Mints using Delcam’s ArtCAM CADCAM software to produce their designs were winners in multiple categories at the 2016 Coin Of The Year (COTY) Awards.

The Awards, which are organised by Krause Publications and sponsored by World Coin News, will be presented to the winning mints during the World Money Fair to be held in Berlin from 5^th to 7^th February. A selection of the winning coins will be displayed on the ArtCAM stand at the Fair.

The most prolific winner using ArtCAM was the Austrian Mint, which was recognised in three categories following votes from an International Panel of judges. The Mint won in the Best Bi-Metallic Coin category with a 25 euro silver and niobium coin highlighting the science of evolution, in the Best Silver Coin category with its 20 Euro coin commemorating the fall of the Iron Curtain, and in the Most Artistic Coin category with a gold 50-euro coin celebrating the Gustav Klimt painting, Judith II.

One of ArtCAM’s earliest customers, the UK Royal Mint, won the Award for Best Circulating Coin. The two pound bi-metallic coin, which marked the centenary of the First World War, depicts Lord Kitchener on the reverse.

Another longstanding ArtCAM user, the Royal Canadian Mint won in the Best Crown Coin category. Crowns are silver or copper-nickel clad coins with a diameter between 37 and 45 mm. The Canadian $20 silver coin features a view looking up at a maple-leaf tree.

A 10 zlotych silver coin won the Most Inspirational Coin category for the Polish Mint. This coin honoured the birth of Jan Karski, who smuggled evidence of the Holocaust to the Allies in a hollow key.

The final win by an ArtCAM customer came from the German Mint, with a 10-euro silver coin commemorating the 300th anniversary of Daniel Fahrenheit’s invention of the mercury thermometer. The coin won the Most Historically Significant Coin award, an award recognising coins that highlight events that occurred at least 100 years ago.

ArtCAM Product Manager Rob Newman said, “We are delighted that, once again, so many of our longstanding customers have achieved such well-deserved success with their innovative and imaginative designs. ArtCAM works very closely with most of the world’s mints and is always looking for ways to improve not only design but also security features, and manufacturing efficiencies. Many congratulations to all of the winners.”

The 2015 R2 version of Delcam’s ArtCAM Pro artistic CADCAM software features improvements in design and machining, including the ability to create support structures for 3D Printing, easier designing with vectors, more design options with real-time updating and faster machining simulations.

Unlike most other CADCAM systems, ArtCAM Pro is aimed at skilled artisans rather than engineers and requires much less knowledge of engineering or computing. It has been particularly successful in the signmaking, woodworking and engraving industries. In these areas and in other artistic applications, ArtCAM Pro allows users to increase productivity, improve quality and deliver new designs more quickly, by combining their craft skills and creativity with the power and precision of computer-aided manufacturing.

The main enhancement for the new version of ArtCAM Pro is the ability to create support structures for 3D Printing. Users can generate intelligent support structures, either manually or automatically, and can also use batch assembly for the printing of multiple items. 3D Printing offers ArtCAM users an alternative route to machining for the production of complex models.

ArtCAM users that design with vectors will benefit from two new options. Firstly, snap hints now appear to help in locating hard-to-find snap points within vectors when creating designs. Secondly, the thickness of vectors can be changed, in either the 2D or 3D view, making it easier to visualise the design.

Accuracy will also be helped by the addition of rulers in the 3D view to make it easier to create precise artwork and to position elements of the piece.

The ability to overlap and intersect reliefs has been enhanced with a new option to interactively blend the reliefs. This allows relief clipart to be pulled up or pushed down in the Z axis to give a better blend with another 3D design.

The range of modelling tools that operate in real time has been extended to include the ability to create smooth domed shapes or domes with a centreline ridge, and the option to make intricate weaves. Real-time operation makes it easier to create exactly the effect that is required and shortens design times.

The tools for assembly modelling have been improved by making it easier and quicker to drag or rotate elements of the assembly into position. It has also been made simpler to undo any changes.

The creation of complex designs by grouping relief layers together has also been made easier. For example, it is easier to combine the front and back of a miniature or a sculpture. In addition, relief slicing can now output the slices as DXF files, making laser cutting of tall items easier.

The main machining enhancement in the new release is significantly faster machining simulations thanks to a new algorithm that uses the specialist processor in modern graphics cards to calculate multiple operations simultaneously. This gives major benefits over standard multi-threading.

Another area of improvement is corner machining, where fillets can be added to vectors to allow more accurate machining of slots. In a related development, loops can be added for creating corners with knife cutting.

Finally, two new options are available in the 3D offset strategy. Firstly, it is now possible to spiral from the outside in or from the centre outwards. The strategy can reduce tool wear and give better surface finish. Secondly, on-surface links can be used. This reduces the number of plunge and retract moves and so saves machining time.

Delcam will launch the 2015 R2 version of its ArtCAM JewelSmith CADCAM software for the design and manufacture of all types of jewellery at the International Jewellery London exhibition to be held at Olympia, London, from 6th to 8th September.

The new release, which can be used for the production of rings, broaches, cufflinks and other types of jewellery, includes improvements in both its design and machining options.

The most significant addition in this release of ArtCAM JewelSmith is the ability to create support structures for 3D Printing.  Users can generate intelligent support structures, either manually or automatically, and can also add a tray for the printing of multiple items.  3D Printing offers jewellers an alternative route to machining for the production of highly complex models for lost-wax casting.

For jewellers creating original pieces, two options have been added to help users who design with vectors.  Firstly, snap hints now appear to help in spotting hard-to-find snap points within vectors when creating designs.  Secondly, the thickness of vectors can be changed, in either the 2D or 3D view, making it easier to visualise the design.

Accuracy will also be helped by the addition of rulers in the 3D view to make it easier to create precise artwork and to position the various elements of the piece.

The ability to overlap and intersect design elements has been enhanced with a new option to interactively blend reliefs.  This allows relief clipart to be pulled up or pushed down in the Z axis to give a better blend with another 3D design.

The creation of complex designs by grouping relief layers together has also been made easier.  For example, it is easier to combine the front and back of a miniature.

The range of modelling tools in ArtCAM JewelSmith that operate in real time has been extended to include the ability to create smooth domed shapes or domes with a centreline ridge, ideal for borders of engraved text.  The weave tool and the two-rail ring sweep are also now updated live.  The weave tool is important to jewellers who create Celtic weaves, while the two-rail ring sweep gives the ability to design rings more quickly.

The tools for assembly modelling have been improved making it easier and quicker to drag or rotate elements of the assembly into position.  It has also been made simpler to undo any changes.

The main machining enhancement in the 2015 R2 release is significantly faster simulations thanks to a new algorithm that uses the specialist processor in modern graphics cards to calculate multiple operations simultaneously.  This gives major speed benefits over standard multi-threading.

In addition, two new options are available in the 3D offset strategy.  Firstly, it is now possible to spiral from the outside in or from the centre outwards.  The strategy can reduce tool wear and give better surface finish.  Secondly, on-surface links can be used.  This reduces the number of plunge and retract moves and so saves machining time.

Delcam has introduced four new modules for ArtCAM Express , the company’s entry-level software for engraving, signmaking and woodworking that is priced at $149, £99 or 125 Euros. Like the ten add-on modules that were already available, these new options allow users to upgrade their capabilities to match their specific needs at a lower cost than would be required to move to the more powerful ArtCAM Insignia or ArtCAM Pro programs.

ArtCAM Express is the entry-level version in the range of artistic CAD CAM software offered by Delcam. It includes 2D drawing, over 600 free pieces of relief clipart, and 2D and standard 3D machining functions.

The first of the new options is the toolpath-panelling module that allows larger jobs to be divided into sections for machining and reassembly once cut. With the bevel-carving module, a hand-carved look with bevelled edges can be added to frames, moulds or signs. Multiple items with different text on the same underlying design can be created with the multi-plate module using data from text or CSV files. Finally, the new fluting module allows ramping moves in and out of the material to create grooves or textured surfaces. This uses the vectors together with the geometry and motion of the cutting tool.

At the same time, the existing modules for advanced 2D machining and nesting have been enhanced to allow bridges associated with a group of vectors to be amended simultaneously, while the vector-tools module has a new option whereby vector layers can be preserved when a selection of vectors are copied and pasted.