Vero Alphacam 2012 gets R2 upgrade
1 min read
Vero's Latest release Alphacam 2012 features a Waveform 3D Roughing Strategy. This high speed machining technique maintains a constant tool cutting load by ensuring the tool engagement into the material is consistent. The tool moves in a smooth path to avoid sharp changes in direction, maintaining its velocity.
Vero says that this compares with traditional roughing cycles where machinable geometry features are offset – inward or outward – by a stepover and have to run at slower speeds and feeds due to he variable width of cut conditions encountered in corners. Tool load spikes as chip thickness increases in areas where the tool finds more material than it did while cutting in a straight line.
Vero Alphacam 2012 R2 improvements also include an automatically optimising Rough/Finish Toolpath so only the area left by a previous sawing operation is removed.
One improvement to simulation functionality is Automatic Rapid Manager. This supports rapid positioning moves between 5-axis operations and work plane operations by setting just one safe level value. Another is integration of MachineWorks 7.1 which provides multi-threading support and improvements in speed.
Feature Extraction now recognises 'open areas' to be machined by a pocketing type strategy rather than recognising the areas for profiling. Configurable alignment datum points gives greater control over the automatic positioning and alignment of Solids for machine-ready set-ups.
It is now possible to run a Geometry Query after extraction to sort specific types of geometry into specific layers, ready for processing with Machining Styles or Autostyles.
CAD Extensions now provides special functions while importing third party CAD files: for example, splines can be automatically converted to geometries when importing DXF/DWG files.
Finally, Vero advises that Alphacam 2012 R2 contains a number of graphical user interface enhancements as well as modifications to make the software easier to use.
