OMAX Corp. and Spatial Corp. have combined their technologies to create what could be considered the market’s easiest-to-use 3-D tool pathing solution.

The new Intelli-CAM^™ software tool for OMAX JetMachining^® Centers generates 3-D tool paths from solid 3-D models as well as quickly performs 3D to 2D file conversions.  

Intelli-CAM incorporates Spatial’s 3-D InterOp to import CAD files from a variety of 3D sources, including CATIA, SolidWorks^®, Solid Edge, Autodesk^® Inventor^®, Siemens^® NX, Pro/E^®, Creo^® and much more. Intelli-CAM then applies custom solutions from OMAX and Spatial such as the advanced AutoPath function or slice plane to convert the geometry into full 3-D paths suitable for waterjet cutting, ensuring the most precise part in the least amount of time and with minimal operator involvement. 

“Helping OMAX expand the 3-D capabilities of Intelli-CAM highlights the power of the Spatial component platform and the value our partnership with OMAX,” explained Vivekan Iyengar, vice president of research and development for Spatial. “For Spatial, data reuse means delivering data in a manner that allows applications to more easily integrate into existing workflows with minimal disruption and high reliability. Reliability is important to OMAX. To their end user, any problem in the workflow has an associated cost and is typically seen as a problem in the application, not as a problem in the integrity of the incoming CAD model. 3-D InterOp does the most to prevent the user from ever seeing those problems by automatically cleaning and repairing the CAD model during the import process.”

According to Carl Olsen, lead software engineer for OMAX Corporation, Spatial’s 3D InterOp technology allows OMAX to provide extremely robust and proven 3-D file import capabilities to its JetMachining Center owners. “Our customers can now import practically any major 2-D or 3-D CAD drawing out there, which is especially beneficial to job shops because they often don’t know the original CAD system for a file,” he said. “Plus, they don’t have to purchase expensive CAD software filter packages.” 

Olsen also noted that OMAX customers doing 3-D programming for 5-axis waterjet cutting will find Intelli-CAM greatly simplifies those operations, suggesting that Intelli-CAM “may be the easiest to use 5-axis CAM software ever.” 

Intelli-CAM, which interfaces directly with OMAX’s intuitive Intelli-MAX^® Software Suite, is available as a free update to OMAX JetMachining Center owners and is backed by the company’s unparalleled support.