CAD/CAM release Module Works 2023.04 with new control options

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Software company Module Works announces the 2023.04 release of its digital manufacturing software components. This first major release of 2023 offers several new options for controlling the machining parameters across different subtractive and additive processes.

The latest release of Module Works’ CAD/CAM software offers a range of new options for the deburring, roughing and finishing cycles offer flexibility and control for 5 axis and rotary machining. Users can choose between the new climb or conventional cutting methods and define the contact point between the tool and the workpiece, e.g. in the middle of the flute. This is relevant for non-ball cutters like chamfer mills where careful control over the cutting conditions creates chamfered edges with a high quality finish.

The new horizontal stepovers for rotary wall finishing users make it possible to add cuts in the shallow, cylindrical areas for a homogeneous finish across the workpiece, eliminating the need for consecutive finishing toolpaths.

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To speed up the programming of roughing and finishing cycles, 3D containments are now generated automatically from the selected floor surface. Applying tilting during the lead-in ramps and defining the start points and tool engagement offers enhanced control over the roughing and finishing process.

The Module Works 5 axis tilting strategies are now available for 6 axis profiling to extend the capabilities of 6 axis robotic applications.

In addition to the Basic, Standard and Professional 3 axis packages, ModuleWorks now offers a package that combines the Module Works 3 axis technology in a single solution. The individual packages are still available and will continue to be developed and supported.

The new unified solution is designed for improved performance and reliability with consistent features available across all cycles. It also provides a simple bridge to 3+2 axis and 5 axis machining and enables ModuleWorks to rapidly develop and deploy new 3 axis features.

The new 2 axis contouring cycle takes a simplified and generic 2D polyline as input and generates a toolpath suitable for plasma and laser cutting processes with specific lead in and lead out motions and parameters to control the feed rate, plasma flow rate and pierce point behaviour.

For 2D profiling it is now possible to select an array of curves in a single operation and change the offsets, draft angles, cutting sides and machining heights for each curve. This eliminates the need to create multiple operations for individual curves.

Multi-axis additive toolpaths traverse numerous deposition layers that build up the part or fill a cavity inside a part. The properties of each deposition layer depend on the type of process being used, which means parameters such as the step over or depth can vary with each new layer. To provide more process flexibility and control, users can now select a polyline to define the start point of each layer.

A newly added function determines the triangulation tolerance of a given mesh with respect to the input surface. This is useful for validating a toolpath calculation input mesh.

It works like this: Most toolpaths are based on meshes, and the cut tolerance defines the accuracy of the toolpath for a given mesh. If the mesh is not triangulated correctly, the cut tolerance is no longer valid. With this new feature, the Mesh Tool Kit can now validate the mesh quality with respect to the cut tolerance.

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