CAM software

[seb360]

Hi,

I would like to know how are you working with your cam system with datas from Modeling and Model manager ?
We are curently using 30 licences of modeling and model manager and we are looking after a new CAM software (today we are using Goelan but old version only for 2D)
What would be your advise ? Is there a CAM software fully compatible with Cocreate solution ?? I found PTC Pro Toolmaker but i do not find information about how it works with cocreate ?
Or do we inevitably need to convert our files in exchange format and using any Cam software ?

Thanks for your help

[mramseyISU]

Good luck with that one.

[BMaverick]

These two are the biggest in the industry.

FeatureCAM is one I have tried.

http://www.featurecam.com

http://www.featurecam.com/general/software/importing.asp

Another is MasterCAM

http://www.mastercam.com

http://www.mastercam.com/Partners/CADPartners/Default.aspx

[John Scheffel]

I don't have any experience with CAM software, but you might want to checkout PTC's offerings. If they don't yet interface directly with Modeling they probably will in the future. PTC just added interface modules for Pro/Toolmaker and Pro/E Granite in version 16.50. Here is a link to a list of PTC's CAM offerings.

http://ptc.com/appserver/mkt/products/completelist.jsp#disc3889

[mramseyISU]

From all the checking I've done nobody will take a native CoCreate Model direct into their CAM system. Gibbs lists CoCreate as a supported file format but it's not actually a native file that they support you have to export in .sat format.

If you want to import direct to a CAM package avoid CoCreate like the plague. That's one of the reasons we're dumping it after the first of the year.

[Mehmet Akyar]

CoCreate Modeling's integration with PRO/TOOLMAKER is even more stronger than any native format import.

CoCreate Modeling and Pro/TOOLMAKER are connected via internal direct data transfer.

If the model has been modified on the CoCreate Modeling side the change can be directly reflected to Pro/TOOLMAKER.

http://www.mip-group.com/cocreate/news/cocreate_16_5_eng.htm

[BMaverick]

Originally Posted by Mehmet Akyar

CoCreate Modeling's integration with PRO/TOOLMAKER is even more stronger than any native format import.

CoCreate Modeling and Pro/TOOLMAKER are connected via internal direct data transfer.

If the model has been modified on the CoCreate Modeling side the change can be directly reflected to Pro/TOOLMAKER.

http://www.mip-group.com/cocreate/news/cocreate_16_5_eng.htm

Well, I for one would not call this anything "stronger" than a native format like SAT. The PTC/TOOLMAKER is converting the CoCreate data on the fly into the Granite Geometry Kernel. Seems that using STEP or SAT files are just as good. Even Granite Neutral files are not even fully tested yet in the CAM realm.

So, like mramseyISU stated, there is really no CAM package that reads CoCreate data directly. Using the SAT translator on the fly is the best bet all around for CoCreate. Seems to be better than STEP at times. This is from what I have observed.

Once the CoCreate data has been migrated to one of the CAM packages, several mentioned in this thread, tooling should be well defined.

The next question thus needs to be asked, out of the mentioned packages, what ones here work best for your company. Not every CAM package mention will be a 100% match. Evaluation of these products needs consideration.

[kcarter]

I appreciate the information given in this thread, because my company is in the process of trying to determine how to export (or otherwise supply) files in the format DSTV (nc1 extension). We use CoCreate Modeler and 2D Drafting. It sounds as if we will need a CAM package, whether Pro/Toolmaker (very expensive) or another, to which we would export the CoCreate model in neutral format. Then we would need to export from the CAM package to DSTV, correct? Anyone have experience specifically with the DSTV format and/or a CAM package that can generate this?

[BMaverick]

DSTV is a NC coded type of format set to a standard in a nc1 file. CNC machines read these files.
DSTV = Deutscher Stahlbau-Verband (German Steel Association format)

So, you need to take the CoCreate 3D model into a CAM package to make cutter/punch/stamping routines and to have that spit out into the NC1 coded file to meet the DSTV standard.

[ajagg1111]

Take a look at CMS (Component management software). This is a cadcam software tool dedicated to the creation, editing and mangement of DSTV-NC files. it works already with other mechanical modelers.

[ajagg1111]

here is the link to CMS
http://www.strucsoftsolutions.com/cms.asp
cheers

[kcarter]

Thanks for the CMS link - also, you guys may want to check out SolidSteel by Klietsch. We just found out about it as a 3rd-party App. for CoCreate's modeler.

http://www.klietsch.com/klietsch/cocreate/solidsteel/solidsteel.php?lang=uk

If there's anyone out there who has had experience(s) with SolidSteel, we'd love some feedback.

Korie @ Tensor