FeatureCAM 2010 enhancements viewable online

Included are videos highlighting all the important new features in the latest release, including demonstrations of faster calculation times and the novel combination drill/mill functionality. The latest customer testimonials can also be viewed. Visit www.delcam.tv/featurecam2010. The main development is support for multi-threading when generating 3D toolpaths. This allows calculations to be spread across multiple cores in dual- or quad-core computers, with average time savings are around 25 per cent on a dual-core PC. The combined drilling and milling functionality allows more efficient hole creation on machines fitted with automatic tool changing. It generates roughing and finishing toolpaths to produce any holes for which the appropriate drill is not loaded, using the existing tooling within the machine's crib. The new option is much faster than having to change the tooling available to match the set of hole sizes in each job, especially for companies manufacturing prototypes or short-run components. It will allow complex parts to be produced more easily in cases where the range of hole sizes is larger than the number of positions in the crib. In addition, the number of different tools that need to be stocked can be reduced and it will be easier to move jobs between different machine tools. Companies that do not have automatic tool changing on their machines can also benefit. In some cases, it will be possible to use a combination of drilling and milling with a single cutter to generate all the holes in the part. This could then allow the complete sequence to be run without the machine needing to be manned and without interruptions to change the tooling.