New functionality for GibbsCAM 2008 announced

Gibbs and Associates, developer of GibbsCAM software for programming CNC machine tools has announced a suite of 3-axis enhancements for GibbsCAM to be released as part of GibbsCAM 2008. The new advanced 3-axis functionality introduces a wide variety of new capabilities, such as 3D rest milling which focuses machining only on remaining material to be removed, minimizing air cutting and significantly reducing cutting time. Multiple containment areas and avoidance areas allow precise control of toolpath to efficiently control the machining process. The user can also specify that the toolpath generated by the new 3-axis functionality has no sharp corners, optimised for high speed machining. New machining techniques are also included that consider the slope of the surfaces being machined resulting in toolpath with a true constant step over, minimising tool wear, improving surface finish, and cutting the part faster. “One of the major advantages of these 3-axis enhancements is that they produce beautiful tool path,” explains founder Bill Gibbs. “The quality of the toolpath they generate is really very good; it is very smooth, very accurate, doesn’t gouge, is connected up very nicely, minimises retracts and extra entries/exits, has tangential blends on and off the part, spirals and ramps in and out of the material, and doesn’t have vertical wall sensitivities. High quality toolpath like this is very important to machinists doing precision, high quality machining.”