Casting Metal Parts for Prototyping from 3D Prints
Sylatech is an investment casting firm that uses Ultimaker 3D printers to speed up their rapid prototyping process. Sylatech offers services in CNC machining, radio frequency and microwave manufacturing, and investment casting. They have been around for over 53 years and have customers in aerospace, space, defense, medical, automotive, and construction. Sylatech uses 3D printing as part of their investment casting process. Before using Ultimaker 3D printers, customers had to directly invest in tooling needed for making their specific design in metal. However, if their metal part needs modifications, this can become a time consuming and costly addition to the process. Using an Ultimaker, the prototype can be finalized before investing in tooling for larger volume productions, cutting the risk of such changes. Speeding up the prototyping process With Ultimaker 3D printers, Sylatech can create a 3D printed model of the customer's design in a matter of days. These are then directly used to create a metal prototype. When modifications are needed to the design, the only additional cost is to 3D print the updated design. The 3D printed part made from PLA already gives an accurate prototype before a single metal part is created. When the 3D print is accepted, the metal [...]
New Partnership with MakerBot
We are proud to announce a partnership with MakerBot. Founded in 2009, MakerBot brought one of the first mass-produced and readily available 3D printers to the market which earned their acquisition from Stratasys®, a leader in industrial FDM 3D printing. In recent years, MakerBot as a company has completely transformed their business with a new focus on the B2B market. This becomes apparent when you see that the METHOD Series 3D printers have 21 industrial 3D printing patents from Stratasys® including: 100°C heated chamber Part dimensional accuracy ± 0.2mm (± 0.007in) Stratasys® SR30 Support Material Compatible with all 3rd party filament Nylon 12 Carbon Fiber, PC ABS, ASA and many more... To kick things off, Cimquest is running a promotion with MakerBot. Click below to claim a 25% discount on the Method Series. Claim the discount
Extended Free Mastercam University Classes
Mastercam is extending their free Mastercam University classes until the end of June 2021! Since we are still in the midst of the Covid pandemic you may still be experiencing more downtime than usual. Why not make the most of it and expand your Mastercam knowledge and skill? The free classes offered are listed below. Free courses for Mastercam Mill: Mastercam 2019 - 2D Mill - For anyone still using Mastercam 2019, this course will focus on delivering a foundation in Mastercam 2D milling to start you on the right path to success. You will learn the steps needed to take a digital file all the way to the shop floor. Mastercam 2020 - 2D Mill - Mastercam 2020 delivers a cutting-edge suite of CAM tools to keep you at the forefront of today's rapidly evolving manufacturing technology. For anyone using the current version of Mastercam, this course will provide you with a solid understanding of 2D milling. Mastercam 2019 - 3D Mill - Also for Mastercam 2019 users, this course is recommended after you have completed Mastercam 2019 - 2D Mill to expand your foundation in milling to include principles of 3D programming and machining. Mastercam 2020 - 3D Mill - Mastercam [...]
New Dates for Xpand3D Manufacturing and Design Event
The xpand3D event will take place virtually April 20 & 21 We decided to push this virtual event off by a couple of months. We have been busy gathering content and we know that the further we push it off, the more great content we will be able to provide. Also, given the fact that Covid is going to prevent the previously scheduled spring in-person trade shows, this virtual gathering will nicely fill the gap in manufacturing events. At this virtual event you will have the opportunity to learn about the latest developments in 3D Printing, CNC Programming & Machining, 3D Scanning, Inspection and more with our . . . Integrated Live Streaming All of our keynote presentations will be live-streamed and you will be able to watch them in real-time. With over 20 exhibitors on individual Live Streams, you can engage directly with specialists through the Live Chat and explore the latest tech. Educational Sessions and Panels Take a deep dive into various disciplines and gain insight into real-world practices through a variety of different breakout sessions. We set strict requirements and review all presentations prior to the event, ensuring that all content is primarily educational and not product-focused. There will be [...]
The Importance of Scan Alignment to Nominal CAD Model for Inspection
While many tend to use Best Fit alignments for inspection, the truth is that the alignment method may not provide the most accurate inspection results. When using a Best Fit alignment process, you are relying on the inspection software to understand the design intent and align the scan of the manufactured part properly to the nominal CAD model. If datums aren’t provided to use for alignment by the inspection drawing or PMI model, you would probably want to take some of the tightest or most critical dimensioned features and tie them into the inspection alignment criteria as their size and/or location would prove critical for fit and function of the final assembly. For example, among the most critical dimensions for assembling of the example cover below are the center bore and the mounting face on the bottom of the cover. The center bore is perhaps the single most important feature to have in the correct location and size to ensure proper symmetry and operation of the final assembly. A flush fit of the mounting face is nearly as critical to ensure a proper location of the cover along the centerline bore axis. Of slightly less importance is the one angled mounting tab (near [...]
New GARR TOOL Library Available for Mastercam
Import a full line of GARR cutting tools directly into your Mastercam toolpath operations. CNC Software, Inc., developers of Mastercam, the world’s leading CAD/CAM software, has announced a new partnership with GARR TOOL to provide their complete line of cutting tools as a native, Mastercam tool library. GARR TOOL is an ISO 9001:2015-certified manufacturer of high-performance solid carbide cutting tools, 100% made in the United States. GARR TOOL produces over 14,000 tools a day at its facility, with a focus on end mills, drills, reamers, and roughers. “We’re excited to offer the complete cutting tool line from GARR TOOL in a native Mastercam tool library format, and make it available to our user base of over 280,000,” said Stas Mylek, Partnership Program Manager, CNC Software, Inc. “The collaborative effort between both companies provides Mastercam users easy and integrated access to the latest high-performance cutting tools from GARR TOOL,” Mylek continued. Mastercam users can download the GARR TOOL cutting tool library, containing both inch and metric tools, from the Mastercam Tech Exchange. The native, Mastercam 3D tool database is fully compatible with Mastercam 2019, 2020, and the latest Mastercam 2021 release. The new library features over 11,000 GARR end mills, drills, reamers, and roughers, [...]