NDES Best of Show - Surfware TrueMill

The coolest thing at the National Design Show? Surfware's TrueMill technology. TrueMill is a way to cut material in an efficient manner. Most CAM programs start cutting on the outside of a cutout and then continue with parallel paths towards the center. TrueMill Technology, which Surfware has patented, takes into account, feed rate, depth of cut and spindle speed to optimize maximum material removal. Surfware also claims that TrueMill lessens the risk of the cutter burying itself, minimizes tool changes and increases cutter life.

Dominic Lanzillotta (left) and Bill Horvat of Surfware display TrueMill technology.

The pattern resulting from TrueMill is anything but the “lawn-mowed” look created by conventional CAM. In fact, it can even look haphazard. But wouldn’t you think that employing a computer to optimize tool paths for maximum removal of material would be a no-brainer, rather than just creating tool paths that look pretty?

If They Made Me King…

If TrueMill is indeed as good as it claims to be, Surware should allow other CAM companies to license it. Not only would it validate and popularize the technology, but it could result in higher revenues, with every CAM company using it in effect becoming a Surfware customer.