Delcam has released version 7 of its popular PowerMILL CAM system, which includes new functionality for roughing and finishing with both three-axis and five-axis machines. The enhancements include three-axis swarf machining and parametric surface finishing, together with faster calculation times, improved point distribution and easier data management.
The range of five-axis roughing strategies has been increased to match the wide list of options previously available for finishing. It now includes machining to, or from a point, orientation through a line or curve, and programming using a reference surface. A new three-axis spiral roughing strategy can be used on suitable geometry instead of offset machining. Using a spiral toolpath allows the overall machining time to be reduced by minimising the number of air moves. In addition, a more consistent load can be applied to the cutter, limiting wear and reducing breakages. PowerMILL 7 can also now generate a five-axis equivalent of any three-axis toolpath - a useful function when a three-axis approach is used for most of the job, but where some five-axis moves might be needed to avoid an obstacle or machine as closely as possible to a steep face.
Modern machine tools are capable of handling much larger amounts of data, and PowerMILL 7 takes advantage of this by adding additional points to the toolpath - for example, by specifying a maximum distance between adjacent point. increasing the number of points in the toolpath can give more even machining with less vibration and more consistent tool loading.