Tuesday, May 30, 2006

3Dconnexion Supports Unix/Linux for SpacePilot

3Dconnexion has announced Unix and Linux support for SpacePilot. The new USB driver supports HP-UX 11.0 or higher, IBM AIX 5.2 or higher, Solaris 9/04 or higher (SPARC-based systems), as well as Red Hat EL WS 3 and SuSE 9.2 and applications including CATIA versions 4 and 5, UGS NX versions 2, 3 and 4, I-DEAS and Pro/E Wildfire and Maya.

“Early customers and testers have given us great feedback about our new Unix driver. We are delighted to be able to offer a standard high-end controller to companies with mixed environments who use Windows and Unix machines in the design process,” comments Andy Parnell-Hopkinson, Sales Director Northern Europe at 3Dconnexion. “No matter whether our customers continue to use Unix or change to Windows or Linux, their investment in SpacePilot controllers is always safe since the device supports all three operating systems.”

As part of an ongoing service initiative, users of any of 3Dconnexion’s range of controllers including all versions of SpaceBall, SpaceMouse and SpaceTraveler can upgrade to a SpacePilot for just £219. The SpacePilot upgrade program applies to all old serial controllers, so when customers update their Unix/Linux workstation they can upgrade their controller at the same time.

Using the SpacePilot’s adaptive sensing technology users can execute their most common key commands with a single click on one of the SpacePilot controller’s many intelligent speed keys. The intuitive, easy-to-use interface of the new driver allows for easy customization of the controller settings according to the user’s needs and easy programming of frequently used functions to the SpeedKeys. In addition, the SpacePilot provides an improved pan, zoom and rotate capability, using a light fingertip touch that leads to superior precision and control of objects and scenes on the screen.

Thursday, May 25, 2006

Plasma Cutting System features portable design

ESAB's PowerCut® 650 plasma cutting package combines the reliability, durability and low operating costs associated with larger PowerCut machines in an economically priced, lightweight package designed for easy portability. PowerCut 650 manually cuts 5/8 in. (15.9 mm) and severs 3/4 in. (19.0 mm).

PowerCut 650 features a very strong composite case designed for rugged treatment. At just 53 lbs., the compact design allows PowerCut 650 to move easily from job to job. PowerCut 650 also tolerates poor power lines. A durable torch cable prevents snagging on fixtures and materials. ESAB's patented XT nozzle features an extended shape that provides good visibility and good consumable life for powerful cutting at low operating cost. Output is 40 amps at 40% duty cycle, 30 amps at 60% duty cycle and 22 amps at 100% duty cycle.

PowerCut 650 is easy to use with little or no training, with features such as drag or standoff cutting and a template-following feature that duplicates curves or straight lines. The adjustable output allows an operator to tailor the current to the material to be cut. Trigger lock-in ensures operator comfort on long cuts. The PowerCut 650 package arrives ready to cut with torch connected and front-end parts in place for the ultimate in operator convenience.

3D Viz for Molecular Model

Fakespace Systems Inc. announced that it provided a PowerWallT to the First Regional Visualization Center in North Wales, United Kingdom. The University of Wales, Bangor now features a state of the art large-scale immersive display that will be used to drive new discoveries in molecular modeling and materials and life sciences.

The Molecular Modeling and Visualization Center was established at the University of Wales, Bangor Chemistry School with the goal of attracting world class researchers and specialist materials companies to the region. The six foot by seven foot stereoscopic wall display will help researchers at the School of Chemistry better understand problems in molecular and materials modeling and quantum mechanical research.

With virtual reality, or immersive visualization, researchers get a whole new perspective on their data compared to what can be achieved on a small 2D screen, such as a computer monitor. Using the visualization center, chemists from the University and industry will gain deeper insights into the properties and performance of different materials, without actually having to experiment on the materials themselves.

The models and simulations viewed on the Fakespace PowerWall are created using Accelrys Materials Studio software and a number of custom written applications. The data are then transferred to Amira software which drives the visualization graphics. The large-scale display provides a sense of data immersion so that researchers can actually observe properties and characteristics from inside and in-between molecules in a virtual quantum world.

“We are very excited to offer our facility for use by outside organizations which can benefit from computational study and the prediction of structure and properties of molecules and molecular materials,” said Dr Maher Kalaji, head of the School of Chemistry at the University of Wales, Bangor. “The large-scale screen and 3D capability facilitate a huge leap in the way that we visualize and understand molecular structures and interactions.”

The Fakespace PowerWall is a flat, large-scale stereoscopic visualization system designed for collaborative work and compelling presentations. It provides a bright 3D display for working with highly accurate detailed models. A slightly different image for the right and left eye creates a true stereoscopic effect and motion tracking intensifies the sense of reality by changing the perspective of the model being viewed depending on the position of the viewer.

“Fakespace works with researchers and designers all over the world to provide visualization environments that meet their specific needs,” said Richard Cashmore, Business Manager for Fakespace Systems Europe. “The display at the University of Wales, Bangor is particularly effective for teaching, and research and development collaboration, and potentially provides a much deeper understanding of the shape of molecular structures and how they can change.”

The immersive display system is powered by a custom designed computing cluster server, with 16 dual Opteron processors running Linux. The solution provider, Gaia Technologies Plc., used Infiniband for communication between servers and provided a two terabyte expandable storage area network for the center.

The visualization center was funded by The Welsh European Funding Office (WEFO) through the ERDF program with match funding from a number of partner organizations including Accelrys Plc, Gaia Technologies Plc, Welsh Assembly Government (WAG), The Sir William Ramsay Memorial Trust and The University of Wales Bangor.

In addition to university and industry research the Molecular Modeling and Visualization Center also provides support to the North Wales Optoelectonics project, OpTIC, and will be used in collaboration with a number of other evolving North Wales research facilities such as the Center for Advanced Software Technologies also located in Bangor and The Wales Center for Visualization at Aberystwyth in West Wales.

Tuesday, May 23, 2006

DELMIA Digital Technology for Futuristic Digital Shipbuilding Plant

Dassault Systèmes, a world leader in 3D and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions, announced that the world’s leading shipbuilder Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) has built a simulation-based digital shipyard using DELMIA digital manufacturing technology, enabling the company to successfully establish a real-time supply chain network for collaborative production.

With DELMIA, SHI’s Korea-based Geoje Shipyard is able to simulate design and engineering processes and digitally manage its facilities, procedures, and engineering schedules by shipbuilding in a virtual environment. “In the future, Simulation-Based Manufacturing (SBM) will play a pivotal role in strengthening the competitiveness of manufacturing by applying IT technologies,” noted Hwang Gyu-Ok, General Manager of the Information System Group for SHI. “The digital shipyard is not a simple operational system, but rather a key infrastructure, so it is critical that we use the best technology in Simulation-Based Manufacturing.”

“SHI has successfully implemented a new conceptual digital shipyard solution simulating the whole process, ranging from conceptual design through operation to maintenance,” added Bertrand Saint-Martin, Vice President for DELMIA’s Asia-Pacific Operations. “Dassault Systèmes is proud to have partnered with SHI to facilitate this innovation.”

In order to increase its competitiveness, SHI joined the Korean government-led project for building a simulation-based digital shipyard, managed by the Ministry of Information and Communication and the Ministry of Commerce, Energy and Industry. DELMIA digital manufacturing solutions were implemented for the core virtual shipbuilding technology, in collaboration with experts from six universities including the Ocean Engineering Department of Seoul National University and the Korea Marine Ocean Research Development Institute.

In the first phase of its project to design an integrated simulator for processes from loading to manufacturing the hull, SHI adopted the DELMIA solutions IGRIP, VNC, QUEST and DELFOI Integrator to verify the digital modeling and manufacturing design. The simulation enabled analyses of the operation rate by equipment and period, which in turn led to enhanced customer satisfaction and technological competitiveness, reducing the time required to analyze operations from over 30 minutes to five. The simulation-based manufacturing management is expected to reduce cost by $7.3 million a year.

In addition, thanks to the possibility of verifying shipbuilding processes virtually using DELMIA Digital Shipbuilding Solution (DSS), SHI was granted the gold award for the Pacific Rim in the World’s Business Process Management Conference at the end of last year, and the Business Process award for leading technology by Samsung IT Symposium, a knowledge management award within the Samsung Group.

The digital shipyard is currently being operated in the third dock at Geoje shipyard. SHI’s new factory and the DSS are scheduled to be extended to the first and second docks. Additional implementations are being discussed.

Friday, May 12, 2006

Tabletop Laser Engraver is offered

Gravograph-New Hermes announces the launch of the new LS100 30 watt 18 x 12" table top laser engraving machine. Standard features include auto-focus, red pointer and air assist. With a Z travel of 5.87" and total object weight of 33 lbs, you are able to engrave a wide range of items with this new desktop laser engraving machine.

 Accessories and options include vector cutting table, cylindrical attachment, and several integrated exhaust options. Combine with GravoStyle 5, the premier engraving software for both rotary and laser engravers, and you will enhance your shop's productivity.

Wednesday, May 10, 2006

Should You Cast or Fabricate That Metal Work Project

During the design phase of some metal work projects you will be faced with the question of how you should tackle a project, some projects have a fine line between the decision of whether you should fabricate from steel or sheet metal, or to cast metal in a sand mould.
It is possible that you already may have had a project where you cannot decide between making a complex pattern to sand cast the project. Or to leave the foundry equipment in the corner, and attempt to fabricate the component from steel or sheet metal.

Now, once you learn the tricks and techniques of sand casting, you are normally hell-bent on casting everything in sight. But have you ever thought that the one off part or project you are about to embark on may be produced much quicker through fabrication, than it is to make up a new pattern, then go through the entire foundry processes of: Making of patterns, Making Sand Moulds - Charge & melt a crucible of metal, and then pour the molten metal.

There's often been times in the workshop where the latter, (to fabricate) has been the most economical, and the quickest way to produce an item in steel, instead of cast aluminium or bronze. One of the major problems with most hobby casters, is the lack of machine tools & equipment to carry out proper fabrication operations.

Now, there's no need to feel as though you are an inadequate metal worker just because you do not possess general workshop fabrication skills or equipment, because you may never have had the opportunity to learn them, but with a little guidance and proper instruction, it is not that hard to learn how to operate the following machines.

Bench or Pedestal Drill: Equipped with drill table vice, plus a good set of high-speed steel drills.
Collection Of General Workshop Tools: The usual workshop hand tools, engineers hammer, hacksaw, various grades of files, center punches, engineers rulers, vernier callipers, etc, etc. Welding Equipment: Oxy Welding Outfit, ideal for light sheet metal fabrication and brazing or bronze welding, an electric arc welder ranging between 150 to 200 amps.

Bench Grinder: Bench grinders are designed to accept various other pieces of equipment such as belt linishing tool, drill grinding and sharpening jigs, Hand Held Angle Grinders: These great workshop tools come in 4", 6", 9" size, handy for finishing the edges of metal, cleaning up weld beads or cutting light sheet metal, various resinoid discs can be mounted on the grinder, Last but no least, is the bench lathe, probably luxury item to a lot of home workshop people but worth its; weight in gold if you can afford to buy one.

Screw Cutting Bench Lathe: Keep a look out for a good econd-hand lathe from dealers or private sales. A lathe will pay for itself many times over in a very short time.

If you are really serious about building your own gear, or fabricating special tooling etc, then why not use the vast resources offered by the technical colleges right in your own community.
Your taxes help to equip these institutions so why not reap some benefits from your community contributions.

Enrol in some night classes; to learn welding, machining or whatever it is that takes your fancy, there are hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of gear sitting idle in many of these colleges, so make some Inquiries, enrol, and get to use some of the gear bought, and installed by you're hard earned taxes.
Col Croucher.
Need content? You may use this article at your website, or in your newsletter. The only requirement is inclusion of the following sentence - Article by Col Croucher of http://www.myhomefoundry.com - the definitive source for hobby metal casters of all ages. While at the web site you can download a free ebook to learn about, & understand hobby metal craft.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Colin_Croucher

Thursday, May 04, 2006

Home Made Hand Tools For Hobby Foundry Work

By Colin Croucher


If you have been thinking about making a start in hobby foundry work in your home workshop, you may be forgiven for thinking that the tools and equipment are going to cost you an arm and a leg, this need not be. Sure, you could trot off to the downtown industrial tools supplier and take home an arm full of expensive tools.

But if you take a good look at some of the tools, you'll discover that the design principles and fabrication could well be undertaken in the home workshop if you have metal fabrication skills and a reasonable amount of basic metal working equipment.

Take for instance "crucible lifting tongs", once you understand how these tools operate; you could quite easily make a set or two over a weekend. The basic design action operates on the "scissor principle" but they don't cut anything, they are designed to "clamp securely" onto the crucible to lift it out of the furnace when the metal has melted. Great caution needs to be taken while carrying out this operation, as one slip due to faulty or badly designed tongs, and you could have a disaster on your hands.

The best way to design and build a set of tongs is to copy a well made set, or to follow directions set out in a textbook or ebook downloaded from the net, we'll give you some links a little further on in this article.

Some of the most frequently used basic tools you'll need in the hobby foundry are; Bench ramming moulders tool - Tube sprue cutter - turned wood sprues - slick & oval spoon - hand riddle or sand sieve - draw pins, screws & hooks - rapping bar and spike - gate cutter - strike off bar - sand carving tools (made from old hacksaw blades). The tools mentioned above seem to be the ones that will be most used in your hobby foundry... and all of them can be home made if you have metal & wood working skills, it will take time and effort to make the tools required but they wont cost you a red cent if you make them from scrap materials, and if you are like most hobbyists you will know where to "scrounge stuff".

You may have to experiment with different ideas before you arrive at the most satisfactory design, but you will learn a great deal about why things have to be made in certain ways.
Do you own a wood lathe? Even a most basic machine will suffice in the home workshop, you could even make your own if you were keen enough,I guarrantee there are tens of thousands of home made wood lathes sitting in hobby workshops the world over. A wood lathe will repay itself many times over when you start to make patterns for your hobby foundry.
Your bench-ramming tool can be quickly turned to shape on your wood lathe, in fact, while you're at it, make two or three of them in different shapes & sizes, they will all come in handy when ramming and moulding patterns of differing sizes, you could get away with a single tool, but you wont regret making extra tools.

After a pattern has been completely rammed in a sand mould, and before the metal is poured, the pattern has to be removed without disturbing any of the surrounding sand. Draw pins and spikes are used to remove timber patterns from sand moulds.

Simple draw pins can easily be fabricated from long slender wood screws, particleboard screws are ideal. The easiest way to convert woodscrews into draw pins is to braze-weld a short length of 1/4" dia mild steel rod onto the head of the screw...that is all you need to do... make a set of them with different gauge screws as well long and short ones and you should have the field covered as far as lifting pins or draw spikes go... simple isn't it.

Blunt hacksaw blades are usually thrown in the bin, from now on you should save them, as many useful little hobby foundry tools can be made from old saw blades, quite often small sand carving tools can be quickly made by grinding and shaping using a normal bench grinder.
By being resourceful and thinking how you can use scrap materials, you should see now that there is absolutely no need to spend large amounts of money to get the tools and things you need for your hobby. If you are not sure about your own building & fabricating abilities then you should always ask advice.


Col Croucher.

Metal craft has been a lifelong interest, ever since my grandfather introduced me to the blacksmiths forge at a young age on the family farm where I grew up. Several decades later, I become addicted to melting and pouring molten metal into sand moulds. Then began the move into publishing ebooks for the hobby foundry worker. We now have a very large number of global customers. To learn more about hobby metal casting visit: http://www.myhomefoundry.com there are free ebooks to download and a world wide ezine to subscribe to.

Wednesday, May 03, 2006

Advanced Machining Strategies Added to FeatureMILL3D

Delcam USA, developer of the FeatureCAM suite of CAD/CAM software, announces the upcoming release of new advanced machining strategies to its FeatureMILL3D software. The new strategies will be released in June as part of FeatureCAM Version 2007 and will help customers achieve significant increases in calculation speeds for 3D toolpaths and improved surface finish.

The new FeatureMILL3D strategies help maximize tool life by keeping the load on the cutter as consistent as possible. The strategies also can help minimize sudden changes in the cutting direction that would put excessive load on the tool or require a slowing in the feed rate. Some of the strategies added include Arcing Moves, Delcam’s patented Race Line Machining, a Finishing Combination, a new Spiral Toolpath and Rest Finishing.

Arcing Moves

With FeatureMILL3D’s rough and finish machining strategies, arcing moves can be used when approaching and leaving the job. Similarly, arcs can be used to link the various cutting moves. This is more efficient than the traditional approach of using right-angle moves that can require the cutting speed to be reduced and also leave dwell marks.

In addition, arcs can be inserted automatically into roughing toolpaths as the tool approaches any steep face. Without the arc, there will be a sudden increase in the load on the tool as it engages the steep surface. To prevent damage to the tool, the feed rate must be reduced, thus increasing overall machining times. With the arcs added, the resulting smoother toolpath can be run at higher speeds and with less tool wear.

Race Line Machining

The new release of FeatureMILL3D offers Delcam’s patented Race Line Machining strategy. With this option, roughing passes are progressively smoothed out as the toolpaths move further from the main form. The resulting paths minimize sudden changes in direction and allow faster machining, with less wear on the cutter and lower stress on the machine tool.

For even more efficient metal removal, Race Line Machining can be combined with trochoidal machining. This strategy avoids full-width cuts by generating toolpaths that progressively shave material from the block in a circular motion.

Finishing Combination

New finishing options include a combination strategy in which 3D offset finishing is used on flatter areas and Z-level finishing used on steeper areas. The 3D offset toolpaths can be calculated with the surface stepover varying so that a constant cusp height is applied over the part. This approach will reduce the amount of hand finishing needed.

Spiral Toolpath

A new spiral path milling strategy keeps the cutter in constant contact with the job, eliminating the number of air moves needed with the conventional approach of machining down the job level by level. The smoother toolpaths minimize any dwell marks and protect the cutter and machine tool.

Rest Finishing

New rest finishing options ensure the highest possible quality of surface finish. These include pencil machining, in which the material remaining is removed in a single pass, and Z-level rest finishing, the preferred option for material left on steep surfaces.