With the 2016 release of its FeatureCAM feature-based CAM software, Delcam is offering a range of enhancements, including additions to the Vortex area-clearance strategy.

Vortex is designed to give the fastest safe metal removal when using solid-carbide tooling — in particular, tools designed to give deeper cuts by using the full flute length as the cutting surface.

This area clearance produces tool-paths with a controlled engagement angle, thereby maintaining the optimum cutting conditions for the complete roughing cycle — giving faster machining and longer tool life.

The latest release of this software also has the ability to adjust and fine tune the non-cutting moves of 2.5-D and 3-D Vortex tool-paths, with options to retract the tool and/or increase the feed rate (these options can be set individuality or can be combined to achieve an optimum tool-path with a reduced cycle time).

Other roughing improvements include the ability to take into account any remaining stock on the model during holder collision checking, thereby ensuring that Z-level roughing tool-paths are completely free of tool-holder collisions.

Meanwhile, five-axis swarf machining has been made more flexible with a new optionto control the upper and lower Z limits of a simultaneous five-axis swarf tool-path.

This is useful if there are limitations on the tool length that can be used, or if the stepdown needs to be varied for different segments of the tool-path.

The milling of inside or outside grooves has been upgraded, with improvements that include support for different types of roughing links and better gouge checking for plunges and retracts, for example.

Support has been added for multi-tasking bar-fed milling machines, such as the Mazak Integrex I150 (access to the back of the component is possible with an option to set the swivel angle of the machine).

FeatureCAM now allows the quick import and alignment of a variety of pre-defined vices and chucks into a machining project, while interface improvements include the ability to create additional set-ups quickly during FeatureRecognition (via a new button in the Feature Wizard); this reduces the overall programming time significantly.

Full details of the new release plus videos can be seen at the FeatureCAM Learning Zone (www.delcam.tv/fc2016/lz).