CAM NESTING SOFTWARE FOR PLASMA AND OXYFUEL CUTTING
Posted: May 21, 2010
MTC Software from Hypertherm (Hanover, NH) is unveiling new versions of its industry-leading CAM nesting software. NestMaster 2010 and TurboNest 2010 contain functionality that contributes to improved ease of use, productivity, and profitability for users of conventional plasma and oxyfuel cutting processes.
TurboNest 2010 features a number of new developments that have increased the power and capability of the software. Some notable improvements include:
? Hole Slowdowns provide improved control over how holes are cut using new Process Parameters settings. Users can control the feedrate at which small interior profiles are cut based on hole diameter and material thickness. Reducing cutting speeds for holes is commonly used in plasma cutting to eliminate some of the taper/bevel of the hole.
? Pre-Lead Out Ramp-Down, a new Cutting Techniques setting, gives users the ability to reduce feedrate at a specified distance from the beginning of a lead-out. This technique is typically used for plasma cutting on stainless steel to ensure that the part drops free from the rest of the plate.
? Interior Leads Placement is a new settings-enabled feature allowing interior leads for holes and slots to be automatically adjusted to begin at the hole's center or along the slot's center line. This allows users to improve hole/slot quality by piercing at the furthest distance from the hole's edges, lessening the chance that slag will splatter onto the cut line.
? Automatic Height Control functionality, for use with cutting machines equipped with an Automatic Height Control (AHC) or Torch Height Control (THC) system, allows users to disable this system in scenarios where there is a risk of torch diving. AHC can be disabled at a specified distance before lead-outs or on holes of a user-defined size.
NestMaster 2010 also includes many new developments that have improved the software substantially. Selected developments include:
? Single Part Output now provides users with the ability to create machine-ready NC output for a single part. Convenient output for a single part or group of single parts can be created directly from the part list. A new output setting, Part Home, lets users set the home point to use during single part output.
? Importing Parts is enhanced to allow import of a CAD drawing that contains multiple parts. Users can import the multi-part drawing as a single unit or break it up into separate parts for individual nesting.
In addition to these new features, standard features of both products are expanded. For example, Entity Smoothing and Reduction on CAD import permits users to improve cut quality and reduce NC file size by combining lines and arcs or by converting multiple line segments into a single arc. Also, zooming and panning enhancements make it easier to improve program usability.
Oliver Goettsche, Hypertherm's North American regional sales manager of MTC Software products comments, "The new versions of NestMaster and TurboNest include some great enhancements for plasma and oxyfuel users. TurboNest users cutting mild and stainless steel now get access to some of our industry-proven hole cutting technologies as well as improved height control management. They're going to experience noticeable hole-quality improvements, which is something that we wanted users to be able to achieve with our intermediate-level nesting product. At the same time, users cutting parts where hole quality is not a factor, can rely on NestMaster, our introductory nesting solution."
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