One of TopSolid'Cam's greatest forces is its capacity to manage all machining processes thereby making it one of the only CAM solutions on the market which is able to machine all parts

TopSolid'Cam is capable of piloting turning, 2 axes milling, 3 axis milling, 4 and 5 axis continued milling, 4 and 5 axis continued turning, synchronisation and complex simulation. Today, the optimisation of the digital calculation of objects has led designers to create shapes which can only be made by using machines able to operate in 5 continuous axis.

Before looking at what TopSolid'Cam proposes for the machining of such parts, let's take a look at the 2 main cases where continuous 5 axis machining is used:.

* Machining of parts which cannot be made without a 5 axis machine tool.

In general 5 axis machining is required to manage accessibility constraints to certain areas of the part and means that the part cannot be made on machines with fewer axis.

* Machining of parts which can be carried out on 3 axis machines.

In this case the main reason behind using a 5 axis machine (when the part could in fact be machined on a 3 axis machine) is to allow the use of shorter tools which offer better cutting conditions and thereby reduce manufacturing times.

Spinning wheels, aeronautical parts, air ducts of certain cylinder heads are some examples of parts which can only be manufactured using a 5 axis machine tool.

TopSolid'Cam offers 2 main strategies for the machining of such parts:.

* 5 axis sweeping - with this machining method, the tool never works at the extremity, where the cutting speed is worst.

Accessibility problems to certain areas of the part are eliminated and thereby turnaround times are reduced.

* Swarf machining - This machining method limits the number of machining passes by using the side of the tool instead of its extremity.

Machining is therefore cleaner and faster.

For parts which may be machined on a 3 axis machine, TopSolid'Cam offers the possibility to transform a classical 3 axis toolpath into a 5 axis toolpath.

This option permits the use of shorter tools which offers better cutting conditions, a reduction of possible vibrations and a significant reduction in machining times.

(This function is frequently used by mold makers, for whom the automatic management of collisions, now available in TopSolid'Cam, is very important.

This means that the tool orientation is automatically modified in the case of a collision or rubbing with the part.) We have seen that TopSolid'Cam offers continuous 5 axis machining solutions to its customers which reduce machining times, increase part quality and reduce tool costs.

TopSolid'Cam also proposes other powerful functions which are essential for continuous 5 axis machining: * Collision management: TopSolid'Cam automatically modifies the orientation angles of tools in order to avoid collisions.

* Simulation: simulation is a key issue in all machining processes, especially in continuous 5 axis machining.

TopSolid'Cam manages all interoperation movements, collision prevention, axes movements, rest material, etc Unlike many CAM solutions on the market today, TopSolid'Cam does not only simulate the tool but also the machine and the part and thereby permits a good machining of the part.

TopSolid'Cam manages all machining processes from 2D to 5 axis machining.

One of the main interests of TopSolid'Cam is the richness of functionalities it offers to its operators.

The sub-contractor who today works in 2D may, in the future, need to machine complex 5 axis parts in order to stay competitive.

With TopSolid'Cam such a company can take on new complex parts with TopSolid'Cam without the fear of having to change software if its work processes change.