CGTech expands its Technical Support

As part of the company’s continued business growth in the UK and across the globe, CGTech has recently appointed a new Technical Support Engineer to ensure its CNC simulation and optimisation customers receive the highest level of trusted care.

A time served apprentice with significant CNC machining experience, Dave Woolams joins CGTech’s Technical Support department offering product guidance for VERICUT users CNC machine model building services and bespoke simulation services.

Having started his career with a small precision engineering business in the South West, he gained valuable experience with various manual and CNC machine tools. As Dave Woolams recalls: “As well as general engineering we did a lot of engine building and machining for anything from agricultural usage to motorsport. A local performance car garage supported Cosworth race cars, not just blue-printing but high-performance tuning, and we did any machining required. It was a great learning curve for me, a lot of manual machines, grinding, engine balancing, porting and polishing, everything to do with all engines. Most of it came down to ‘feel’ and an eye for detail, because obviously microns mattered and you had to get the best out of the machines.”

After completing his apprenticeship, he stayed there for about 10 years before joining Renishaw. Having started on the shopfloor as a CNC setter operator in a turning cell at the company’s advanced manufacturing facility in Stonehouse, he progressed to its proprietary RAMTIC automated milling and turning section before moving into prototyping and low volume production.

It was here that Dave Woolams started to use CAD/CAM as he says: “We used GibbsCAM as the programming tool for all the low volume work and prototyping that the design engineers would supply as solid models from the Siemens NX CAD/CAM system. After around 4 years I got the job as CAM Development Engineer handling all the NX CAM work with post processors, helping out with Siemens PLM software, Teamcentre, interface and interaction of all CAM features for the whole of Renishaw’s business.”

He joins CGTech having regularly dealt with VERICUT as part of his previous role for CAM and system control. Dave Woolams says: “Having first-hand experience of the software and the exceptional level of technical support delivered by CGTech, I know what is expected of me in my new role and am looking forward to making a significant contribution to the Technical Support team.

“I had a pride in my ability as a programmer as well as the attention to detail I developed from my first role during my apprenticeship. That established a foundation and really set me up for where I am now. For me, it is interesting to see the different ways various engineering businesses work. There is a broad spectrum of engineering solutions and processes used, and I have seen some impressive and elegant engineering applications from UK companies that are among the best in the world.”