Delcam, an international provider of Computer-Aided Design & Manufacturing (CADCAM) software to the print finishing industry, is happy to announce the launch of ArtCAM 2010, its latest software range. 

For over 15 years, Delcam have been providing print finishers with its advanced design and manufacturing software to create highly accurate, flat and rotary dies.  This has enabled customers to create complex cover for case books requiring multiple foils, greetings cards with sculpted embossing, prestigious packaging and labels as well as visually effective 3D magazine covers. 

With ArtCAM's facility to import a multitude of design files including multi-layered PDF files the designer can begin working immediately with the client's original artwork.  The imported artwork can then be cleaned up quickly and easily by closing any open vectors (lines) or removing intersecting vectors that would otherwise cause machining errors. 

The designer can then begin adding height and shape to areas of the design, such as a dome shape used for embossing, by simply clicking a specific colour from the bitmap image or selecting a vector boundary.  The results are instantly visible on their screen. 

To aid the design process, ArtCAM 2010 users can customise the user interface so that unused tools can be hidden and shortcuts can be created for frequently used commands, creating a larger design space on the screen.  This is particularly useful for complex and intricate designs.

To avoid creating a design that will overstretch the material, leading to tears or splits, ArtCAM's new Relief Analysis tool warns designers of potential problem areas as they design, before they commit to cutting a die.  These areas can then be smoothed out to avoid many of the common issues relating to mould or embossing tool design.

Once complete, ArtCAM's 3D PDF Viewer can be used to help gain the customer's approval.  This embeds a dynamically viewable 3D model of the final design in an efficient, industry-standard and printable document that can then be e-mailed to the customer. 

Once approved, the engraving studio can then select one of ArtCAM's powerful engraving strategies to calculate the toolpaths required for machining.  ArtCAM's unique 'Smart Engraving' function, for example, not only rapidly clears away surplus material but also uses corner sharpening to create a clean crisp edge for foil stamping. 

Another valuable strategy is ArtCAM 2010's "raised round" command.  Ideal for foil and embossing dies with lettering, this strategy generates toolpaths directly from the vector artwork.  Determining the optimum height and shape, this new strategy creates a tapered edge to the letter design so that there are no sharp edges that would otherwise pierce through the material.   Other commonly used effects, such as the raised flat (bevelled flat lift), or raised roof (raised faceted), can all be achieved.

A great deal of technology from Delcam's industry-leading engineering CAM system, PowerMILL has been incorporated into ArtCAM 2010.  This has enabled even faster calculation times thanks to the inclusion of the latest multi-threading technology. 

Finally, before the toolpaths are sent to the machine, the artist can check the accuracy of the die using ArtCAM's new and improved toolpath simulation.  This gives the designer the opportunity to alter their calculations prior to machining, saving both time and the company's bottom line.