[Wolfe88]

Hi, My shop is a milling/turning/EDM outfit that currently uses Esprit. We are not using solids at the moment but want to fully move into solids. We are thinking Solidworks will be our drafting solution no matter what CAM software we get. The deciding straw seems to come from our EDM department and to a lesser degree our turning department. The issue seems to be that most companies produce a very nice Mill package but few seem to be highly acclaimed in wire EDM.

We have all AgieVision wire machines and I wanted to ask what peoples thoughts were on SolidCAMs wire(4axis) solution especially vs Esprit since there is rightfully some resistance to change. I am told that Esprit has the best wire program out there, is this true?

If anyone wants to broaden the discussion by making other software suggestions feel free. Our requirement is that one software does all 3 (mill/turn/wire).

[JohnWLMT]

We are exactly the same situation. We are getting rid of Mastercam.

It's seems really hard to get a lot of info about wire edm from the cam guys.

Esprit is the bomb for wire.

We are going to take CamWorks for a spin soon. I really like the way CamWorks files exist inside the Solidworks file. Solidcam needs to make an assembly file for each cam file outside the original file. Seems like it may be a nightmare after some time for file control.

John

[Wolfe88]

Im pretty sure thats what solidcam does with the assembly file creation. Seem to remember seeing it in one of the solidcam professor videos.

Were going to be trying:
SolidCAM
CAMWorks
Esprit

Whoever wins I will post here and tell why.
We might be trying HSMworks Express out for mill and turning since its free.

[HansPeterP]

Hi, I've used the Wire-EDM in SolidCAM.
If the work is not to complex, it works ok, but.... as like all other CAM systems that focussed on Lathe and Milling, Wire-EDM is something completely different.
Aslo Esprit, like SolidCAM or CAMWorks, or MasterCAM, or..., cannot meet the highly intelligent Wire-EDM software packages.

SolidCAM will probably choose to integrate the DCAM Cut software into their SolidCAM software on the long term. Mitsubishi Europe also uses DCAM with B-axis.
If you have an Agie or Charmilles machine, you should use Fikus from MetalCam. It is installed on new Agie Charmilles machines.
You can read native SolidWork files. (Not associative anymore...)

Oh, and for those who cannot choose between CAMWorks and SolidCAM... ask for a benchmark and let them machine a part. SolidCAM will win!
The assembly that SolidCAM builds never gives me problems. A copy of the part is made, but changes still can be lead to the CAM part. Having a crash during programming? No work is lost!
Don't go for the "feature based programming" in CAMWorks. Go for the milling result and the quallity of the post outcome. And... you can change or build your own post for free! I've never seen this at other CAM systems.

This is just a comment from someone who worked for over 15 years at the dealers of CAMWorks, Cimatron, SolidCAM, MasterCAM and SolidWorks in the Benelux.

Good luck with your choise