The massive breakthrough with iModela is, of course, the price. If you occasionally need small-scale prototypes, patterns or moulds then iModela may well provide a cost-effective in-house alternative to outsourcing. There have been attempts to produce a small-scale desk-top milling machine before, but iModela represents a first in terms of commercial availability, design and build quality together with back-up from an internationally renowned company, Roland DG. With a working area of 86mm x 55mm x 26mm and easy to use USB connectivity, the Roland iModela incorporates 25 years of Roland’s proven professional milling technology into an easy to use device.
iModela is supplied with “iCreate” software which allows you to create simple shapes, holes and patterns with precision straight out of the box. The material to be worked is fastened to iModela’s bed and a rotating cutter then mills out the shape you have created. To do this, iModela needs a set of digital instructions to guide the cutter around the shapes. These are called toolpaths and “iModela Creator” software is included to provide this function. A simple interface provides instructions that make features instantly understandable and is focused on simple operation to ensure that it can be used by anyone. Alternatively, designs can be created in TechSoft 2D Design software which gives unlimited opportunities for engineering design. Output to iModela from 2D Design couldn’t be simpler with its own simple dialog box to set cutting depths and speeds.
iModela certainly broke new ground when we provided it’s UK debut at a show more accustomed to showcasing new media and gaming technology.
iModela has obvious impact for education and the annual D&T Show provided the ideal platform to launch this breakthrough machine to UK Schools and Colleges.
iModela works in exactly the same way as ‘conventional’ CNC machines, it uses the same software and produces the same results. The only difference is scale and output speed but this need not be a problem for training. As education budgets are increasingly squeezed, the ability of iModela to provide whole-class access to real CAD/CAM experience is a highly cost-effective proposition. For the cost of one large scale CNC machine, a class-set of iModelas could be provided. This can free-up workshop resources and, in the case of some HE establishments, give students a loan machine to develop projects and understanding in their own time.
We were delighted to receive a very positive response from Primary and Middle School teachers as well. Most didn’t have CAD/CAM in mind when they had arrived at the Show but were intrigued to find a unique resource that could powerfully engage their students. iModela provides a neat fit with primary curriculum objectives and presents an inherently safe and unthreatening package for younger children.
School leaders and business managers were quick to spot iModela’s potential as a key resource for enterprise projects. Several saw the chance to save hard-pressed budgets by in-house production of staff badges, trophies and signage! As long as they fit the iModela’s work area – why not? A vast selection of professional quality engraving laminates are available and all can be quickly and easily worked with iModela.
TechSoft UK Ltd
TechSoft UK Ltd,
All of the above machines are supplied through TechSoft UK Ltd. TechSoft UK Ltd was founded in the mid 1980s and soon established itself as the market leading supplier of CAD CAD/CAM systems (Computer Aided Design and Computer Aided Manufacture) to schools colleges and universities in the UK. Due to customer demand, our Project Management Service was launched in 2007 and since then we have undertaken many successful new-build and re-furbishment projects.
Computer Aided Design and Computer Aided Manufacture is the way things are made these days. Without this technology we wouldn’t have the range and quality of products available or, at least, they wouldn’t be available at a price most of us can afford. Hand-building and manual techniques still very much have their place and Design Education needs to treasure and foster these skills so that future generations will have the ‘hands-on’ skills to understand the man-made world and provide the next generation of engineers, designers and technicians. All of these professionals will be using CAD/CAM techniques or CAD/CAM products in their work, alongside practical hands-on skill. Design and Technology education has to reflect modern practice so it is crucial that students have the opportunity to use real CAD/CAM tools in their designing and making.
