What's new in AlibreCAM

MecSoft Corporation, the developer of industry leading CAM software solutions, has announced the availability of AlibreCAM 2018, the latest version of MecSoft’s fully integrated CAM solution for Alibre Design 2018.

AlibreCAM 2018 now includes the ability to perform continuous 5 axis machining operations on Alibre Design models. A picture of a turbine blade being machined using a Swarf machining method is shown below:

Other release highlights include:

·        2 ½ Axis – Fillet and Chamfer machining methods have been introduced

·        3 Axis – Horizontal Finishing follow containment, performance & stability improvements

·        4 Axis – Drive Surface machining

·        5 Axis – Continuous 5 axis machining methods such as Surface Normal, Curve Projection and Swarf Machining have been newly introduced

·        Other Productivity and User Interface enhancements

AlibreCAM 2018 is a plug-in that runs inside the Alibre Design (Version 2018) Windows CAD product and hosts the following modules:

1.    MILL

2.    TURN

Each of these modules can be licensed and invoked separately of the other modules. This section describes the various enhancements and improvement to each of the modules.

Common Enhancements

The ability to carry CAM preferences from one version to next has been implemented.  This ensures that saved user preference settings such as UI and display preferences will be migrated over to the 2018 release

during the installation process.

AlibreCAM 2018 –MILL

USABILITYENHANCEMENTS

1.Selection of single surfaces from a poly-surface model during machining has been implemented. In previous releases the user will have to explode the poly-surface before single selection can be done.

2.Associative flagging of mops when changes are made in CAM has been implemented. In previous releases only objects that the Machining Operation owned affected the flag. In 2018 any objects that might affect the generated toolpath can alter the flag of a Machining Operation.

3.Suppress & unsuppress a mop, mop set, setup (Have a suppressed/unsuppressed state of a Mop, mop Set or Setup). If a mop, mop set or setup is suppressed it should not be posted, displayed or simulated.

4.Shop Documentation, in addition to HTML output, can now be output to a Microsoft excel format file

5.Toolpath display in with and without depth testing has been introduced. This is especially useful in situations where the toolpath is obscured by the model display. Turning off the depth testing will show all of the toolpath on top of the part model. This can help alleviate ambiguity.

6.Edit bridge point in selection to remain modal until command is terminated by user has been introduced.

7.An option to not flag existing CAM operations as dirty when Solid/Surface/Mesh geometry is imported or added or modified.

2-Axis Enhancements

1. A new fillet machining operation has been introduced. With this operation, horizontal fillets in a part model can be machined using a filleted mill.

2.An option to reduce cut feed rate for the descending moves of a tab/bridge has been introduced. This is useful in preventing damage to the cutter when cutting tabs, especially when cutting hard materials.

 

3. The 2 axis chamfer operation has been enhancing to include depth and/or width of cut as parameters to use when defining the chamfer.

4.The system now allows the cut order to follow the selection order in the Engraving Machining Operation.

   This results in more predictable order for the cutter to follow. The red segments represent retract motions in the pictures below.

5. High Speed Toolpaths has been enhanced and made more robust.

 

High Speed toolpath missing areas in 2017

Same High Speed toolpath in 2018 release

6.    Uncut material enhancement when cutting stopovers are large has been introduced in the Stock Offset cut pattern in pocketing as well as in horizontal roughing.

7.    It is now possible to select thread mills for use in 2 ½ - Axis engrave operations. This enhancement allows the ability to cut complex treads using 2 ½ - Axis engrave machining method.

3-Axis Enhancements

1.Horizontal Finishing with containment regions has been enhanced to add an option for retracting or following the containment regions.

Containment Followed                    Containment Not Followed (similar to 2017)

2.Cutter retracts and re-entries have been reduced in the case of open cuts resulting from containment.

2018 Cut Transitions

2017 Cut Transitions

3.Cut level containment (top & bottom) for Horizontal Hill Machining has been added

 

4.Sorting of regions in 3 Axis Parallel Finishing and 3 Axis Projection Pocketing has been implemented. The dialogs for both of these methods are shown below:

5.Horizontal Roughing & Finishing Z level cut processing and ordering has been enhanced and made more robust

4 Asis Toolpath Enhancements

1.4 Axis Drive Surface milling for true 4 Axis Milling has been introduced. All 3 linear and one rotary axis can change simultaneously in this method. (Only in EXP configuration & above)

2. 4 axis helical cut pattern has been implemented in 4 Axis Parallel Finishing Machining Operation. An example part with the helical cut pattern is shown below:

3. A new method to machine cylinders from arbitrary stock model has been introduced. This method is typically used to reduce a rectangular cross section stock model to a round cross section stock before additional rotary toolpaths are applied. The picture below shows the toolpath and the result of the simulation yielding a round stock model.

5 Axis Toolpath Enhancements

1. Surface based 5 Axis continuous machining operation methods have been introduced. These methods include:

Curve Projection machining

Flow curve machining

Between 2 curves machining

Drive Curve Machining

Surface Normal machining

 

Swarf machining

Users now have the ability to machine multiple surfaces using continous 5 axis machining. In continuous 5 Axis machining, all 5 axes of a machine tool (3 linear and 2 rotary axes) can move simultaneously in programmed trajectories to machine a part.

2. Now allowing the programming of 4 axis toolpaths in the Premium configuration. This option has been introduced in 4 different Machining operations. These are? 

Curve Projection machining

Flow curve machining

Between 2 curves machining

Surface Normal machining

 

Swarf machining

The picture below shows the new parameter Number of Axes to Output that has been introduced in the Cut Parameters tab of the Surface Normal Machining Operation.

 

This setting allows Premium users to machine, using a 4 Axis machine, a whole new class of parts without the need for a 5 axis machine. An example part is shown below. This part is a section of a complex wooden handrail.

Drilling Toolpath Enhancements

1.Peck tapping has been added as a new operation type

 

2. 在中间运动过程中，模拟啄钻和深钻循环已得到加强，不会缩回到间隙平面。 这适用于将钻孔循环张贴为线性运动以及更加实际的模拟周期。

安全几何体 改进

1.添加了用于清除间隙定义的忽略线框几何体的选项。

Feeds/Speeds Enhancements

2.The Feedrate calculator has been enhanced to add upper limits for RPM and Cut Feed Rate.

Knowledge Base Enhancements

1.The ability to save only selected Machining Operations to the Knowledge Base has been implemented

2.The ability to select features as geometry in knowledge bases has been implemented. With this ability a knowledge base operation can be applied to a feature and the feature machined using this operation. The picture below shows the assignment of features to be machined for a 2 ½ Axis Pocketing operation.

Simulation Enhancements

1.Tool holder collisions are flagged in the toolpath editor after simulation. In previous releases holder collision checking was only flagged visually. Now the toolpath icon will be marked to indicate an error and users can scan the toolpath in the toolpath editor to see which motions were involved in the collision so as to take corrective action.

2.New simulation libraries for faster simulation have been incorporated.

 

Machine Tool Simulation Enhancements

1.Additional machine tool models have been as part of the installed machine tool simulation library.

2.Machine tool simulation for 3 Axis, 4 and 5 Axis has been enhanced and speeded up.

Post Processor Enhancements

1. Multiple new variables have been introduced

2.Peck tapping cycle output for different controllers has been introduced

Bugs Fixed

Numerous bugs were also fixed.

WHAT'S NEW IN ALIBRECAM 2018 - TURN

1.Feeds/speeds load from file computation for units/rev has been introduced

2.Support for threading cycles that use 2 block formats that are used in newer controls like Fanuc T series 0i, 16i, 18i, 21i, 30i, 32i