Free Alibre CAM, For the Elect
Alibre is giving away its new CAM Xpress free, but only to a selected group of users. In Google GMail fashion, the Elect will be permitted to invite others (the Sub Elect) to also get their free copy of CAM Xpress (formerly Alibre CAM). The related Web page is vague as to how one qualifies, other than to leave one's email address.
What do you get for free? Not a lot, obviously:
* Profiling (2.5 axis).
* Horizontal roughing and parallel finishing (3 axis).
* Drilling, including user-defined drill cycles.
* Hole sorting.
* Some post-processing.
* Tool path and holder simulation.
* Standard mill and drill tools.
The next level up, Alibre CAM Standard at $1000, provides a whole lot more features.
"Alibre CAM and Alibre CAM Xpress are going to disrupt the stagnant CAM software market," says CEO Greg Milliken in a press release. The problem isn't stagnancy; it's fractiousness. Even the biggest CAM software vendors have small marketshares.
Maybe a more interesting story would be to interview Joe Anand, owner of Mecsoft, who makes AlibreCAM. Joe's concept is very unique and amounts to trying to hit it big with private label CAM. I wonder if anyone has considered how much market share SpaceClaim or IronCAD or ? could achieve if they approached CAM companies that have major obstacles with their dated user interface and horrible CAD (Smartcam, Surfcam, EZCAM, etc.) and tried to cut a deal for creating powerful CAM for these aforementioned programs. I think the reality is that SpaceClaim and IronCAD are far better suited right now for machine shops who have to work with imported data than something like SolidWorks is.
Jon Banquer
San Diego, CA
Posted by: Jon Banquer | Apr 18, 2008 at 17:17
Ralph... you are a tough guy to please. A vendor gives away 3-axis CAM, and you say it's "not a lot?"
How about they add 5-axis contouring, and pay people to take it?
Posted by: Evan Yares | Apr 15, 2008 at 15:09