Javelin / TriMech Author
Shawn McEachern
Multi-Surface Features and 3 Axis Contouring with SOLIDWORKS CAM
By Shawn McEachern on June 21, 2021
For milling complex multi-surface features, SOLIDWORKS CAM is equipped with three tool paths to quickly and easily program most challenges. Machine time can be a different story in these cases: Area Clearance: Area Clearance is the 3-axis roughing operation. This cycle removes the material between…
Clearance, Rapid and Feed Planes for Speed and Safety with SOLIDWORKS CAM
By Shawn McEachern on June 18, 2021
Finding the right balance of speed and safety is critical for SOLIDWORKS CAM programmers. Clearance, Rapid and Feed Planes allow us to control how far away the tool will engage or clear the work. Keeping the tool down while cutting saves time. Retracting to a…
Restricting Tool Movement with Contain Areas in SOLIDWORKS CAM
By Shawn McEachern on June 14, 2021
Here is a simple example of how you can restrict tool movement using Contain Areas in SOLIDWORKS CAM. A huge time saver when programming parts with targeted cutting. Contain Areas can be defined by sketches, edges, and faces on the part for all 2.5 Axis…
Regardless of what we machine clamping is a reality. SOLIDWORKS CAM Standard Avoid Areas is a great feature to prevent your tool from crashing into a fixture or clamping. Avoid Areas Feature Avoid areas can be sketches or faces. We will focus on sketches in this…
Setting Default Feature Strategies for AFR in SOLIDWORKS CAM
By Shawn McEachern on May 28, 2021
In SOLIDWORKS CAM 2019 and higher, you may select the strategies you prefer when using Automatic Feature Recognition (AFR). These strategies can be specified for any type of feature. Simply select the Feature and the Strategy to be used as default. Adjust as desired. Your…
Creating Milling Features Interactively with SOLIDWORKS CAM
By Shawn McEachern on May 20, 2021
Automatic Feature Recognition (AFR) is a powerful time saver. However, you may find yourself in a situation where you may want more control over your program. In SOLIDWORKS CAM, you may define interactively the milling features you want to machine. Be sure to Define your…
Extend Tool Life with High-Speed Roughing in SOLIDWORKS CAM Professional with VoluMill
By Shawn McEachern on May 12, 2021
SOLIDWORKS CAM VoluMill is ideal for complex 3D shapes as its algorithms result in more intelligent toolpaths to machine pockets, slots, and arbitrary shapes. VoluMill toolpaths, unlike a trochoidal toolpath, are designed so that the tool will never be buried, thus eliminating the need for…
In SOLIDWORKS CAM 2020 we are now able automatically create Tabs on Contour Operations. Whether you are trying to avoid fixtures/clamping or stopping flyers, this new feature is another huge time saver. This feature is very handy for owners of routers. When contouring parts, they…
How to set Milling Feed and Speed in SOLIDWORKS CAM
By Shawn McEachern on June 10, 2020
In SOLIDWORKS CAM there are three places were Milling Speed and Feed information can be utilized. In the tool, by editing any tool and selecting Cutting Parameters we can disassociate the tool from the Material Library and enter our specs for the tool. In the…
How to create Tools and Tool Cribs for Milling in SOLIDWORKS CAM
By Shawn McEachern on June 4, 2020
In order to create a solid program, we need an accurate representation of our tools. SOLIDWORKS CAM has many pre-built standard tools for us to customize for our machining purposes. We may also add our own custom tools and holders. Once we have our tools,…
Having many programmers sharing one SOLIDWORKS CAM TechDB will dramatically decrease production time while proving consistent results to the shop floor. By placing your TechDB in a network folder all users have share strategies, tools and operation settings. This folder must be a real folder…
Creating chamfers in SOLIDWORKS CAM used to be a tedious experience. Previously chamfers had to be programming into the operation strategies or created with many curve features at the end of the program. New in SOLIDWORKS CAM 2020 Chamfers can be created automatically by selecting…
How to Import & Update SOLIDWORKS CAM TechDB to a newer version
By Shawn McEachern on May 14, 2020
The Import Database Function allows you to import changes from another SOLIDWORKS CAM TechDB, as well as, update a TechDB to a newer version of SOLIDWORKS CAM. Here is the default location for the TechDB that is created when SOLIDWORKS is installed: C:\ProgramData\SOLIDWORKS\SOLIDWORKS CAM\TechDB\TechDB.cwdb You…
Creating Custom Mill Tools and Holders in SOLIDWORKS CAM
By Shawn McEachern on May 7, 2020
SOLIDWORKS CAM comes with many predefined standard milling tools to help us make short work of our projects. In the event you find yourself having to use something specialized, a custom tool can be added to your SOLIDWORKS CAM TechDB. Create the custom tool with…
SOLIDWORKS Visualize 2020 supports glTF Export for Extended Reality
By Shawn McEachern on March 3, 2020
Developed by the Khronos Group, glTF™ (GLTF Transmission Format) is intended to be an efficient, inter-operable file format with minimum file size and run-time processing by apps. glTF files contain information such as geometry, appearances, textures, animations, motion studies, configurations, display states, exploded views, lights,…