CAM Software Connects Directly to Cloud-Based Tool Databases

Delcam has released the 2016 R2 version of its PartMaker software for programming CNC mills, lathes, wire EDMs, turn-mills and Swiss-type lathes. This version expands the software’s cloud connectivity, offers seamless integration to the new Multi-Channel Editor and enhances the software’s five-axis milling functionality, among other improvements.

Users can now directly download data and select the right tooling for each application from a vendor-specific tool database that resides on the cloud. The tool or tools chosen from the selected vendor’s database are automatically downloaded in a format ready to use in PartMaker. This interface to cloud-based tooling data is intended to be quick, intuitive and highly productive, the company says.

The software also offers seamless integration to the PartMaker Multi-Channel Editor. The user can set the Multi-Channel Editor as the default CNC editor and launch the app directly from a PartMaker CAM session. The app can recognize exactly what multi-channel turn-mill or Swiss-type lathe the user is programming and apply that intelligence to enable dynamic alignment of any synchronized operations.

Other improvements in this version include enhancements for four- and five-axis milling on vertical machining center as well as for broaching functionality. The software includes the 2016 edition of PartMaker Modeling which expands that application’s direct modeling functionality.