What are the products and technologies that Delcam will showcase at DMI 2016 in Bengaluru?
We will be showcasing some of our most sought after products and solutions during DMI 2016. Some of them are:-

PowerSHAPE: The 2016 release of PowerSHAPE Pro software will help users to complete complex tooling designs faster and more easily. A combination of new, more efficient, code and the extension of multi-threaded calculations to many commonly-used tasks will make the software significantly faster than any previous version. One key enhancement allows groups of features to be copied between two solids in a single operation.  While the features do not need to be of the same type, the most common application is expected to be in copying patterns of holes from one solid to another, for example, from one mould plate to any other plate in the mould stack.

PowerMILL: The main enhancement in PowerMILL 2016 is the ability to mirror complete machining projects in one operation and to maintain the machining characteristics automatically, for example to specify automatically whether climb or conventional milling should be used in each section of the toolpath.  Previously, only individual toolpaths could be mirrored. Automatic mirroring saves considerable time whenever tooling is needed to produce right- and left-hand versions of a part.  It will also be faster to program the machining of moulds for symmetrical objects, since it will be possible to program one half of the core or cavity and then mirror the toolpaths to generate the complete program. A new PowerMILL module for creating ribs in tooling makes it much easier and safer to program the machining of cavities for narrow ribs, even when the cutter’s length is much greater than its diameter.  Using the dedicated rib-machining strategy gives a better surface finish than using a standard finish-machining option and also improves efficiency by limiting the number of air moves.

PowerINSPECT: The latest release of PowerINSPECT makes it easier to complete fast and accurate inspection of complex assemblies, including mould tools.  The main improvement for users of CNC CMMs is the addition of support for MCR20 and FCR25 probe change racks.  PowerINSPECT can now incorporate probe changes into fully-automated measurement sequences.  The new version also includes automatic feature extraction for point-cloud batch inspection, easier navigation of the history tree, better control over RPS alignments and new options for collision checking.

The role TAGMA and DMI plays for the industry…
TAGMA has been an exemplary body, leading the Die-Mould Industry in the country towards better enablement and technology in the past 25 years. I believe DMI is probably one of the largest events of its kind in this part of the world. The die mould fraternity is a closely knit one and this event projects that to end customers enabling them with a macro perspective that helps build more confidence as well as note the massive innovation that players in this domain undertake.

With the Make in India campaign rolling out across the country, the business value of participation is invaluable. With a focus on manufacturing, tools, dies and moulds will be fundamental to the success of this campaign; networking with contemporaries, peers and customers at a single venue will multiply opportunities and learning’s for all.

What are the latest developments in the CADCAM industry? Please take us through the current technology trends in the industry…
The CADCAM industry is working constantly to improve the customer experience and provide them with tools that will help them be more efficient and precise. Technologies like MachineDNA that help assess various parameters & kinematics of a machine tool and provide appropriate output to the NC program in order to ensure that the cutting is optimal is something that I believe will help machinists immensely. Our parent organisation Autodesk is also leading the disruption with the Future of Making Things (FOMT) in manufacturing. Through FOMT, a better, faster decision making process, ability to work effectively with newer materials and fabrication methods (Advanced manufacturing) and enabling these technology solutions on the cloud will help transform businesses quickly, safely and efficiently, whilst delivering maximum competitive advantage to our customers.

India is home to many CAM solution providers, what would be your strategy to stay ahead in the competition?
There are indeed several CAM solution providers and it is not just true for India alone. The CAM market is fragmented and I see some consolidation in the industry now. However, the key factor in our line of business is people and support. We have been in India as a direct office for the past 16 years and arguably are the leading CAM supplier in the country. Through a dedicated and pro-active team that we have across 14 offices in the country, we are constantly in touch with our customers to understand their key requirements and pain areas. This helps us being more responsive and adaptive to their needs. We also invest heavily in R&D.

Please share with us the growth trends of die and mould industry in India – and what are the key drivers of this industry in the manufacturing sector?
The die and mould industry in India has had a steady growth largely, but has also seen its share of slowdowns as well. To a large extent the die and mould industry has based its growth on the automotive sector and therefore the result relies more importantly on automotive growth in the country (or across the globe for that matter) than anything else. However, this is soon changing with organisations investing in new technology and continuously innovating – rather than being just mould or tool suppliers. The OEs too are doing their bit by involving tool making companies in their development plans so that the entire chain becomes efficient. According to me, competence, delivery schedules and impeccable quality are the three most important drivers of this industry in the manufacturing sector.

What will be the impact of programmes like Make in India, Digital India and Smart Cities project on the die and mould industry?
Programs like Make in India, Digital India and Smart Cities are envisioned to transform the country and each of these will result in a better quality of life for citizens. Naturally, the die and mould industry will play a key role in helping these programs to be efficient through innovative product/tool designs, material selection and durability, aesthetics and functional quality of the end products – and these factors are true for all of the above programs for building a brand – India.

The above programs are also expected to bring in investments, newer technologies, budding scientists and engineers, veteran industrialists and the Government towards a common goal of building brand India. This is an opportunity that comes with a privilege and the die & mould industry can take a leadership role in transforming change from the roots.

Do you think SMEs in India are ready to adopt high end technologies like CAM?
SMEs in India have been adopting high end technologies like CAM and CNC machines for a long time now. It is now time to think beyond these and look at the ever changing consumer needs, changing materials and the methods of producing these new age materials. I feel that we have reached a stage where companies start investing not only in high end technologies, but also in employees, knowledge and analytical capital. This will help SMEs transform into larger and more responsive organisations.

Tell us about the growth of your company and your growth expectations in the next financial year…
We have been growing double digit YoY for the past 16 years now. We now supply to a diverse portfolio of customer industries as well as products. I am very positive of our continued growth in the coming FY as well.

Delcam has added a series of enhancements to its PowerSHAPE Pro software for modelling and reverse engineering that will help users to complete complex designs more quickly and more easily.  In addition, a combination of new, more efficient, code and the extension of multi-threaded calculations to many commonly-used tasks will make the software significantly faster than any previous version.

By offering a combination of solid, surface and direct modelling, together with reverse engineering, PowerSHAPE Pro provides the most comprehensive range of design techniques available in a single CAD program.  Having all the different technologies in the same package reduces the need to transfer data between multiple programs and so streamlines any modelling-for-manufacture projects that require both reverse-engineering and CAD functionality.

The first enhancement in the 2016 release allows groups of features to be copied between two solids in a single operation.  While the features do not need to be of the same type, the most common application is expected to be in copying patterns of holes with a single click from one solid to another, for example from one mould plate to any other plate in the mould stack.

Another new option to save modelling time is the ability to edit the axis direction of any number of surface or solid primitives simultaneously.  Similarly, the axis direction of a group of primitives that are not aligned can be brought into alignment in one operation.  PowerSHAPE Pro already had the ability to edit simultaneously the dimensions of groups of primitives.

For customers using PowerSHAPE Pro to capture data for reverse engineering, the software can connect directly to most scanning hardware to capture and display scan data in real time.  In the 2016 release, it has been made easier to switch between measuring modes when using devices that offer data collection by both laser scanning and point probing.

Reverse engineering has been made easier for prismatic parts, with the new ability to identify planes, cylinders, cones and other primitives, or to create wireframe arcs and lines, directly from probed points.  This approach can often be more accurate than using scan data to create prismatic areas of a model.

The ability to replace regions of complex, free-form geometry with a single, shrink-wrap surface was introduced in PowerSHAPE Pro 2014 R2.  In the new release, it has been made easier to re-orient such surfaces interactively and so place them in the most appropriate surface alignment.

In addition to these new options, a wide range of speed improvements has been made to the core modelling functions.  Specific items affected include opening and displaying models in both wireframe and shaded views, displaying any single layer that had previously been drawn, projecting curves onto multiple surfaces, replaying complex solid history trees, selecting solid features, either graphically or using the history tree, and selecting multiple faces of a solid.

The degree of improvement varies according to the size and complexity of the model but can be as much as 40% faster with larger models.

Delcam has added a number of new options for reverse engineering to its PowerSHAPE Pro software for the design of products and tooling. The 2015 R2 release of the software also includes improvements to speed up and simplify the editing of product designs to make them more suitable for manufacture.

By offering a combination of solid, surface and direct modelling, together with reverse engineering, PowerSHAPE Pro provides the most comprehensive range of design techniques available in a single CAD program. Having all the different technologies in the same package reduces the need to transfer data between multiple programs and so streamlines any product-development process that requires both reverse-engineering and CAD functionality.

PowerSHAPE Pro can connect directly to most scanning hardware to capture and display scan data in real time. The 2015 R2 version includes a new split-screen alignment option that makes it quicker and easier to combine multiple scans, taken, for example, from the opposite sides of a part. The new method also allows more accurate snapping of alignment points, giving greater accuracy in the resulting single CAD model.

PowerSHAPE Pro can be used to take cross-sections through the scan data to generate wireframe for the development of surface models. The wireframe can be simplified automatically into lines and arcs, reducing the number of points needed to describe the item and giving more precise geometry for the re-engineering of the model.

Another new option is the ability to morph a complete solid or surface model to a mesh. This can be used to compensate for spring-back when pressed parts are released from their tooling. Morphing can be used to update a nominal CAD model to match the part as it is made in reality or to modify the surfaces of the tool so that the part can be produced in the desired shape represented by the CAD model.

On the modelling side, analysis of models has been made easier as the Smart Feature Selector now displays the type and parameters of each feature interactively as the cursor is moved around the model.

In addition, the ability of the Smart Feature Selector to find, select and edit multiple similar features has been extended. Now, any number of items of the same type, not just similar features, can be edited in a single operation. For example, all the arcs within a model could be set to the same diameter or all the holes could be made the same depth.

Two enhancements have been made to the tools for the creation and editing of curves. Firstly, the Composite Curve tool has been more efficient so that it needs fewer clicks to create the curve, even when following fragmented edges. Secondly, the Re-point dialog now displays the deviation between the original curve and the new one, and it is also possible to re-point a curve to a known tolerance. This makes it even easier to create high-quality, smooth surfaces when re-engineering scan data or when remodelling an existing design to allow it to be manufactured.

Delcam has launched the 2015 version of its PowerSHAPE Pro CAD for CAM system for modelling for manufacture and reverse engineering. The new release includes improvements in direct modelling, surface modelling and reverse engineering, plus support for data from Creaform HandySCAN handheld scanners.

By offering a combination of solid, surface and direct modelling, together with reverse engineering functionality, PowerSHAPE Pro provides the most comprehensive range of design techniques available in a single CAD program. Having all the different technologies in the same package reduces the need to transfer data between multiple programs and so streamlines the whole product development process. At the same time, the combination of quick and easy direct modelling options, together with powerful and flexible surface modelling, makes PowerSHAPE Pro the perfect choice for design for manufacture.

The improvements in direct modelling build on the introduction of the Smart Feature Manager and the Smart Feature Selector in recent releases. The Smart Feature Manager allows users to identify all the features, such as fillets, slots, bosses etc, within a solid in a single operation and so makes the analysis of the imported data easier and faster. The Smart Feature Selector then allows multiple similar features to be found and selected using either a specific value or a range of values.

Once the particular group has been selected, all the features within it can be edited simultaneously. For example, all holes having a diameter of 5mm can have their diameter increased to 10mm in one operation.

This new functionality will speed the preparation of models for manufacturing significantly. For example, one common problem in product designs that are to be moulded or cast is that fillet sizes are set so small that they restrict the flow of material. The Smart Feature Selector can be used to identify any fillets below the required radius and then all the fillets found can be increased to the desired minimum size simultaneously.

Another potential application is in tidying up models created by reverse engineering, where features that are intended to be identical, such as a series of holes, will often show small variations. In such cases, all the items within a specified tolerance band can be selected and then all adjusted together to the same precise size.

One of PowerSHAPE Pro’s great strengths has always been its surface modelling capabilities, giving the user the ability to create any shape they can imagine. These capabilities have been further improved with new dynamic point editing. Multiple points, either along a single curve or picked from multiple curves, can now be selected and moved, with real-time updating of the model. This makes styling of free-form shapes easier and quicker, and also speeds up modelling-for-manufacture tasks like removing undercuts from tooling designs.

Another strong area for PowerSHAPE Pro that has also been made faster and easier is the ability to morph complete models into a new shape. One key application for this option is in compensating for springback in press tools or warpage in moulded products. The user can alter CAD directly based on scan data from a sample part collected as a point cloud or as a triangle mesh, with a choice between either updating the CAD model of the part to match the as-produced item or adjusting the tooling design so that it can produce parts matching the original CAD data.

Another important application of morphing is in updating parts that need to be repaired but that have changed their shape during use. A typical example is turbine blades that have been distorted by heat so that their shape no longer matches the CAD data used for their manufacture. Again, the original CAD data can be adjusted to match scan data captured from the actual part.

The main enhancement to PowerSHAPE Pro’s reverse engineering functionality is a more automated method for capturing cross-sections through a mesh. The software now fits lines and fillets to the cross-section where it can, with the user able to control the tolerance used. This method uses the mesh as a guide instead of treating it as exact geometry, with the priority of capturing the design intent rather than ensuring a precise fit to the scan data.