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This tutorial guides you through the process of using CAM Assist's ‘3+2 Axis’ machining mode, with a ‘User-defined' 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.

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Using the ‘3+2 Axis’ Machining mode

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

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

Specify the Machining mode

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

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Check the box for 3+2 Axis

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Specify the Machining direction

For machining direction, CAM Assist providers you with three options: ‘Aligned to X, Y, Z axes’, ‘User-defined’, and ‘Automatic’.

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Check the box for User-defined

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Configuring 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 (as shown below).

Check the Setup

Within CAM Assist, the ‘Target setups’ are numbered sequentially, in the same order as in 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, ensure its respective checkbox (Setup 1/Setup 2) is checked.

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Checkthe box for Setup 1

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Same direction for roughing and finishing

The checkbox could be:

  • Checked - indicates you want to machine the part in the same direction for both roughing and finishing operations (see Using the same direction for roughing and finishing, below).

  • Unchecked - indicates you want to machine the part using different directions for the roughing and finishing operations (see Using a different direction for roughing and finishing),.

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For this tutorial:

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Using the same direction for roughing and finishing

Info

As it’s name suggests, if 'Same direction for roughing machining directions' is checked then the following steps apply to both the roughing and finishing machining directions.

The ‘Select machining direction’ icon (see the image to the right) is used to indicate the roughing and finishing direction by clicking on the model/part's face, within Siemens NX, that is perpendicular to the machining direction.

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Click the Select machining direction icon

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Within Siemens NX:

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Click on the face of the model/part that is perpendicular to the direction that will be used for roughing and finishing.

Two things happen when you click on the model/part (as shown in the image to the right):

  1. In Siemens NX - the part is highlighted.

  2. In CAM Assist -

‘Avoidance geometry

  1. ‘Select machining directions (0)

’

  1. changes to

‘Avoidance geometry

  1. ‘Select machining directions (1)’.

Info

You can click on more than one face.

That’s it,

avoidance geometry has been specified for this specific Workpiece/Setup for the part.

you have specified the machining direction for roughing and finishing.

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Using a different direction for roughing and finishing

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If unchecked, the 'Select machining directions' option is replaced with both ‘Select roughing directions’ and ‘Select finishing directions' (see the screenshots to the right).

Set the Avoidance Geometry

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Specifying Avoidance Geometry is an optional step

For details and step-by-step instructions, see the tutorial ‘Using Avoidance Geometry’.

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Set the Workholding security

CAM Assist will choose roughing tools suitable for the specified workholding.

Set the slider to the required position between 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 more force on the workpiece.

  • Poor - a less secure ('poor') workholding, such as a thin part held by a soft jaw, will result in CAM Assist selecting smaller tools or less aggressive cutting parameters. This will produce slower toolpaths, but with less force on the workpiece.

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Set the Workholding security slider to 'Excellent’.

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If you decide to check ‘Setup 2’, similar options for ‘Setup’ 1 will be displayed (that is, ‘Avoidance Geometry’ and ‘Workholding security’).

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Examining CAM Assist’s other tabs

Before clicking OK, it’s a good idea to examine the other tabs to ensure that the requirements for CAM Assist’s tool strategy are fully configured:

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Click OK.

On clicking OK, CAM Assist closes and computes a toolpath strategy, which is displayed within the ‘Program Order View' of Siemens NX’s Operation Navigator (as illustrated in the following screenshot).

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This page provides step-by-step instructions to guide you through using the 3+2 Axis machining mode, with the ‘User-defined’ machining direction.

With this machining direction:

  • The tool orientation that CAM Assist uses to create the toolpath strategy can only come from the +X, -X, +Y, -Y, and +Z axes.

  • The tool then operates on the partfrom a fixed orientation, which means that the orientation cannot change during cutting.

Step-by-step instructions

Selecting a part and opening CAM Assist

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1. <b>Select a part</b> - you have the choice of using:
  <ul>
    <li>Your own part.</li>
    <li>One of the Demo Parts provided by CAM Assist, available from:</li>
    <ul>
      <li>The opening CAM Assist menu (see <a href="https://cloudnc.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/CAFSNCUG/pages/153223231/Getting+Started+with+a+Demo+Part" target="_blank">Getting Started with a Demo.</a>)</li>
      <li><a href="https://cloudnc.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/CAFSNCUG/pages/145096925/CAM+Assist+Ribbon" target="_blank">The CAM Assist Ribbon.</a></li>
    </ul>
</ul>
</ol>
Info

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

  1. Open CAM Assist - in the /wiki/spaces/CAFSNCUG/pages/145096925, click CloudNC CAM Assist.

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Specifying the ‘3+2 Axis’ 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>:

  1. For Machining Mode - select ‘3+2 Axis’.

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  1. For Machining Direction - select ‘User-defined’.

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Configuring the ‘Target setups’

  1. Ensure at least one ‘setup’ is checked.

    • 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.

    • 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. Choose from the options shown in ‘User-defined’ options, below.

  2. (Optional) Avoidance geometry - see Avoidance Geometry, below.

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  1. Optional - configure required parameters within CAM Assist’s other tabs:

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  1. Click OK.

    • The CAM Assist UI closes.

    • CAM Assist now computes a toolpath strategy for the part within Siemens NX.

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‘User-defined’ options

The following table shows the options available for the 3+2 Machining mode (user-defined).

Option

Details

How to Use

Same direction for roughing and finishing

Checked - indicates you want to machine the part in the same direction for both roughing and finishing operations.

Unchecked - indicates you want to machine the part using different directions for the roughing and finishing operations.

Info

If unchecked, the ‘Select machining directions' option is replaced with both ‘Select roughing directions’ and ‘Select finishing directions'

Check/Uncheck the checkbox.

Select roughing directions

These options are only displayed if ‘Same direction for roughing and finishing’ is unchecked.

Note

  • For this option, you can only select planar (not curved) faces on the Fusion part.

  • You can select a cylindrical face that features a hole as a direction of tool orientation.

  • You will not be able to click ‘Run’ until both directions have been selected.

  1. Click on the block icon (to the right of ‘Select roughing directions').

  2. On the Siemens NX part, select at least one face - you can select as many as required.

    • ‘Select roughing directions (0)' changes to 'Select roughing directions (n), where n is the number of distinct faces selected.

    • A green tick image-20240702-143230.png to the left of ‘Select roughing directions (n)' indicates the selected faces have been accepted by CAM Assist.

Select finishing directions

These options are only displayed if ‘Same direction for roughing and finishing’ is unchecked.

Note

  • For this option, you can only select planar (not curved) faces on the Fusion part.

  • You can select a cylindrical face that features a hole as a direction of tool orientation.

  • You will not be able to click ‘Run’ until both directions have been selected.

  1. Click on the block icon (to the right of ‘Select finishing directions').

  2. On the Siemens NX part, select at least one face - you can select as many as required.

    • ‘Select finishing directions (0)' changes to ‘Select finishing directions (n)’, where n is the number of distinct faces selected.

    • A green tick image-20240702-143230.png to the left of ‘Select finishing directions (n)' indicates the selected faces have been accepted by CAM Assist.

Avoidance geometry

(Optional) see Avoidance Geometry, below.

Keep roughing order

Checked - tool orientations will be ordered in the same sequence as they are selected (this applies to ‘Select roughing directions’, see below).

Unchecked - tool orientation will be sequenced by CAM Assist but may not be in the order selected.

Check/Uncheck the checkbox.

Workholding security

Use the slider to set the ‘Workholding security’ for the specified setup.

  • 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 more force on the workpiece.

  • Poor - a less secure ('poor') workholding, such as a thin part held by a soft jaw, will result in CAM Assist selecting smaller tools or less aggressive cutting parameters. This will produce slower toolpaths, but with less force on the workpiece.

Move the slider to the required position.

Based on the slider’s position, the ‘Largest available tool’ is the largest tool diameter that will be available by CAM Assist to calculate a toolpath strategy.

Info

CAM Assist will choose roughing tools suitable for the specific workholding.