Press Release Table of Contents
 

Irvine, California (June 1, 2004) – CGTech will show the latest version of VERICUT CNC machine simulation and optimization
software at IMTS in booth D-3035.

 

VERICUT 5.4 features several enhancements designed to increase the ability of manufacturing engineers to inspect, analyze, and document the CNC programming and machining process in order to produce better results and reduce the time spent in the programming and machining cycle. VERICUT software offers the ideal environment for improving manufacturing documentation - it contains the critical manufacturing information, especially an accurate representation of the in-process geometry, necessary to accurately document the process.

Said Bill Hasenjaeger, Product Marketing Manager, “This release gives VERICUT users a great range of tools that make analyzing their processes much easier and faster than ever before. We’re able to pull more intelligence from both the cut part and the machining process so they can apply this knowledge to achieve an even higher level of accuracy and efficiency.”

For example, in order to maintain accuracy and stay within tolerances, most manufacturers inspect parts at various times during the machining process. To do so, they manually create ‘inspection instructions’ to document the results. There are many ways to create a series of inspection instructions. But in the absence of an electronic "in-process" model of the part, and therefore a limited knowledge of the in-process state of material, these manual methods require a certain degree of technical expertise and can be prone to error. Accurate in-process geometry is necessary for efficiently creating quality in-process inspection instructions.

VERICUT 5.4 offers a better way by automatically creating inspection instructions, complete with in-process feature dimensions, automatically created during a simulation of the NC program. This helps establish a formal, but easy and efficient method to create and document inspection procedures.

With a simple template, the auto-generated Inspection Reports are highly customizable by the user. Creating the inspection sequence instructions is quick and easy because the manufacturing engineer uses the in-process, "as-machined" model to graphically describe which features to inspect. To add inspection points, the user just clicks on a cut feature - VERICUT then identifies the feature, automatically extracts feature sizes from the electronic in-process model, and applies a standard tolerance for the measurement! Users can then add any additional instructions and select the measuring instrument from a list. When the inspection sequence is completed, the finished Inspection Report can be saved in standard HTML or PDF format for easy printing or sharing via email (see attached graphic). Using VERICUT’s X-Caliper measurement features, the software can output inspection instructions based on the dimensions of the simulated cut stock (wall thickness= .15", for example). VERICUT is the only tool available with the accurate in-process geometry knowledge to automatically generate this type of document!

Advantages to automatically-generated inspection sequence reports include:

Other new and improved features in VERICUT 5.4 include:

 

More Powerful “Auto-Differencing”
VERICUT features the ability to detect gouges and excess material by virtually “embedding” the design model inside the cut stock and comparing the differences between the two. This AUTO-DIFF function in enhanced in version 5.4 to make accurate comparisons of large cut stock with the design faster and easier. Especially useful for finding errors and differences on large parts, a new “Compare By Region” option provides the ability to individually check certain areas of the part without having to perform an AUTO-DIFF comparison on the entire model. This dramatically speeds calculation time because the software needs only to focus on the specified area. The region can then be expanded over the entire stock model. This feature is useful when there is not enough memory to perform an AUTO-DIFF calculation of the entire stock model at once.

Expanded Reporting Capabilities
VERICUT 5.4 includes powerful tools for creating custom reports, tailored for a specific user/department/company’s needs, containing all the data generated during the simulation process for shop floor or in-process documentation, NC programming documentation, or to capture the information generated in the VERICUT session. Produced in standard HTML format, the layout is highly customizable, including the ability to modify page design, fonts, graphics, tables, pictures, statistics, and add user-defined information critical do documenting the CNC machining process.

Cutting Graph Display
An enhanced feature for analyzing cutting conditions is included in version 5.4. The Cutting Graph displays feed per minute, feed per tooth, feed per revolution, spindle speed, surface speed, volume removal rate, chip thickness, depth of cut, and width of cut. VERICUT optimizes NC program feed rates to improve surface finish quality and reduce time required on the machine. With the new Cutting Graph Display, users can easily analyze several cutting conditions in the CNC program, and better compare the performance of cutting conditions from their un-optimized NC programs versus the results from NC programs with optimized feed rates.

New Measurement Capabilities
VERICUT includes an “X-Caliper” measurement utility that enables users to digitally verify the dimensional accuracy of their cut parts before even loading the NC program on the CNC machine. With this utility, manufacturing engineers can measure features such as stock thicknesses, volumes, distances between features, angles, hole diameters, corner radii, scallop heights, etc. New to version 5.4 is the ability to measure the distance between the cut stock and the “virtually embedded” design model. Users can now cross-section the model and measure the distance between the as-cut material and the design model along the sectioned plane. This provides a tool to determine how much more material needs to be machined from the stock, or verify that the cutter left the correct amount of material on the stock. During cross sectioning, the models can be displayed in solid or translucency to help visualize the results.

Optimization for Hard Materials
Optimizing NC program feed rates when milling hard materials presents unique challenges. Additional optimization strategies designed specifically for milling hard materials are included in version 5.4. These options help VERICUT better determine the ideal feed rates for each “hostile” cutting condition encountered.

Adjust Feed Rate for Non-Climb detects when the cutter is cutting conventionally and automatically adjusts the feed rates.
Adjust Feed Rate for Thin Radial Width adjusts feed rates when the cutter encounters unsupported or very narrow width cuts and automatically adjusts the feed rates.
Adjust Feed Rate for Side-loaded Cut detects situations in which the cutter width is only partially buried in material, creating excessive side cutting force, and potentially severe cutter deflection and automatically adjusts the feed rates to avoid excessive side cutting force.

Smaller Solid Model Files Sizes
VERICUT solid model and in-process file sizes in version 5.4 are typically 2-5 times smaller! This makes loading, manipulating, and saving VERICUT model files faster and easier. Optionally, users can also save the VERICUT solid and preserve the original cut features. The result is a much more accurate cut model. Retaining the original cut features allows for more accurate measurements and placement when using the cut model in subsequent operations.

Tool Chain Simulation Support
VERICUT now supports simulating tool chains! It uses a sweep profile to define the path of the tool chain and checks interference between tools in adjacent pockets. VERICUT supports tool changers that replace the tool in either the original or “ready” pocket. Additionally, tool chain position motion is simulated concurrently along with cutting simulation. This enables you to simulate and track tool change time. Among other useful purposes, with this feature you can improve the machining process by determining if a cutting operation is forced to wait for a long tool change, and making any necessary modifications.

VERICUT is CNC machine simulation, verification and optimization software that enables users to eliminate the process of manually proving-out NC programs. It reduces scrap loss and rework. The program also optimizes NC programs in order to produce the most efficient tool paths possible that both save time and produce higher quality surface finish. VERICUT supports G-codes or native CAM output to simulate milling, drilling, turning, wire EDM, and mill/turn machining operations. VERICUT runs under Windows and UNIX. CGTech is the recognized world leader in CNC simulation, verification and optimization software technology for manufacturing. The California-based company has subsidiaries in the UK, Germany, France, and Japan, and resellers throughout the world.

 

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CGTech, OptiPath, and VERICUT are registered trademarks of CGTech.

AUTO-DIFF is a trademark of CGTech.