Flat pattern to G-Code for Amada Punch press

Jake,

We use a program called "Merry Mech"

which works very well for us. It doesnt necessarily integrate with solidworks, we just export the flat pattern as a dxf file and they open it right up. I believe that they can "tweak" the bend allowances if needed.

I am sure there are other out there, thats just what we use...

Todd

Jake, I suggest you post your question to alt.machines.cnc.

Jake goto the amada web site

and look at Sheetworks this ties in with Solidworks and might be suitable for what your trying to do. I ahvent tried it myself yet but will be evaluating it at some point for my current employer. Regards Ken

we have several machines amadas vipros,apelio,pega and a finn power

i use fabriwin from metalsoft

it will bring in flats right from solidworks with out have to create more files i seldom have to make adjustments after setting the k factor

Dan

We use amadas "AP100us" it brings in the flat for you with the function: "OLE". AP100US is basically them thing as the "metalsoft". The thing to remember is find a software that has the "OLE" function.

Marty

One thing to keep in mind, some solution partners will require a seat of SW on the same machine. In our case, we didnt need/want that...

--Todd

Im currently using Amada/MetalSoft, going on 3 years now. To put it nicely, if it were shareware, I wouldnt ante up after the 30 day trial was up. And this would not be an exaggeration. The punch module is passable, the Laser module is virtually unusable.

Ive demo'ed MerryMech, and it looks good, but, will all CAM products, until you've put it thru its paces, its hard to tell suitability to task.

function:

Fabriwin brings in "Flattened States", and not "Flat Patterns". The difference is that 1)The bend sections are not merged with the flange, and that means you have whole lot of nibbling to do, if using a Punch 2)Fabriwin only uses "single precision" internally, meaning on large radii/slight slopes, it gets that math wrong and there will be at minumum, an error in the geometry, and at worst the toolpath itself fails. 3) It saeems to want to "grid" (group) geometry, like holes, even tho by gridding it it may make the geometry uncuttable.

I'm also using Metalsoft's Fabriwin, going on over 10 years. I don't do as much programming now as I used to do on my previous Jobs and positions.The program has worded very good for us on the punching and laser machines; one of the weak points at one time was the Optimization of the path when using macros with the Amada's driver, I don't know if that has changed-- we are running version 5 and I think they are on version 7 or higher.

I worked for a company that switched from Merrymec to Metalsoft because of some issues with the drivers for their laser machine (back in 1999). The programmer wasn't too happy about it because he had to learn a new program. He gave me a demo on Merrymac, and for what I rememeber back on that time the program was Dos based but it had some interesting features that Fabriwin didn't have.