Autodesk Powermill Software

Autodesk Powermill Software

History

Developers :- Autodesk Inc.

Initial release :- 1995

Stable release :- 2018

Operating system :- Microsoft Windows.

Type :- CAM.

History:

     PowerMILL is a 3D CAM (Computer-aided manufacturing) solution that runs on Microsoft Windows for the programming of tool paths for 2 to 5 axis CNC (Computer Numerical Control) Milling machines developed by Autodesk Inc. The software is used in a range of different engineering industries to determine optimal tool paths to reduce time and manufacturing costs as well as reduce tool loads and produce smooth surface finishes. More than 15,000 organisations use PowerMILL worldwide for 2,3 and 5-axis machining.

     The code of PowerMILL originates from the software DUCT which was developed in 1973 by Donald Welbourn and Ed Lambourne along with the help of Delta Metal Group, whose funding aided the transferral of the system into industry. DUCT was initially developed with the sponsorship of Control Data in Germany in the form of access to their time-sharing computing resources. The advancement of mini computers from 1982 meant that it became economically viable to design complex 3D shapes using a computer.

     From 1995 to 1998 DUCT was gradually replaced with a new range of products, which covered the full manufacturing cycle from conceptual design through to manufacture. Delcam’s Power Solution range of products that built upon the functionality of the DUCT suite, incorporated the latest user interface technology and offered users many new benefits.

History enables you to record toolpath revisions.

This page contains the following:

Toolpath Type — Select the type of toolpath. PowerMill automatically selects one option, but you can manually change it if required.

Revision — When you modify a toolpath the revision number is automatically incremented. You can alter this to any value if you want.

History — Displays who has created and modified this toolpath and when. It contains <programmer> created <date (yyyy-mm-dd)> for the creation and <programmer> modified <date (yyyy-mm-dd)> for edited toolpaths.

Notes: are stored with the project, allowing you to keep information on the toolpaths for yourself or other users.

You can add any of these fields as comments in the NC program output file by using any of the following variables in the NC Program Commands/Comments dialog:

%[notes]

%[description]

%[toolpath_type]

%[edit_history]

%[revision]

Toolpath editing history

       Use the Toolpath Editing History dialog to show the history of all the edits made to a toolpath.

     Click Toolpath Edit tab > History panel > Edits to display the Toolpath Editing History dialog.

This dialog contains the following:

Toolpath — Select the toolpath to review its edits.

Edits — The pane displays a list of all the edits performed on the toolpath. The most recent edit is at the top of the list and the original toolpath is at the bottom of the list.

Automatically replay edits — Deselect to prevent any edits to a toolpath from being replayed after calculation. This enables you to recycle or clone a toolpath without applying any edits you made to the original toolpath.

Notes — Type notes to help you understand the edit.

      The right side of the dialog displays information on the selected edit. If you select the toolpath, rather than one of its edits, the right hand side of the dialog displays the toolpath Notes.

Note: This functionality records the edits on a toolpath but does not allow you to change or edit them.

Features

Expert 3- and 5-axis CAM:

   Features in PowerMill® enable easier 3- and 5-axis programming, simulation, and verification, so manufacturers can get more from their subtractive, additive, and hybrid machines

High-speed machining:

1. Expert performance
2. High-speed roughing
3. Comprehensive finishing
4. Toolpath optimization
5. Surface probing
6. Machining setups
7. Posts in the cloud
8. Autodesk Drive
9. Fusion Production
10. Ribbon interface
11. 2.5D programming 
12. Rib machining
13. Every CAD support

5-axis programming and multi-axis machining:

1. Efficient 3+2 programming
2. 5-axis machining
3. Auto tool tilting
4. Expert 5-axis control 
5. Dynamic machine control in region
6. Comprehensive tool support

To customise keyboard shortcuts:

To display this dialog, Click File tab > Options > Customise Keyboard Shortcuts.

This dialog contains the following:

Control selector — Click and drag over a button to select it.

Note: While dragging, the mouse changes to and places a box around the selected button.

Add macro shortcut — Click to add a new macro to the menu list and display the Macro field.

Add command shortcut — Click to add a new command item to the menu list and display the Command field.

Delete — Click to remove a selected shortcut.

Import shortcuts — Click to display the Select keyboard configuration file to import dialog. This enables you import an existing keyboard configuration.

Export shortcuts — Click to display the Export keyboard configuration to a file dialog. This enables you to save your keyboard configuration.

Print shortcuts — Click to display a list of your keyboard shortcuts in the PowerMill HTML browser and display the Print Preview window.

Reset— Click to restore the default keyboard settings.

Menu list — expand the:

1.     Macros branch to display the file path, with a file selector.
2.     Commands branch to display your commands.
3.     Menus branch to display a list of PowerMill menus that you can assign a keyboard shortcut to.
4.     Toolbars branch to displaya list of PowerMill toolbars that you can assign a keyboard shortcut to.
5.     Ribbon branch to display the list of PowerMill commands on the ribbon that you can assign a keyboard shortcut to.

Shortcut key — Displays the keyboard shortcut assigned to the selected item in the menu list. To create a new keyboard shortcut, press a combination of approved keyboard keys and click Assign.

Current assignment — If a keyboard shortcut entered in the Shortcut key field is already assigned to an item in the menu list, this field displays the current assignment of that keyboard shortcut.

Go to item — If a shortcut is displayed in the field, click to locate the item in the menu list.

Assign — Click to assign a shortcut to an item.

Remove — Click to remove a shortcut from an item.

Close — Click to close the dialog.

Commands and Hotkeys

      Visit these keyboard shortcut guides to get lists of commands and printable reference guides for Autodesk Powermill Software.