CAD/CAM software company
Cimatron, part of the
Sandvik Group and a supplier to the mould and die industry, has released version 2024 of its software suite. This latest upgrade offers ‘stronger core capabilities across all areas of the product’ while incorporating new technology through collaboration with Sandvik Coromant. The advances incorporated enable the software to not only simplify and automate many tasks for tool designers for higher productivity but also offer more options for digital connection.
Cimatron said: “Efficiency remains a key focus, with several advanced user workflow updates including multi-view spacing, batch-processing for drawing updates, tangent control for blending faces, and an easy option for capping internal islands. Furthermore, CAD users will benefit from many new features for 2-D drafting, such as importing PDFs as real geometry and text, new minimum distance dimensioning, enhanced symbols, and improved geometric datum and tolerancing (GD&T). Cimatron 2024 also introduces a new GUI for controlling drafting standards, improved draft analysis visualisation, and automated chain selection of chamfer faces.
“Meanwhile, mould makers gain powerful CAD enhancements for rib construction with added functions for working on multiple curves in a single operation and automatically extending rib geometry to part side walls; and Cimatron 2024 can now create partial ribs in complex scenarios where a complete rib cannot be produced. Within mould design, the construction of 3-D runners has been improved, providing better design control based on constant volume, vertical orientation, or section orientation.”
Cimatron says that regarding electrode design — a critical aspect of the mould production process —version 2024 includes automation for the ‘Burn Body’ operation to optimise: the electrode body shape; control of electrode extensions; and non-cutting rules for manual construction. “As a result, die designers can now easily build 3-D drawbead geometry to control material flow during the drawing operation in order to achieve the optimal forming of a part without cracks and wrinkles. The new routine will generate the drawbead based upon section type and automatically blend the result into the binder faces.”
Complex five-axis applicationsCimatron 2024 also supports CAM operations from basic 2-D up to complex five-axis applications. For example, the enhanced automatic feed control (AFC) routine has been completely redeveloped and optimises stock removal for roughing operations by automatically controlling the feed rate, resulting in smoother motion, shorter machining times, longer tool life, and fewer changes on the machine spindle and axes. Indeed, live benchmark testing in conjunction with Sandvik Coromant show cutting times on CNC machines reduced by more than 10%.
Cimatron also highlights a new option for pre-drilling during roughing operations that prevents cutters from plunging into blind pockets. “The software will automatically define the optimum position and depth for pre-drilling as part of the roughing procedure; it also introduces a new three-axis deburring procedure to create chamfers or fillet shapes along sharp edges. CAM users can generate constant width or constant depth chamfers, as well as constant width or constant radius fillets.
“For five-axis machining, the software now allows the automatic use of remaining stock from previous three-axis operations during roughing, thereby enabling the use of shorter cutters for greater stability. Furthermore, the five-axis auto tilting feature has been significantly enhanced with calculation time improvements of up to 25-times in some cases, significantly boosting productivity and reducing overall machining times.”
In terms of CAM advancements, Cimatron 2024 introduces several features. For example, the ‘On Machine Inspection Probing’ module now supports multipoint selection and cylindrical-shaped probes, for more-versatile and precise inspection processes; and toolpaths can now be split based on tool life or cutting length, for ‘greater control and optimisation’ during machining operations.
Valuable visualisation capabilities“Furthermore, a new ‘NC Template Manager’ has been implemented to simplify the editing process for users, while the added ability to display toolpath nodes offers valuable visualisation capabilities, aiding CAM users in predicting the quality of finishing toolpaths, particularly when using ‘Fine Surface Quality’ options — and the toolpath simulator calculation time has been significantly improved, resulting in an average productivity gain of over 30%.
“Cimatron 2024 also has a strong emphasis on digital connectivity. This includes establishing direct integration with Sandvik Coromant’s CoroPlus Tool Library and TDM tool management system, giving users access to a collection of over 900,000 cutting tool items — plus the system makes tool recommendations based on material, operation, and tool type.”
Antonio Parisse, Cimatron’s vice president, added: “We are delighted to launch Cimatron 2024. There is a good balance between product innovation and customer-driven enhancements; and leveraging Sandvik’s cutting knowledge and expertise is a prime benefit to our customers, enabling them to deliver higher-quality mould tools faster, more easily, and more efficiently than ever before.”