SmartCAM surface machining functionality has been improved to provide greater control when using surface avoidance.

The Specify Machining Groups dialog contains two new options that are helpful when using an avoidance surface group. These allow either the Finish Allowance to be applied to the avoidance surfaces, or a separate Avoid Allowance to be specified.

When using previously finished surfaces for avoidance, specifying a larger Avoid Allowance than the Finish Allowance ensures the avoided surfaces are not contacted by the tool when finishing the neighboring surfaces. These new options can be used for Straight, Projected, Roughing, and Contour surface machining operations.

The Parametric Method for Lead In/Out has been updated to include an option to specify lead line and arc angles using an absolute angle convention.

This makes it very easy to create leads that follow a particular axis, regardless of the orientation of the profile, and is extremely useful in turning applications, where it is sometimes desirable to enter or withdraw along the tool angle.

For complete details of the Lead In/Out improvements in SmartCAM v15.5, please see the V15 Lead In-Lead Out Improvements page.

SmartCAM v15.0 has been upgraded to the ACIS R18.0 solid modeling kernel. This upgrade changes how surface and solid information is stored in the model file, and ensures compatibility with solid models created by current CAD systems.

SmartCAM's surface checking and diagnostics have been improved to include a new Heal option. Healing detects and repairs certain types of model defects, and where possible simplifies surface definitions. For example it will replace general NURBS representations of cylinders with simple analytic ACIS cones. Healing will automatically "stitch" individual surface bodies into solid bodies.

Healing may be performed in two manners, during surface import, or manually on surfaces in the active group.

The Heal functionality ensures subsequent SmartCAM operations provide the best possible results, and that functionality only applicable to solids is available. For example, IGES surface models can now use the From Solid - Hole function, which requires a solid model and holes represented as ACIS Cones.

New Process - Rough routine has been added to SmartCAM Advanced WireEDM for generating multiple skim-cut passes. Based on an existing layer profile, each of the skim cuts can use a different operation Step, with different machining parameters.

Version 15 has been updated to print graphics with darker colors and user-controlled line width, providing greater graphic clarity.

Several new functionally-specific machine and template files have been added to SmartCAM. They highlight specific SmartCAM code generation capabilities.

The License Manager tool can now read your license key strings directly from a text file, making the task of inputting license keys simple and easy.

For complete details on any of these features, please see your SmartCAM application help files, or contact SmartCAMcnc sales.