FEATURE ON CNC & CAM

CADCAM delivers major productivity gains for Nova  

Nova Laboratories’ investment in BobCAD-CAM software and associated programmer training from Mills CNC’s Training Academy, is improving the productivity and process efficiencies of its in-house machine shop. Now, high-precision components used in the company’s pharmaceutical processing and production machinery and equipment, both for its own licensed products and its contract manufacturing operations, are being machined faster, more accurately and more cost-efficiently.

To get the most from its CNC machine tools, and to fully exploit their capabilities and potential, particularly with regard to the new Puma 2100Y multi-tasking turning centre, it became clear that investment in a powerful and flexible CADCAM package was required.

Explains machinist Steven Potter: “We had already invested in CAM software to create programs for the DNM 500 but needed something different and more bespoke for the Puma 2100Y.”

Potter researched the market and drew up a checklist detailing the specific CADCAM attributes and features required.

“Although we’d heard of BobCAD-CAM, we didn’t really know much about it, so we contacted Darren Clarke, BobCAD-CAM product manager at the Mills CNC Training Academy. We liked what we saw in a presentation and, because the Academy is a licenced UK reseller of the software, staff there could also deliver on-site BobCAD-CAM training to get us up and running.”

Based on the strengths of the BobCAD-CAM system itself, its affordability and the support provided by the CNC Training Academy, Nova Laboratories made the decision to invest in BobCAD-CAM software – and hasn’t looked back since -driving major productivity gains across its operations.

More information www.millcnc.co.uk

Even better user experience with latest Tebis

For over 40 years, Tebis has provided CAD/CAM/MES software solutions and related services to a wide range of manufacturing sectors. Its knowledge-based machining technology supports database libraries of machine tools, clamping devices, cutting tools with machining parameters, machining features, advanced CNC tool-path templates and machining process templates. This allows the optimal machining practices of customers to be built into Tebis database and shared among CAM engineers, which reduces the work pressure on CAM engineers while ensuring the best results.

Tebis automation combined with Tebis Virtual Machine technology supports machining set up and planning, as well as collision-free CNC tool-path calculation, simulation and verification. This capability is especially beneficial to customers for 2.5D to 5-axis milling, trimming, laser cutting and mill-turning, along with robotic machining.

With its latest release, Tebis has taken a significant step forward in improving user experience. The software is now more intuitive and accessible than ever before, thanks to thoughtful improvements across its interface and functionality.

A key highlight is the new ‘WebHelp’ feature, which allows users to access Tebis Help instantly through any internet browser. This functionality means that whether users are at their workstations or working remotely, help is always just a click away. In addition, the development team has carried out extensive optimisation of the software base and quality management – the processes are now more efficient than ever.

Another advance involves high-efficiency adaptive roughing, where cavities can now be machined more cost-effectively with an adaptive path layout without full-cut machining. This capability ensures constant material contact, resulting in shorter machine run times and longer tool life.

More information www.tebis.com

Vericut cuts granite machining risks at Reitz

Reitz Natursteintechnik KG is an expert in the planning, design and manufacturing of highly precise machine components made from granite. To ensure efficient and above all safe processing, the company takes advantage of Vericut simulation software to deliver process-reliable production and reduced workload for employees.

Christopher Reitz is the company’s fourth generation managing director. His mission? To place customer needs even more at the centre of the 140-employeee company, which serves sectors such as semiconductor, optics, general mechanical engineering, automation, metrology, printing and medical technology.

The granite workpieces vary in size up to 13 m, weighing up to 65 tonnes. Processing such blocks precisely means Reitz relies almost exclusively on machines developed and built in-house: four gantry-type milling machines and two five-axis gantry machines, all controlled by Siemens 840D. To ensure safe, fast and precise machining, the company uses Vericut simulation software.

“Granite is a natural product, so the surface is never perfectly flat,” says Reitz. “To prevent tool collisions during processing, we developed a process with Vericut that virtually eliminates this risk.”

Adds René Maschlanka, responsible for sales and project management at Reitz: “Vericut eliminates the need for manual set up, saves valuable operator time and protects our machines. Now our programmers and operators are far more relaxed – they know their programs will run safely, with no crashes.”

Some machining processes at Reitz can take over 40 hours. Previously, the operator had to stand by the entire time. Now, they run the simulation on a PC, press start and only check in occasionally.

More information www.vericut.com

Lantek delivers top service for DMS Laser Profiles

For laser cutting specialist DMS Laser Profiles, fast and accurate quotation preparation, easy program generation for its Trumpf lasers and responsive aftersales support were the key reasons the company chose to replace its existing system with Lantek software in May 2024.

Based in Maidenhead, the company specialises in stainless steel fabrication primarily in the petrochemical, process engineering, pharmaceutical, food and water sectors. Initially, DMS Laser Profiles subcontracted laser cutting but moved this in-house in the early 2000s to improve supply line security and reliability.

Sales manager Josh Hall says: “We generate around 230 quotations every month and have checked the costs generated by Lantek against the actual costs and it’s really quite accurate. Additionally, during installation and commissioning, where the costs did not line up, Lantek engineers quickly fixed any discrepancies.”

As well as costs for laser cutting, Lantek’s Integra Quotes software generates prices for other operations such as folding and welding, as well as outsourced operations such as powder coating. It also generates invoices for completed work and integrates with the company’s accounting software.

Typically, CAD data for a new job is either fed into Lantek Expert for flattening, or where there is an assembly of parts, processed in SolidWorks to get the individual flattened components. Around 11 dedicated estimators and programmers use the Lantek software, pre-nesting parts into 2.5 x 1.25m or 3 x 1.5m sheets as part of the quotation process, prior to final nesting and programming when the job is released for production.

Hall says: “With Lantek, we can track parts back to the individual sheet, which is important for ISO traceability requirements.”

More information www.lantek.com

ModuleWorks unveils 2025.04 Software Components

ModuleWorks has launched the 2025.04 release of its software components for digital manufacturing. This latest release of the ModuleWorks SDK (software development kit) includes new and enhanced features designed to enhance process safety, improve tool-path generation efficiency and increase part quality.

For example, take multi-axis edge finishing in deburring operations and the introduction of a user-defined edge sequence. With automatic sorting, it is often difficult to meet the deburring requirements of each part because the pre-defined order does not always match the specific needs of the job. The ModuleWorks 2025.04 release introduces a practical alternative to automatic sorting: users can now preserve the input order of the curves, with the resulting tool path sorted accordingly. This capability gives users more flexibility, enabling them to machine edges in their preferred sequence to improve overall machining efficiency and precision. 

On the same subject, ModuleWorks 2025.04 introduces automatic machining direction. Previously, determining the appropriate machining direction for three- and four-axis tool paths often led to sub-optimal ordering, resulting in discontinuous tool paths. ModuleWorks 2025.04 contains a new option called ‘automatic machining direction’ that takes the contour direction into account to ensure optimal ordering. This makes deburring tool paths more user-friendly while also reducing cycle time. 

As a further enhancement, three-axis machining now benefits from corner peg removal for constant cusp. Generating a consistent surface finish in corner regions is often hampered by pattern collapse and corner smoothing. The intelligent corner peg removal solution tackles problematic cusps where the pattern collapses or corner smoothing shifts the tool path. This new approach automatically adds strategic peg loops in corner areas, ensuring smooth, consistent results and minimising the need for manual polishing.

More information www.bit.ly/43fBmT5