CAMWorks / SolidCAM

Looks like GSSL now has full control of Teksoft.

It seems to me that development of CAMWorks has been very,
very slow for the last say 2 years.

GSSL and SolidWorks Corp. have always been close partners.
(FeatureWorks, etc.)

Anyone using the latest verson of CAMWorks and have any comments on
how happy you are or are not with it ?

Looks like SolidCAM is seeing a lot of development but it still looks like
a lot of things are missing. Anyone using SolidCAM ?

jon

 

I have been using SolidCAM for about 2 months now and I like it very
much.The integration with SolidWorks is very useful, especially the
configuration manager as I can make multiple configs for a part such as all
holes masked off or Op2 stock left on etc. I am experimenting with the
settings for 3D machining, balancing surface accuracy against time in cut
and look-ahead problems with the control. Just now I am getting to grips
with Machining Processes to semi-automate my regular machining strategies

In short

PRO's

Very well integrated with SolidWorks
Ease of building Machining Process Library
Very good support from SolidCAM
Nice to be able to model the part, the stock model and the fixture in one
assembly and suppress anything at will
Copes with form tools well


CON's

Poor handling of STL files in simulation mode
Not very tolerant of trying to change configurations after the CAM model &
assembly has been started. It can be done, but the procedure is a bit
involved
Some of the documentation is poor
It always defaults the first co-ordinate system when creating new cutting
geometry. If you use multiple work offsets for working around a tombstone,
this can be a pain as you cannot select another work offset without deleting
the geometry.

That is all I can think of at the moment, but I am sure that I will think of
more as soon as I press "Send"

Bob Luck

 

How complex, compared to the general 7 parameter APT cutter?
Is it limited to 3 axes max work?

 

Bob,

A few questions for you :

1. What were you using before SolidCAM ?

2. Who configures your postprocessors ?

3. Where is SolidCAM support located ?

4. What are you using to program your lathes ?


jon

 

A legacy package called HyperMill from Open Mind, about 1996 vintage. I have
been with the company only two years and I inherited HyperMill when I
joined. It was due to be replaced then and my predessor was getting close to
a decision. But he left, I joined and I took the view that it was better to
struggle on with HyperMill whilst I learnt more of the company's product and
programming needs before setting out to buy a new CAM system. Cutting a long
story short, I narrowed it down to SolidCAM, MasterCAM and PowerMill, having
each of 'em for a one month evaluation period and on the basis of that made
the choice.

I have prior experience with Catia, UniGraphics and NCL CAM as I come from
an aerospace ~ machine tool background.

SolidCAM do, but I have full editing rights and access. This was important
to me as I have been in post-processor hell before and my nightmare scenario
was 4pm on a Friday afternoon, a job due for delivery am on Monday and we
discover a post problem. The documentation for the post writer is ok too.

Well, there is SolidCAM - UK in Barnsley, but my main man lives in Brackley,
Northamptonshire (about an hours drive away). Then there is SolidCAM
headquarters in Israel who have been very prompt in answering any (rare)
questions that have not been resolved by SolidCAM-UK.

Not my area, I'm afraid, I deal in prismatic machining. My colleague who
turns things currently uses EdgeCAM but he is interested in what SolidCAM
can offer.Bear in mind that one of the things that swung it for me in
choosing SolidCAM was the ability to model fixtures, attachments and right
angle heads and have them available in the CAM model assembly (I have
critical access issues on most jobs). Not something one generally comes
across in out turning applications.

Bob Luck

 

Bob,

Did you choose to go the SolidCAM route because in your situation you felt
it was the best compromise ? IOW, I seriously doubt SolidCAM can match
PowerMill for 3 axis surfacing toolpath routines but I'm sure SolidCAM is
much better at 2 1/2 axis mill work.

Was your seat of HyperMill a stand alone or did it run inside a CAD program
?

What does SolidCAM charge for a post processor ? I take it you can't
construct your own postprocessor just edit an existing one ? If this is the
case I sure don't like this aspect of SolidCAM. : (

Thanks much for the insight into SolidCAM so far. Appreciate it.

jon

 

Camworks is a good product, I use it for solidworks parts & pro-e
manufacturing for pro-e parts.

The last 2 versions of camworks have had some good improvements & they
have beta testing for 5 axis programing out.

It's just like any software product, goods & bads. What might be the
best this year might not be the next but may angain be the year after.
So there probaly is no perfectly right or wrong

Gary

 

No clues?

No clues?

No clues?

No clues?

No clues?

No clues.

 

Very well said. Pehaps one could conclude that being a product loyalist
is a very dangerous thing when it comes to CAD/CAM ? :>)

jon

 

Jon

I chose SolidCAM because it was the best solution for what I have to do
(which is make brake calipers for racing cars from solid). If I worked in
mould & die, then I would have chosen PowerMill, if I was a subbie, then it
would have been MasterCAM. Chosing software is a case of horses for
courses - I know of firms in the UK that have seats of CATIA purchased at
the customers insistance (no CATIA, no work) but choose to use something
else to program their machines because it suits them better.
program

It ran under Mechanical DeskTop. As I said it was legacy and of about 1996
vintage. I suppose it was good for it's day, but translating models from
SolidWorks into MDT could be a nightmare. I used have a SAT file for the
cosmetic solid and an IGES file for tessalated file creation. If I tried to
use the IGES file on its own a lot of the surfaces would be invisible to the
user as the surface was oriented in the inward direction.

Nothing. They will write as many posts as I want.

No, you're wrong there. I can write a post from scratch if I want to, but to
be honest, life is too short and the SolidCAM post processor creator is bit
ungainly as it is text based. I have worked with GPost from ICAM in the
past - now that is a wonderful post processor creation tool but VERY
expensive!

Bob Luck