With its launch of the 2016 version of PowerMill programming software for five-axis and high-speed machining, Birmingham-based Delcam has incorporated the ability to mirror complete machining projects in one operation — and to automatically maintain the machining characteristics.

The software chooses whether climb milling or conventional milling should be used in each section of the tool-path; previously, only individual tool-paths could be mirrored.

Automatic mirroring saves considerable time whenever right- and left-handed versions of a part or tool are needed. Furthermore, to ensure that the mirroring has performed as expected, the option can be used with the software’s ability — introduced in PowerMill 2015 R2 — to undertake complete verification for machine-tool issues such as collisions.

This verification includes ensuring that the machine tool is capable of running mirrored tool-paths, as well as checking for machine-tool collisions and tooling collisions.

PowerMill 2015 R2 also saw the introduction of the ability to simulate machine-tool movements during tool change; this ability has been enhanced in the latest version by allowing more-complex tool changes to be simulated — in particular those involving carousel mechanisms.

Other improvements include: a new form for printing out the position of the cutting-tool tip during simulation, an ‘auto-translucency’ option that allows viewing of the ‘table attach point’ at all times, and the ability to draw translucently the safe areas for rapid moves.