Edit on the Fly with Mastercam Model Prep
We have come a long way since writing G-code manually, shaving hours off of programming and machine time. But, every now and then, even a solid model can take valuable time to modify, especially if the solid was imported from a CAD system that is not directly compatible with the CAM software. The clock ticks loudly when you need to create a whole new wireframe or solid to perform a minor tweak that should take minutes. Recognizing this, CNC Software has incorporated features into Mastercam X7 that allow for the direct editing of solid models in Mastercam Solids and continue to improve this functionality. Since Mastercam X8, these capabilities were expanded and organized under the Model Prep menu. Programmers can create and edit solid models – both old and new. A “history tree” lists the procedures that generate a solid model, allowing the programmer to edit any of the steps; you can move, delete, and suppress any part of the model. All direct editing functions remove this history, making it easier to edit a solid model without having to toggle back and forth between an “operations” screen and the model screen. However, clicking Undo restores the history as it was before the direct [...]
XRIZE Wins Innovation Award
New Equipment Digest has just announced XRIZE as one of their six 2019 Innovation Award Winners. XRIZE was the only 3D printer to receive this distinction. The NED staff selected finalists from approximately 2,000 new products, solutions, tools, and technologies to identify the top 22 new products that fit their “game-changing” criteria for the award. Read votes then decided the six winners. “The 2019 class of NED Innovation Award winners redefine their markets for a smarter, more efficient manufacturing world.” XRIZE One of the best things about the XRIZE, the world’s first, true color desktop industrial 3D printer, is that it's as easy and safe to use as a regular 2D printer. With this, users can manufacture functional polymer and composite parts in full color due to the patented Augmented Deposition process that extrudes an engineering-grade thermoplastic and simultaneously jets cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. And because RIZE’s intelligent and innovative solutions focus on the user as much as the machine, XRIZE enables marking to provide much-desired IP security, traceability, and branding. For more information about the Rize line of 3D printers, please click the button below. More Info
Digital Manufacturing Accelerates a Sustainable Industrial Revolution
reprinted from www.weforum.org Ride into the future … 3D printing millions of industrial parts more efficiently and sustainably than ever before. The Fourth Industrial Revolution is shaping up to be one of the most significant opportunities of our lifetime. We are already seeing jobs, policies, industries and entire economies shifting as our digital and physical worlds merge. This represents an important opportunity for business and for society. With this industrial revolution, we have a collective responsibility to ensure sustainability is a priority from the start. According to the World Economic Forum, the value of digital transformations in the Fourth Industrial Revolution is estimated at $100 trillion in the next 10 years alone, across all sectors, industries and geographies. The manufacturing sector, which has long been a driver of global prosperity and economic growth, is key to this transformation. Emerging technologies such as AI, robotics and 3D printing are disrupting the manufacturing industry and unlocking new ideas and potential that were previously unimaginable. With this change comes opportunity. 3D printing, in particular, is at the forefront, given its ability to reshape the sector. If we make the right decisions, it can also drive a sustainable impact for our planet, people and communities. [...]
Mastercam 2019 High Performance Graphics Card Setup
Today we are going to discuss how to properly set up your PC to use a high-performance graphics card. If not plugged into the High-performance card, your Mastercam software might seem a bit slow, sluggish, or worse, it may crash either during startup or when you are using the software. Overall, Mastercam is a graphics intense application that requires more power than what the onboard graphics can provide. Using high-performance graphics cards helps the software run smooth. The first thing you should do is look at the back of your computer tower. There are a few different options to plug in a monitor. The first set of connections is for the motherboard, which uses the Intel onboard graphics that come standard with the PC. The open ports down towards the bottom of the tower are for the high-performance graphics cards. Once you plug into the right port at the bottom, you can now go back into the Nvidia Control Panel. Do this by right-clicking on your desktop as shown below. Now choose the Manage 3D settings option and click on the Program Settings tab. Next, we can add Mastercam to the list and set the CUDA-GPU and the Open GL Rendering options to [...]
Multi-jet Fusion Technology Sparks 3D Printing Revolution
Doug Campbell, vice president of SICAM, with his company’s multi-jet fusion machine. Reprint from NJBIZ.com Hillsborough-based SICAM Corp. specializes in 3D printing, prototyping, tooling, and manufacturing. Incorporated in 1990, SICAM has clients in 38 states from a variety of industries: aerospace, automotive, computer, consumer, government, industrial, medical, pharmaceutical and telecommunications. The company also now owns a multi-jet fusion machine that vice president Doug Campbell says will make 3D printing technology a more viable option than previous technologies. Campbell said SICAM is using the machine, which it purchased for $400,000 from HP Inc., to change manufacturing. He predicts the multi-jet fusion machine will revolutionize 3D printing — or additive manufacturing — for production. Until the 3D printing equipment became cost-effective, there was no point in designing for additive manufacturing, Campbell said. Multi-jet fusion is a powder-based technology that does not use lasers and produces strong, lightweight products. The technology is better than other 3D processes including injection molding because it is faster and less expensive, Campbell explained. “The advantage of designing for additive manufacturing, what is going to change in manufacturing, is the concept of now you can design with more freedoms,” Campbell said. “A good example is Volkswagen who makes an [...]
HP 3D Printing for Shoe Insoles
Today we are going to take a look at a company using 3D printing to manufacture customized orthotic devices. iOrthotics makes custom insoles for podiatrists around the world. Their goal is to create a better, more scalable solution for their clients through digital manufacturing. Traditionally, iOrthotics' method for creating an insole required a mold. This involved casting the patient's foot in plaster. This could be uncomfortable for the patient and would often lead to inaccurate measurements as the casts were taken in a non-weight-bearing position. Once a mold was complete, orthotics were made through traditional methods that required skilled labor and finishing. These methods often needed multiple fittings to achieve a satisfactory result. But perhaps the biggest downside was the waste from these processes. In order to keep up with increasing demand and to develop a competitive advantage, iOrthotics formulated a digital workflow by adopting 3D scanning and the HP Jet Fusion 4200. The first step was to enable 3D scanning thereby eliminating the need for a mold. Advancements in 3D scanning enabled more exact measurements and the foot could be measured in a more organic position. With the CAD file ready, iOrthotics could then use their Jet Fusion 4200 to print the [...]