Software Release 2025.04 Highlights
ModuleWorks is excited to announce the release of version 2025.04 of its software components. This release highlights our ongoing commitment to delivering innovative solutions that shape the future of manufacturing. The updated ModuleWorks SDK introduces a range of new and improved features designed to enhance toolpath generation and simulation performance. These improvements span multiple components, including advanced physics based roughing technologies and enhanced simulation capabilities.
Toolpath
Multi-Axis Edge Finishing | Deburring
Automatic Machining Direction
Challenge: Previously, determining the appropriate machining direction for 3- and 4-axis toolpaths often led to suboptimal ordering.
Solution: A new option called ‘automatic machining direction’ now takes the contour direction into account to ensure optimal ordering.
Benefits: This feature makes deburring toolpaths more user-friendly, while also reducing the machining cycle time.
Multi-Axis Edge Finishing | Deburring
User-Defined Edge Sequence
Challenge: With automatic sorting, it is difficult to meet the deburring requirements of each part, as the predefined order may not align with specific needs.
Solution: As an alternative to automatic sorting, the input order of the included curves can now be preserved and the resulting toolpath is sorted accordingly. This allows users to define the sequence in which the edges are machined.
Benefits: This feature gives users more flexibility, enabling them to machine edges in their preferred sequence. It improves overall efficiency and precision.
3-Axis
Corner Peg Removal for Constant Cusp
Challenge: Offset-type patterns, such as Constant Cusp, can create cusps in corner regions where the pattern collapses or where corner smoothing alters the toolpath’s original position. In many cases, these cusps require manual polishing to remove.
Solution: To ensure consistent surface quality, additional peg loops are now added in corner areas.
Benefits: This feature ensures consistent surface quality while reducing the amount of manual labour.
3-Axis
Taper Helical Ramp
Challenge: In adaptive roughing, the depth step is typically large, often equal to the flute length. During ramping into pockets, chip evacuation for such large depth steps can be problematic, leading to reduced tool life.
Solution: Instead of creating a vertical pocket opening, a tapered opening is used to improve chip evacuation. Introducing a taper angle for helical ramping further optimizes the process, improving efficiency.
Benefits: This feature ensures better chip evacuation, which significantly enhances tool life.
Turning / Prime Turning
Turning Spindle Direction Mapping Enhancement
Challenge: Users were unable to obtain the actual machine tool position when using CW and CCW because they were reversely mapped. This caused confusion and inaccuracies.
Solution: When using the spindle rotation functionality, the toolpath now has the correct tool position that matches the actual machining process. This ensures that the tool position is accurately represented.
Benefits: This enhancement enables users to determine the tool position in accordance with the actual machining conditions, reducing confusion and improving accuracy.
Simulation
Simulation SDK | Cutting Simulation
Collision Checking Support in GPU-Accelerated Simulation
Challenge: Simulating material removal while checking for potential tool collisions with the in-process stock is computationally intensive, causing the simulation to slow down in complex machining scenarios.
Solution: GPU-accelerated simulation can now be leveraged to optimize both material removal and collision checking.
Benefits: This feature increases the simulation speed, particularly for large-scale machining operations, while ensuring precise collision detection.
Discover the many other new enhancements in this release.