Precision optimised CAD and CAM maintains competitive edge

Citation

(2002), "Precision optimised CAD and CAM maintains competitive edge", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 74 No. 6. https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat.2002.12774fab.009

Precision optimised CAD and CAM maintains competitive edge

Precision optimised CAD and CAM maintains competitive edge

Keywords: CAD/CAM, Technology, Machining, Software

With the help of CAD data exchange specialist Theorem Solutions, UK subcontract machining specialist Chester Hall Precision has reportedly achieved optimum efficiency and can now offer an improved service and pricing to customers, by using the most appropriate advanced CAD and CAM technology for its business.

When Chester Hall Precision took its first step to cam benefit from CAD/CAM technology, its chosen design and manufacturing system was CADDS and the company made a significant investment in systems and skills in order to provide the best product and service for customers. However, as time has moved on, the demands of the industry have changed and Wickford, Essex, based Chester Hall has had to keep pace with these changes to maintain efficiency and keep its competitive edge.

As a result, Chester Hall has installed a specialised CAD/CAM system based on the ACIS kernel. The new system provides design models and NC tool paths for the company’s 28 CNC modern state of the art machine tools, with work pieces ranging from very small to 3 m in length.

One of the challenges to successful implementation was finding the ideal means of getting CAD geometry into the new ACIS based CAD/CAM system. Chester Hall could, of course, create Geometry with its new system but hit problems when trying to read the legacy data on the CADDS five system and CAD models received from customers.

The ACIS based CAM system was delivered with “free” CAD data exchange software in the form of IGES, but states CAD manager Roy Stevens: “It was next to useless and we were getting less than 40 per cent success.”

Roy solved the problem by involving CAD data translation specialist Theorem Solutions. Initially, the two companies came together when Chester Hall Precision identified an occasional need to import CATIA models into its CADDS system. Theorem’s on-line translation service cadverter.com is said to have proved the ideal solution providing quick, low cost, high quality translations between the two CAD formats.

Chester Hall’s first move to bring this facility “in-house” was to install Theorem’s CADDS to ACIS translator. The improvements, which were reportedly immediate, enabled Chester Hall to work with its legacy data on the new ACIS based CAD/CAM system. Although, the legacy problem had been solved, the question of CAD interoperability arose again because of an increasing trend for Chester Hall’s aerospace customers to install CATIA and provide CATIA geometry to their subcontractors. As a result, Chester Hall had to find an effective means of moving CATIA models into its ACIS based CAD/CAM system. Also, because the company’s service includes making recommendations to customers on effective ways of saving weight or cost in the components they are subcontracted to manufacture, there was a need for a two-way exchange of 3D solid model geometry between Chester Hall and its customers.

An effective bidirectional translator between CATIA and ACIS would enable Chester Hall to translate the geometry, shorten turn round times and provide further added value by conveying design suggestions in 3D solid model form rather than as drawings.

In the light of the success with on-line translations at cadverter.com and the success of Chester Hall’s installed CADDS/ACIS CADverter, Roy Stevens selected Theorem’s CATIA/ACIS bidirectional translator and he considers that his decision has been soundly justified. “Using the Theorem CADverters we get a success rate of better than 90 per cent”, explains Roy. “We have had some problem files but Theorem has always been ready to help and CADverter has proved to be the most cost effective solution”.

Roy continues: “Now, when we want to make design suggestions to our customers we simply do our design work in ACIS, put it through CADverter, and then send our customers a CATIA model which can be loaded straight away onto their systems”.

Chester Hall Precision’s use of Theorem’s CADverter has reportedly enabled the company to retain the value in its lecacy data and maintain its competitive edge in a highly demanding, market.

Details available from: Theorem Solutions, Tel: + 44 (0) 1543 444455; Fax: + 44 (0) 1543 444454; E-mail: john@theorem-co.uk