Missler Software and its resellers would like to wish you a very Happy Christmas and prosperous New Year. We would also like to take this opportunity to thank you for working with us throughout 2006 and we look forward to a great year ahead.

2006 has been a successful year for TopSolid and GOelan (you will hear further news on the 2006 results at the beginning of next year) and Missler Software will continue to invest in its Research & Development to provide the best CAD/CAM solutions possible for the mechanical engineering, toolmaking and wood industries.

TopSolid 2007 will be launched early in the new year. The Missler Software VAR conference will be held in Malta from January 10th - 14th to inform and train our reseller network on all the new functionalities in the 2007 version.

Here we will take a brief look at the main new functionalities to be found in TopSolid'Cam 2007. The majority of the new functions are in direct response to customer requests. Listening and responding to customer needs forms an integral part of Missler Software's strategy. This new version is very focused on improved simulation (and, thereby, less collisions) and increased productivity. Important time gains will be made in general machining, especially in the aerospace industry.

TopSolid'Cam 2007, Integrated CAM at its Best:

• TopSolid'Cam available in 64 bits
• Movement and simulation in the RTCP mode
• Automatic prevention of collisions in continuous 5 axis machining
• Changes in approach and retract movements without recalculating the tool path
• Management of multi-function tools for lathes/milling machines
• Insert life management for machining of hard materials
• Multi-pocketing to automate 2D programming

Please click here for further details on the major improvements of TopSolid'Cam 2007.

Despite the fact that the tool making market, in general, seems to be suffering in many European and Asian countries, 2006 has been an excellent year for TopSolid'Mold in Portugal. Isicom, TopSolid reseller based in Leiria in Portugal, started reselling TopSolid in Decemeber 2005. Since then the company has had an unprecedented success among Portuguese mold makers. According to Rui Marçal, commercial manager of Isicom Cad " We are all going through a crisis situation and moldmakers are no exception to this. However, such a situation obliges companies to improve the way they work. TopSolid'Mold offers the possibility to design the complete mold in 3D, with the complete 2D plan attached, in a more easy and intuitive way than other CAD solutions for the mold making industry."

According to Arnaud de Boisboissel, International Sales Director for Missler Software "TopSolid'Mold is a unique solution for today's mold makers. Unbeatable draft creation, management of the entire tool, an advanced preliminary design mode and a complete integration with TopSolid'Cam make TopSolid'Mold a very attractive solution for the mold making industry."

Some prominant Portuguese mold makers working with TopSolid include companies making big & small size molds as well as high precision mold makers. Some examples of such moldmakers in Portugal equipped with TopSolid are Frumolde, Tecnifreza, Socem, Moldes RP, Geocam, Moldetipo ... Customer reports of Portuguese mold makers will be presented in further detail in upcoming newsletters.

Missler Software has recently signed an agreement to supply the Shanghai University of Engineering Science with the TopSolid integrated CAD/CAM solution. The university has just started to use 40 TopSolid licences since the official agreement was made at the beginning of December. This collaboration is part of Missler Software's commitment to the Shanghai Vocational Training Directive Center, a body which assists in the promotion of advanced technologies for local Chinese industry.

This agreement comes one year after the creation of Missler Software's offices at Shanghai. Missler Software China now has 4 offices throughout China in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Xian.

"Even the most beautiful objects need precise technology to give them their real value."
It is certainly the case for the world famous watch maker IWC who works with TopSolid'Cam for the creation of all the necessary NC programs used in the manufacturing of its parts, casings and production resources.

IWC is one of the best known and most renowned watch makers in the world. Equipped with 4 TopSolid'Cam licences the company has not looked back since it started working with the software. The first huge benefit, which TopSolid'Cam has brought to the company, was that it saved time. “When the post-processors function perfectly, we save 50% of the time previously used on NC-programming“ explains Joerg Demmerle, who programs the casings on the system.

IWC and Missler Software seem to be an excellent match. Standards and possibilities agree. Precision and availability are on both sides.

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'Cam and personalised "Stock to leave " in turning operations.

Video commentary

In turning operations it is not unusual to have to leave extra material (whose thickness is variable in function of the faces to be machined) around certain areas of the part. (This material, called "stock to leave" is subsequently removed by finishing operations). It is for this reason that TopSolid'Cam offers the possibility to define personalised "stock to leave" material depending on the faces selected. The video shows the ease with which the "stock to leave" can be defined. It remains associative (interesting when the geometry of the model changes) and, thereby, all machining operations take this into account.

Minimum requirements to read videos

2 formats are possible: AVI and WMV

• To read the AVI file the Techsmith codec has to be installed first, click here to download it.
• To read the WMV file the lastest version of Windows Media Player available here is required

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

The winners of the TopSolid Design Contest 2006 will be announced at the beginning of the New Year. The competition has been a great success and has helped us to better understand some of the great projects being designed and manufactured with TopSolid every day.

Here are some recent projects received for the 2006 Design Contest:

1. The project is a blow torch used essentially for the packaging industry. This blow torch was designed using TopSolid by the French company Guilbert Express. This company is specialised in such equipment as blowlamps, oxy-gas sets, soldering torches and electrical soldering irons for professional and nonprofessional users on the European and international market. Guilbert Express offers a range of tools for artisans - such as plumbers, heating engineers, roofers and sealing specialists - farmers and industry through a specialist distribution network. For further information please visit www.express.fr
   
   
   
   
   
2. This project was submitted by the company Dito Electrolux, which is part of the Electrolux Group. The company has submitted a professional food mixer and the accessories which go with it () for the TopSolid Design Contest. The stand and the bowl holder are made of aluminium, the cover is made of chromium plated plastic and the bowl is made of stainless steel. Dito Electrolux has been working with Missler Software and TopSolid since 1990. 3D design has permitted the company to have increased freedom in choosing the design of its kitchen utensils (use of complex shapes, for example, has been greatly simlified) For further information please visit www.electrolux.com
   
   
   
   
   
3. This project was designed by the French company Manut-LM for its customer Toyota. It is a vacuum tuber lifter which is incorporated into a forklift used for lifting bags. Manut-LM develops and builds vacuum tube lifters for assisted manual handling. Such lifters are used for the palletising and de-palletising of bags, cartons, drums, wooden panels, sheet metal, etc. The company has been using TopSolid using 2003. For further information visit www.manutlm.com