Delcam is the world's leading CAM supplier, says CIMdata

More widespread use of 5-axis machining and increased sales into the aerospace industry are at the root, says Delcam. “Five-axis machines are becoming more affordable, even for relatively small companies,” said Delcam’s managing director, Hugh Humphreys. “The ease of programming with our PowerMILL software has made it very popular with companies that are moving into 5-axis operation. “Traditionally, aerospace companies have simply used the CAM system that comes with their choice of CAD software,” he said. “With the high level of competition now present in the industry, those companies are looking at their choice of CAM system much more carefully. This closer examination often shows that PowerMILL can give significant savings, both in programming times and in machining times.” As a result of its growing sales, Delcam has moved from being practically unknown in the sector five years ago to being the sixth largest supplier to the aerospace industry in the 2005 rankings. Delcam software was once used almost exclusively in the toolmaking industry, but the company is now the only CAM specialist to appear in the top ten in all of CIMdata’s key industry sectors – mould, tool and die; automotive and aerospace. Looking to the future, Mr Humphreys predicts that Delcam will soon displace one of the three integrated CADCAM suppliers that currently occupy the top three positions in the CIMdata list. “We were again the fastest-growing of the top ten suppliers,” he commented. “With our faster growth, we hope to continue our move up the rankings.”