GibbsCAM 12, which is now available in the UK from Tech CADCAM Ltd (www.techcadcam.net) of Bury St Edmunds, offers a balance of new features and interface enhancements.

The new user interface brings an up-to-date look and the ability to ‘customise’ — changes the company says modernise the GibbsCAM interface “making it more familiar and inviting to new users, while preserving the simplicity that experienced users appreciate”.

Interface menus, toolbars and palettes can be customised to help refine user-specific work-flows, while ‘workspaces’ can be easily configured for quick access to frequently used functions.

Moreover, an unlimited number of customisations can be saved so that different users can quickly load their preferred interface.

Among new machining features is the VoluTurn option, which is the company’s latest advance in high-speed turning; it creates constant-load tool-paths when turning with round tools, to help increase productivity and reduce wear on cutting tools.

Further enhancements relate to five-axis machining applications, where GibbsCAM 12 uses the latest tool-motion and part-orientation technology to ensure that the most productive programs are generated and that machines are fully utilised.