Bridging has always been possible in the FastCAM® drawing editor working on a whole nest drawing.

In v5.10, there are now FOUR different types that will be included in the Professional Edition.

Bridging can be combined with other processes such as line marking and text marking.

• 1) (Traditional) Bridging. A simple positive bridge is where parts are connected together linked by two parallel cuts (bridge). Bridges allow continuous cutting and are traditional in many shipbuilding applications. The result is much faster cutting. Parts are left joined, but this can be an advantage in some circumstances. These include making assemblies, moving the parts as a group and minimizing part movement (appropriate for lighter materials or thinner materials).
• 2) Overcut or Negative Bridging allows for continuous cutting with the immediate separation of parts. This is a FastCAM® invention that has the advantages of bridging but cuts out the bridge on the return. Previously available in the FastCAM® drawing editor, this function is now available in FastNEST® where it is perhaps more intuitive. Selecting this function will deliver a speed increase on many nests and result in a reduction in piercing making it a feature of interest to a wider range of customers.
• 3) Skip Bridging. Here you have additional piercing and the parts are held together by a bridge but the bridge is not cut. This can be used for routing aluminum, as it prevents vibration but does involve piercing on the edge, which is fine for routing. You actually do much more piercing and save nothing on cutting, so it is a device mainly to prevent vibration and movement. A simple gap bridge forms much the same function for lighter materials where the resultant tabs can be broken manually. In this case, additional pierces are required rather than fewer. (This function is aimed at aluminium routers but can be used in any instance where the programmer does not want the bridge to be cut).
• 4) Skip with Entries. As with Skip Bridging, but pierces are away from the part edge.

More on Bridging     Link to Bridge Nest Video Tutorial

FastCAM has already introduced common cut pairs which join two identical parts along a common straight boundary. This can reduce the cutting and halve the piercing. It is used most often in shipbuilding as it is common to encounter left and right hand pairs.

Other common cutting traditionally uses a single straight side for common cuts. This can save some cutting but not piercing. As piercing can be up to 80% of cutting time and much slower than cutting itself and even more expensive in consumables and plate, what is wanted is common cutting which does not involve additional piercing. The one of greatest interest has been where the part separation in nesting is exactly one cut width. As with all cutting, the concerns are;

• Part movement
• Part marking during cutting
• Part dimensional accuracy
• Cutting time
• Piercing time
• Scrap.
These can work against each other.

In FastCAM® Professional v5.10, we have introduced the ability to completely common cut nest. Compared with traditional nesting of separate parts each with their own external entry and exit, FastCAM® Common Cut Nest gives you the ability to set the part spacing to exactly the cut width before nesting.

FastCAM® v5.10 achieves 'zero gap' common cutting by cutting entire nests using a start on (part) edge approach. In many nests this will usually eliminate piercing time and halve cutting time. Intelligent strong/weak analysis logic is built into the software to minimize part movement however there is the potential for slightly damaged parts so part quality is a consideration. There is also the potential of damage to the part if an edge start command is not present in the NC control. However it offers the possibility of many common cuts in a nest of largely rectilinear parts where quality is not the main concern. It is dramatically faster with far less piercing. For rectilinear parts such as nests of rectangles, the saving in piercing can be 5x. The saving in cutting can be 2x, yielding gains of 10x in total processing speed!

Like any new technology, there are advantages and disadvantages depending on the application. The NC programmer can quickly weigh up the pro's and con's on a job by job basis. Certainly if you're cutting barbeque plates or similar then the efficiencies using the new Common Cut Nest feature can be remarkable.

More on Common Cutting     Link Common Cut Nest Video Tutorial

Summary of New and Recent Features for FastCAM® v5.10.59 Professional Edition: :

• a. Zero gap common cutting in FastNEST®.
• b. More Bridging Options (4 types including the overcut bridge). Feature now in FastNEST®.
• c. Service email containing all support files.
• d. Enhanced printing functionality for full printer previews on multiple printers and supporting multiple paper sizes, landscape, portrait and colour.
• e. STRUCAD file input.
• f. Common cut pairs.
• g. Kerf compensation on output.
• h. Align internal exits with next entry.
• i. Small hole changes with new HPR260 torches.
• j. Running exits on holes.
• k. Support for Mouse Wheel zooming in FastCAM® and FastNEST® (**see quote below).
• l. Two stage entry for laser.

Note that Items a) & b) require an update of both the software and the security key.

Copyright 2007, FastCAM Inc.

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