Today’s cutting-edge product development relies on incredible precision balanced with rapid time to market. Companies of all sizes rely on computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) to deliver on both of those needs. At the heart of the CAM process is the Computer Numerical Control (CNC) milling machine, which is used to manufacture a variety of complex, high-precision parts and devices for consumer and industrial applications. Precise control of a CNC cutting tool is what enables manufacturers to produce thousands of parts with the same quality within specified tolerances.
Using CAM software, manufacturers can automatically calculate the intricate tool paths of CNC machinery—driving new levels of speed and efficiency across their operations. This way, they can easily accommodate design changes, reduce machining time to increase tool life, and get products to market faster than ever.
Why Processors Matter in Manufacturing
To get the highest performance, CAM software needs to run on professional workstations, powered by the right processors. For example, calculating the ideal tool path is a multi-threaded process. So, an AMD RyzenTM ThreadripperTM PRO 3995WX processor with 64 cores is perfectly suited for the task.
AMDCompletion time: 34:04 Completion Time 25:41
2x Intel® Platinum 8280 1x AMD Ryzen™ PRO 3995WX
Consider this scenario, where a manufacturer used CAMWorks software running within Dassault SOLIDWORKS to generate the fastest and most efficient tool path for a CNC mill. One workstation was powered by two Intel® Xeon® processors, while the second one used a single Threadripper™ PRO processor.
CAMWorks calculates the tool path in less than 26 minutes on the 64-core Threadripper PRO processor, and then it moves on to simulate and validate the tool path virtually. This step is critical in identifying any errors before going into production. In this example, the CAM software alerts the team that the tool is not long enough for the required cut. The engineer can then make an adjustment to address the error and rerun tool path calculation.
Meanwhile, the Xeon processors are still running the initial tool path calculations, requiring a little more than 34 minutes just to complete the first step.
By utilizing the many fast cores of the Threadripper PRO, CAMWorks allows engineers to quickly optimize processes, catch errors, and help reduce the cost of digital manufacturing.
AMDThe Right Tool for the Job
AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO processors are fantastic for multi-threaded tasks like product simulations, generative design, and tool path optimization. Manufacturing design tasks, such as 3D modeling and design, are lightly threaded. So, they benefit more from a higher CPU clock speed, rather than more CPU cores.
Threadripper PRO processors not only deliver high multi-threaded performance, they also offer best-in-class single-threaded performance as well1. In fact, the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3945WX is the first 12-core professional workstation processor with a base clock speed of 4.0GHz, ideal for 3D modeling and design workloads.
When choosing a processor for professional workstations, be sure to consider the optimal compute requirements for all the key applications in your workflow. If your teams are constantly calculating tool paths or running highly multi-threaded simulations with little single-threaded design work, you will want the most CPU cores your budget allows. If they are primarily designing parts with little or no need to perform multi-threaded tasks, then you’ll want a CPU with the highest clock speed. If your workflow covers an equal mix of these different compute tasks, look for a CPU offering the best balance of high cores and high clock speed.
AMDAMD PRO Technologies: Trusted for Business
AMD PRO technologies, enabled on all PRO processors from AMD, are designed to help businesses and IT managers address the challenges they face every day. Whether you need advanced security features, integrated manageability tools, or proven stability, reliability, and flexibility, AMD PRO technologies have got you covered.
AMDAMD PRO Security AMD PRO Manageability AMD PRO Business Ready
AMD PRO Security
Layers of built-in security features help protect your sensitive data from today’s sophisticated attacks.
- Modern security architecture is designed with a focus on security features.
- AMD Secure Processor validates code before it is executed to help ensure data and application integrity.
- AMD Memory Guard enables full memory encryption to help protect sensitive data against advanced physical attacks should your PC be lost or stolen.
The AMD “Zen” processor architecture is designed from the ground up with security as a priority to help address today’s more sophisticated attacks.
- An integrated security processor helps protect confidentiality and integrity of data.
- AMD works closely with Microsoft and PC manufacturers to enable and complement their enterprise-level security features.
- Exclusive to AMD processors with PRO technologies, AMD Memory Guard provides real-time encryption of system memory to help protect against physical attacks should your laptop be lost or stolen.
AMD PRO Manageability
All PRO processors from AMD enable a robust manageability feature set for simplified deployment, imaging, and management that is compatible with your current infrastructure, so you can:
- Remotely update and repair networked devices
- Monitor, restore, and upgrade systems
- Fix a wide range of client issues in-band and out-of-band
Design on the Most Advanced Professional Platform in the World2
AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO-based workstations are the ideal tools for product engineers and demanding design professionals. With support for an unmatched 128 lanes of PCIe® connectivity across the entire stack, AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO processors enable a wide variety of advanced workstation configurations and offers the first 12-core 4.0GHz solution to support PCIe 4.0 for next-gen GPUs and ultra-fast NVMe storage3. For applications bound by memory speed, AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO processors offer unrivaled memory bandwidth4 and support for eight memory channels. It is time to rethink what you can do with a workstation, and upgrade to the ultimate professional workstation platform.
Click here to learn more about AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO processors.
Click here to learn more about the Lenovo ThinkStation P620 workstation powered by Threadripper PRO
- Based on AMD performance lab testing on June 8, 2020 using the Cinebench R20 1T benchmark test to compare the single-thread performance of Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3945WX reference system vs. Intel Xeon W-2295 processor. Results may vary. CPP-19
- Most advanced’ defined as superior 7nm process technology in a smaller node and unique PCIe® 4.0 capability in the workstation processor market. CPP-77
- Based on AMD internal analysis June 1, 2020, comparing specifications of AMD Ryzen™ Threadripper™ PRO to Intel Xeon Gold 6256 and Intel Xeon W-2265. CPP-01
- Based on AMD internal analysis June 1, 2020, comparing memory bandwidth specifications of AMD Ryzen™ Threadripper™ PRO to Intel Xeon Scalable 8280. CPP-06
Test machines:
AMD: Lenovo ThinkStation P620 with a 64-core AMD Ryzen™ Threadripper™ PRO 3995WX processor and 128GB of RAM
Intel: Dell Precision 7820 with dual 28-core with Dual Intel Xeon Platinum 8280 processors and 128GB of RAM
Copyright © 2020 IDG Communications, Inc.
