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Weekly Update 01/31/2008

Feb. 1, 2008
January 31, 2008 NEWSLETTER SPONSOR Designed to deliver the best precision time-saving in an easy-to-use way, Mastercam can help you make the most of your shop. Find out why shops around ...
January 31, 2008 NEWSLETTER SPONSOR

Designed to deliver the best precision time-saving in an easy-to-use way, Mastercam can help you make the most of your shop. Find out why shops around the globe continue to make Mastercam the world's most widely-used CAD/CAM software.

Articles

Software is a powerful tool for improving productivity and profitability
Software drives part design, CNC machine tools, shop floor data capture, and the full range of reporting done in today's machine shops. Productivity gains that come from using more efficient and effective software are one of the main areas of productivity improvement shops are capitalizing on to stay competitive. The following articles give examples of what is possible with today's software.

Laying A Solid Foundation For Machine Shop Information Technology
At the same time that computers and computer software are becoming more powerful and less expensive, the need to implement computer applications that improve productivity, such as shop floor data capture and web based supply chain communication, is growing.

Implementing An Integrated 3D System For Design And Manufacturing
3D CAD offers users the ability to look at a part from every possible angle, and to see exactly how one part relates to the other parts in an assembly. When you combine that ability with instantaneous communication via the Internet, it becomes possible to save significant time and to improve final quality.

Linux and Windows: The Right Platform For High Performance Computing And Product Design
High-performance computing (HPC) is an essential component of the manufacturing and design processes. Today, it is almost unthinkable to develop the key components of a car, airplane, or even many consumer products without computer-assisted fluid dynamics, structural or impact analysis powered by an high performance computing system. Much of the credit for this belongs to the rise of high-performance Linux clusters.

Software Makes CAD Files Portable
Adobe Systems Inc. has released a major upgrade to Adobe Acrobat 3D, version 8, intended to make 3D design collaboration and CAD data interoperability capabilities easy for virtually anyone inside manufacturing organizations and across global supply chains.

Software Pushes Fast Part Programming
According to Push, every product comes from an idea formed during real-world use. The company transforms those ideas into shapes using 3D parametric solid modeling and finite element analysis computer software. The next step is manufacturing, and for that the company relies on FeatureCAM 3D CAM software from Delcam of Salt Lake City, Utah, that allows it to automate machine motion simulation and data management and minimize part-programming times. The software makes creating and editing toolpaths for any CNC machine quick, easy and flexible, which is a big help to Push. It eliminates the need to develop or change the feature properties then generate or re-generate the toolpaths.

Going Wireless Is More Than Just Eliminating Cables
Wireless communication is not only a replacement for wired communication, it opens up possibilities beyond the capabilities of hard-wired communication. The most common applications that are being implemented in shops today are machine monitoring, work process monitoring and employee time and attendance. There are already a number of software packages available to address each of those functions, but there also are a number of technologies becoming available that take a broader look at work environments and enable shop operators to become more effective in managing the entire work environment. First and foremost among those emerging technologies is wireless communication.
Events

IW Best Plants Conference
Continuous Improvement Gets Real

Continuous improvement's got to start somewhere, but a lot of programs only talk about theories and advanced tactics. Get concrete at the 2008 IW Best Plants Conference. The conference's 45 sessions (including the seven-session Continuous Improvement 101 track) make lean make real sense to real operations. Plant tours and interviews with the IW Best Plants Winners also give the chance to get strategies that really apply to your operation.

www.iwbestplants.com
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