The company Graef, based in  Arnsberg , Germany has been a TopSolid customer since 2002. Equipped with 5 TopSolid'Design licences the company makes all-purpose slicing machines for household and commercial use. For all CAD/CAM issues Graef works closely with ISK, its local TopSolid reseller.

In 2005 the company won the renowned “Red dot design award” with the Navis bread slicing machine (designed using TopSolid) The patented Navis N1 cutting machine has a cantilevered motor, which makes it possible to catch the cut objects directly under the knife and to put them down as required. Another advantage of the construction is the cleaning process: The closed construction prevents crumbs or remains from getting underneath the device.

With over 5,000 entries from nearly 50 countries, the red dot design award ranks among the largest design competitions worldwide. The coveted trophy is the red dot, the international seal of quality for outstanding design.

According to Christoph Bergmann, Director of Design & Development "We choose TopSolid as this system had the best price-performance ratio. Also the functions for hybrid modelling and shaped surfaces together with the high quality interfaces convinced us. With TopSolid our dream became true: We always work on the one and the same 3D-file, which means all other drawings and exploded views are linked and and associativity is maintained with the 3D-model or 3D-assembly.

The complete change to TopSolid by our design department also optimized our mistake rate. The analytical models included in TopSolid together with its graphical functions and dynamic 3D models help to prevent mistakes in advance. "

TopSolid'Mold 2007, which will be available in the New Year, has made important improvements in the domain of collaborative work. A big first step towards this was the introduction of the preliminary design mode in the 2006 version. This mode enables 2 people to work on different parts of the mold design. For example, one person can work on the mold carcass while a second person works on the cavity blocks, thereby benefitting from important time gains in the mold design process.

Let's take a closer look at TopSolid'Mold's preliminary design mode - The mold parting process and the corresponding definition of the parting lines and surfaces is one of the most time intensive actions in the construction of a tool or mold. In order to deliver quotations, order raw materials and discuss drafts with customers the parting elements are not necessarily needed.

Furthermore, at this stage there are many possible changes which may occur in the mold design that require a redefinition of the parting elements. That's why in TopSolid'Mold Missler Software offers the possibility to design an initial draft of the mold without the creation of its parting elements. Thus, the mold maker can provide initial mold designs including the cooling system design, ejector pin insertion, 2D drawing, etc in a quick turn-around time. Mold makers can thereby offer preliminary, “light” mold designs to sub-contractors – speed is an important element in such early stages.

Further information on TopSolid'Mold 2007 will be available over the coming months.

Missler Software recently signed its first Authorised GOelan reseller in Taiwan. AutoSolution, a TopSolid reseller since 2002, has signed a new distribution contract to supply GOelan as well as TopSolid in Taiwan.

Up until now AutoSolution has worked primarily in the mold and die business. Increasing delocalisation of companies in the tooling industry in China has meant that the company has looked to new domains of activity to assure its future. Diversifying to the mechanical engineering industry will certainly open up many doors for AutoSolution.

There are just 3 weeks left to submit your project for the TopSolid Design Contest 2006. All you have to do is submit your project (format jpg, tiff, … and a brief description of the project) to win the following prizes:

• An all expenses paid weekend away for 2
• An integrated PDA/GPS
• A smartphone
• An Ipod
• A state-of-the-art laptop computer

For further details and contest rules see www.topsolid.com/news/designcontest

The family owned company Hirt, based in Baar, Switzerland was founded nearly 60 years ago and is today managed by Martin Hirt and his wife. The company is specialised in the manufacturing of injection molds, blow molds and polymechanics. The tools and molds are mainly produced by CNC milling and grinding operations.

Hirt has been equipped with TopSolid'Mold and TopSolid'Cam since 2004. TopSolid's many interfaces and the complete integration from mold design to manufacturing are 2 important strong points of the software for the Swiss company.

Click here for the rest of the report.

You are a TopSolid operator and you would like some tips on what your software is capable of doing. Each newsletter will include a highlight of the month accompanied by an avi of a TopSolid module.
This month let's take a look at TopSolid'Mold and inserts.

Video commentary

Insert with faces selection
The selection of edges during the insert creation on faces allows you to easily create complex inserts. Isolate the sheet, work on it, modify it, and then create your insert. The isolated shape is, of course, available for later modifications, to let you improve your design.

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2 formats are possible: AVI and WMV

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All Missler Software and reseller trade fairs will be published here each month and can also be found on http://www.topsolid.com/news/shows/showslist.asp

GOelan 2007 will be available next January. In this newsletter we will look at one of the important improvements in the 2007 version: Easier solid machining.

Automatic solid machining with GOelan is by no means a new function. It enables operators to carry out roughing operations in 2 ½ and 3 axis on solid parts. The big improvement of GOelan 2007 is facilitated machining of local zones. By selecting the face to be machined GOelan 2007 analyses if there are undercuts present, looks for the islands to avoid, does not plunge in holes, machine outside the faces… Without creating geometries the GOelan operator may adjust the volume of material to be removed by the tool. For example, uniting 2 zones to be machined (a pocket cut in 2 by a groove).

Thanks to GOelan's complete management of the stock GOelan 2007 favours tool plunges outside the material and optimises the machining trajectories if the machining order is changed.

Click here to see a short animation which illustrates this function.

Missler Software will of course be present at EuroMold, Frankfurt, Hall 8, H56. EuroMold is without a doubt one of Missler Software's biggest annual trade fairs. Resellers AdeQuate Solutions, ISK, Moldtech and WeSt will participate on the show with Missler Software. An international press conference will be held on Thursday 30 November.

As well as being an important German trade fair, EuroMold is certainly a key international trade fair. With visitors from across the globe, the Missler Software international team will be getting ready for this all important event.