#CAM CNC INSURANCE SERIES#
#CAM CNC INSURANCE WINDOWS#

The part weвЂ™ve shown in the workflow below, for example, was cut using just a 3mm ball-nose mill.

#CAM CNC INSURANCE SERIES#

With MeshCAM, itвЂ™s possible to set up your cutter, then define a series of operations that will rough out your part efficiently, by removing larger quantities of material at first and then dialling down to focus on finer details with a series of finishing passes. Then, youвЂ™ll be digging into speeds and feeds вЂ“ and itвЂ™s here that MeshCAM really displays its strength in handling the kind of work weвЂ™re discussing.Д®ssentially, youвЂ™re looking to define a set of toolpaths that will machine your part, but most lower-end CNC machines donвЂ™t offer automatic tool changes or even depth probes, so changing cutters between operations can lead to errors, particularly in setting tool length. First, youвЂ™ll need to figure out the retract height (the safe distance above the part to which the cutter will retract between each pass.) The next few steps centre on defining the machining parameters for your part. MeshCAM includes toolpath visualisation and machining process simulation, so you can run a preview, tweak settings and get the best results MeshCAM вЂ“ Machining parameters Situating them on planar, or at least larger, surfaces is considered good practice here. YouвЂ™ll also need to position the supports in a way that makes finishing your part easy. You specify the size and itвЂ™s a case of finding the right balance between overly large supports (which will need removing) and too-small supports (which may fail to hold the part in place). MeshCAM enables you to position your supports, which connect the part to the stock, and retain the part as itвЂ™s cut.

As a result, itвЂ™s common to have a part self-supporting inside the stock. Lower cost CNC machines tend to rely on clamps, rather than the workholding approaches youвЂ™ll find with more advanced, production-focused mills. Next comes the process of adding in supports and this is crucial. There are also commands to rotate, move and slice parts, the last of these being useful for getting parts into a smaller bed or with limited Z travel. MeshCAM also offers built-in tools to assist with scaling a part if you get a mix-up with units (that said, our own parts loaded perfectly). While the process of setting up 3- and 4-axis jobs is pretty self-explanatory, two-sided machining is a little more involved, particularly if youвЂ™ve not done this type of work before.Д®ssentially, youвЂ™ll need to develop a set of toolpaths that will allow you to first cut one side of the part, flip it over and then machine the other side.ДЄccurate alignment of the process is vital, but once you master the quirks and get your machine set up with solid fixtures that allow you to reposition your part accurately and consistently, it makes the production of complex concept models a breeze.

MeshCAM supports 3-axis cutting, 4-axis if you have a rotary axis on your machine, and two-sided cutting. MeshCAM only works with STL data, so youвЂ™ll need to ensure that your part is output at the highest resolution your CAD system can manage.ДЄs you import that part, the system will ask about the type of job youвЂ™ve got planned. The MeshCAM user interface is pretty sparse.ДЄlmost all of the operations and commands are driven from a smattering of icons positioned on the left-hand side, which the user works through sequentially.

#CAM CNC INSURANCE WINDOWS#

Second, itвЂ™s cross-platform, working on both Windows and Apple OSX.Д«ut above all, and unlike many production-oriented CAM systems, itвЂ™s geared to deliver in ways that donвЂ™t automatically come to light straight away - so letвЂ™s take a look at how it works and why we think MeshCAMвЂ™s a solid bet. The first is cost: MeshCAM pricing starts at $250 for a perpetual licence.

Developed by GRZ Software, itвЂ™s become a favourite among users running affordable CNCs, for a few reasons. This is where a system like MeshCAM comes into its own. ThereвЂ™s also a second issue to consider: most CAM applications are built to meet the needs of users who are looking to create optimised toolpaths for final parts, intended for production, in the shortest time possible.Д«ut if youвЂ™re doing prototyping work and just want to grab a chunk of model board and rip out a concept model, the functionality that these high-end applications offer is overkill in many respects. The issue here is that, while the price of CNC machines may have dropped, the same canвЂ™t really be said for many CAM tools. With this trend comes a corresponding need for CAM systems that allow you to take your 3D geometry and programme it for cutting in your desired material. MeshCAM is driven from just a few dialogs, this being the predominant one

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