Toolmaking software supports multiple CAD types

A PTC - Parametric Technology (UK) product story

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Jul 12, 2007

Pro/Toolmaker enables companies to reduce scrap costs, increase product quality, decrease production time, and deliver products to market faster.

PTC has released Pro/Toolmaker 8.1.

Since its acquisition of NC Graphics in May 2007, PTC has focused on delivering a complete solution for optimised tool making and high-speed, precision machining processes.

Pro/Toolmaker is a stand-alone software application that provides multi-CAD support to enable fully associative, reliable NC toolpath programming for Pro/Engineer and other CAD systems.

Toolmakers require best-in-class solutions to meet the challenging demands of their discrete manufacturing customers and to compete in a global marketplace.

Additionally, the ability to create moulds and dies quickly and accurately is important to the manufacturing process and overall product development process.

Historically these tools have been created in 2D CAD environments, but are increasingly being designed in 3D CAD/CAM systems.

With its optimised high-speed machining capabilities, Pro/Toolmaker will offer manufacturing engineers and machinists a powerful package of NC programming capabilities that include NC post-processing and tooling libraries in a single product.

Pro/Toolmaker enables companies to reduce scrap costs, increase product quality, decrease production time, and deliver products to market faster.

Pro/Toolmaker is part of the PTC Product Development System (PDS), and as a result is able to provide a connection between product design and manufacturing.

Pro/Toolmaker and Pro/Engineer NC and tooling solutions will enable designers to work side-by-side with manufacturing engineers which allows for real-time changes to designs that lead to optimal product designs created for manufacturability.

Additionally, toolpath data created using Pro/Toolmaker can be managed in Windchill, PTC's content and process management software, allowing manufacturers to manage all 3D CAD/CAM/CAE information in a centrally located system.

This provides the security and flexibility that designers, tool makers and manufacturers require in order to optimise its product development processes.

"Pro/Toolmaker provides a tighter link between product design and manufacturing which will give us the ability to optimise our toolmaking as it supports the complete product development process", said Brett Mitchell, Director, RP Tooling.

"PTC continues to deliver solutions that are flexible, integral and targeted for our increasingly complex manufacturing requirements".

"Using PTC's solutions enable us to be successful in this dynamic market".

"Pro/Toolmaker is the newest addition to the PTC PDS and delivers an incredible opportunity for manufacturers who want to improve collaboration across the multiple supply chains responsible for toolmaking", said James Heppelmann, Executive Vice President Software Products and Chief Product Officer, PTC.

"When time frames for designing and manufacturing moulds and die tools are reduced, new products can be introduced to market faster".

"A tooling development process integrated with the design and the manufacturing teams results in an increase in product quality and a reduction in scrap costs".

"Through these efficiencies and capabilities, Pro/Toolmaker can enable manufacturers to deliver more complex products faster and with less cost".

Pro/Toolmaker is planned to be available in August 2007 in six languages, including English, German, French, Japanese, Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese.

Italian, Spanish, and Korean versions are expected later in 2007.