ICAM Releases Virtual Machine V17 Supporting Mill/Turn Centers

ICAM Technologies Corporation (ICAM) is pleased to announce the release of Virtual Machine^® V17, the latest version of its integrated graphical machine tool simulation / NC post-processing solution.

Deploying Virtual Machine as a harmonized productivity tool to CAM-POST^®, ICAM’s N C post-processing development and management technology, delivers a powerful machine tool simulation environment enabling NC programmers to optimize and test programs against collisions and over-travel, easily and automatically during post-processing.

Virtual Machine V17 features all the necessary software components to fully support Mill / Turn centers including the ability to synchronize dual turret merging lathes, the capacity to accurately simulate constant surface speed as well as the provision to define and model lathe tool inserts and generic 3D tool holders. Virtual Machine also provides the environment to define a spindle or a lathe tool turret.

Additionally, Virtual Machine offers a unique “Timeline Control” that provides playback of NC programs at any moment within the machining cycle. This unique function allows programmers to visualize and test corresponding NC post-processors for maximum output optimization.

Other new and enhanced Virtual Machine V17 features include:

• Improved function to represent an assembly of multiple unique components.
• Collision testing supporting “nearness concept” allowing collision detection and reporting to account for safety margins.
• A new feature statically defined in the machine model, can be used to support machines with multiple heads and other complex machine architectures.
• New Virtual Machine specific macro functions are available to fully customize the behavior of complex models.

“As 5-axes CNC machines and controllers evolve, creating functional and productive NC post-processors is becoming more and more complicated and tedious,” said Brian Francis, ICAM’s Director of Research and Development. “For this reason, ICAM is focused on delivering integrated NC post-processing and machine tool simulation software tools that simplify the creation of advanced and optimized machine code regardless of the complexity of current and future CNC machines. For individuals interested to view a Virtual Machine V17 product demonstration, ICAM will be exhibiting at EMO 2007 in Hannover, Germany at Stand F12, Hall 6.”