Data service means users can stick with own CADs

A Delcam product story
Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Nov 8, 2004

Delcam has added the ability to generate files in the CATIA V5 format from all major CAD file types to its PS-Exchange on-line data translation service.

Delcam has added the ability to generate files in the CATIA V5 format from all major CAD file types to its PS-Exchange on-line data translation service.

Delcam has offered the ability to read CATIA 5 files for more than a year.

It allows subcontractors to use their preferred choice of CADCAM system to manufacture components designed with the software.

In many cases, however, minor modifications to the part are required to aid manufacturability.

For example, fillet radii may need to be increased to ease the flow of material during processing or draft angles might need to be modified to ease the removal of a part from the mould or die.

The customer would then require a model of the modified part for its records and will often need this in the CATIA format.

"Despite the developments in standards like IGES and STEP and the improvements in the many direct data translators on the market, sub-contractors are still under constant pressure to buy the same CAD software that is used by their customers.

This can result in a huge increase in their costs if they need to support a range of customers using different systems.

Furthermore, the systems used by OEM manufacturers are mainly aimed at the design of large and complex assemblies and are not as suitable for tooling design or component manufacture," said Tim Hughes, Delcam's development director with responsibility for PS-Exchange.

"The overall result is higher costs and less efficient machining than is possible from specialist packages developed for smaller manufacturing companies.

The biggest irony is that OEMs are demanding faster delivery and lower costs at the same time as they are forcing sub-contractors to use software that is both slower and more expensive," he added.

Now that sub-contractors could use PS-Exchange both to read and write CATIA 5 files, they could concentrate on using the software that they think would give the greatest productivity and highest quality to their customers, rather than being restricted by data transfer problems, commented Hughes.

Delcam launched PS-Exchange in 1999 when it was the first on-line translation service to use a pay-per-use voucher-based payment system.

That gives two immediate advantages over other translation services.

Firstly, since the translation software is stored on the user's own computer, the system is completely secure, with no chance of sensitive information being intercepted or mailed to an incorrect address.

Secondly, that approach gives much faster results since only a short authorisation code is transferred over the web, not the complete CAD model said Delcam.

Once the authorisation has been obtained, the translation itself should never take more than a few minutes.

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