Autodesk

Autodesk is a global software company whose manufacturing portfolio spans design, simulation, and CAD/CAM tools. Among their most established products is PowerMill — a professional CAD/CAM software package used to program 3-axis and 5-axis CNC machines as well as robotic CNC systems. PowerMill was originally developed under the name Delcam, a programme that CNC Robotics founder Jason Barker played a key role in co-developing. Autodesk acquired Delcam in 2014, and PowerMill has continued to evolve as one of the leading robotic machining programming environments in the industry.

When Autodesk invested in their new Technology Centre in Birmingham, they equipped it with two KUKA robotic machining cells built and installed by CNC Robotics. The rationale was straightforward: with physical robotic systems on-site, the PowerMill development team could test, iterate, and validate new software features for robotic CNC applications directly, rather than relying on simulation alone. Having the hardware in-house accelerated the development cycle significantly, allowing the team to move from a software change to a real-world test and back again without delay.

The cells are used across a wide range of R&D activity and proof of concept work — the breadth of applications reflecting both the flexibility of the robotic systems themselves and the scope of what PowerMill is being developed to support. Projects have ranged from advanced machining research through to demonstrations, including producing a giant chocolate rabbit for Easter celebrations and a robot goalkeeper challenge at Autodesk University in London in 2018.

The relationship between CNC Robotics and Autodesk is one of the longest-standing partnerships in the business, rooted in Jason Barker's original involvement with Delcam and sustained through shared development work on the technology that underpins robotic CAD/CAM programming today. As Jason puts it: Autodesk remains an important strategic partner, and their resellers provide essential training and support to CNC Robotics customers to ensure increased productivity and profitability from the systems supplied.