Hypertherm, a U.S. based manufacturer of plasma, laser, and waterjet cutting systems, today announced a major version upgrade to its ProNest^® advanced CAD/CAM nesting software for automated cutting. ProNest^® 2017 contains a number of improvements designed to make customers more efficient and profitable.

New features include:

• Manual nesting improvements, including drag array, anchor part to cursor, and automatic bumping functionality for greater control and faster nesting.
• Color by part property that fills parts with different colors based on a designated attribute (name, priority, work order number, due date, etc.) and ProNest reports that show fill colors in part images making it easier to locate parts.
• Redesigned drill machine interface for plasma or oxyfuel machines that incorporate drilling, tapping, and other spindle operations to seamlessly tackle jobs directly in ProNest.
• Native 64-bit support allowing ProNest to take advantage of the extra accessible memory available on a 64-bit CPU/Operating System.

“The outcomes our customers expect as a result of using Hypertherm CAD/CAM software drives us to deliver exceptional solutions so they may achieve more…and do it more profitably. ProNest 2017 will deliver increased material savings, boost productivity, lower operating cost and improve part quality,” said Derek Weston, Product Marketing Manager for Hypertherm CAD/CAM software products. “In addition, ProNest 2017 contains more embedded cut process expertise in the NC code than any other software, allowing our customers to leverage patented technologies like True Hole^®, True Bevel, and Rapid Part.”

More changes to Hypertherm’s nesting software family of products are also taking place as part of this major version release. Hypertherm nesting software for cutting in production environments, formerly named TurboNest^®, is now called ProNest LT. Also, Hypertherm nesting software for cutting in job shop environments, formerly NestMaster, is now ProNest LTS. ProNest LT and LTS contain many of the features found in ProNest 2017. Users with an active Software Subscription can upgrade to the new version of their respective product at no additional charge and continue to receive unlimited technical support, and other benefits.

Hypertherm, a U.S. based manufacturer of plasma, laser, and waterjet cutting systems, introduced the ProNest^® 2015 Version 11.1 recently, which includes both new and enhanced features to its latest ProNest CAD/CAM software.

One significant Version 11.1 feature is a new quoting tool that can calculate per part and total costs for any job. This tool is ideal for job shops, metal service centers, and other fabricators who need to quote work to external customers. In addition to using baseline material and production costs, the tool is capable of including secondary operations in the final cost, and the addition of mark-ups or discounts for certain customers and jobs.

The ProNest 2015 Version 11.1 release also includes enhancements in support of waterjet cutting. The software is now capable of applying four waterjet pierce types (dynamic, circle, wiggle, and stationary) automatically through the use of embedded process parameters. The software applies the right pierce type based on lead length, material type and thickness, as well as the available space around the pierce site, and pierce duration, all without the need for programmer input.

Another enhancement, used primarily for waterjet cutting, is the addition of “Quality colors”, a feature that allows programmers to color-code parts based on quality values, while in 2D CAD or while using ProNest’s “Advanced Edit” feature. Quality colors are also shown on the nest.

Notable highlights of this release include interior cut-up for laser cutting, enhanced SOLIDWORKS^® assembly import, improved cut process Class selection, and material mapping by grade and type.

This new ProNest 2015 Version 11.1 release is available to current subscribers at no-charge. Subscribers simply need to log in to the online Knowledge Base, and select the “download” option.

ProNest has been an industry leading nesting software for three decades, offering best-in-class performance and reliability with a straightforward, easy-to-use design. ProNest is also a component of Hypertherm’s Built for Business Integrated Cutting Solutions, providing support for True Hole^®, True Bevel and Rapid Part technologies.