As Featured In IMTS 2008 ShowDaily - September 10, 2008
By Sherry Baraneck, Moldmaking Technology
Although Surfware, Inc. is celebarting its 20th anniversary this year, the owners and founders of the company --the
Diehl family-- are celebrating 58 years of being pioneers in the machining business. Surfware will display 20th anniversary and 58 years of
experience memorabilia at its booth (D-3210), including a machine manual from the 1940s, early machine molds and tools.
Stephen Diehl, president and CEO of Surfware says, "Now we have another 'first' -- our patented TrueMill®
technology, which dramatically reduces cycle time and addresses a major trend in the industry." Over the years, we've seen numerous methodologies
and processes. We've seen the so-called trochoidal toolpaths, morphing toolpaths, feed-rate optimizers and others.
"With TrueMill, we've developed something that is absolutely different," Diehl says. "Rather than generating tool paths
based on a given stepover value and the shape of the geometry being machined, we manage tool-engagement angles to produce toolpaths that are
far superior."
Surfware is also demonstrating a simulated business called Hands Off that will recreate the entire lifecycle of
a production system, using Surfcam reseller CADcam Technologies, Inc., will illustrate the ability to highly automate SURFCAM for a specific
application.
The Surfware Hands Off allows visitors to scan their hands, see the full manufacturing process online, and receive a SURFCAM Powered By TrueMill
tool path of their hand in the machine code of their choice.
"We're asking people visiting the booth to put their hands on a laser scanner," says Liz Lewinson, director of marketing.
"We then turn the scanned hand into a SURFCAM/TrueMill toolpath that will become the basis of a product that is tracked from inception to FedEx
shipment. All participants receive a CD with the machine tool path of their hand in the machine code of their choice. Participants can then go
home and reproduce their hand on their own machine."
The company also is showcasing the newest release of its flagship software, SURFCAM velocity 4 --a major release with
significant new features in two axis, three axis, four axis, five axis and TrueMill. "We are delighted to introduce Velocity 4 at IMTS," Diehl
says. "This release solves issues that limited TrueMill's performance and takes the unique TrueMill technology to a new level of excellence.
We look forward to continuing to build on the great quality and scalability of our product."
Surfware will feature samples, videos and information on the Swift-Carb-TrueMill cutting tools company, has built cutting
tools specifically to optimize TrueMill's cutter path. "We have seen repeatedly that TrueMill makes good on its promise to produce significantly
faster cycle times --in some cases more than 100 percent-- and two to four times tool life," says Steve Swift, president of Swift-Carb. "The
difference between our TrueMill series end mill compared to others out there is the substrate, geometry and coatings used. A tool like this has
never been made before."
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