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.

Moving to Delcam's Power Solution CADCAM software has enabled Games Workshop, the world's largest and the most successful tabletop fantasy and futuristic battle-games company, to reduce dramatically the time taken to manufacture the moulds used to produce its models.

This improvement has come at a critical time for the company as it is currently undertaking a major increase in its production levels to meet the huge growth in global interest in the battle-game hobby.

The addition of the Delcam software is part of Games Workshop's transition from traditional hand modelling and copy milling to all-digital product development.

The new process uses haptic modelling to sculpt new designs of both characters and accessories as three-dimensional computer models.

After approval of the model, it is divided into the individual parts that will make up the assembly kit.

Then the parts and the frame for the kit are exported into Delcam's PowerShape hybrid modeller to be arranged within the mould block so that the split surfaces can be created.

Finally, the complete core and cavity are passed into the PowerMill CAM system for machining.

The first project completed with Delcam software was the Tyranid Carnifex, a highly detailed "living engine of destruction".

The resulting model was rated as "one of the best ever done" by White Dwarf, the magazine devoted to the hobby.

Terry Ardener, who runs Games Workshop's mould-making operation, began the transfer to the new digital techniques two years ago.

This change was linked to a GBP 1.2 million investment in CNC machining, including six Lang engraving machines with spindle speeds up to 60,000rev/min.

The Delcam software was added last November.

"Delcam has completely changed the way we do things for the better", stated Ardener.

"It used to take us weeks to cut a single tool, with up to 400 hours machining on each core and cavity".

"With Delcam, this is down to between 40 and 80 hours depending on the complexity of the model".

With a minimum of 60 new tools manufactured each year for new models, and the average number produced each year nearer to 100 moulds, the overall savings will be massive.

Although the new Lang machines proved capable of engraving the tooling to high accuracy required, disappointing results from the software supplied with the machines meant that the process was little faster than the previous copy milling methods.

"We looked at a number of different alternative packages", remembered Ardener.

"From the start, the Delcam approach was different".

"The other suppliers gave us some very slick, and very convincing, presentations but the Delcam engineer brought a laptop computer and actually produced programs in front of us".

The reliability of the Delcam software is another key benefit.

"We run the machines as close as possible to 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year", said Ardener.

"We don't man the night shift and always try to run unsupervised over the weekend as well".

"The Delcam software has made this possible because there are so few tool breakages".

"We do now have to consider the need to change a tool because of wear".

"We never had to think about this before, as the cutters never lasted long enough for wear to be a problem".

"The support has been exceptional", added Ardener.

"Help has been available whenever we have hit problems or were uncertain over the best way to approach a job".

"Delcam has even supplied some special PCs to speed up the processing".

"With the level of detail to which we work, the file sizes are too large for standard PCs".

The increased efficiency achieved with the Delcam software has released a massive amount of machining capacity on the site.

This will enable duplicate tooling for all the most popular models to be made and shipped to the USA, where demand for the Games Workshop range is rocketing.

In total, around 300 moulds will be scanned and remade.

At the heart of the Games Workshop success story are the millions of gamers, who spend their time collecting, creating, painting and building up their armies from the company's model kits, which they then go on to command against other players on a carefully prepared table-top battlefield.

Their passion for their hobby makes them particularly demanding customers.

The high level of detail and the quality of surface finish that the collectors expect in the finished models is another important factor in the company's toolmaking operations.

"Attention to detail is the main selling point of our ranges", explained Ardener.

"Our customers also demand a level of quality not found in other model kits".

"We use cutters down to 0.1mm tips to achieve the finish needed".

"We face a constant need to produce more detailed models to make sure we remain the best in the world at what we do", concluded Ardener.

"If you look at the models from three or four years ago, you can see that we have moved to a completely different level since then".

"This transformation wouldn't have been possible without the Delcam software".

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