UK NEWS

Rodin Uses Creo Integrated CAD and Simulation Solution

Rodin Motorsport is using PTC’s Creo integrated CAD and simulation solution to find valuable fractions of a second on the racetrack, drawing on a relationship with PTC spanning almost 20 years. 

The Surrey-based team, which employs 60 people at its Farnham headquarters, recently used Creo to optimise the aerodynamics of a previous-generation FIA Formula 3 car for the demanding Guia Circuit in Macau. The street circuit combines tight, technical corners requiring downforce with a 1.2 km straight where low drag is critical. 

With Formula 3 regulations preventing Rodin from producing new rear-wing components, engineers created a detailed 3D model in Creo and used ‘Flow Analysis’ and ‘Creo Simulate’ to assess pressure distribution, downforce and drag in both DRS configurations. 

The team evaluated 10 wing-flap angles in half-degree increments, with each scenario taking around 15 minutes to generate. The resulting aerodynamic data was fed into lap-time simulation to establish the optimum compromise between cornering performance and straight-line speed. 

The analysis showed that increasing the flap angle by just half a degree slightly reduced grip but lowered drag sufficiently to improve straight-line performance. Combined with the lap simulation, this indicated a potential improvement of up to 0.25 seconds. 

“Everything comes back to improving lap time,” states Benn Huntingford, sporting director at Rodin Motorsport. “Our lap simulation indicated a potential improvement of up to 0.25 seconds, which is significant when every fraction of a second counts.” 

Technical director David Brown adds that without Creo, each variation would have required physical parts, wind-tunnel time and additional testing, turning 10 iterations into a process lasting days or weeks. 

Rodin is now extending its use of Creo as it expands into Formula Regional and GT racing, giving more engineers access to integrated design and simulation while connecting digital designs with in-house additive manufacturing. 

More information www.ptc.com  

Open Mind’s HyperMILL CAM Transforms Operations at Vigour

Founded in 2015, Coventry-based Vigour Ltd has grown from a single five-axis machining centre into a specialist manufacturer of complex, tight-tolerance components. From the outset, the company has relied on Open Mind’s hyperMILL CAM software to support its demanding work. 

Founder and managing director Ashley Hatton identified an opportunity to differentiate Vigour by adopting five-axis machining and CADCAM from day one, at a time when much of the subcontract market remained focused on three-axis machining and programming at the machine control. The company now operates four full five-axis machines, including three automated DMG Mori eVo 50 models. 

Hatton had previously used hyperMILL during his career in Formula 1 and chose the software for its reliability, robustness and fast calculation times. “My business is built around hyperMILL; it’s been a pillar of success for the company,” he says. 

A key benefit is Vigour’s ability to program while machines are cutting. Hatton typically programs the initial roughing operations in around 15 minutes, allowing the machine to start cutting while he develops subsequent roughing and finishing strategies. This approach maximises spindle utilisation and minimises machine downtime. 

Confidence in hyperMILL’s simulation is central to the process. “There’s no single-blocking or prove-outs anymore,” says Hatton. “We run the simulation in the software. Once it’s gone through that with no collisions, it’s on the machine and running.” 

Vigour specialises in components that demand difficult machining, challenging materials and complex geometry. Its recent work includes MAR-M247 turbine wheels and complex 17-4PH H900 compressor wheels for micro gas turbine applications. These rotating assemblies require shaft-to-wheel runout of less than 5 µm across the complete assembly, demonstrating the precision achievable through Vigour’s five-axis and hyperMILL-based approach. 

More information www.openmind-tech.com

CAMIO 2026 Launches with Renishaw REVO Five-Axis Integration

LK Metrology has unveiled a major release of its proprietary CAMIO software for programming, analysis and reporting on co-ordinate measuring machines (CMMs). CAMIO 2026 R1 advances multi-sensor metrology with comprehensive support for Renishaw’s REVO five-axis scanning probe system. 

The development enables manufacturers to combine REVO’s synchronised five-axis motion with CAMIO’s advanced inspection capabilities for complex measurement tasks. Users can program and execute REVO inspection routines directly within CAMIO, including advanced strategies such as sweep scanning and head touches. 

CAMIO optimises probe motion and measurement paths to reduce inspection times while maintaining accuracy. Its intuitive interface and offline programming capabilities also allow the creation, verification and optimisation of inspection routines before deployment on the CMM, helping improve productivity and minimise machine downtime. 

“We always strive to give manufacturers the freedom to choose the right metrology hardware for every application, without changing the way they program and inspect parts,” says Jonathan Rich, CAMIO product manager. “Support for the REVO five-axis system is another important step in delivering an open metrology platform that adapts to the user’s manufacturing environment.” 

CAMIO’s plug-and-play interoperability with REVO-equipped CMMs also allows manufacturers to use a single inspection software platform across mixed-brand machines, providing a consistent programming and inspection environment while reducing software lock-in. 

Compatibility with REVO-equipped CMMs is achieved using the industry-standard I++/DME client/server architecture. CAMIO operates as the I++ client, communicating with the UCC controller’s I++ server over a standard TCP/IP network. This standards-based approach avoids proprietary software or hardware modifications, simplifying integration while allowing manufacturers to maximise their existing metrology infrastructure. 

More information www.lkmetrology.com

JWA CNC Precision Overcomes Complexity with Mastercam  

JWA CNC Precision is demonstrating how the right CAM technology can help manufacturers consistently and profitably manage complex components and demanding tolerances. The UK subcontractor produces around 2000 different components each year from a catalogue of 9000, with tolerances routinely reaching 5 µm. 

Working predominantly with non-ferrous materials, including aluminium, stainless steel, plastics and composites, Leicester-based JWA supplies one-off and medium-batch components for aerospace, defence and green energy applications.  

For more than 20 years, JWA has relied on Mastercam software as the foundation of its manufacturing infrastructure. Technical director Tim Shillabeer, who has extensive experience with multiple CAM platforms, says the software’s widespread use provides access to extensive knowledge and support, as well as training resources. 

However, JWA has gone beyond simply ‘using’ Mastercam. The company has developed standardised programming and set-up procedures that enable trained operators to move between jobs and machines with confidence. New employees can become proficient quickly, while annual refresher training helps maintain skills across the workforce. 

“As a long-time user of Mastercam, we’ve ironed out so many little nuances that work really well for us,” says Shillabeer. 

This standardisation has reduced machine downtime, shortened gaps between jobs, and eliminated hours lost through programming and set-up variations. It also enables JWA to respond rapidly to new manufacturing challenges using established libraries, defaults and processes. 

Describing the company as being “quite at the advanced end of the scale” in its use of Mastercam, managing director Pete Wood says the approach has helped JWA maintain demanding quality standards while scaling its operations. It has also supported the company’s achievement of AS9100 certification and created a flexible, skilled workforce capable of handling its diverse production requirements. 

More information www.mastercam.com 

New AIRPlan 

Atlas Copco Compressors has launched AIRPlan in the UK, a new service that gives customers access to a managed compressed air and gas solution without the high upfront investment costs associated with purchasing equipment outright. AIRPlan has been developed for businesses that need to invest in their utility room, but have limited CAPEX available or do not want to own and manage compressed air assets directly. At a time when investment budgets are under scrutiny, AIRPlan gives manufacturers a more flexible route to reliable, energy-efficient compressed air and gas supply. 

More information www.hubs.li/Q04wv3zC0