Delcam for SolidWorks combines the benefits associated with Delcam's PowerMILL and FeatureCAM, CAM systems.
The initial version of Delcam for SolidWorks includes technology for drilling and 2 to 5-axis milling. Future releases will cover the full range of machining operations, including turning, mill-turn and wire EDM.
The software offers PowerMILL's rapid toolpath calculation, plus all the advanced strategies for high-speed machining, including trochoidal roughing, spiral finishing and Delcam's patented Race-Line Machining technique. These strategies improve productivity, tool life and surface finish.
The software includes FeatureCAM's Automatic Feature Recognition system which automatically extracts detailed feature information, from the SolidWorks model. The system not only recognizes holes and pockets within the model, but also groups similar holes, by size and type, automatically. It identifies all the detail within the model, such as draft on pocket walls and any fillets or chamfers, within the pocket. Then, Delcam for SolidWorks undertakes automatic selection of cutting tools, machining strategies, plus feeds and speeds, to complete the programming operation.
Delcam for SolidWorks is fully integrated into the SolidWorks environment, so that the program looks and behaves like SolidWorks. It will offer full associativity so that any changes in the CAD model will be reflected automatically in the toolpaths. Delcam for SolidWorks will not simply modify the existing toolpaths but will also review the choice of cutting tools and machining strategies, and change them if necessary.
All toolpaths generated with Delcam for SolidWorks can be checked, by the integrated simulation module on the computer, before being passed to the machine tool. Finally, the software comes with Delcam's full range of post-processors, to allow fast accurate data transfer to all leading types of machining equipment.