Four Of Hexagon’s CAD/CAM Systems At Southern Manufacturing

Latest Releases of EDGECAM, RADAN, VISI and WORKNC on Stand J240

EDGECAM, RADAN, VISI, and WORKNC will be demonstrating their very latest CAD/CAM technology at the forthcoming Southern Manufacturing Exhibition.

The four market-leading brands are part of the Production Software business of Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence, and will be sharing stand J240 with Hexagon.

Each software system is featuring its 2019 R1 release, which contains items of new and enhanced functionality aimed at improving efficiency and reducing production time.

EDGECAM 2019R1 comprises more than 30 individual updates, geared towards keeping manufacturers ahead of the game, with the best technology available. It includes an Additive Machining module. Supporting the Direct Energy Deposition method, EDGECAM now offers a dedicated manufacturing cycle which accurately guides a laser as it deposits material to form a shape. After that, the shape is machined using EDGECAM’s milling cycles to create the final component.  

As EDGECAM 2019 R1 now offers full ToolStore support for Additive Manufacturing, shapes can be built using almost any milling cycle…including advanced functions such as rotary and 5-axis simultaneous machining. The new Additive Lace cycle is designed to construct geometry on a layer-by-layer basis, depositing a continuous molten bead of material which adheres to the parent material.

The updates in sheet metal software RADAN 2019 R1 focus on doing more with fewer clicks, including saving users an estimated minimum of 50 clicks a day in the Grab Part in Nest Mode function. There are also major updates to RADBEND, including fingerstop positioning for sharp-angled parts, pre-selection of the bend process depending on the tool selection, and filter tool profiles.

And the popular RADQUOTE function is stand-alone, making it easily accessible to employees who don’t use RADAN for programming. As well as calculating sheet metal costs, all aspects of quoting are now included, such as cutting, bending, welding, painting and assembly.

For the mould and die market, VISI now includes a boost for reverse engineering, along with a range of new and enhanced CAD/CAM functions. VISI 2019 R1 introduces an extended direct interface to multiple portable measuring arms and laser trackers from Hexagon. In conjunction with the enhanced dedicated module, this provides a full reverse engineering solution, as well as the ability to generate casting and stock models from the software’s existing modelling and machining environment.

The new ejector pin labelling functionality enables all the ejector pins in a mould design project to be identified in a table by a user-defined label. This simplifies the maintenance process of the mould itself, where one or more ejector pins needs to be replaced.

The latest release of WORKNC allows users to break free from previous constraints caused by tool shapes, slashing cycle times by up to 74 per cent. Adding the Z-Level pattern to the advanced Toolform technology means tool shapes such as barrels, ovals and parabolic can be calculated over the part surfaces, including negative allowances. WORKNC Brand Manager Miguel Johann says combining the new pattern with the ability to define the slope angles that the toolpath will cut on, makes this the most modern technique for part finishing.  

“Before, these high feed cutters could only be used to rough or semi-finish the part, as the allowances weren’t constant. But the constraints are now removed, and, depending on the individual tool and part shapes, we’ve demonstrated time saving of between 47 and 74 per cent.”

EDGECAM, RADAN, VISI, and WORKNC, Southern Manufacturing, February 5-7, FIVE, Farnborough, Stand J240.