HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT CAD/CAM SOFTWARE? 1

PREPARING YOUR PROJECT A SOLUTION TO SUIT YOUR TRADE REQUIREMENTS Identifying the requirement Selecting a standard part Testing potential software What technical criteria are to be considered in advance? •Interoperability •Computer/software hardware compatibility   Opt for a software that can adapt to your needs Customization during software demonstration SELECTING A FULLY INTEGRATED SOLUTION SUPPORT FOR YOUR USE PROCESS LICENSING PLANS Centralizing the company's expertise and know-how Different considerations depending on your scenario Collaborative work mode and PDM Training and installation...

INTRODUCTION The deployment and installation of CAD/CAM software is a major undertaking for industry professionals. CAM had already made the acceleration of modern industrial production possible by enabling certain manufacturing processes to be automated. But CAM is not possible without 3D models nor without CAD, which requires total compatibility between models and production processes. This is the main challenge for CAD/CAM software: integrating both the design and the manufacturing of parts. Your productivity is heavily dependent on the effectiveness of your CAD/CAM solution. CAD/CAM software...

1 PREPARING YOUR PROJECT IDENTIFYING THE REQUIREMENT If the design and manufacturing of parts form part of your core activities, it goes without saying that the stakes involved in choosing the right software are high. To be sure to make the right choice, start by drawing up detailed specifications for your requirements. Take your time, hold an internal meeting with your coworkers and seek advice from your customers. There are many selection criteria, but you know your trade: the software you choose must suit its intended use. SELECTING A STANDARD PART Now that you have completed your specifications,...

1 PREPARING YOUR PROJECT TESTING POTENTIAL SOFTWARE Make a shortlist of four or five CAD/CAM software based on the criteria set out in this white paper and request a free demonstration. You can then test the standard part and compare how the software perform. WHAT TECHNICAL CRITERIA ARE TO BE CONSIDERED IN ADVANCE? By this stage, your planned acquisition of a CAD/CAM software has been the subject of careful consideration. You have established specifications enabling you to compare various software. Now let us take a look at the technical criteria to be considered. To know whether the software...

1 PREPARING YOUR PROJECT • Computer/software hardware compatibility   Before purchasing a CAD/CAM software, you should check whether you have computers that are compatible and sufficiently powerful. What is the required operating system? What graphics card is required? These questions should not go unanswered, as they may entail additional costs that are best to be prepared for! Hardware configuration of TopSolid 7 TopSolid 7 operates using Windows 7 (64-bit version), 8, 8.1 and Windows 10 (Windows Home, WinRT and Windows 10S are not supported). TopSolid 7 is optimized for Intel-i7 processors....

2 A SOLUTION TO SUIT YOUR TRADE REQUIREMENTS OPT FOR A SOFTWARE THAT CAN ADAPT TO YOUR NEEDS Your requirements in terms of CAD and CAM are directly linked to your company's activities. It is important to understand that an engineering department for decorative products will not have the same requirements or objectives as a tool maker, aircraft manufacturer or producer of specialist machinery. However, regardless of whether a company is equipped with NCMTs for wood, sheet metal or mechanical equipment, it requires a CAD/CAM solution to match its requirements. The company should therefore opt for...

YOUR TRADE REQUIREMENTS CUSTOMIZATION DURING SOFTWARE DEMONSTRATION During the test phase of CAD/CAM software, do not hesitate to put the team or person in charge of the demonstration to the test. Provide them with your specifications to test the software's ability to adapt to your requirements. Do not forget that CAD/CAM software is used on a daily basis. It should match your activities and help you to save time. 3 TopSolid and customization TOPSOLID SAS allows users of its software to integrate their specialist expertise in order to customize their experience. TOPSOLID Services therefore offers...

INTEGRATED SOLUTION CENTRALIZING THE COMPANY'S EXPERTISE AND KNOW-HOW In a context of global competition where there is fierce pressure on prices, it is very much in your interest to fully control your specialized processes and costs. CAD/CAM helps to achieve this: combining CAD and CAM functions within the same software for maximum compatibility and efficiency. DIFFERENT CONSIDERATIONS DEPENDING ON YOUR SCENARIO 1• A basic CAM tool Companies already equipped with NCMTs are rarely looking for a CAM tool alone to generate tool paths. Should this nonetheless be the case, ensure that you opt for...

INTEGRATED SOLUTION 2 • An integrated CAD/CAM solution to respond to the Methods Department's problems Let us take the example of a Methods Department or a Programing Department that is already equipped with NCMTs. In this scenario, the method CAD functions must enable any type of part to be retrieved, in terms of its geometry as well as tolerance information, so that it is immediately ready for programing. The CAD software must also include FreeShape functions to allow easy adjustments to the part, and to transition from nominal dimensions to average dimensions, between the engineering department...

INTEGRATED SOLUTION Centralization with TopSolid TopSolid is not just one software, but a whole suite of CAD, CAM and ERP software. Depending on the options selected, you can manage both the design and manufacturing of your parts, in addition to better managing your company for real gains in productivity. The TopSolid'Erp industrial management software enables you to make cashflow forecasts and monitor your sales, purchases, production, stocks and product quality. COLLABORATIVE WORK MODE AND PDM PDM is a system that centralizes all of a company's CAD/CAM data. Before the emergence of PDM, each...