Open Mind to develop own CAD system for 2013

Well known for its 5-axis CAM solution, hyperMILL, the firm has decided to launch its own CAD solution, specifically designed for CAM machining. The software release is planned for early 2013. "CAD and CAM are very closely related, as CAM programming is based on digital models. The better this data is prepared in CAD, the better the programs and machining results will be," said Dr Josef Koch, head of development at Open Mind. The company has assembled a team of CAD experts to push forward the development of a proprietary CAD platform, with their goal, set for late 2012, to create a CAD platform that is specifically designed for the hyperMILL CAM solution and that will provide the following functions: • Importing of models from a range of existing CAD systems • Targeted optimisation of models for improved NC programs and milling results • Designing of elements, such as tool holders, during job preparation Providing a CNC machine with an optimal description of the model of the workpiece to be machined is a fine art, the company says, and requires in-depth CAD expertise. This is what Open Mind is aiming for with its new CAD platform. "For a long time now, we have been dealing with our customers' requirements in terms of the CAM software, but also in terms of the models used for CAM programming," says Volker Nesenhöner, CEO at Open Mind. "We have decided to create a proprietary solution, in order to address these requirements and to provide our customers with a powerful, easy-to-use CAD tool for the design stage and focused to support the manufacturing requirements. This is in keeping with our corporate philosophy, which is to develop all our core technologies ourselves." The new platform will be fully compatible with Open Mind's hyperCAD software. Open Mind's existing integrations SolidWorks and Autodesk Inventor will continue to be supported, and will allow the hyperMILL customers to choose from a wide range of CAD solutions.