The continued growth of the plastics industry depends on companies at all stages of the supply chain being able to develop more innovative designs and to manufacture them at higher quality with shorter lead times. Modern CADCAM technology can contribute at every stage of the product development process, from developing the initial concept, through prototyping and design modification, to the manufacture of tooling for mass production.
For the designer, Delcam's PowerSHAPE hybrid modeller can boost productivity in a wide range of product development projects. For example, many plastic components feature complex external surfaces needing surface modelling, together with relatively simple internal geometry, such as ribs or bosses, that can be created more efficiently with solid modelling. With its hybrid capabilities, PowerSHAPE provides an ideal CAD solution for companies designing automotive and aerospace parts, electrical appliances, ceramics, footwear, packaging, sports equipment and toys, as well as all types of tooling.
Once the design is complete, the Delcam Toolmaker module provides a powerful, highly-automated system that allows designers of injection mould tools to maximise efficiency and reduce mistakes by moving from processes based on traditional two-dimensional drawings to new methods based on three-dimensional computer models.