[Tony Mac]

Thanks for your input Tony, base on your personal experience... what would you recommend?

and why is that you think Cut3D is not cut to do the job? I was looking at a video of 911 Porsche and the shape seemed fairly complex

Cut3D is an entry level 3D model machining product which only offers
simple 'raster based toolpaths' that machine the complete part and not
selected regions, which I would guess is necessary for the type of
cutting your projects wil lrequire. Cut3D doesn't include any 2D pocketing,
profile, drilling operations and not really designed for cutting steel /
hard materials.

If you have a 3D CAD package such as Solidworks then maybe something
like Featurecam might be suitable, but sure there are many options.

Tony

[drgee133]

Hi..
Not sure of address but the best I have ever used and seen is artcam express. They are offering a limited version for 149.00. This software
complete is in the thousands. It does everything...2d 3d engraving...
engraving molds...just about anything you can imagine and they will send
you a Demo Cd. They will also contact you to help you with any questions
on the use of the software. Best bet to Google and find the site under Delcam
Good Searching!
Try...Http://www.artcamexpress.com

[bostosh]

Error404,
None of the pictured parts shown are impossible, just need time to do the Cad model and tooling / planning and CAM programming. Rather than chose a CAM system how about just get someone who has done that complexity before?

Just takes time, most CAD /CAM in experienced hands can do this class of work.

[cadcam]

And I can say that Artcam express is not the tool for those jobs. Me I use Mastercam and it is made for making those parts as I have cut gun receivers before.
Just my 2 cents

[bostosh]

Mastercam is good for those parts.
I am impressed how good the solid modeling is in the x versions.

[OzyMark]

Just my 2 cents, couldn't afford mastercam, bought Bobcad cause it was cheap just to find out about how much training and support/videos cost. Living in oz they had no support here. Found that onecnc are supported globally and there was one office 20 min drive from here. Sweeeeet! I bought the pro version tried it out and then, being totally new to this, dropped into their office, spent an hour with the boys(for free mind you) and now a week later have finished my first intricate and high tolerance parts.
To be honest any mid priced cad/cam will do the job you need, however as I found out, support that they offer is invaluable. Choose one that's local to you and you should be cutting in no time.
Mark

[villalolo]

Hi Everyone,

I m setting or trying to setup a plant for contracting low volume parts, (aero) in India. So before my question here is my take from this excellent thread, my question follows.

WorkNC 13 Reliability tool-paths, Post processor
Solidworks SolidCAM 10
EdgeCam 9
Catia 6
SURFCAM 5
Tebis 5
UG/NX CAM 5
Esprit 4 turn mill / multiple channels
Rhino 4.0 + RhinoCAM 3
ProE 3
Hyper-MILL 2
Solidworks CAmWorks 2
VX 2
NCL 2
apt 1
VISI CAM 1
topsolid 1
Cam-Tool 1
CAMTEK PEPS 1
Solidcam Express 1

From here, people from Metrology have recommended me WorkNC and NX.

PS, now if you wonder why, MC, Gibbs and Delcam are not there, its because they are not 3D. note that I don't know some in that list, so they might be 2.5D.. and still in the list. I personnaly think that going to 3D to 2D to get a 3D part... is a waste of time.

My problematic. My manufacturing solution will be Millturn, not a real one like the TMU, just 3/4 turrets, with C,Y axis no B and simultaneous machining. I hesitating between at Swiss machine or a TurnMill... most likely turnmill.

I have read that Esprit could do it well, any other suggestion?

In India, it is very difficult to keep employees, so learning curve must be as short as possible, batches are very small, 70% of the parts will be under 1000 pieces per year, so conversion between 3D from the customer to tool-path must be very short too.

I have noticed nobody is talking about software such as Sinutrain (siemens), Manual Guide i (fanuc), or Magic (Meldas, Mitsu)? which are offline CNC programing... like you give them a drawing... they give you the code... I really scared about wasting time checking the code.. so I examining those guys too.

Now concerning, MC, Gibbs, Partmaker, I have tried them from scratch. With a part done in about 20 operations, including OD hexa and Radial slots, no complicated surface.

$0.02: Partmaker is now doubt the most user friendly. It took me 2 days to create the parts without any knowledge of the soft. Gibbs, is more complicated. I like the geeky part of it, like putting addons after addons after addons... it's like they made a trick for everything, so whatever your wanna do... there is a trick for it... so of course... Gibbs is.... tricky! MC, I am sorry to say I really did not get appealed by it and I run away after 2 days. I think MC and Gibbs are really DOS like or rather more C++ and they need serious reprogramming in the Windows environment.

Oh, by the way, has anyone tried EMC2 on Linux? I would love to get feed back.... and its free too...

Thanks to all for contributing to this thread, its great..

[SirDenisNayland]

Are any of the people in this thread real machinists?

[OzyMark]

What do you classify as a real machinist? I've been a toolmaker for 25yrs. Did my trade old school way with manual machines, rotary tables, indexing heads etc. mostly injection moulds, some press tools. My boss at the time even bought a spark eroder aka edm. I have three cnc's and don't much like that I can't feel the tool cutting. However in saying that, now that I have had time to get used to the cad/cam side of things I'm more competitive as my experience in manual machining gives me an edge over some cnc operators. Most of the guys on this forum have manual machining experience whether it be wood or steel and are coming into cnc now probably because it's now affordable for home/hobby use. Some of the older guys on here have offered me some invaluable info when I was stuck on something. Those guys did their trade on shapers.

I guess I would call myself a "real" machinist.

What do you think Sir?

[Chrliev]

I made my first chip on a manual lathe in 1975, while serving a 3 year apprecenticeship in the oil tool industry. To the present I have run everything from a manual turret lathe to a 3 spindle 5 axis CNC gantry machine with a 60 foot bed and 16 foot bridge, all the way down to a Mini High Speed precision 5-axis CNC machining center with a 50,000 rpm spindle ...

I have machined every type of machinable material with the possible exception of solid glass, that includes every type of metal, wood and composite materials like fiberglass and carbon fiber.

I have worked as a mold maker, aerospace machinist and CNC programmer, rotary oil tools, custom car parts, boat molds and consumer leisure products.

Currently I program a series of 3 and 5 axis machine tools making molds and I also double as a contract CNC programmer in an Aerospace shop.

I would definitely classify myself as a real machinist...

[cadcam]

Charlie, what do you program with these days sense I see you do not use MC anymore?
Just wondering.

[phil c]

I'd consider myself a "real" machinist since I make and sell machined parts, stock or custom, regularly. Not much training, and I'm slow, but it works.

[Tony the Ferret]

I started in 74 as driller, progressed through mill (Hori & Vert), slot, shape, turn, surface grind, cylindrical grind, gear cutter, Gear grinder, welder, toolroom manager, cnc mill operator, programmer, CAD CAM guy, technical support for CAD CAM, sales for CAD CAM, company owner selling CAD CAM
does this qualify ?????

[sid4680]

Hi everybody,
I am new to this wonderful forum.I am a mechanical engineer with 10 yrs experience with ceramics and advanced cutting material manufacturing techniques . I dont know how to start but i want to join with this thread as well forum.and share my knowledge and clear my doubt.I operate solidworks 3d very well but i don't have any knowledge abt cnc toolpath generation .I ve 3 axis cnc with fanuc controller.i can also write 2d toolpath but can anyone guide me for 3d toolpath generation software.

[bostosh]

Go with a CAM system which interfaces with the cad system you know well.
There is a lot of geometry to be used, extraneous to the CAD model itself.
The cutter is driven (or directed) by you using existing or auxiliary geometry.
Get a basic book pertaining to CNC and how it works.
Then learn cutting tools, fixturing, and tool path generating. then.........

[magnum500sw]

Tebis is gets my vote. I've used a vast number of software work nc included. There are a lot of features I like on any one of the packages I've used but for 5 axes machining tebis is nice it can be a pain but after you get on to it it works well.

[JimPAC]

Today's machinist are not the same as say before nc cnc etc.

There are no apprenticeships for the tool and die or machinist trade anymore,

Anyone who can take a concept and make build and improve it until it works using various machine tool should be considred REAL!

CAD ~ CAM!

3D? Solid Model? Type of Product?

GibbsCAM A+ MasterCAM B+ Catia c- Edgecam B AutoCAD B Solidworks A BLA BLA BLA Come ON MAN

Jim Salter

Machinist GOD

[cadcam]

Today's machinist are not the same as say before nc cnc etc.

There are no apprenticeships for the tool and die or machinist trade anymore,

Anyone who can take a concept and make build and improve it until it works using various machine tool should be considred REAL!

CAD ~ CAM!

3D? Solid Model? Type of Product?

GibbsCAM A+ MasterCAM B+ Catia c- Edgecam B AutoCAD B Solidworks A BLA BLA BLA Come ON MAN

Jim Salter

Machinist GOD

I agree they are not the same and the Tool and Die apprenticeships not any more . I went thru some of this to become a mold maker.

As for the machinist trade apprenticeships at a company not so much but at the collage level there still is at a few out here in Cali.

Thanks for your thoughts Jim

[youssefedward]

i Think that CAMbam is the best and the most reliable. Mch3 is also the best software based controller. visual studio is the best to design and program your CNC machine.

[victorofga]

from 72-75 trade school, 75-79 automotive shop..
engine head, 2 takt crankshafts, gears, almost everything that can be reparable..
from 79-95 another shop rather production.. when you have to drill with a 1.5 drill on aconventionallathe, youll learn to grinding drillbits..
i couldfill a decent boxi had togring hss and brazed tools...
on mill even we sharpened the 5 fluted hss mill..

i think before machinist get on cnc some reallife prctice couldmake alot.. without chart you could say what cutting speed need.. without computer you couldsetup a dividinghead link to the tablescrew and cut helical gears..

making tools, you could get a good prcticedworkflow.. what part you make first and buildaround the others..

many task on conventional machine, sure faster than programming a cnc and setup..
but cnc s made a huge different in works.. days work reduced hours or less..

for moldmaking im sure after a cnc no way back...

programs just as you have wallet.. from free programs up to 20-30 K systems..
if you have less money, then need moretime... you have more money need less time.. both way you can get the desired result.. but time will be definetelydifferent..