Software training,tutorials,download,torrentWith demands for ever-shorter lead times and improved quality, High Speed Machining (HSM) is becoming more widely adopted in many mould, tool and die making companies both in the CAD/CAM office and on the shop-floor to machine hard materials with increased feeds.
Machining STRATEGIST has fast become the technological leader in this niche area with many unique Machining strategies for generating world-class machining programmes. At the same time, many of these strategies can improve the productivity of older CNC’s with dramatically reduced air-cutting time and programmes with smoothing arcs which help to maintain continuous machine tool motion. Installed in a CAD/CAM office or on the shop floor, Machining STRATEGIST can take your machining capabilities to new levels and productivity to new heights.
Key features at a glance:
Smooth motion control machining for all toolpaths
Tooling libraries, incorporating toolholders
Toolholder gouge protection
Drilling
Taper cutter support
3 2 axis machining
Rest machining, including rest roughing and transversal rest finishing
Flat surface machining
Steep/shallow machining option for all 3D toolpaths
Variable stock-allowance to steep and shallow areas
Local datums
Batch processing
Calculate multiple processes simultaneously in one database
User Interface. Machining STRATEGIST has been developed to be very easy to learn and use and training is typically only one to two days in total. The software has context sensitive menus and dialog boxes and is intuitive to drive, while many parameters are calculated automatically or remembered to minimise operator input. Operations are driven from a browser-like tree structure that develops to show the history of the job.
Online Help. The online help contains comprehensive and easy to understand text and illustrations while every effort has been made to ensure that it is written in plain English. The help is fully context sensitive and displays topics relevant to the current operation and dialogue box. Hyperlinks have been incorporated to guide the operator towards useful related topics, making the online help intuitive and easy to navigate. Reading third-party data accurately is critical to the successful operation of a stand-alone CAM system. IGES 3D surface and solids data can be read in to Machining STRATEGIST together with VDA-FS, STL or direct CATIA interface. An optional native Parasolid reader allows the transfer of Parasolid files from VISI Modelling or other Parasolid-based modellers. Machining STRATEGIST can export STL files, which can be particularly useful after applying fillets to a model.
Part Analysis. OPEN-GL graphics are used to maximise the visual aspects of Machining STRATEGIST. Once read in, imported CAD data can be viewed as wire-frame, wire-frame with hidden-line removal or fully rendered and fully rendered with surface edges drawn. Use of OPEN-GL graphics facilitates real-time dynamic rotation, zooming and panning. Machining STRATEGIST has a variety of interactive tools for analysing the part geometry. By snapping to surface node points accurate measurements can be taken including;
Dimensions
Lengths
Surface Curvature
Slope Angle
Any surface can be viewed at a vector normal to itself and this is particularly useful when positioning the part for 3 2-axis machining.
Fillets. A dynamic sectioning function allows for closer interrogation of cross sectional detail. This can be useful when analysing toolpaths which might otherwise be obscured by steep wall areas or for visually viewing the difference between a remaining material stock model and the finished component. A minimum curvature can be assessed on parts relative to the smallest cutter to be used. By inputting the minimum cutter radius, a new model is generated detailing corners sharper than the specified cutter. Fillets can be used to smooth out the model for machining. Standard radius fillets can be created slightly larger than the ball-cutter to be used. The result will be machining that has continuous movement and no dwelling. Fillets can also be specified to have a different radius to the diameter and this can be useful if 3-axis machining with carbide-insert button cutters. As an example, if machining with a 32r6 cutter, fillets of 34r7 could be created, resulting in smooth, continuous machining even in what were previously sharp internal corners. Fillets are generally produced in seconds, even on large detailed models. With the use of fillets, smooth machine tool motion, better surface finish and improved tool life are assured. Models read in with open hole details can be filled with Machining STRATEGIST, using the planar patch facility, in most cases eliminating the need to take the part back in to a modelling system for modification. Planar surfaces can be modelled if the component is destined to become a core or electrode. If planar holes are located at a vector in space, these can also be filled, by specifying an AB rotation for the boundary used to constrain the planar patch. Machining STRATEGIST automatically looks down the vector path the boundary is created in when performing any associated command such as machining or in this case, creating a planar patch.
Batch Processing. The history-tree structure within Machining STRATEGIST can be used to record a sequence of events. Rather than recording a macro in advance, the user can selectively specify exactly which machining sequences to record after the operation has been run. This allows the user to build up a selection of operations which can be used to automate other jobs. For instance, a sequence of roughing and rest-roughing operations could be recorded using particular cutters for small, medium and large parts.
Re-Processing. There is a powerful facility for reprocessing all cutter paths for a modified model.
User-definable Profiles. Within a session of Machining STRATEGIST, the operator can specify the software to retain any values which have been input / overridden. When exiting Machining STRATEGIST, the operator can then save this session as a Profile. Profiles work especially well for different sized components, different operators who wish to work in their own particular style and even different machine-tools, since high speed machine tools benefit from different default parameters to conventional CNC’s. Used in conjunction with batch processing, User-definable Profiles can help to make the most of process automation.
Process Manager. Machining STRATEGIST was originally developed specifically for Windows-NT, an operating system that can support multiple processors. As part of the design brief, Machining STRATEGIST was developed with multiprocessor support – known as multi-threading. Within a session of Machining STRATEGIST, it is possible to have multiple toolpaths and other processes calculating simultaneously. On a single-processor PC, the default is for one independent operation to calculate automatically. On a dual-processor PC, two processes calculate automatically provided they are independent of one another. Multiple operations can be queued for calculation. Depending on work-flow priorities, the Process Manager allows the operator to mange the processes being calculated. Pausing the current operations , cancelling operations, forcing operations to start calculating out of sequence and re-prioritising calculations help provide flexibility for the operator to, for example, react quickly to demands for more urgent programmes, without sacrificing any work carried out to that point.