ADDITIONAL PRODUCT NEW

Industry First, Patented Pin Positioned Electric Valve Gate

Plastic Engineering & Technical Services recently announced an industry-first, patented Pin Positioned Electric Valve Gate that allows the molder the opportunity for unlimited processing control and to dictate the flow of plastic resins throughout a plurality of gates at the users specifications.

The unlimited family molding capability delivers energy savings, expands the processing window and improves quality control of operating systems. The revolutionary technology is a cost-saving solution that allows the user to open valve gate pins to infinite positions. Plastic Engineering & Technical Services has taken the guess work out of molding and puts control into the hands of the user.

Plastic Engineering & Technical
Services (P.E.T.S)

Auburn Hills, MI · website

3D Systems Introduces Faster Part-Delivery Software

3D Systems Corporation has introduced a new software module, trademarked OptiScan™, that can reduce the build-time of parts up to 34 percent.

OptiScan™ software is a stand-alone module designed to work with 3D Systems’ proprietary Laser Sintering (LS) software. This advanced package optimizes the scanning process by combining cross-sections on each layer to reduce the time it takes to build a part.

Sinterstation® HiQ™ customers with a 70% capacity utilization reported an average of 565 hours of freed-up building capacity per year.

OptiScan™ software will be offered by 3D Systems to all Sinterstation® HiQ™ and Sinterstation® Pro customers who are under maintenance or warranty during the first quarter of 2007.

3D Systems Corp.

Rock Hill, SC · website

Fast Heat Introduces New Mini Junction Box

Junction Boxes from Fast Heat are available in either the long, short or the new mini style formats.

The NEW mini style junction has been specifically designed for single and dual zone applications providing a lost cost solution for such applications.

Features include:

  • Single or Dual Zone

  • Supplied with mounting standoff posts and bolts

  • Small size ideal for small tools

  • Uses HA3 connector standard

  • Available ex-stock

Fast Heat UK, Ltd.

East Sussex, England · website

DP Technology Releases ESPRIT Mold Software

DP Technology, creators of ESPRIT CAM software, released its newest addition to the ESPRIT CAM software family, ESPRIT Mold™, an automated, easy-to-use, robust and powerful 3-axis and 5-axis CAM system.

Utilizing knowledge of in-process stock, remaining material, and integrated simulation and verification, ESPRIT Mold delivers fast, safe and reliable programming for a wide variety of 3D machining applications. With 20 different milling strategies, ESPRIT Mold automatically manages the in-process stock model, allowing the user to combine milling strategies from 2 ½-axis to 5-axis for optimized tool paths.

ESPRIT Mold offers the benefit of automatic continuous 5-axis machining to maximize part quality and cutting speeds while reducing cycle times. ESPRIT Mold’s automatic 5-axis takes any 3-axis tool path (Z level contour finishing, roughing or re/machining, etc.) and automatically converts it into a continuous 5-axis operation.

ESPRIT Mold 3+2 Machining optimizes machining for improved surface finish utilizing A and B axes to incline the cutting tools. The use of shorter, more rigid cutting tools and direct machining of undercut areas is therefore possible. The 3+2 product provides an innovative, simple approach to managing the travel limits of the machining and an easy-to-use method to control the tool inclination and indexing angles.

DP Technology

Camarillo, CA · website

New PowerMILL Options from Delcam

Delcam has rationalized the wide range of functionality within its PowerMILL CAM system into four options; the standard PowerMILL for companies with conventional machine tools, and these three additional versions:

  • PowerMILL Pro, which provides extra strategies for high-speed machining,

  • PowerMILL 3+2 for the programming of positional five-axis machines, and

  • PowerMILL 5-axis for continuous five-axis operations.

All of the options can be supplied with the new integrated data repair program, PowerMILL Modeling, the PS-Exchange range of data translation software, and a choice from Delcam’s comprehensive selection of post-processors for all leading machine tools.

The PowerMILL Pro version includes extra strategies such as trochoidal machining, parametric offset machining and Delcam’s patented Race Line machining. The 3+2 option can be added to either PowerMILL or PowerMILL Pro. This includes all the milling and drilling strategies needed to maximize the productivity of positional five-axis machine tools. PowerMILL 5-Axis has been developed to allow fast, efficient programming of the most demanding machining applications, such as engine ports, blades and blisks and aerostructures. Options for both roughing and finishing include machining to or from a point, orientation through a line or curve, programming using a reference surface and swarf machining from either surfaces or wireframe geometry.

Delcam North America

Windsor, Ontario, Canada · website