
First part success
Automatic speeds and feeds

iMachining
• Optimal Tool path
• Speeds and feeds definition (Technology Wizard)
Result: Major savings in machining time and increased tool life

SolidCAM 2011
What’s New