Combining new methods with new tools allows for a dramatic time savings with the latest version of Vero Software's WorkNC.  With WorkNC's new Waveform roughing strategy and the latest tooling, you can finish your roughing in less than half the time. 

How does that work? Vero Software uses their Waveform Technology in WorkNC along with new tooling.  The company's Waveform Technology has been developed over several years. The strategy for cutting begins at the edges of the material and moves toward the part's geometry.

The tooling remains engaged with the material for as long as possible. This allows for a fewer intermittent movements, a more constant load on the tooling, and a more efficient roughing method. For a typical part, as measured by Vero Software, the roughing time was reduced from 52 minutes to 20 minutes. That is more than 60% faster than with traditional methods. 

Airborne Concept machined their new drone with WorkNC. Airborne Concept has developed an air-deployable drone. (Image: author) 

Where possible, the strategy uses the full length of the tool.  The method extends the life of tooling by maintaining a constant pressure on the tooling. 

Another feature of WorkNC 2016 is cutting while descending and ascending. This implementation is allowed as tool-makers permit cutting during the tool's ascent as well as during the descent.   The effective performance gain is 100% over previous methods. 

In addition, the Auto 5 technology is a now a standard module in WorkNC 2016. Auto 5 allows: 

"... operators can automatically generate 5 axis tool-paths based on existing 3 axis tool-paths while also taking into consideration the kinematics of the predefined 5 axis CNC machine."

Finally, the company has continued to work on enhancements for the use experience. According to Marc Freeby, Group Marketing Director at Vero Software,  

"within WorkNC 2016, it is now even easier to select the different commands in the graphical user interface thanks to graphic symbols representing calculated operations."  

And under the hood, the Vero team updated the graphics engine for WorkNC's user interface.  In addition, the "WorkNC 2016" naming convention is a fall-out from the company's move to a six-month release cycle and this now replaces the previous version-number-oriented product descriptions. 

The PW Perspective:

WorkNC is a key solution within Vero Software's CAM product lines. Each year the company strives to increase the productivity, reliability, and ease of use of the product. The WorkNC 2016 release focuses on enhancing productivity with two features which focus on reducing production time and reducing wear on tooling. This focus on serving the customer with more and more productive solutions should bode well for the company this year.