Since 2003 Honda Racing has been using an EdgeCAM intelligent solids-based manufacturing solution to power its in-house machine shop.
'Fast' may well now be the norm, but real raw 'wow, that's amazing' physical speed and acceleration are unique in their power to thrill people - and nowhere more so than at top motorcycle racing events such as the British Superbike and British Supersport Championships. It's not just the speed. We're awed by the riders' skill and courage, and their trust in their team-mates.

Most of us couldn't ride a Superbike at 30km/h never mind 300km/h, but when we're deciding on our next vehicle, an image of the triumphant rider and bike may come to mind.

Yes, maybe we really could own a road bike or a car with that winning brand.

And some of the magic just might rub off.

Honda Racing is there to be first past the chequered flag.

The goal is to win and to win consistently.

To achieve that, Honda Racing needs to give its own and its customers' riders and technicians the best possible combination of machines and backup with which to compete.

The company needs to design, develop and manufacture its components with the same winning combination of quality and reliability.

That is why since 2003 Honda Racing has been using an EdgeCAM intelligent solids-based manufacturing solution to power its in-house machine shop.

The company and its staff of 25 are based in Louth, Lincolnshire, ideally located for travel in various directions to the championship circuits.

The reception area of the modern facility is filled with glorious, gleaming trophies and glorious gleaming motorcycles.

Some of the machines come from Honda ready for use; others arrive as road bikes for conversion or modification into racing bikes.

And now, Honda Racing has developed its own new Superbike based on a Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) machine.

In 2003, Honda Racing decided to expand and improve its in-house machine shop.

According to Chris Kingsland, Workshop Manager: 'We decided to offset the cost by using it to produce affordable race parts for other Honda-supported teams'.

To do this, Honda needed to increase productivity both in the generation of machine tool programs and in the efficiency of manufacture.

There is another very good reason for having the best possible design and production facilities in-house: Honda Racing just cannot afford the risk of failing to meet critical deadlines that may come from external subcontract manufacture.

Senior Machinist Ian Smith investigated the market to select the best combination of CAD/CAM software and CNC machine tools for Honda Racing's requirements.

Two systems reached his shortlist and EdgeCAM from Pathtrace won the day.

Smith recalls: 'EdgeCAM Solid Machinist met our requirements better than any other solution we looked at and it was easier to learn and use, too'.

EdgeCAM Solid Machinist integrates seamlessly with all leading CAD packages, so Honda Racing's choice of design software was totally open.

Even so, the team members chose EdgeCAM Part Modeler.

As relative newcomers to CAD/CAM they needed an easy-to-learn solution for the component design phase and felt that EdgeCAM Part Modeler fitted the bill precisely.

Honda Racing believed that their needs were very specialised and appreciated Pathtrace's understanding of all the relevant issues.

Smith notes: 'In our business, you can't just go out and buy the parts you need'.

'You have to be able to design and manufacture them - and quickly'.

He continues: 'The co-operative attitude and flexibility of Pathtrace was fantastic'.

'We talked requirements and Pathtrace listened'.

And now, thanks to an excellent working relationship, what started as a purchase of CAD/CAM software has evolved into a formal partnership between the two companies.

By the end of 2003 Smith and his colleagues had acquired the means to manufacture these highly complex components in a fraction of the time it used to take, implementing EdgeCAM for their two new Fanuc Robodrill CNC machines.

How were the team members to learn to use the new software?

Because of the tight timescales that Honda Racing works to, off-site training was simply not an option.

The answer was, as Ian Smith puts it 'to jump in at the deep end, with complex components', which is exactly what he and his colleagues did, learning on the job with what they commend as 'fantastic help from Pathtrace'.

The team quickly began to find EdgeCAM addictive as they moved along the learning curve up to 3D and then on to four-axis work'.

'The criteria against which component designs are measured at Honda Racing are function, form and weight'.

'We pride ourselves in the thoroughness of our approach'.

'We try to look at all the problems, and then make the part, right first time', says Chris Kingsland.

However, this is the real world, and even with all of Honda Racing's experience, rapid design changes may become necessary.

EdgeCAM's capability to handle this has proved to be of great value.

Kingsland again: 'Take this top bridge mount'.

'We looked at the one on the road bike we were adapting from, decided our design and quickly made the part with an EdgeCAM programme'.

'We proved it on the 2005 Fireblade ridden to impressive effect by Karl Harris on his debut aboard the machine at an end-of-season nonchampionship event in 2004'.

The testing went well and led to an even better idea: 'We decided to modify the mount slightly so we could adjust the ride more easily without taking out the rear shock absorber'.

Back to the drawing board - or in this case back to EdgeCAM Part Modeler.

Thanks to EdgeCAM's associativity, such changes to complex components can be made in a fraction of the time this would take using traditional methods or using nonassociative software.

The tool paths are associative to any changes made to the 3D model, so that if the model is changed, so are the tool paths - automatically.

Chief Mechanic Chris Pike confirms: 'We made the changes to the design, manufactured the part and had it running on the bike, all within two weeks'.

'That's quick'.

Honda describes itself as 'pushing the technological envelope', and Honda Racing's activities show this in action.

Commercial constraints apply too, of course, even at this top quality end of the market.

Another important aspect of the flexibility provided by EdgeCAM is that it can help the company manufacture components in a cost-effective way without sacrificing quality - meaning greater pricing flexibility without impairing profit margins.

EdgeCAM appeals to each team member at Honda Racing in a different way.

Smith loves the EdgeCAM-assisted timescales, which he illustrates simply by brandishing a new gear lever and saying: 'One and a half hours with EdgeCAM versus two weeks without'.

Machinist Matthew Perry likes the way they can 'try out and preview and change - the advantage of the working model'.

Chris Pike observes: 'It is very user friendly'.

'You can use it without formal engineering training, because the terminology isn't baffling'.

He discovered this by launching into designing with EdgeCAM Part Modeler after one very short lesson.

Chris Kingsland says: 'This is not about volume'.

'It's about flexibility, efficiency and speed of manufacture'.

Kingsland sees EdgeCAM as 'helping us to evolve, demonstrably improving our entire design, manufacture, test and feedback process and improving the way that the company works'.

In its first year using EdgeCAM, not only has Honda Racing been able to develop more complex components than before, it has also been able to significantly increase the volume of components produced.

Kingsland again: 'Many of our components have to be complex and engineered with curved and compound angle to fit into the very tight spaces found on racing bikes'.

'No other software could do this in the way we wanted'.

The benefits however, have come from more than just the software.

'The Pathtrace people have been fantastic'.

'I don't believe anyone could have provided a better service than they have'.

Kingsland's conclusion: 'Pathtrace and EdgeCAM enable organisations such as ours to raise the standard enormously for production efficiency and quality - and, of course, speed'.

World leading metrology company Renishaw, has launched a new Czech language website to support the growth of its customer base in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
Metrology leader launches new Czech website World leading metrology company Renishaw, has launched a new Czech language website to support the growth of its customer base in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The site contains details on the full range of Renishaw products, including CMM probe systems, touch probes and laser tool setters for CNC machine tools, linear and rotary encoders for position feedback, calibration systems for machine performance analysis, styli for touch probes, Raman spectroscopy systems and 3D digitising products. Visitors to the site will also be able to download a range of Czech language brochures, data sheets, news articles and technical articles.

Renishaw opened its first office in The Czech Republic in 2002, offering support and demonstration facilities for local customers.

Located in Brno, Renishaw is run by General Manager Josef Slama, who commented, 'There are few international suppliers in the metalworking industry with Czech websites, serving to highlight Renishaw's commitment to educate and support its global customer base'.

Delcam is pleased to announce its UK Division has been approved for aerospace projects to the AS/EN9100 and ISO9100:2003 standards following a recent inspection by BSI.
The approval covers the modelling, reverse engineering and machining facilities offered by the company's in-house toolroom, plus the installation, training and support services provided to its CADCAM software customers. It has come at an opportune time for the company which will be exhibiting on the North-West Aerospace Alliance stand at the Farnborough Air Show next week.

Delcam has always been unique among international CADCAM software developers in having its own in-house toolroom.

Like the main software business, the toolroom has seen the balance of its business change in recent years, with a move from its previous focus on the toolmaking industry to a greatly increased involvement in the aerospace sector.

'Although smaller than our software business, the Tooling Services Division still turns over around and#8356;1 million annually,' explained Division Director, Brian Hawkshaw.

'While we operate as an independent profit centre, the main benefit is the ability to test our software in circumstances similar to our customers, on real jobs with real deadlines'.

Furthermore, the manufacturing expertise within Delcam forms an important part of the comprehensive support given by the company to all its software customers.

It allows users to be given advice on all areas of their work, including aspects like the best choice of machining strategy and cutter selection, as well as the operation of the software.

The facilities are also used by Delcam's Professional Services Group to undertake pre-production trials within the innovative manufacturing projects it undertakes.

'We added a Huron KX200 machine, fitted with the Siemens 840D control, last year for large-scale five-axis machining'.

'Since then, we have worked with both Siemens and Huron to increase our expertise in continuous five-axis operation, especially for aerospace applications where the Siemens control is widely used,' claimed Mr Hawkshaw.

'This close collaboration has helped us to reach the high standards needed for our successful accreditation'.

Being able to test it software on-site obviously gives Delcam a major advantage in proving out new versions of its programs.

'Many CAM systems generate data that is mathematically correct but that is often impossible to machine in practice,' explained Mr Hawkshaw.

'The toolroom has played its part in establishing PowerMILL's leading position for high-speed machining and five-axis machining'.

'When potential software customers first hear about Delcam, they often ask why we operate the toolroom,' concluded Mr Hawkshaw.

'Once they have seen our facilities and we have explained the benefits, both in the reliability of the software and in the quality of our support, they find it difficult to understand how other CAM developers expect to develop and sell software without a similar resource'.

The latest release of ArtCAM Pro includes enhancements for data import, design creation and machining of models.
ArtCAM Pro enables people with creative flair, such as artists, designers and engravers, to increase their productivity and raise quality by using computerised manufacturing techniques, alongside their traditional skills. The new features in this release seem certain to consolidate the software's position as the leading system for the engraving, signmaking and woodworking industries.

The most important enhancement in ArtCAM Pro 9 is the ability to create and edit designs as a series of layers, rather than always having to work with the complete model.

The use of multiple layers is most advantageous when working on a design made up of different types of relief, for example a combination of a 3D shape, a texture and some lettering.

Placing the elements of each type onto separate layers makes it easier to edit the individual parts of the design and to manage the complete model.

In a similar way, the use of layers also makes model management simpler when different elements of the design intersect with each other.

It is much easier to change the positions and relationships between overlapping elements, allowing a series of complex design variants to be developed more quickly and easily.

Dividing a model into layers can also speed calculation times, especially for complex models.

This is possible because the relief can be edited layer by layer, rather than having to undertake a recalculation for the whole model after every change.

The new release can also store multiple bitmaps relating to the same model, another feature that has been requested by many users.

This new ability means that the artwork used for shape construction can be kept independently alongside the artwork used for rendering the finished model.

In addition, greyscale bitmaps used to edit the model can be linked to other elements in the same way.

The PDF format has been added to the range of image types that can be brought into ArtCAM Pro.

All the bitmap and vector pages within the PDF document are converted automatically into separate layers within the ArtCAM Pro file.

The resolution of any artwork and the related reliefs can now be adjusted during the design process.

This means that low-resolution artwork, from the Internet for example, can be imported and then the resolution increased to improve dramatically the quality of the resultant relief model.

ArtCAM Pro now has similar functionality to the recent version of ArtCAM JewelSmith in allowing a single art file to hold independent back and front reliefs based on the same artwork or design.

The two reliefs can be combined to create complex 3D STL triangulations for manufacture by rapid prototyping, to machine both sides of a 3D part, or to hold the male and female mould detail in a single ArtCAM file.

The tool database has been expanded and now includes several additional complex carving tool shapes.

Three of these - Ogee, Roman Ogee and Roundover - are among the most commonly used raised-panel tool shapes in the furniture and similar industries.

They are very popular for producing efficient but attractive edge finishes using 2.5D machining.

Finally, development of the new version has included an overhaul of the interface to simplify workflow and reduce the apparent complexity of the Assistant page.

A second detachable assistant page has been added to the right-hand side of the work area to hold the layer controls and toolbox addons.

Both assistant pages can be positioned and resized to suit a variety of working styles and monitor resolutions.

Pathtrace is pleased to announce the latest release of its offline CNC programming software, EdgeCAM.
The latest version, EdgeCAM 10.75 introduces a wide range of new features across the product range ensuring all customers receive productivity benefits from this latest update. New features include a new finishing cycle for turning applications with a host of features to take advantage of the latest turning technology, advances to EdgeCAM's state-of-the-art Automatic Feature Recognition technology and efficiency improvements to 3D toolpath generation.

EdgeCAM 10.75 also extends the established multi-axis simultaneous machining to mill/turn machines.

An easy-to-use intuitive interface brings the benefits of advanced multi-axis machining technology in reach of all machinists by reducing the complexity associated with this technology.

The new finish turn cycle has been developed from the ground up to take advantage of the latest tooling and manufacturing techniques in use today.

Features include inbuilt support for the latest Sandvik Wiper insert technology, allowing much higher feedrates while maintaining surface finish, and differential offsets on individual profile elements, ideal for generating a grinding relief.

'Our aim is to provide innovative CAM solutions that enable our customers to develop the competitive edge and maximise their productivity,' says David Boucher, Marketing Director for Pathtrace.

'EdgeCAM 10.75 adds value to all areas of our product range with new features that will benefit our entire customer base'.

With a complete range of 2-5 Axis milling strategies, turning and mill/turn capability, state-of-the-art machine tool simulation combined with seamless CAD/CAM integration and sophisticated automation tools, EdgeCAM is the only CAM system you'll ever need.

Inspection software is playing a vital role in the construction of a nuclear-fusion machine that could produce inexhaustible, safe and environmentally attractive energy.
Delcam's PowerInspect inspection software is playing a vital role in the construction of a nuclear-fusion machine that could produce inexhaustible, safe and environmentally attractive energy. The software is being used on two Romer/Cimcore inspection arms to perform the measurements required to place several tonnes of stranded copper wire that make up the machine's magnetic conductors. The machine, known as the National Compact Stellarator Experiment (NCSX), is being built by the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory in New Jersey, with support from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee.

The unit will be more than 9.5m in diameter and almost as high.

It is planned to have the device ready for testing in 2009.

Nuclear fusion joins atomic nuclei to release huge amounts of energy.

The reaction occurs in a hot, ionised gas or plasma.

Most fusion devices to date have used toroidal vacuum vessels and flat magnetic coils.

However, these simple geometries yield plasmas that are stable for only fractions of a second.

In contrast, plasma in the NCSX will be controlled in a helically-twisted toroidal vessel, with complex-shaped magnets to generate and maintain more stable plasma.

The 18 individual mandrels on which the copper conductor is wound are frequently characterised as twisted and distorted raceways.

Conductors are placed in side-by-side raceways around the inside of each mandrel.

With all the mandrel's twists and turns, each raceway is nearly 10m long.

When energised, the magnet system will generate enough force to lift a railway locomotive.

'PowerInspect is used to make thousands of dimensional measurements of the flexible copper conductor, while ten or eleven layers are being wound on, perhaps, the most strangely-shaped mandrel ever made', said Steve Raftopoulos, project engineer in charge of metrology.

'The portable CMM can reach into the mandrel's severely-restricted spaces, while the software gives team members continual feedback for positioning and adjusting the conductor'.

After the coils are wound, PPPL uses the CMMs and PowerInspect software for feedback in final positioning and adjustment of the conductor.

'The software report is dumped to a spreadsheet', said Raftopoulos.

'This data guides the coil-winding team in loosening the clamps and tweaking the alignment of the conductor layers, helping us get the coil in the right place with minimal manipulation'.

'Because much of this project is still experimental, it calls for a lot of dimensional measurements', explained Raftopoulos.

'Measurement and verification is both crucial and almost endless in building components so sensitive to any deviations from the ideal'.