Preview of MachineWorks’ Polygonica

Previewing the latest updates to the leading CNC simulation & polygonal solid modeling software toolkit.

This coming December, MachineWorks Ltd. will showcase the latest version of their Polygonica software at the 2013 Euromold fair in Frankfurt, Germany. The software toolkit is a competitor in the polygonal solid modeling and computer numerical control (CNC) simulation markets. MachineWorks notes that the new Polygonica will be able to support larger models, color, and application data defined within the mesh.

Special algorithms allow Polygonica to process chunks of a mesh one at a time until the whole mesh is complete; though the release will also support simplification of a mesh. Large meshes can also be processed without affecting speed or robustness, all by using solid healing or offsetting as well as Boolean operations.

For those hoping to use 3D printing in their design, Polygonica Sales Manager David Knight notes that “the Polygonica development team is working hard at adding color support to Polygonica’s capabilities in order to support the latest generation of 3D Printers… Full color and multi-jet printing is [becoming] commonplace within the industry. It is important that this data is retained in a consistent fashion when performing automatic healing operations on solid meshes, such as removal of self-intersections, closing open solids and hollowing out of parts.”

According to MachineWorks, more than 60% of computer-aided manufacturing developers already integrate MachineWorks technology into their applications. As such, MachineWorks users traditionally use the technology to simulate material removal, CNC machining, and clash and gouge detection. With the addition of the 3D printing spin, however, MachineWorks hopes to establish a separate foothold in the growing 3D printing industry.

Images courtesy of: MachineWorks Ltd.

Written by

Shawn Wasserman

For over 10 years, Shawn Wasserman has informed, inspired and engaged the engineering community through online content. As a senior writer at WTWH media, he produces branded content to help engineers streamline their operations via new tools, technologies and software. While a senior editor at Engineering.com, Shawn wrote stories about CAE, simulation, PLM, CAD, IoT, AI and more. During his time as the blog manager at Ansys, Shawn produced content featuring stories, tips, tricks and interesting use cases for CAE technologies. Shawn holds a master’s degree in Bioengineering from the University of Guelph and an undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Waterloo.