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A new version of the TubeWorks tube bending CAD/CAM software, which now provides tubular metal fabricators with powerful pre-production tools for laser cutting as well as tube bending, is available from the tube bending machine manufacturer Unison.
Developed by the software consultancy 3DCompound, TubeWorks is a specialist add-in module for the popular SolidWorks mechanical CAD package. By combining powerful visualization capabilities with automatic code extraction and file generation, the software enables metal fabricators to substantially increase the productivity of their tube handling operations through optimal use of manufacturing data. The time that it takes to develop programs for CNC tube bending and laser tube cutting machines, for example, is typically reduced from hours to just minutes.
For tube bending, the software automatically extracts key manufacturing information such as bend angles and rotations from a native SolidWorks model or a common CAD file such as STEP, IGES or ParaSolid and creates the bend table for immediate use on a CNC bending machine, as well as the XYZ coordinates and a 2D drawing of the modeled tube.
Two new ‘Power’ functions are designed specifically to help users overcome a commonly encountered problem where SolidWorks does not recognize the tube face of an imported model as cylindrical, which makes centerline creation more time consuming. The Power Centerline function enables users to create a centerline sketch simply by clicking on appropriate features of the displayed model, while the Power Recreate function can be used to quickly reinstate model data from a centerline sketch.
The latest version of TubeWorks also now offers an automated Deduct Length function that enables users to shrink flattened tube configurations simply by specifying the required length change and the point at which it should be applied, to compensate for the elongation shown by their coordinate measuring machine (CMM). They can then immediately create a new YBC file for the bending machine and a new ParaSolid file for the laser tube cutting machine.
Alan Pickering, CEO of Unison, points out, “TubeWorks has proved very popular with tube manipulation companies for speeding their quotation and production procedures. The addition of laser tube cutting functionality means that the software will now appeal to an even wider customer base, especially if they are seeking to reduce design-to-manufacturing times by handling all tube bending and cutting operations in-house.”
TubeWorks is a fully integrated add-in for the SolidWorks CAD package and is available exclusively from Unison. It eliminates the need for any additional software to generate manufacturing data for the design, development and production of tubular metal parts, while providing completely unfettered access to SolidWorks’ powerful design functions.
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