CAD/CAM prgms for new CNC lathe

[marmon]

i work at a small machine shop, that is seriously considering a CNC lathe, to speed production on some of the work we do. We are mainly a repair shop but also make many new parts, just usually no more than 1-2 of the same part. I as the only engineer in the building will be programming the machine. My question is,(with me being unfamiliar with CNC lathes),what CAD/CAM interface do you reccomend or use? I currently program a cnc plasma table using a standard version of AutoCAD, then import it to FASTCAM, then run the G-code file on the table. I would like to if possible use AutoCAD Inventor, or Solidworks, or another "big" 3D program to simultainiously gain 3D experience in the shop and expand the usage of the new machine. I do not prefer to run just a CAM program where i will be restricted to using the drawings strictly for the programming. I frequently make a drawing in CAD now and pull parts of to import into the CAM program, which saves redrawing parts and also error. Has anyone used a major 3D program to import into a CAM program for a CNC lathe? is there a above the crowd CAM program for CNC lathes? should i look for anything before we purchase this lathe?
Thanks

 

[MikeHalloran]

Buy and study the operator's manual for any CNC machine you are considering.

Chances are that a 'modern' control will be able to accept geometry via a DXF file (on a floppy or over a wire) and produce a G-code file right on the machine. You really need third party xxCAM software only to free up the machine time consumed by that process, and so you can 'visualize' the part, something you can do in a big CAD program anyway.

Sending an entire huge 3D model to a machine wastes your wire bandwidth, and may confuse the control. You'll probably have to continue splitting out just the geometry of interest to the machine.

If you still feel compelled to buy third- party software, I've been impressed by GibbsCAM in the past. Please understand, _I_ couldn't make any sense of it at all, but machinists seem to grok it right away.



Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[Heckler]

We currently use MasterCAM X which reads our native SolidWorks files. It's not an integrated CAM system which I really don't like unless you're doing the designing and programming.

I've heard a lot of folks really like CAMWorks which is the integrated CAM software in SolidWorks. You might want to post this in the SolidWorks Fora'.

One last item, a high-end CAM package is going to cost you a lot of money and unless you can justify it. It appears FASTCAM can import IGES format but can it do 3D? I didn't get the sense that it had those functions but mainly for 2D stuff like sheetmetal or other plat stock.



Best Regards,

Heckler
Sr. Mechanical Engineer
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