CAMWorks ShopFloor Software

HCL Technologies announced the release of CAMWorks ShopFloor, which provides tools for companies to meet smart manufacturing and Industry 4.0 initiatives, by moving beyond 2D drawings or static digital files. With CAMWorks ShopFloor, 3D digital models capture extensive data from the part design files and provide tools that machinists can utilize to produce parts with fewer miscommunications between the design and manufacturing departments.

Because CAMWorks ShopFloor is run independently, the need to have a full CAD/CAM software license on the shop floor is eliminated. CAMWorks and SOLIDWORKS CAM license customers will have the ability to publish data to CAMWorks ShopFloor.

CAMWorks ShopFloor reduces errors by eliminating the need to repeatedly transfer part data to 2D drawings or other formats. Upon completion of a CAD part file, the designer publishes a CAMWorks ShopFloor file, which is transferred to the machinist. CAMWorks ShopFloor includes a complete CAD viewer, allowing the machinist to display the native design model with GD&T dimensional information and annotations of the 3D part model. Machinists can rotate, zoom, pan and section view the model. They can also take linear, radial, angular and area measurements. The MBD and PMI data can be viewed, searched and filtered.

Delays caused by questions and material waste caused by machining an outdated version of a part are avoided because CAMWorks ShopFloor provides a single source of part data. All the information for a part is contained in a single file and is viewed under a single interface. CAMWorks ShopFloor includes automatic file checking to detect changes in either the CAD or CAM file and alert the user, to avoid machining the wrong revision of the part and maintain associativity along the digital thread.

In addition to full toolpath simulation, CAMWorks ShopFloor also includes a step-through simulation option for each operation or the entire program. This gives the machinist the option to review each operation at the machine, without the need to walk the machine through each cutting step or dry-running the program.

A CNC Editor, with back-plotting capabilities, allows the machinist to review and make any final changes. The machinists can use CAMWorks ShopFloor to view and edit G code, view the impact of the edits made, and then send the program to the CNC machine. Digital setup sheets and tool lists are also generated and can be sent along with the 3D part models and CNC programs.