Edgecam launches 2013 R2 and new ecommunity

As well as the game-changing Workflow, Edgecam 2013 R2 contains a number of other powerful items of new and enhanced functionality, including modern redesign of dialogs, four-turret support, free loading of CAD files into Part Modeler, quicker simulation, and improvements to the Wire EDM Feature Finder.

Edgecam’s global Customer Community went live at the same time, for all users to share their experiences. General Manager Raf Lobato says: “It will be a great start for users to feedback information on the new release.”

The most far-reaching enhancement in 2013 R2 is Workflow, enabling CAD/CAM engineers to apply toolpaths within seconds.  The new tools aid in loading and positioning the component, choosing the manufacturing method and suitable machine tools, adding user defined stock or stock from a database, importing fixtures, selecting a machine and toolkit, and managing strategies to automate manufacture.  At each stage Workflow takes decisions or makes suggestions as to how the goal is best achieved. However, the user can easily over-ride the decisions if required making the whole process flexible.

-As geometry is required the appropriate buttons are highlighted

-If the geometry is mandatory and must be selected then the button is marked with an underline

-When the data is picked, the appropriate button is ticked to show successful selection

-If the geometry selection is not required the appropriate button is greyed out.

If any buttons are left without data after the OK button has been clicked, a prompt will be displayed and the user will be asked to select the geometry. These new buttons guide the user through geometry selections making all Edgecam cycles much easier to use.

Part Modeler now comes with free CAD Model Loaders for Parasolid, STEP, NX, ACIS, Inventor, CATIA V5 and Creo Parametric files. A Move hole and Faces command allows the repositioning of features from models designed in another CAD system. They can either be moved from the original CAD datum position or relative to a user defined position. To modify features, for example, holes, grooves, pocket walls and boss heights on a third party model, individual features can be moved to create a “Manufacturing Model” from a design model, allowing for mid tolerancing models to be created and manage conditions created, such as expansion, when using heatNIKE