Software allows designers and engineers to maximize efficiency and productivity through seamless integration between the two products

Pathtrace today announced that with the release of version 10, EdgeCAM computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) software will support SolidWorks® 2006 3D mechanical design software, featuring new capabilities for generating powerful machining strategies for SolidWorks parts.

SolidWorks 2006 features a host of new and unique capabilities to help designers and engineers bring better products more quickly to market. The software includes more than 200 customer-requested enhancements and significant innovations that break new ground in engineering efficiency. These innovations include fundamentally new approaches that allow design engineers to analyze and validate designs as they work. Design engineers will also more easily transition from 2D design and experience the speed and accuracy of 3D.

Designers and engineers will use EdgeCAM and SolidWorks software to ensure the highest level of CAD/CAM interoperability. With EdgeCAM Solid Machinist, the SolidWorks model is loaded directly into EdgeCAM without data translation, ensuring guaranteed data integrity and enabling faster NC programming. The associative link between EdgeCAM Solid Machinist and SolidWorks significantly reduces the burden of reworking NC programs, meaning that even late design changes to the SolidWorks model will not affect manufacturing lead times.

A SolidWorks Certified CAM Product, EdgeCAM allows users to easily and efficiently manufacture their SolidWorks designs. SolidWorks 2006 expands on the software’s legacy of ease of use, design power, and affordability by also providing users with comprehensive drawing tools and new productivity features that will speed the adoption of 3D design around the world. Accelerated product development hinges on how easy it is to translate a design into the finished product. EdgeCAM Solid Machinist and SolidWorks gives manufacturers a head start by offering an integrated environment that eliminates the interoperability issues they’ve wrestled with in the past by transforming their designs into physical products faster, and with fewer errors.

“SolidWorks is the standard for 3D mechanical design software,” said SolidWorks Solution Partner Program Manager Brian Houle. “Combining it with EdgeCAM gives engineers the tools they need to do their jobs faster and better by offering concurrent design and manufacturing activities.”

The SolidWorks Partner Program features products and services that complement SolidWorks products. Certified Gold Products are fully integrated with SolidWorks and provide users with instant access to the partner application within the SolidWorks window. Certified CAM and Solution Partner products offer a variety of integration methods with SolidWorks software, including direct import of native SolidWorks files, the SolidWorks application programming interface (API), and established industry standard file formats. SolidWorks has more partners in the mid-range CAD market than any competing technologies, with more than 600 companies worldwide participating in the SolidWorks Partner Program.

“Pathtrace is at the forefront in CAD/CAM interoperability,” says David Boucher, Pathtrace Marketing Director. “SolidWorks and EdgeCAM users benefit from a tightly integrated design and CAM solution, providing more cost effective manufacturing.”