Integrated solution enables composite airframe developers to create better designs faster with enhanced part performance and maximum weight savings
WALTHAM, MA, (USA), September 23, 2008 — VISTAGY, Inc., a leading global provider of specialized engineering software, today announced a strategic partnership with CGTech, a recognized leader in Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) software for numerical control (CNC/NC) simulation, verification, optimization and analysis software technology for manufacturing. VISTAGY’s FiberSIM® and CGTech’s VERICUT Composite Programming and Simulation Suite (VCP) together provide a best-in-class solution for rapid design and manufacturing iterations to optimize the development of composite structures produced by automated fiber placement (AFP) machines.
This integration enables designers to take into account AFP manufacturing requirements early on and to seamlessly transfer composite design information from FiberSIM to VCP software for creating and validating CNC programs for automated fiber placement (AFP) machines. By enabling more iterations faster and better feedback later in the development process, firms will be better able to evaluate the tradeoffs between manufacturing complexity and cost. It will allow engineers to design specifically for the manufacturing process and allow them to take advantage of innovative uses of composite materials.
“There’s a natural synergy between our products that creates a fast, powerful and flexible software environment for companies designing and manufacturing composite parts,” said Bill Hasenjaeger, CGTech product marketing manager. “FiberSIM’s ability to work with multiple commercial 3D CAD systems combined with VCP’s ability to create CNC programs for multiple AFP systems gives customers the flexibility to choose the best solutions to meet their business requirements."
“Given the rapid growth in the use of composites in industries that develop highly complex structures, the partnership between VISTAGY and CGTech is a natural fit,” said Olivier Guillermin, VISTAGY product and market strategy director. “By integrating our best-in-class software we are able to support a state-of-the art design-through-manufacturing solution that enables companies to produce optimum composites designs and manufacturing processes. I believe this timely partnership will further enable us to support the aerospace industry in the accelerated adoption of composites as the material of choice in the future.”
About CGTech Headquartered in Irvine, California CGTech specializes in numerical control (NC/CNC) simulation, verification, optimization and analysis software technology for manufacturing. Since 1988 CGTech’s product, VERICUT® software, has become the industry standard for simulating CNC machining in order to detect errors, potential collisions or areas of inefficiency. With offices worldwide, VERICUT software is used by companies of all sizes, universities/trade schools, and government agencies. For more information, visit the CGTech website at www.cgtech.com, call (949) 753-1050, or email info@cgtech.com
About VISTAGY, Inc. VISTAGY, Inc. develops engineering software that provides specialized functionality to significantly improve the value of commercial 3D CAD systems. VISTAGY’s specialized engineering environments enable engineers to capture and communicate complete digital product definitions within CAD, thereby increasing productivity, improving the communication of product information throughout the product lifecycle, and allowing better informed decision-making early in design. Over 200 companies throughout the world in the aerospace, automotive, marine, wind energy, medical, sporting goods, and transportation interiors industries use VISTAGY software. The company also offers training and consulting services. For more information, contact VISTAGY in Waltham, Massachusetts, USA, at +1.781.250.6868 or visit www.vistagy.com
“VISTAGY. Engineer success.”™
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EDITOR’S NOTE: 300 dpi electronic image and caption available for download from cgtech.com here.
For more information, contact: Bryan Jacobs (949) 753-1050 info@cgtech.com
VISTAGY, the VISTAGY logo, FiberSIM, and Engineer Success are registered trademarks or trademarks of VISTAGY, Inc., in the United States and in other countries. All other companies and products referenced herein have trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.
CGTech, OptiPath, and VERICUT are registered trademarks of CGTech. AUTO-DIFF is a trademark of CGTech.
Airbus is selling so well that the demand to increase build rate has never been higher. BAE Systems (Filton, UK) needed a simple way to improve throughput - it found the answer in VERICUT.
With VERICUT, engineers at Stellex Monitor modeled the Sidewinder and Spar Mill machines.
Tell Tool of Westfield, Mass., has integrated VERICUT CNC simulation software into its numerical control program prove-out process.
VERICUT enabled us to start ordinary production after a minimum of time. Since this product is new for Volvo Aero Norge and our company had never before had parts with similar machining complexity, it is difficult to estimate the amount of cost saving.
Before implementing VERICUT, the company experienced the usual time-consuming and expensive manufacturing problems related to NC program prove-outs such as scrap loss, broken tooling, and a danger of occasional machine crash.
Over the last two years, GE Aviation (formerly Aerostructures Hamble) has used Machine Simulation to speed the implementation of several new 5-axis machine tools.
VERICUT showed the NC programmers leftover or heavy stock." And the software detected a couple of places where the depth of cut was too large and tools were shanking out," said Collings. They then went back and corrected the errors in the tool path before
Dassault, Seclin initially purchased VERICUT in order to reduce the number of manual prove-outs using polystyrene material, which represented a significant expense in terms of time and money.
VERICUT enabled the designers and programmers see exactly what they were building as and in-process model in different stages of the machining cycle.
We utilized VERICUT to verify the CNC programs for cutting the tooling before they were sent to the machine control,
To protect their investment, they have been using VERICUT since 1996. They have two people to verify the accuracy of their G-code files.
"When we first started using OptiPath we concentrated on the feed rate option; now we use the constant chip thickness capability. With jobs up to 200 hours long, 50% saving is significant like having another machine tool."
The entire process took less than two hours and no manpower was required, whereas, creating the same pattern manually (the old way), would have taken one of our designers several days.
The verification process stays ahead of the actual machine position in the NC code being verified. Opera-tors can see errors before they occur.
The bottom line? Using VERICUT has made Supreme's existing machine tools more productive. Enthusiasm is up, delivery times have been reduced, and pricing is more competitive.delivery times have been reduced, and pricing is more competitive.
Using VERICUT to compare the electrode burn with the mold cavity ensures that we have all the correct clearances in the electrodes and that we have 100% clean-up." says Allen.
If I was using VERICUT at the time I would've caught the problem, and had a chance to fix it before it damaged the part.
Now I rarely see the potential crashes because the students find and correct them before I review the work. Catching those costly problems is a non-event now!
VERICUT can change speeds and feeds according to cutting conditions including difference in material and tooling. It is done automatically; the programmer does not have to make even one manual insert into the code."
Flying shrapnel from shattered cutting tools and components is avoided by using VERICUT to test student programs before they are run on NC machines.
The NC programmers at Ingersoll also rely on the simulation software to prevent mistakes when programming complex, five-axis parts.
After creating the NC programs in Mastercam, they began simulating the machining process in VERICUT by simulating the G-code data. There often can be a difference between the motion as programmed and the code after it's run through the post processor
After selecting VERICUT for third-party verification, each NC programmer attended two days of basic training where they experienced first-hand the type of results they could expect to achieve.
The program simulates milling, drilling, turning, wire EDM, and mill/turn machining operations using both G-codes and CAM output.
VERICUT provides simulation capabilities for the all the 3-5 axis and wire EDM parts, with focused control over the orientation of our 5-axis machine tool including the cutters used on that machine.
The inspection probe is created as a tool in VERICUT so the complete in- cycle gauging sequence is checked for collisions.
The bottom was machined first. This effort took about 24 hours from start to finish. By using VERICUT software from CGTech, Elliot was able to test the NC program for any problems before it was ever cut on the machine.
Cosworth Racing Integrates Walter TDM Tool Management into Manufacturing Systems
With data exported from NX, Vericut simulates the cutting process on the shop floor utilizing the machine G-code to detect any issues prior to NC Program release.
VERICUT software removes this potentially hazardous stage by allowing ReedHycalog to do all of their prove-outs on a computer.
VERICUT verification detects errors such as: inaccurate programming, incorrect tool path motions, rapid motion contact, collisions with fixtures and clamps, tool shank and holder collisions, & CAD/CAM and post processor bugs.
VERICUT Machine Simulation supports G-codes and Multi-axis (5-axis or more) support for milling, drilling, turning, grinding & EDM machines
WALTHAM, MA, (USA), September 23, 2008 — VISTAGY, Inc., a leading global provider of specialized engineering software, today announced a strategic partnership with CGTech, a recognized leader in Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) software for numerical control (CNC/NC) simulation, verification, optimization and analysis software technology for manufacturing. VISTAGY’s FiberSIM® and CGTech’s VERICUT Composite Programming and Simulation Suite (VCP) together provide a best-in-class solution for rapid design and manufacturing iterations to optimize the development of composite structures produced by automated fiber placement (AFP) machines.