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Integrated CAD/CAM At Its Best |
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S U M M A R Y |
Improved communication between CAD and CAM software
Reinforced Sales and Marketing Team
Communicate on the TopSolid web sites and newsletters
What's New
Customer of the month: Aircelle
TopSolid Tip of the month: TopSolid'Design
Upcoming Events |
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Improved communication between CAD and CAM software |
Designing products that can be easily manufactured is one of the key challenges of companies nowadays. Missler Software's philosophy has always been to make « Designs which can be manufactured » and is the cornerstone of the company's baseline « Integrated CAD/CAM/ERP ». In fact the greater the integration between the design and manufacturing stages the easier it is to manufacture – as we know designs which cannot be manufactured have little real value in today's industrial society. The TopSolid integrated CAD/CAM product range offers complete integration between design (CAD) and manufacturing (CAM) which thereby offers important productivity gains in the industrialization of products. However, what happens when TopSolid'Cam (Missler Software's CAM solution) is used with another CAD package? 2 solutions will be explored in this article: TopSolid'Gmi and model comparison. The need to improve CAD/CAM links The externalisation of certain jobs and the globalisation of many sectors have meant that design and manufacturing tasks are often now carried out by different companies who use different CAD/CAM packages (in addition, these companies are often located hundreds and thousands of kilometres apart). Even if some companies still manage the complete design to manufacturing chain they do not always use functions available in the design stage which would facilitate and optimise subsequent manufacturing. As there are so many different CAD/CAM systems available such companies do not benefit from the full advantages of integrated CAD/CAM. The need to automate the design and manufacturing of parts as much as possible (in order to reduce costs and optimise turnover times) as well as last-minute changes in CAD designs due to shorter cycle times demand a maximum of interoperability between CAD and CAM systems. Manufacturers and sub-contractors are familiar with life-cycle issues relating to their products. In order to respond to many different needs, designs are often changed, even after the manufacturing phase has started. This often happens because design and manufacturing stages are carried out at the same time to be able to deliver end-products as quickly as possible – commonly known as “Concurrent engineering”. Any changes carried out on the design imply, of course, a change to the CAM program. However, as lead-times are increasingly being reduced it is important that companies only spend time amending changes made and in not redoing the entire CAM program. Here are the solutions offered by Missler Software to tighten the links between CAD and CAM systems and thereby reduce time wasted because of concurrent engineering: Naturally enough the best solution to the CAD/CAM communication issue is the use of a fully integrated CAD/CAM solution – i.e. TopSolid, one software which offers both CAD and CAM functions. In this case full communication is guaranteed because only 1 software is used for design and CAM programming for manufacturing. When this option is not possible Missler Software offers 2 alternative solutions to optimise communication between TopSolid'Cam and other CAD software packages:
- TopSolid'Gmi for the automatic machining of features
- Comparison and replacement based on the topological analysis of modified models.
TopSolid'Gmi Many standard interfaces exist to transfer data between CAD and CAM software systems. Such interfaces transfer the dimensional characteristics of CAD models to the CAM software. The major weakness of these interfaces is that they do not transfer the features defined and used by the CAD operator, i.e. the nature and quality of holes, tolerances, etc. are lost. A number of years ago Missler Software created an internal team dedicated to improving the communication between TopSolid and other CAD/CAM software systems on the market. This team is called the “Interoperability Team” and works intensively on the recuperation of CAD features from major CAD packages by TopSolid'Cam. The result of the team's work can be found in the work tool « TopSolid'Gmi » which is a technological interface for CAD systems. TopSolid'Gmi enables the transfer of model geometries, technological data and feature characteristics to TopSolid'Cam. With this information in hand the CAM programmer can automatically assign CAM machining cycles such as drillings, borings, tappings, etc. to features generated by the CAD software. Not only does TopSolid'Cam benefit from all the information contained in the feature from the CAD software but in the case where the part is modified it is no longer necessary to re-program the machining of the part. Thanks to TopSolid'Gmi model changes become associative which means that they are very simply recalculated by TopSolid'Cam in a click of the mouse. TopSolid'Gmi represents, therefore, an optimal means of communication between major CAD solutions and TopSolid'Cam. Missler Software created TopSolid'Gmi to respond to the needs of customers who have particularly important needs in terms of the creation of holes. For those companies who manufacture parts containing many types of different holes it is an essential tool which allows much greater manufacturing automation. Programming times and errors are greatly reduced – Experience shows that errors often happen in the case of the manual change of machining cycles which is no longer necessary thanks to TopSolid'Gmi. Click here for the rest of the article. |
TopSolid guarantees optimal communication with all major CAD and CAM packages
Design and manufacturing stages are often carried out at the same time to ensure delivery of end-products as quickly as possible
There is increasingly a need to strongly link CAD and CAM data in order to reduce lead-times and manufacturing costs. |
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Reinforced Sales and Marketing Teams |
Missler Software is happy to announce that it has reinforced its Sales and Marketing teams with the recruitment of 2 new Channel Managers and a new Marketing Executive. Based in Lyon in France, Patrick Martin and Nicholas Collins are 2 new International Channel Managers who work on a daily basis with the TopSolid network of 75 resellers across the world. With solid channel management experience and the ability to fluently speak English, French and German the TopSolid International team is paving the way for continuing international business growth. Patrick and Nicholas will manage sales territories throughout Europe, the Middle East and South-East Asia. The Marketing team has also been reinforced with the recruitment of Samira Aguelmous, a Marketing executive based in company headquarters in Evry, near Paris. Samira will work with both international resellers and internal sales teams to boost Marketing efforts on a worldwide scale. Thanks to her significant experience working with German companies, Samira will manage all reseller Marketing relations and press relations with the German-speaking world. |
Nicholas Collins |
Patrick Martin |
Samira Aguelmous | |
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Communicate on the TopSolid web sites and newsletters |
You work with TopSolid and you would like us to talk about your company on our web sites or in our upcoming newsletters (sent to more than 15,000 readers each month)? It's easy... All you have to do is send us the following information to info@topsolid.com and we will publish it:
- 1 or more projects designed using TopSolid (high resolution images or if possible native TopSolid projects or in the TopSolid'Viewer format)
- Submitted projects must be free of rights (so that we can communicate about your projects)
- A text briefly explaining what the projet is and giving us some information on your company
Here is the procedure to save an image using TopSolid:
- With the project open click on File, Save as. Choose “Type of file” Image Bitmap
- Click OK. You will see a dialogue box appear
- Choose 3000 x 2000 pixels
- Choose a resolution of at least 300 DPI
- Save your image on a white background
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A Juke-Box designed using TopSolid by the company Tram-Design for company Chantec
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What's New |
New offices for AdeQuate Solutions |
Adequate Solutions, a TopSolid VAR since 2003, celebrated the opening of its new offices at the beginning of October. The German VAR, based in the South of Germany, organised a special “Open Day” where its costumers and partners were invited to attend. Missler Software representatives as well as many of Adequate Solution's customers attended the inauguration of the new headquarters - a renovated building dating from the 1890's. AdeQuate Solutions' important accounts such as Liebherr Biberach GmbH, Rhode & Schwarz and Marbach Werkzeugbau GmbH made presentations at the inauguration. These customers presented their company activities and their use of TopSolid in their respective industrial contexts. A key presentation on TopSolid for the mill turn market was the centrepoint of the inauguration. TopSolid'Cam is a leading CAM solution for mill turn machines and has had notable success in the German market. AdeQuate Solutions dedicates alot of time to supporting mill turn customers. Adequate Solutions employs 20 people and has been experiencing rapid growth over the past 5 years. 2008 sales results for the company have seen a 26% increase in the first 3 quarters of the year compared to the same period in 2007. The company's new offices offer a more pleasant working environment for its dedicated personnel. |
Inauguration of the new AdeQuate Solutions offices in Lahr, Germany on 10.10.08
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New TopSolid VAR in the Czech Republic |
Missler Software has recently recruited a new TopSolid reseller, company Centersoft in the Czech Republic. Based in Prague, the company employs 3 people and works with 2-4 external co-partners. Centersoft will target the metal and wood industries with the TopSolid product range. The company has been involved in the CAD/CAM world for more than 11 years and has experience with markets in the Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Hungary and Russian speaking countries. |
The Centersoft CAD/CAM team toegther with one of its partners
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Customer of the month: Aircelle |
Comany Aircelle, part of the Safran Group, is a manufacturer of engine nacelles for aircraft. With a workforce of 3,500, Aircelle permanently optimises its products by innovating in the aeronautical, acoustics, composite materials and safety fields, thereby stimulating its three-fold technology/cost/maintenance performance. Missler software was unknown or at least very little known to Aircelle just a few years ago but it rapidly convinced Aircelle with the powerful functionalities of TopSolid'Cam and by the customer relations, responsiveness and professionalism of its commercial and technical teams. Benoît Barbé, head of the Aircelle CAM unit explains: "TopSolid'Cam fully meets our needs; it was written by like-minded professionals who speak the same language we do. Moreover, Missler Software's flexible structure means that it is highly reactive, a fact that is much appreciated". Click here for the rest of the report.
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TopSolid Tip of the month: TopSolid'Design |
You are a TopSolid operator and you would like some tips on what your software is capable of doing. Each newsletter will include a highlight of the month accompanied by an avi of a TopSolid module. This month let's take a look at a new tip for TopSolid'Design and its compass. |
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Video commentary The TopSolid compass allows the user to easily change the orientation of his view of the TopSolid screen. Without the compass rotations are made based on the centre of the screen. It is, therefore, possible that the zone that interests you most disappears from your screen. If you position the compass on a face, point or an edge the rotation will always happen around the compass. Please see the TopSolid online help for further information on the use of the compass. We can also use the compass to orientate the draft view without having to create a coordinate system. All you have to do is to put the compass on the edge concerned and click on the text of the desired direction: Z in this example. |
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| Upcoming Events |
All Missler Software and reseller trade fairs will be published here each month and can also be found on http://www.topsolid.com/news/shows/showslist.asp |
Midest |
From 04/11/2008 to 07/11/2008 |
Paris, France |
Hall 6, Stand K75 - Missler Software |
Bobât |
From 05/11/2008 to 08/11/2008 |
Paris, France |
Hall 7, Stand 15, Allée G - Missler Software |
Elimia Subcontractor |
From 11/11/2008 to 14/11/2008 |
Jönköping, Sweden |
Protech Sweden |
Muovo Plastics |
From 12/11/2008 to 14/11/2008 |
Lahti, Finland |
Protech Finland |
EMAF |
From 12/11/2008 to 15/11/2008 |
Porto, Portugal |
Isicom CAD |
Journée Technique CFAO Bois |
From 26/11/2008 to 26/11/2008 |
Alençon, France |
Missler Software |
Educatec |
From 27/11/2008 to 29/11/2008 |
Paris, France |
Missler Software |
Aéromart |
From 03/12/2008 to 04/12/2008 |
Toulouse, France |
Missler Software |
Euromold |
From 03/12/2008 to 06/12/2008 |
Frankfurt, Germany |
Halle 8, H 56 - Missler Software | |
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