ZW3D 2017 for CAD/CAM Released

ZW3D, the CAD/CAM solution development division of ZWSOFT, has announced the availability of the 2017 release of its ZW3D integrated CAD/CAM solution. ZW3D 2017, says the company, sees new features and numerous enhancements in such areas as sheet metal design and CNC (computer numerical control) machining that are intended to improve efficiency and minimize overhead in the process of designing and manufacturing.

Among the sheet metal enhancements introduced in the 2017 version of the ZW3D integrated CAD/CAM system are improvements to its full and partial flange capabilities. Image courtesy of ZW3D/ZWCAD Software Co. Ltd.

Enhancements to ZW3D 2017’s sheet metal capabilities include a newly added hem flange and a new jog. The hem flange feature, explains the company, allows expanded flange creation with all necessary pre-defined hem types provided. The brand-new jog helps users create two bends at one time to better suit design technology.

Other sheet metal improvements debuting in ZW3D 2017 include enhanced full flange and partial flange functionalities that enable users to control dimensions with the drag of mouse. Among its many new editing tools are an extend flange tool, a new bend taper feature and a new normal cut tool.

The CAM functionality in ZW3D 2017 also offers a number of new features to improve the efficiency and reliability of CNC machining, according to ZW3D, including a new flat finishing operation and a new form cutter engraving.

The new flat finishing operation can shrink programming time up to 50%, says ZW3D. This functionality automatically detects all planes and generates toolpaths accordingly with a single click. Offset 2D and lace pattern are supported, and users can define the machining regions via a planes list.

The new form cutter engraving feature extends the form cutter definition function in the tool manager. It supports both profile and surface engraving operations, enabling the creation of 2D and 3D patterns in one shot. The form engraving feature also supports simulation, which allows users to check results and machine parts with confidence, adds the company.

Beginning with the 2017 version of the ZW3D CAD/CAM system, users can simulate milling and turning strategies in the same environment. Image courtesy of ZW3D/ZWCAD Software Co. Ltd.

Additional CAM enhancements in ZW3D 2017 include the ability simulate the milling and turning strategies in the same environment, a Pith in Ramp operation to help users create a proper step-down ramp toolpath and a one-click Import-All option in Quick-mill Batch Manager.

CAD enhancements introduced in ZW3D 2017 include more flexible control options to compress Z3 as well as other supported file formats, a new Equation Manager and improved section views.

With ZW3D 2017 saving big models in formats such as NX, STEP and Z3 can be reduced by 30% compared with previous versions, says the company. An automatic NURBS data reduction option can help to reduce the size of models that contain non-analytic surfaces with over 64 control points.

The Equation Manager has a new user interface and expanded functionalities configured to make parametric design more efficient. Some of its features are support for units and more variable types as well as Excel import/export. The ability to define, edit, inquire and manage variables and expressions is reported to be easier than with earlier ZW3D releases.

Section viewing improvements include a dynamic drag handle, real-time preview of section curves and support for direct measurements. Among the other CAD enhancements in ZW3D 2017 are a new sketch block for quickly analyzing some plane mechanism motions and a new extract centerline feature. Translator support has been upgraded for newer versions of such design applications as Autodesk Inventor, CATIA V5-6R2016, PTC Creo, Solid Edge and SOLIDWORKS.

For complete details on the 2017 release of the ZW3D CAD/CAM system, click here.

Access 11 videos covering the major new features in ZW3D 2017.

Download a trial version of ZW3D 2017.

Download full details on what’s new in ZW3D 2017 (89-page PDF).

See why DE’s editors selected ZW3D 2017 as their Pick of the Week.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.