Investing in CAM software

GUIDETO

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A Guide to investing in CAM software

Why invest in CAM? Answer : You could get -

Faster and more reliable CNC programming

Easier or automated programming

Better CAD system compatibility

More efficient machining processes

Higher quality parts at less cost.

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Evaluate your own needs

• Is your work 2D, 3D or does it require 5 axis CNC machining?

• What types of CNC machines need programming?

• Which CAD systems do you need to communicate with?

• What skills are available within the company?

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Evaluate potential suppliers

Quality of support – delays can stop production.

Quality of training – shortcuts here are a false economy.

Quality of cutterpaths – these will significantly effect the cost and quality of

the finished part.

Sufficient development resources – will they keep you at the leading edge of

technology?

Visit existing users to check the supplier’s claims.

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Benchmarking –

Checking for CAD compatibility

Test some real CAD data from your customers in the CAM software.

Check to see how well designs can be manipulated, repaired and interrogated.

Hybrid modelling of surfaces and solids makes design manipulation easier.

If the CAM software can tolerate holes in the surface model, this can save a lot of

time.

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Benchmarking – Ease of use

CNC programming systems which are hard to operate may fall into disuse.

More people can use an easy or automatic system, increasing productivity.

Easy software can be used on the shop floor making the most of operator’s skills.

Automatic CNC programming makes it difficult to make a mistake and produces

consistent high quality results.

Easy systems are quick and intuitive providing a fast return on investment.

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Benchmarking

– Speed of calculation

Complex tasks can take a long time to calculate.

Does the software support the latest multi-threaded processing?

Can the CAM software allow batch processing of calculations overnight?

Does the licensing allow programming to continue when calculations have started?

Can changes be made to the program without recalculation?

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Benchmarking

– Capacity for expansion

Is the CAM software capable of meeting future requirements?

Floating licences can allow many more users to access the software – useful for

shop floor programming.

Are there additional modules for 5 axis CNC machining or feature

recognition, for example?

Is there extra software for applications such as manufacturing software or a

CAD viewer?

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Benchmarking

– Quality of cutterpaths

Reliable, accurate and safe toolpaths and CNC code are an essential element of

any CNC software.

Check the quality of the postprocessed data generated for your machines.

Watch out for air cutting or excessive retract moves.

Are toolpaths smooth? This is especially important for high-speed machining.

Does the CAM software know where excess material is located, and does it

use stock or rest models?

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Benchmarking

– Quality of cutterpaths - continued

Check to see if toolpaths have been duplicated in subsequent operations.

Is it easy to graphically edit toolpaths?

Look for constant tool loads. This will improve both part quality and tool life.

Does the software avoid sudden changes in the direction of the tool?

Does the software use climb milling where possible?

Are the material entry and exit strategies smooth?

Benchmarking

– 5 axis CNC machining Is it possible to automatically generate a

5 axis toolpath?

Are there standard 5 axis CNC toolpaths such as rolling, normal to surface and

profiling?

Dedicated toolpaths for parts such as blades or impellers are useful for

specialist applications.

Can the CNC software cope with undercuts?

The software should consider the angular limitations of the machine tool as

well as the tool length.www.sescoi.com

Benchmarking

– Simulation and collision avoidance

Check that the CAM software considers the kinematics of the machine tool.

If rotary axis limits are reached does the software automatically unwind or flip the

axis?

Can the CNC software suggest a tool length to reach deep parts of the job?

The ability to compare the simulation with the original model will ensure that the

part has been completely machined.

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For further information contact :

international@sescoi.frOr

info@sescoi.com

Check out :www.sescoi.com/camsoftware