18 September 2012
This article takes a look at 2 major distinguishing points of the TopSolid integrated CAD/CAM solution and tries to explain simply what makes TopSolid so different from other CAD/CAM solutions on the market today.
TopSolid is the only 3D parametric modeling and design system that has been developed for use in a manufacturing environment and not purely for design. Until now toolmakers have had to patch together 2,3 or sometimes even more separate products from different suppliers to get a complete suite of design and manufacturing capability.
Put simply, TopSolid offers all the capabilities of the well known modeling products that have no machining ability at all and then combines that to a highly sophisticated CNC programming system that can simulate machine tools of all types including 5-axis milling, turning and combination mill-turn machines.
The benefit of this unique approach to the end user is huge. To begin with there is absolutely no loss of data between the design and the machining stages and in fact many useful additional items such as tolerances, surface finish and even machining techniques can be embedded into the model and be automatically interpreted and acted upon by the Cam system.
Secondly the design (model) and the Cam program remain linked in a 2-way exchange of information. This means that when a customer requires a change it’s simply a matter of changing the model and the toolpaths are automatically updated along with any drawings or other manufacturing information. TopSolid is a parametric modeler, which means that changes to the model are automatically adapted too by the software. This makes even major alterations a piece of cake.
The second major distinguishing point of TopSolid is its expertise in different domains of activity. Based on the central TopSolid CAD/CAM modules specific solutions have been developed to meet the particular requirements of the following industries: TopSolid'Mold and TopSolid'Progress for tool makers, TopSolid'Design and TopSolid'Cam for the mechanical engineering industry, TopSolid'Wood and TopSolid'WoodCam for the wood industry, TopSolid’SheetMetal for the sheetmetal industry, etc. Such an integrated solution from design right through to manufacturing can help small and medium sized companies greatly improve quality and reduce costs. Due to the industry specific solutions offered by TopSolid companies can work with materials which they would previously not have been capable of managing.
Toolmakers heaven with TopSolid
In addition the software offers 2 highly specialized but easy to master modules specifically for plastics and press tool design. These two modules, TopSolid’Mold & TopSolid’Progress have been developed to drastically reduce design times by automating as much of the process as possible but still leaving the designers the ability to design the tool the way they want it. Once the tool has been designed it can of course be machined using TopSolid’Cam.
The major difference here is that now, all of this can be done in just one software package. This means that the part, the tool, the drawings and the machining are all linked, at all times, so changes and improvements are handled with ease. It also means that the user is free of all the problems previously encountered while juggling with numerous different products, problems such as version lag, fragmented support, loss of data and translation problems etc.
Various studies and research carried out by Missler Software have placed TopSolid’Mold on top of mold software rankings and to back this up sales in Asia especially Japan and China have rocketed. In Europe TopSolid’Mold is clearly recognized as the leading mold design software available on the market.
About Missler Software
Missler Software is one of the leading global suppliers of CAD, CAM and ERP solutions with its product line TopSolid. Missler Software offers a uniquely integrated solution for the mechanical engineering industry (general mechanical design, special machinery, tooling, boilerwork …) and for sheet metal and wood industries.
Thanks to its advanced technology and its fully integrated solution, Missler Software is experiencing rapid growth in the global CAD/CAM market. For further information contact info@topsolid.com or visit www.topsolid.com
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