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.
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:
Install CAM Assist - follow the instructions in Installing CAM Assist.
Open a part - follow the instructions in Opening a Part (this tutorial uses ‘Demo Part 1’).
Open the ‘CAM Assist’ menu - it contains the CAM Assist ribbon shown in the screenshot to the right.
Click CloudNC CAM Assist - in the CAM Assist ribbon.
Using the ‘3-Axis’ Machining mode
On completing the above Preparation, you’ll see the CAM Assist user interface with ‘Demo Part 1.prt’ open, as shown below.
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’.
Check the box for 3-Axis
Configure the Target setups
Check the Setup
Within CAM Assist, the ‘Target setups’ are numbered sequentially, with the ‘Workpieces’ 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.
Check the box for Setup 1
Set the Avoidance Geometry
Specifying Avoidance Geometry is an optional step
For details and step-by-step instructions, see the tutorial Using Avoidance Geometry.
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.
Set the Workholding security slider to 'Excellent’.
If you decide to check ‘Setup 2’, similar options for ‘Setup’ 1 will be displayed (that is, ‘Avoidance Geometry’ and ‘Workholding security’).
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:
Compute a toolpath strategy
When you have full configured CAM Assist:
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).
