Delcam is offering free use of its online CAD data-exchange service, Delcam Exchange, from 21st to 26th November. The normal pay-as-you-go fee of about $50 per model will be waived for unlimited use of the service during this period.
Delcam Exchange is a unique service under which the translation software is downloaded free of charge from www.delcam-exchange.com and then stored on the user’s own computer. To undertake each translation, the user simply obtains a real-time authorisation from the Delcam Exchange website. Outside of the free offer, users can either pay for individual translations or buy a set of 20 vouchers with a bonus of four free translations.
The full range of options for input into Delcam Exchange is now CATIA V5, Pro/Engineer, Creo, Siemens NX (Unigraphics), SolidWorks, AutoCAD, AutoDesk Inventor, Rhino, Solid Edge, Cimatron, IDEAS, TopSolid, Parasolid, ACIS, IGES, VDA-FS and STEP, plus Delcam’s own DDX, DMT and DGK formats, while files can be exported as CATIA V5, Rhino, AutoCAD, Parasolid XT, ACIS, IGES, STEP or VDA-FS, or as Delcam’s DDX, DGK or DMT.
The Delcam Exchange approach offers two advantages of over other online translation providers – speed and security. Most other services require the CAD model to be sent to the service provider for translation and then returned to the customer.
Delcam Exchange gives much faster results since transferring a short authorisation code is much quicker and easier than transferring a complex CAD model. Once the authorisation has been obtained, the translation itself will normally take seconds, with even the most complex models never needing more than a few minutes.
The service also gives total security. Since the model file stays within the user’s own computer, there is no chance of sensitive information being intercepted or mailed to an incorrect address.
In the ten years since it was launched more than 50,000 users have registered for the Delcam Exchange service. Less than one per cent of users have claimed refunds for unsuccessful or incomplete translations under Delcam’s no-quibble guarantee scheme. While this high level of success is a testament to the quality of the Delcam Exchange software, it is also helped by the preview option provided as part of the service. This allows users to view the file they have translated before they pay and so gives customers confidence that the translation has been completed correctly before they incur any costs.
Many customers simply use the preview option to view models without completing the translation. This is especially beneficial for sub-contractors that need to analyse models to provide quotes. Using Delcam Exchange in viewing mode allows the quote to be prepared without incurring any translation costs that would be wasted if the bid is unsuccessful.
