[VAGOS]

Hi there!

I need your help :drowning:
I want to make molds (not injection molds) Silicon molds from wax master for resin casting.





(For the modeling I am using Solidworks 2010 and I am very happy with it.)

So I need to find the appropriate CAM software to generate the gcode.

From you experience witch CAM software do you propose for those kind of work?

I have used a bit the Camworks but why on earth do you have to learn access to just add your machine and tools?

I would also like to be able to machine complex 4axis things like scale figure heads from wax or clay.

Thank's!!!
And sorry for the big post...

[VAGOS]

Basically I really have very basic questions for CAM applications for example...

How can some cam software mill a figure head and other expensive cam need a ton of user input to make a simple 2d part?
look at the pics...
He must used the Roland CAM software MODELA Player...(because he sayes rapid proto-typed by micro machineing...)

http://www.zbrushcentral.com/showthr...for-Toys/page3



Are there two types of cam software some for accuracy and manifucturing and some for artists?

Thank's

[awerby]

Both your mold design and that head are 3D parts. While some CAM software is more suitable to artistic parts and some is better for mechanical parts, there's considerable overlap - many programs can do both pretty well. Your choice of CAD software is more important in this regard. Solidworks is excellent for creating mechanical-type parts; it's less well-suited to producing artistic freeform models like that head, which apparently was done in Z-brush.

To create toolpaths for producing your mold masters, I'd suggest VisualMill from Mecsoft; there's a version that is especially intended for Solidworks. If you came up with a more organic, artistic model, it would be able to handle that too, although you'd have to upgrade from the basic version if you wanted to use a 4th axis. There will, of course, be some learning you'll need to do if you want to master all this, but it's not really very difficult, and you can get help from Mecsoft's tech support if you get stuck.

Andrew Werby
ComputerSculpture.com — Home Page for Discount Hardware & Software

[Ron Dunn]

I've never used it - all my work is 2.5d - but you might find that DeskProto is a good fit to your requirements.

DeskProto offers rapid prototyping using an affordable cnc milling machine: DeskProto is 3D cam software for model making.

[victorofga]

for your first post visualmill works great... for second post also works well, but as i know for 4th axis or rotary you need extra modul...

deskproto.. need to check on.. the lite version has a very seductive 150 eur price..

visualmill actully can handle the nurbsmodels and the stlsurfaces too.. i dont know if deskproto can handle..
means, what you create in solidworks visualmill directly calculate toolpath on nurbs.. deskproto not..

so it is your decision only..

edit
i just read deskproto, the full version handle the indexed 5 axis option.. means tool wont follow normals but tilting the model it calculate toolpath.

[VAGOS]

Thank you for the replies!

I will definitely check visual mill.

Also at a Roland video I saw in a dialog box Mecsoft so maybe their cnc comes with a modified version of visual mill.

Best Regards
Vangelis

[awerby]

for their high-end machines, like the JWX-30 jewelry mill; their version is called JewelMill. VisualMill does work seamlessly off NURBS surfaces, but I think it does the meshing "under the hood", depending on how you set your tolerances. For DeskProto, which we also sell, you need to mesh first in your NURBS or Parasolid program and export in a mesh format like STL.

DeskProto is currently offering their 4.2 version at a reduced price for hobbyists (our price is $350). The best part of this deal is that it includes an upgrade to the upcoming 6.0 full version when it's released (scheduled for January 2012). When that happens, though, the Hobbyist Special goes away.

Andrew Werby
ComputerSculpture.com — Home Page for Discount Hardware & Software