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If you've attended any major trade show in the past year, you likely heard a lot of AI promises. From generative toolpaths to autonomous one-click programming, the marketing suggests that the software is finally ready to take over the driver's seat. We are already seeing AI do great work in nesting, predictive maintenance, and quoting. But when it comes to the core of your business, the actual G-code that runs your $250,000 spindle, there is a massive difference between AI buzzwords and practical intelligence.
Is CAMWorks loading slower than usual? When you launch the software, it collects information in the background to report any issues to the feedback program. This ongoing process can slow down the opening time. So, how can we stop this from happening?
In SOLIDWORKS CAM and CAMWorks, the Technology Database (TechDB) allows for adding user defined tools. The process for adding Turning tools is a little different than that of adding Mill tools. Turning tools can be imported as an assembly, the Turning Insert, and the Turning Tool Holder. You can add just the Turning Insert to your library, but since many manufacturers can provide a 3D model of the tool and insert, we’ll focus on adding a user defined Turning tool from a model of the new tool and insert.
Broaching is a unique machining process that involves removing material using a toothed tool called a broach and straight linear motion. Think of it as a specialized and efficient way to create precise shapes in a piece of metal or other material. This process is particularly useful for producing complex forms such as splines, keyways, or gears.
Over time, CAMWorks temp files can build up, hampering its functionality. (And it's not just CAMWorks that creates temp files, SOLIDWORKS can too). Fortunately, there are ways to improve the impact on performance.
When working with features, it is important to keep in mind how CAMWorks operates. The Automatic Feature Recognition (AFR) is mostly looking at volumes of material that are being eliminated. It does so by looking at the edges and faces and how they relate to each other. The kind of feature determines how the tool will behave during cutting. For example, if it sees a volume surrounded by only a circular wall, CAMWorks will call it a hole or a circular pocket, depending on the settings. If a volume has walls all around, it is a pocket. If some walls are missing, it is a slot, with the missing walls called Open Air Edges. This blog will cover using a pocket versus an open pocket without sketches, and when to use which.
2026 is a big year for CAM. We’re seeing not just enhancements to our existing partners, SOLIDWORKS, CAMWorks, and DELMIA, but a recent partner we brought into the fold: SWOOD. Let’s take a look at what's new.
Cutting chamfers, where the size of the chamfer is much larger than the tool used, presents a unique set of problems. Once the hole becomes larger than the tool, the automatic chamfer abilities of the CAMWorks ContourMill operation cannot be used.
In order to accommodate your CAM Post Processor Change request as quickly as possible, we have compiled a list of items and considerations. Please provide all information as requested to minimize delivery time. If your request concerns a change required for machine or operator safety, note this in your submission, as these requests are a priority for our team.