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• Conquering CAD/CAM Challenges
Leading software manufacturers and suppliers reveal how moldmakers cand maximize efficiencies using the latest CAD/CAM equipment so they can program and cut complex molds in less time than ever before.

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 Mold Design & Engineering Zone

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• For more information visit the MMT Showroom for Cimatron Technologies.

• For more information visit the MMT Showroom for Delcam.

• For more information visit the MMT Showroom for FeatureCAM.

• For more information visit the MMT Showroom for Gibbs and Associates.

• For more information visit the MMT Showroom for Kubotek.

• For more information visit the MMT Showroom for Mastercam/CNC Software.

• For more information visit the MMT Showroom for Pathtrace.

• For more information visit the MMT Showroom for Sescoi USA.

• For more information visit the MMT Showroom for SolidWorks.

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With the emphasis in the moldmaking industry today on producing molds in the most efficient manner while still maintaining quality, moldmakers need to keep up with the latest software technologies-packages that will allow them to program and cut complex molds quickly so that mold production times can be reduced. In a nutshell, the industry is moving toward improving the quality of data exchange between CAD and CAM as well as CAM to the CNC, and CAM software is becoming more "intelligent" as it relates to machining processes-resulting in reduction in both cycle times and overall machining time. Five-axis machining also is emerging as a "must-have" on the shop floor-especially when dealing with deep cavities.

Here is what a dozen CAD/CAM manufacturers had to say about the latest software technologies and where the market is headed during the remainder of 2005:

In CAD, more moldmakers are looking to do the design work in 3-D, which is more powerful and efficient. Image courtesy of Cimatron.

Sam Golan, CEO and president, Cimatron Technologies, Inc. (Novi, MI): CAD/CAM technology continues to advance, so we continue to see new generations of software coming out with new capabilities and better performance. In CAD, more moldmakers are looking to do the design work in 3-D, which is more powerful and efficient. Since much of the communication with customers is still 2-D-based, moldmakers are now able to take advantage of software that supports hybrid 2-D/3-D design with wireframe and solids, enabling greater flexibility, speed and better communication.

On the CAM side, the trend is toward newer technologies and processes such as micro milling to support the manufacturing of high-precision injection molds with complex 3-D structures and high surface qualities.

What we hear in our conversations with moldmakers is that they are increasingly looking for more integrated solutions-integration among CAD/CAM functions as well as integration of CAD/CAM into the complete business process from business acquisition (e.g., quoting) to product delivery and support. CAD/CAM solutions can no longer be viewed as a collection of tools, but rather as integrative systems that support a continuum of business processes.

Peter Dickin, public relations manager, Delcam, Inc. (Windsor, ON): I do not anticipate any major advancements in CAD/CAM, but a big emphasis on making existing functionality easier to use. This will affect three areas of mold manufacture in particular-3-D tooling design, five-axis machining and electrode design and manufacture. In each case, software has been available for some time. However, the improved ease-of-use will make the adoption of these programs much simpler. In particular, the use of 3-D mold design has the potential to make the whole process much more efficient as it removes the inevitable problems that result when trying to coordinate the 3-D design of the core and cavity, and the 2-D design of the remaining components.

Another area that will see improvement is inspection. Developments in both software and portable hardware will make it much easier to inspect each component of the tool, as it is manufactured. This should ensure that mistakes are spotted and corrected before the final assembly of the tool, preventing delays from a single component that won't fit where it should.

Maryann Beaver, marketing coordinator, FeatureCAM (Salt Lake City, UT): Moldmakers need powerful CAD/CAM solutions that can help them program and cut complex molds with less time and effort invested into each part. The CAD/CAM industry is moving toward automation and better integration with CAD programs. Solid modeling software is becoming more commonplace for many reasons. Gaps or overlaps between part surfaces are avoided-providing a watertight model that is easier to machine. Solid models also let a designer create a digital mockup of a part instead of physically creating a real part. These mockups save time and money because they can be viewed and approved by customers and used for engineering analysis. Direct machining also can be performed on solid models. CAM systems should support solid model programming and importing.

Solid modeling also allows users to take advantage of automatic feature recognition (AFR)-an advanced technology that is paving the way for increased ease-of-use, accuracy and automation in CAM systems. AFR utilizes all the design intelligence that is already contained in a solid model. It automatically recognizes the features on an imported solid and then creates machineable features, so the CAM system can automatically generate toolpaths using the machining preferences and rules set by the user. It generates a part program directly from a solid model. AFR should provide full associativity with the imported solid. If the design changes, simply import the revised model and AFR will compare the new model with the original features. The CAM system will then display a list of every feature and whether it is new, unchanged, modified or deleted. There is no need to reprogram the part when revisions happen. The CAM system is smart enough to leave the unchanged features alone. When the system detects revised features, changes are only made to the specific machining parameters that are different from the original solid, such as the depth of a hole or a pocket radius. Design changes are inevitable, so a CAM system should make it as easy as possible to accommodate those changes.

Yvonne Anderson, marketing manager, Gibbs and Associates (Moorpark, CA): In the area of CAD/CAM interoperability, the quality of exchanging data from CAD to CAM will continue to improve-becoming more reliable and accurate. Associativity mechanisms will continue to accommodate incremental updates to processes based on design updates. Information content will extend from standard geometric transfers to include more product information, which can be used within the CAM system. As a result, mold production times will be reduced, while molds' overall quality will be improved.

With CAM/CNC interoperability, the quality of exchanging data from CAM to the CNC will continue to improve-leveraging more functionality of the CNC. Here are some examples: NURBS toolpath improves the performance of the CNC with improved surface finish, requiring less hand finishing; and toleranced toolpath allows the CNC to adjust its accuracy to fit machining context, significantly reducing machining time during roughing operations. Again, the net result is reduced mold production times, while molds' overall quality is improved.

On the subject of CAM refinement, the functionality of CAM systems will continue to improve-providing more and more moldmaking-specific capability. New toolpath algorithms for roughing and finishing will continue to be developed-improving material removal rates, tool control and/or resulting surface finish. These ongoing refinements will provide the moldmaker with a broader palette of machining capability-improving mold production.

Bob Bean, COO, Kubotek USA, Inc. (Marlborough, MA): There is currently an emphasis on adding direct face editing to CAD/CAM systems. Many mid-range solid modelers have added or are adding this capability this year. This is significant since moldmakers typically need to modify imported models to adjust draft angles, simplify geometry and in general make changes to the part and mold to reduce cost or improve product quality. Future advancements will include model simplification and feature editing without history trees-which will allow even more flexibility for the mold designer to work with any customer's geometry. It will be an exciting year for the moldmaking industry.

Steve Bertrand, director of sales, Mastercam/CNC Software, Inc. (Tolland, CT): As we all know, the manufacturing industry has tightened in the past few years. A result of this shift in business is that CAM software has adjusted and advanced in order to give these shops what they need to stay competitive. Moldmakers are still seeking traditional elements in their software-speed, reliability and accuracy-but now shops are paying attention to other elements as well. These include:

• Process knowledge-In the coming year, we'll see advances in CAM software's intelligence as it relates to machining processes. CAM software will advance in the ability to capture and store applications, and even recognize the needs of the task at hand. This helps automate the process and reduces the amount of user interaction needed to get a part off the machine.
• Recognition-Feature and topology recognition allow each shop to tailor their unique best practices for specific manufacturing situations. This can greatly automate basic element programming. As an example, CAM software will be able, with a single click, to automatically find all drill holes and program the correct set of operations rather than forcing the user to create each one manually.

There is an increase in surface-related functionality in mid-range solid modelers. Image courtesy of Pathtrace.

Simon Lee, director of sales & marketing, Pathtrace Engineering Systems (Southfield, MI): We are seeing an increase in surface-related functionality in mid-range solid modelers. Moldmakers know that there are, in principle, huge advantages to using solids-based CAD, but have thus far been restricted by the level of organic shape modeling functionality available. We are now seeing advances in this area to allow for better control of sculptured surfaces. There is increasingly tighter integration between solid CAD and CAM, which is allowing best in class software solutions to be implemented and offer lower cost alternatives to today's moldmakers. This CAD/CAM integration also means that there is less reliance on the notoriously flawed neutral format (e.g. IGES/STEP) for data exchange. CAD to CAM interoperability allows moldmakers to handle late design changes with minimum disruption. Advances in machine tool and toolpath simulation allow efficiencies to be implemented earlier. Adaptive feedrates and new toolpath strategies-trochoidal moves, for example-allow optimum feedrates to be programmed and achieved, reducing cycle times. Support of multiconfiguration (mill/turn) machine tools is constantly improving-allowing more efficient production machining techniques to be applied in the mold and die arena. And, there is greater automation potential in software today.

Jeffrey Jaje, senior engineer-marketing, Sescoi USA Inc. (Southfield, MI): Many CAD/CAM products provide a fairly full complement of multipurpose functions for the design and manufacture of mold components. There will be more of a shift to specialized functions, which can automate redundant tasks across a wider audience of users. For example, CAD functions such as automatic electrode extraction can allow shop floor mill operators higher efficiencies, when the alternative is to have an idle mill waiting for a CAD department to create or edit an electrode. Couple this function with a specialized CAM function, such as thin wall machining for optimum overall efficiency. Thin wall machining is designed to simultaneously rough and finish electrodes such that breakage, and scrap is dramatically reduced-increasing throughput on the machining center. Other specialized functions include things like automatic rib machining, automatic keyway cutting and recognition of certain features like holes.

Fielder Hiss, manager of product management, SolidWorks Corp. (Concord, MA): The most significant trend in CAD is still the migration of designers from 2-D systems to 3-D design software. A focus on making 3-D systems easier-to-use, more flexible and more comfortable for 2-D users is really helping this trend to take place. The reality is that companies-especially companies like moldmakers who face such tight deadlines and cost constraints-need 3-D technology to survive. Advances in power and ease-of-use are now making it easier for 2-D users to make this move.

Glenn Coleman, vice president of product design, Surfware, Inc. (Westlake Village, CA): We feel the biggest return from CAM should be dramatic reductions in machining time, which has a higher per-hour cost than programming time. In addition, except for extremely short runs of extremely simple parts, machining time accounts for a dramatically higher percentage of overall job cost.

CAM software needs to unlock machines' capabilities-not limit them. By allowing the use of more aggressive machining parameters, advancements in toolpath generation will dramatically reduce both cycle times and overall machining time.

Paul Brown, director of NX product marketing, UGS (Plano, TX): One ongoing advancement is the continuation of the use of knowledge-driven automation, simulation and systems-based modeling to push the envelope on application automation. Applications such as plastic injection mold design are process-oriented tasks that are ideally suited to automation, and which take advantage of the latest elements of technology that have been in development over the last 10 years.

There is an increasing emphasis on the reuse of knowledge in the product development process. While tools to capture and reuse knowledge have been available for some time, they have traditionally required custom programming, which in turn, relies on specialist skills. Increasingly, some tools are providing simple approaches to capturing embedded knowledge as geometry is created-building more than simple geometric relationships into the design and allowing logic to be built into the process. This ensures design consistency and can build validation into the process. For example, the size and quantity of ejector pins required on a mold may depend on the mass and surface area of the product. This logic can be quickly built into the design process. If the product is changed, the system can automatically adjust the ejector pin details-allowing faster turnaround of tooling post design change. Capturing knowledge in this way also ensures that best practices can be repeated within the company-speeding the design process and allowing information to be shared among all of the designers.

Traditionally, the creation of drawings of mold tools has been a time-consuming task that is not part of the creative process. Drawings are an organizational necessity rather than a desired part of the process. To eliminate this, an increased emphasis is being placed on the use of 3-D annotation or product manufacturing information (PMI) placed directly on the model data. Tolerance information-along with surface finish and material conditions-can be attached to the model and easily viewed to gain a clearer picture of the design intent. Standards such as ANSI 14.41 are emerging to help companies define this information on the model. The increased use of 3-D PMI data has created a need for tools to quickly view and review the information.

High-speed milling of hard materials used in mold cores and cavities is not new; however, many shops have only paid lip service to it, even when they had the equipment. This is because it's not as simple as winding up the spindle speed, or the feedrate and cutting the machining times in half. Machinists start breaking tools, assume they are pushing too hard and slow the machine down. The fact is that the optimum performance criteria are dependent on each unique machine, its toolholding and cutting tool configurations, as well as the characteristics of the material being machined. We have worked with customers to define methods to calibrate each configuration and have used the latest in NC toolpaths technology to allow our customers to maximize the utilization of their high speed machine tools, cut machining times significantly and eliminate tool breakage.

Software products will be integrated in a common environment able to encompass the entire process-from quoting through manufacturing. Image courtesy of Vero International.

Giovanni Opimitti, president, Vero International (Bingham Farms, MI): The advancements that we will see this year will be aimed at granting manufacturers faster time-to-market and more accurate design through products that are more and more specialized. These products will be integrated in a common environment able to encompass the entire process-from quoting through manufacturing. We believe there will be a great effort to increase the ease-of-use issues of even the most powerful software tools.

Specifically, the following are among the major areas of development:

• Analysis - the moldmaker usually receives geometric data from their customers. First, they must ensure product manufacturability. More efficient and automated tools will be developed for working with raw imported data in order to find potential problems early on.
• Feature recognition - a lot has been already done regarding feature recognition; however, a lot more can still be done. Working mainly with imported data, it is crucial to achieve a reliable and efficient recognition of machineable features and to automatically generate the related toolpaths.
• Five-axis machining - this is a technology that is increasingly more recognized as very valuable for the manufacturing of molds, especially when it comes to deep cavities. We expect to see further developments here.

Keeping abreast of the latest in CAD/CAM technologies and trends is a step in the right direction to build a better mold faster. Choose a vendor that develops products specifically for the moldmaking industry and understands the process. Look for software manufacturers and suppliers to continue fine-tuning their current offerings while making them easier to use as well as more automation and better integration with other programs-all leading to reduced leadtimes and a higher quality mold.