Software makes plane business sense
A
Delcam product story
Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team
Feb 21, 2005
Delcam's Power Solution CADCAM software, together with technical support from the local reseller Multicam, has enabled Gustavo Campana to turn his passion for model planes into a successful business.
Delcam's Power Solution CADCAM software, together with technical support from the local reseller Multicam, has enabled Gustavo Campana to turn his passion for model planes into a successful business.
Campana, one of the ten leading international racers of the 3m-long planes, had previously built his planes with imported kits, mainly from the USA, France or Germany.
Now, he has used his knowledge of the planes and his popularity within the sport to establish his own company, JetGus, and begun manufacturing models in his native Argentina.
The planes, which are operated by remote control, can reach speeds of some 400km/h in competition.
They are also high quality replicas, full of very fine details that make them look real.
For his first project, Campana created a model of a Katana plane, which is used for acrobatic flights, for the USA firm Planesplus, one of the most important companies in the replica business.
With help from Multicam, Campana created a model of the whole plane in the PowerShape hybrid modelling software from cross-sections of the fuselage and wings.
This initial design was then refined, following airflow analysis and discussions with the customer over both technical and aesthetic aspects.
Once the final design has been approved, the model was split with PowerShape into the various pieces to be supplied in the kit.
Delcam's PowerMill CAM system was then used to machine a foam copy of each component.
These were assembled with the engine into a fully functional prototype, which flew successfully at the first attempt.
With the design proven, moulds for the various components were designed in PowerShape and machined with PowerMill.
The flexibility of the software ensured that even very fine details could be defined and machined accurately.
Once the moulds were finished and the first parts produced, Delcam's PowerInspect software was used to inspect them, both to ensure that the overall design had been captured faithfully and also to guarantee that the various pieces would fit together easily.
"With the help of Delcam's Power Solution the whole process was done in a fifth of the time that would normally needed", Campana estimated.
"In addition, we have produced a higher quality model, which is just as important to our customers".
His estimate of the time savings was supported by Don Kank, a Director of Planesplus.
"Traditionally, this kind of project by our established suppliers would have taken three to four months", he claimed.
"JetGus went from receiving the contract to delivering the initial model in less than a month".
Not what you're looking for? Search the site.
Contact Delcam
Tel +44 121 683 1081
Other Delcam stories
-
Software helps Chinese trains run on time
Power Solution CADCAM software has helped China's Changchun Railway Vehicle Co to meet Government targets for better trains capable of operating at higher speeds. -
Software brings reverse engineering to chocolate
Since 1999, Kaupert, a leading German manufacturer of chocolate moulds, has used Delcam software for the design of all its polycarbonate tooling. -
Software speeds complex composite parts to market
Power Solution software is helping Italian composites manufacturer Plyform to reduce both costs and time to market. -
Software helps bring monumental clock together
Delcam's Power Solution software has been used in the creation of a mechanical clock designed to keep precise time for 10,000 years. -
Software produces model armies at the double
Moving to Power Solution CADCAM software has enabled Games Workshop to reduce dramatically the time taken to manufacture the moulds used to produce its models.
Articles by product category
- Consultancy and Services (905)
- Machine Building (4,542)
-
Engineering Design Software (6,205)
- Engineering Design Software (12)
- 2D CAD software (201)
- 3D CAD software (1,159)
- FEA and structural analysis software (372)
- Fluid, thermal, noise, vibration software (334)
- Simulation, modelling, validation software (919)
- Rendering, visualisation, styling software (198)
- Materials design and moulding design software (152)
- Process, instrumentation, automation software (260)
- Electrical design software (165)
- Publishing and documentation software (230)
- Maths, charting, statistics, QA software (318)
- Data, document management software (312)
- CAM, CNC, production management software (571)
- File conversion software, data capture (352)
- PLM and collaboration software (650)
-
Drives, Motors and Controls (3,373)
- Drives, Motors and Controls (1)
- Precision Motors and Gears (414)
- Industrial Drives/Controls (1,278)
- Linear Drives and Motors (114)
- Industrial Motors (498)
- Stepper and Servo Drives, Motors, Controls (1,066)
- Small Mechanical Components, Joining, Tools (1,982)
-
Control and Instrumentation (5,042)
- Plantwide control (1,330)
- Plant- and Machine-Wide Communications (1,178)
- Smaller-Sized PLCs (388)
- CNC and Motion Controllers (184)
- Mid-range and Large PLCs (202)
- Power Supplies, Uninterruptible Power (563)
- HMIs/Operator Interfaces (294)
- Logic Controllers, Timers and Relays (96)
- Cabling, Conduit, Signal Conditioning (807)
-
Monitoring, Measurement and Quality (5,488)
- Monitoring, Measurement and Quality (1)
- Data acquisition Software and Communications (495)
- Data Acquisition Hardware and PC I/O Boards (473)
- Electrical and Electronic Testing, PAT Equipment (631)
- Form/co-ordinate, optical, vision instruments (715)
- Gauges, Indicators and Instruments (442)
- Data loggers (423)
- Materials testing equipment (418)
- Telecomms/network test equipment, software etc (154)
- Testing and Calibration Services and Information (508)
- Testing, analysing and monitoring equipment (1,228)
-
Electrical and Electronic Equipment Design (4,178)
- Batteries, chargers and circuit protection (558)
- Connectors, Terminals, Busbars, Slip Rings (684)
- Enclosures and Equipment Cooling Fans (709)
- Knobs, Handles and Enclosure Hardware (424)
- PCs and Embedded Systems (803)
- Electrical and Electronic Subassemblies (370)
- Electrical and Electronic Components (630)
-
Materials and Processing (2,973)
- Materials and Processing (5)
- Materials and components (2,223)
- Rapid Prototyping (458)
- Materials processing and testing (287)
-
Engineering Industry News, Resources (6,101)
- Engineering Industry News, Resources (4)
- Engineering Business News, Views (388)
- Engineering Exhibitions, Events (563)
- Engineering Conferences (425)
- Engineering Seminars (401)
- Engineering Industry Developments, Awards (633)
- Engineering Guides, Newsletters (350)
- Engineering Recruitment, Employment (219)
- Engineering Training Courses (435)
- Engineering Education, Resources, Standards (840)
- Engineering Industry Reports, Surveys (597)
- Electronic Resources for Engineers (278)
- Health and Safety Legislation (402)
- Health and Safety Strategy, Risk Assessment (113)
- Health and Safety Consultancy, Software (175)
- Health and Safety Events, Training, News (278)
-
Powertrain Design (3,624)
- Powertrain Design (2)
- Bearings (948)
- Chains and belts (327)
- Gears, brakes, couplings and engines (1,447)
- Hydraulic Components (471)
- Lubricants (428)
-
Capital Equipment (3,398)
- Capital Equipment (1)
- Manufacturing Machinery and Plant Equipment (468)
- Production line blowers and fans (62)
- Compressors and Air Treatment (512)
- Electronics Manufacturing, Tools, Instruments (192)
- Electrical hardware (131)
- Machinery and Production Equipment (1,098)
- Robotics, Handling and Storage (934)
-
Sensors (7,110)
- Sensors (8)
- Accelerometers and Vibration Sensors (430)
- Loadcells, Force Sensors, Torque Sensors (705)
- Pressure sensors (623)
- Flowmeters and Flow Sensors (619)
- Level Sensors and Leak Detectors (528)
- Linear Position Sensors (403)
- Rotary Position, Tilt and Angular Sensors (549)
- Proximity Sensors (705)
- Gas, Chemical, Radiation, Magnetic Sensors (285)
- Humidity and Environmental Sensors (153)
- Temperature sensors (612)
- Vision and Colour Sensors (1,387)
- Barcode Sensors (103)
- Valves, Pumps, Process Hardware (3,639)
