When you think of furniture, do you imagine items for the home such as a dining table and chairs, wardrobes and bedside cabinets; or do you think of outdoor, office or event furniture? Do you think of the material, E.G. wood, metal, marble? What about furniture made out of ice?
Eskimo Ice, an ice specialist based in London, use Delcam’s advanced CADCAM (Computer-Aided Design & Manufacturing) application package called ArtCAM Pro (www.artcam.com) to design and machine a range of ice carvings and furniture for corporate events. one such piece of furniture is the ice-bar for consultancy company OBSR.
Used by artists and furniture manufacturers worldwide, Delcam’s range of entry to advanced level ArtCAM application packages has been used to design and CNC machine a quantity of individual pieces of furniture from a multitude of materials, including ice.
Prior to owning their CADCAM application from Delcam, chief designer at Eskimo Ice, Clemente Gava, always provided their sculptor with design prints for replication by hand. With ArtCAM however, files are directly imported into the application. Although this is his preferred working technique, ArtCAM also provides a quantity of CAD alternatives such as designing directly in Pro or working from imported scanned images.
As Eskimo Ice work with uniform sized blocks of ice, they broke down the overall bar design concept into individual models (or segments) to match their size. These would then be joined together at the end of the process. Clemente commented that, "this process was made simple with ArtCAM’s ‘Project Tree’ as it allows me to keep all my 3D models together.”
Clemente stated, "ArtCAM is easy to use and comes with a range of helpful tools. ArtCAM’s relief layers and tools, for example, make it easy to generate & modify my designs. I can build up my models in a quantity of layers. If I require to modify part of my model I can just click on the relevant ‘Relief Layer’ and modify it without having to recreate the whole piece.”
Using the intuitive design strategies within ArtCAM Pro, areas of the imported CAD design that would have caused inevitable machining problems, such as looped or overlapped vectors (or lines), or even vectors that did not join were eliminated.
Clemente continued, "ArtCAM’s toolpath strategies and simulations are also vital for us as they permit me to find the fastest and most efficient technique of machining. Before machining I can simulate how the carvings will look according to the chosen tools and make any necessary changes. It will show, for example, areas missed by the machine tool, whether much ice has been taken away or if the device cuts through the ice block when it isn’t supposed to. This ultimately prevents plenty of device breakages in addition to valuable time lost in the ice-carving studio.”
Percy Salazar, their world leading ice-sculptor believes that, "ArtCAM saves us hours of time, especially when it comes to area clearance. For pieces that I require or require to finish by hand it can remove the bulk of ice for me, halving the time I require to work on it.”
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
The Delcam stand will feature complex parts made by a variety of companies
Delcam france will highlight the success enjoyed recently by a selection of its customers at the Industrie exhibition to be held in Lyon from 10th to 13th March. The Delcam stand will feature complex parts made by a variety of companies using the company’s program, including design consultant Devèze Design, porcelain manufacturer Revol, engineering sub-contractor Gao & glass producer Sovep.
An example of the porcelain products design by Revol with Delcam software
As well as the various customer parts, visitors to the Delcam france stand will be able to see programming demonstrations with the latest versions of Delcam machining program. The complete range comprises PowerMILL for high-speed & five-axis machining, FeatureCAM for feature-based programming, PartMaker for Swiss-type lathes & turn-mill equipment, & ArtCAM for engraving & routing. Together, these programs comprise the world’s most comprehensive range of CAM program from a single suppler. This broad coverage is one of the reasons why Delcam is consistently ranked as the world’s leading specialist supplier of NC program & services by US analysts Cimdata.
"Everywhere you turn at the moment, there seems to be nothing but bad news,” commented Delcam france Sales Manager, Bruno Gubala. "We thought that they should provide some lovely news for a change by celebrating the success of our customers.”
FeatureCAM 2009 also incorporates enhancements across its complete range of functionality. An important focus has been increased options for more complex machines, such as mill-turn equipment, & four- & five-axis mills. This will permit users to tackle more sophisticated parts than could be programmed before. Developments have also continued increase the efficiency of the more fundamental machining operations, including turning & three-axis milling.
The new release of PowerMILL offer a more complete solution for complex machining operations, together with more control for experienced machinists that know exactly how they wish to machine a particular part. The program also includes a range of enhancements to existing functionality to enable both faster programming & faster machining.
The main emphasis within the latest release of ArtCAM has been on improved strategies for harder materials to enable more efficient & faster engraving of metal tooling. Typical applications that will benefit include the engraving of decorations, logos & lettering into moulds, the manufacture of stamping dies for coins & medals, & the production of embossing dies for cards, packaging & book covers. In addition, the machining simulations have been made much more realistic as part of a general improvement in the ability to visualise designs in a variety of materials.
Major highlights of the new release of PartMaker include a revamped & more productive user-interface, improved capabilities for programming directly on solid models & more realistic machine simulation for the increasingly-complex machine architectures of today’s multi-axis turn-mill centres & Swiss-type lathes. The enhanced user interface will make PartMaker users even more productive in programming their CNC equipment, while offering new users an even not as hard to learn, more capable CNC programming platform.
An example of the porcelain products design by Revol with Delcam software
As well as the various customer parts, visitors to the Delcam france stand will be able to see programming demonstrations with the latest versions of Delcam machining program. The complete range comprises PowerMILL for high-speed & five-axis machining, FeatureCAM for feature-based programming, PartMaker for Swiss-type lathes & turn-mill equipment, & ArtCAM for engraving & routing. Together, these programs comprise the world’s most comprehensive range of CAM program from a single suppler. This broad coverage is one of the reasons why Delcam is consistently ranked as the world’s leading specialist supplier of NC program & services by US analysts Cimdata.
"Everywhere you turn at the moment, there seems to be nothing but bad news,” commented Delcam france Sales Manager, Bruno Gubala. "We thought that they should provide some lovely news for a change by celebrating the success of our customers.”
FeatureCAM 2009 also incorporates enhancements across its complete range of functionality. An important focus has been increased options for more complex machines, such as mill-turn equipment, & four- & five-axis mills. This will permit users to tackle more sophisticated parts than could be programmed before. Developments have also continued increase the efficiency of the more fundamental machining operations, including turning & three-axis milling.
The new release of PowerMILL offer a more complete solution for complex machining operations, together with more control for experienced machinists that know exactly how they wish to machine a particular part. The program also includes a range of enhancements to existing functionality to enable both faster programming & faster machining.
The main emphasis within the latest release of ArtCAM has been on improved strategies for harder materials to enable more efficient & faster engraving of metal tooling. Typical applications that will benefit include the engraving of decorations, logos & lettering into moulds, the manufacture of stamping dies for coins & medals, & the production of embossing dies for cards, packaging & book covers. In addition, the machining simulations have been made much more realistic as part of a general improvement in the ability to visualise designs in a variety of materials.
Major highlights of the new release of PartMaker include a revamped & more productive user-interface, improved capabilities for programming directly on solid models & more realistic machine simulation for the increasingly-complex machine architectures of today’s multi-axis turn-mill centres & Swiss-type lathes. The enhanced user interface will make PartMaker users even more productive in programming their CNC equipment, while offering new users an even not as hard to learn, more capable CNC programming platform.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Miller Spectrum 625 X-TREME Plasma Cutter
With today’s introduction of the Spectrum 625 X-TREME, Miller Electric Mfg. Co. believes they have redefined the 40-amp plasma cutter category. The Spectrum 625 X-TREME provides a powerful 5/8-in. cut rating on mild steel, but, at 21 lbs., this lunchbox-sized unit is light enough to be carried by its shoulder strap. With an overall size of 9 in. x 5.5-in. x 13.25 in., the Spectrum 625 X-TREME takes up minimal space on the workbench or in the truck. It is more than 400-percent smaller and 50-percent lighter than the 40-amp unit it replaces.
While designed to professional standards for construction, MRO and body shop applications, the Spectrum 625 X-TREME is also ideal for personal users who desire portability, reliability and a 5/8–in. rated cut capacity. Rated cutting capacity is the speed at which an operator achieves a smooth, steady cut at approximately 10 inches per minute (IPM). On thinner materials, the unit’s travel speed is increased for greater productivity. For example, on ¼-in. mild steel, travel speed increases to 60 i.p.m.For ultimate customer convenience, the Spectrum 625 X-TREME offers an electronically controlled air system that eliminates the need for the operator to adjust the air pressure and automatically compensates for input air variations and automatically reduces air pressure when gouging consumables are placed in the torch. The Spectrum 625 X-TREME runs off 240 V input power and can operate on a generator with an output of 10,500 watts. Miller Line Voltage Compensation (LVC™) ensures that output remains steady even if input voltage varies by +/- 10 percent.
The Spectrum 625 X-TREME fits easily into its rugged, drop-tested X-CASE to provide exceptional protection during transport and storage. Opening from the top, the X-CASE offers plenty of room for the plasma unit, consumable box, eye protection, gloves and other accessories.
The Spectrum 625 X-TREME features Auto-Refire technology, which eliminates the need to retrigger the torch when cutting expanded metal, such as grates or fences. The unit also features Auto-Post Flow, which automatically calculates the amount of postflow needed to optimize consumable cooling. For more information about the Spectrum 625 X-TREME and other portable Miller plasma systems, go to www.MillerWelds.com/SizeMatters.
While designed to professional standards for construction, MRO and body shop applications, the Spectrum 625 X-TREME is also ideal for personal users who desire portability, reliability and a 5/8–in. rated cut capacity. Rated cutting capacity is the speed at which an operator achieves a smooth, steady cut at approximately 10 inches per minute (IPM). On thinner materials, the unit’s travel speed is increased for greater productivity. For example, on ¼-in. mild steel, travel speed increases to 60 i.p.m.For ultimate customer convenience, the Spectrum 625 X-TREME offers an electronically controlled air system that eliminates the need for the operator to adjust the air pressure and automatically compensates for input air variations and automatically reduces air pressure when gouging consumables are placed in the torch. The Spectrum 625 X-TREME runs off 240 V input power and can operate on a generator with an output of 10,500 watts. Miller Line Voltage Compensation (LVC™) ensures that output remains steady even if input voltage varies by +/- 10 percent.
The Spectrum 625 X-TREME fits easily into its rugged, drop-tested X-CASE to provide exceptional protection during transport and storage. Opening from the top, the X-CASE offers plenty of room for the plasma unit, consumable box, eye protection, gloves and other accessories.
The Spectrum 625 X-TREME features Auto-Refire technology, which eliminates the need to retrigger the torch when cutting expanded metal, such as grates or fences. The unit also features Auto-Post Flow, which automatically calculates the amount of postflow needed to optimize consumable cooling. For more information about the Spectrum 625 X-TREME and other portable Miller plasma systems, go to www.MillerWelds.com/SizeMatters.
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