Clemson engineering program receives state-of-the-art machining software

Published: November 5, 2009

Redesigned lightweight control arm being simulated in the virtual machining environment using GibbCAM 2009. image by: Mathew Kuttolamadom, Clemson University

CLEMSON — Gibbs and Associates, an international provider of machining CAD/CAM technology, has made a software gift valued in excess of $500,000 to the Clemson University Campbell Graduate Engineering Center. The software will provide advanced machining simulation in mechanical and automotive engineering classrooms and research labs on campus and at the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR).

The software is GibbsCAM 2009, a Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAM) package, as well as postprocessors specific to existing machining equipment at CU-ICAR. Gibbs’ investment in Clemson will allow students and professors to use the program in automotive manufacturing research and graduate education as well as in mechanical engineering undergraduate laboratory exercises and undergraduate manufacturing classes. The gift provides students a chance to gain experience with and understanding of a software tool used in industry, making them more valuable graduates.

“Because of this generous gift, students will now have an extremely cost-efficient method of programming machine tools with accurate parameters,” said mechanical engineering assistant professor Laine Mears. “Students will have access to multiple seats of state-of-the-art software that will help them simulate machining processes such as milling, turning and five-axis freeform machining. They can design and test their programs before the actual parts are produced at the machining centers. The multiple seats donated allow up to 50 students to work with the package at once, making it usable across the graduate and undergraduate curricula.”

Gibbs and Associates of Moorpark, Calif., is the developer of GibbsCAM and has provided machining software solutions to local machine shops as well as Fortune 500 companies such as Boeing, Ford, General Dynamics, General Motors, Lockheed Martin and Raytheon.

“GibbsCAM covers a broad range of capabilities from programming the simplest Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machine tools to verifying the most complex toolpaths to simulating the most sophisticated machine tool motion,” explained Bill Gibbs, founder and president of Gibbs and Associates.

“We are confident that our products will help Clemson students understand machining and assist their research and preparation for careers in automotive and general manufacturing. It is with this expectation that we are pleased to partner with Clemson University, by providing them a world class CNC programming system for their uniquely innovative automotive research and manufacturing programs. We look forward to their students’ success,” he added.

END

The Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research is an advanced-technology research campus located in Greenville, S.C., where university, industry and government organizations engage in synergistic collaboration and where Clemson University offers the nation’s only Ph.D. program in automotive engineering, along with a master’s degree program. With more than $200 million in commitments, it represents the ultimate public/private partnership, directly fueling a knowledge base critical to the automotive industry.