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This tutorial guides you through the process of using CAM Assist's ‘3-Axis’ machining mode to compute a toolpath strategy for a part.

The tutorial uses CloudNC’s ‘Demo Part 1’. However, the same process can be used for any part that can be opened in Siemens NX.

Info

CAM Assist works with the Siemens NX manufacturing environment and manufacturing templates.

Preparation

Before following this tutorial, you must have successfully completed the following steps:

  1. Install CAM Assist - follow the instructions in Installing CAM Assist.

  2. Open a part - follow the instructions in Opening a Part (this tutorial uses ‘Demo Part 1’).

  1. Open the ‘CAM Assist’ menu - it contains the CAM Assist ribbon shown in the screenshot to the right.

  2. Click CloudNC CAM Assist - in the CAM Assist ribbon.

image-20240726-100811.png

Using the ‘3-Axis’ Machining mode

On completing the Preparation, you’ll see the CAM Assist user interface with ‘Demo Part 1.prt’ open, as shown below.

image-20240726-102400.png

To use the ‘3 Axis’ Machining mode, you’ll take the following steps:

  • Specify the Machining mode

  • Configure the Target setups

Specify the Machining mode

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Within CAM Assist's <a href="https://cloudnc.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/CAFSNCUG/pages/152174681/Setup+Tab" target="_blank">Setup tab</a>:
For Machining Mode - select ‘3 Axis’

For Machining mode, CAM Assist provides you with two options: ‘3 Axis’ and ‘3+2 Axis’.

  • Select 3 Axis

image-20240702-113139.png

Configure the Target setups

The content of the ‘Target setups’ section reflects the workpiece configuration of the part, as displayed in the ‘Geometry’ view of the Siemens NX Operation Navigator (see the following side-by-side screenshots).

image-20240726-104217.png
image-20240726-104007.png
Ensure at least oneSetup is checked

Within CAM Assist, the ‘Target setups’ are numbered sequentially, in the same order as NX’s Geometry view.

You’ll notice that ‘Demo Part 1’ has two Target setups: ‘Setup 1’ and ‘Setup 2’.

If you want CAM Assist to create a toolpath strategy for a setup,

check the box for that setup (in this case, ‘Setup 1' and/or 'Setup 2’).

Specify Avoidance geometry - this is optional

For ‘how to use’ details, see Avoidance Geometry, below.

ensure its respective setup checkbox (Setup 1/Setup 2) is checked.

  • Check Setup 1

For this Tutorial:

  1. For Machining Mode, select ‘3 Axis’

  2. For Target setups, check ‘Setup 1’

  3. For Workholding security, move the slider to ‘Excellent’

  • If you want CAM Assist to create a toolpath strategy for a setup, ensure that the respective setup's checkbox (such as 'Setup 1') is checked.

For each setup that you’ve checked:

  1. Avoidance geometry - (optional) see Avoidance Geomimage-20240726-104005.png etry, below.

  2. Set the Workholding security - CAM Assist will choose roughing tools suitable for the specified workholding. Set the slider to the required position between, or at, the two extremes:

    • Excellent - a more secure ('excellent') workholding, such as a vise with serrated jaws, will result in CAM Assist selecting larger tools or more aggressive cutting parameters. This will result in faster toolpaths, but with m

Avoidance Geometry