Siemens PLM Software provides the core technologies that power many manufacturing software systems

Many developers of CAM applications, and machine tool manufacturers that develop process and hardware specific simulation and control software, use the Parasolid® and D-Cubed™ components to improve the productivity of their customers. Examples include:

Customers use these components to improve interoperability between their CAM and machine tool products and other applications, and to provide a wide range of integrated, CAM specific, editing, design, simulation, verification and visualization capabilities.

Interoperability

CAM and machine tool products need to reliably exchange models with other applications. Integrating Parasolid, the leading engine for the production of 3D design and engineering models, enables the direct read/write of the Parasolid native XT format, reducing import/export errors.

XT is supported by many CAD applications, such as NX and Solid Edge (from Siemens PLM Software) and SolidWorks (from SolidWorks). This means that Parasolid-based products have access to up to an estimated 40% of the world’s 3D data. Available at three price/functionality points, supporting interoperability through to full modeling, Parasolid is a highly affordable and flexible system.

A wide range of translators together with advanced modeling capabilities, such as tolerance to models with a variety of errors, makes Parasolid the ideal foundation for working with data in formats other than XT.

Direct model editing operations

Parasolid addresses CAM requirements with comprehensive modeling capabilities for tapering, blending, thickening, outlining, tessellation, interrogation and detail simplification that support a wide range of manufacturing processes, including milling, molding, casting, turning and numerical control (NC) toolpath generation. Many Parasolid functions have been developed to support CAM-specific modelling operations, including:

• Roughing: Small features that add complexity can be ignored if they do not affect a particular operation.
• Material Removal: The work piece can be updated to show its geometry after each operation, important for optimizing multi-step, multi-tool operations.
• Geometric optimisations: Changes can be made to the work piece definition to improve feed speeds and also decrease tool changes. For example, replacing complex, non-functional fillets with nominal rolling ball fillets.

Integrated parametric CAD

Adding parametric CAD modeling functionality to a CAM system gives users greater flexibility when addressing model manufacturing processes that the original author of the CAD model had not foreseen. New work pieces, process related features, jigs and dies can all be modeled using Parasolid’s comprehensive modeling functions. This modeling functionality can be augmented with parametric 2D sketching implemented using the D-Cubed 2D Dimensional Constraint Manager (2D DCM). Parametric 3D constraints for part, jig or mold assembly modeling are enabled with the D-Cubed 3D DCM. The benefits of providing an integrated parametric CAD capability also include:

• More tightly integrated user interfaces, workflows, technical support and supplier relationships.
• The opportunity to benefit from a higher proportion of end-user spending.
• Customers that use mechanical CAD applications based on the Parasolid and D-Cubed components will have familiarity with an integrated design capability based on the same components.

2D CAD and 2D toolpath generation

In many sheet material manufacturing situations where a 3D CAD system is not required, the 2D DCM forms the foundation of a 2D parametric CAM/CAD environment. Additionally, the powerful profile offsetting capabilities of the D-Cubed Profile Geometry Manager (PGM) support the generation of 2D toolpaths

Machining and machining simulation

Parasolid provides the geometric modeling and evaluation capabilities to support direct machining from the solid model, machining simulation and toolpath verification. Simulating material removal and modeling the in-process work piece allows toolpaths to be checked and optimised.

A critical aspect of this process is fast, accurate collision and clearance calculations to help avoid clashes and gouges, a capability offered by the D-Cubed Collision Detection Manager (CDM). Such operations typically require a collision detection algorithm to be called many times, so speed of calculation is important. Although fast results can be attained by approximating the geometric model with facets, such inexact geometry can result in collisions being missed, or reported in error. The CDM offers the powerful combination of superior performance on accurate geometry.

Drawing visualization

Drawings are an important input to many CAM work-flows, the production of which requires rapid and accurate hidden line computations. Both the Parasolid and D-Cubed Hidden Line Manager (HLM) components provide hidden line computations and are proven across a wide range of CAM/CAD applications.

To discuss the contribution that the Parasolid and D-Cubed components can make to your business, or to evaluate the components, please contact us.