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Most efficient CAM system for 2.5 axis?

Jrill

Aluminum
Joined
Feb 11, 2013
Location
Northeast USA
We make almost entirely prismatic/2.5 axis type parts. Heatsinks and small details and the like, no turning. I've been using HSMxpress for the past 3 years and it has been able to do almost everything necessary and has really good toolpaths, but creating each operation is slow and it's sometimes buggy and the tool crib is junk, but it's amazing for being free (excluding Inventor). It just wastes so much of my time. From a perspective of repeat orders, it would probably be fine if the feed/speeds took care of themselves more. From a perspective of new orders, it's slow.

So, what are some good options for quick and easy 2.5 axis CAM? I have been using the free trial for FeatureCAM and it has some intelligent... features... but it seems way more cumbersome and difficult than it should be, as if the only thing that's been updated since 2004 is the name. There are a lot of good CAM systems out there but I haven't seen a thread focusing solely on speed/ease/reliability/efficiency for 2.5 axis, so I'll start this one.
 
I use Mastercam for Solidworks and have no complaints about anything. HSM re-machining toolpaths using stock models are a massive time saver for us. And from what I've seen & heard, nobody can currently beat the level of control over toolpaths that Mastercam has. That might not be important to you though. You also might want to mention a budget.

From a perspective of repeat orders, it would probably be fine if the feed/speeds took care of themselves more.
I just want to clarify, you aren't reprogramming repeat orders every time, are you? I'm not sure what CAM has to do with repeat orders at all, actually.
 
Gonna be tough to beat HSM in the free market:D

It's tough to beat HSM in the 2.5 and 3 axis market at any price actually, it's the beyond 3d stuff and turn mill where HSM has serious competition.
 
We make almost entirely prismatic/2.5 axis type parts. Heatsinks and small details and the like, no turning. I've been using HSMxpress for the past 3 years and it has been able to do almost everything necessary and has really good toolpaths, but creating each operation is slow and it's sometimes buggy and the tool crib is junk, but it's amazing for being free (excluding Inventor). It just wastes so much of my time. From a perspective of repeat orders, it would probably be fine if the feed/speeds took care of themselves more. From a perspective of new orders, it's slow.

What do you want in a tool library? There are certainly plenty of ways to gain efficiency in HSM, especially if you're making similar parts frequently.

And as has been stated, it's going to be real hard to beat for the price.
 
I just bought solidworks with their CAM professional. I can't really compare it to much since I don't know too much about any CAM systems. I did use fusion360 and it's CAM. The solidworks CAM, which comes from CAMworks, is quite a bit different. It uses a database to govern how it generates toolpaths based on its feature recognition. This is tweakable so as you see what it does vs what you need it can be optimized. One problem with it I have found so far is that for the moment it is kind of an orphan product because even though CAMworks has been around and has a support network I am not a CAMworks customer I am a solidworks customer and nobody at solidworks seems to know much yet. I find I learn best when i learn stuff the hard way so I don't mind for now. I think this will change as the user base increases.
 
it would probably be fine if the feed/speeds took care of themselves more

Maybe it's just me,but I tend to vary my feeds and sometimes speeds depending on the part shape.I don't really rely on a tool crib.Manually input usually,which is pretty quick if you know the numbers you want.
Can you not save programmed tool paths and just load for similar jobs ?Then all you need to do is reselect geometry and assign a tool number ?
For easy jobs and a fast down and dirty,get r done,BobCad V23 is quick.Probably find an old copy somewhere for a hundred bucks
Fast forward 10 years to BobCads newest version V3O and it will take considerablely longer.Much more software with a ton more choices and simulation is way more advanced than the old version,,but all that takes more time.
So I guess how much software do you need ?The more bells and whistles are going to take longer to program
 
Thanks for the input so far.

I do mostly repeat parts, actually, but I need to change something pretty much every time. Either it's the setup is slightly different, or it's on a different machine than last time with different characteristics, or there are different but still compatible tools in the carousel, or something about it wasn't quite optimal last time and I want to improve it... etc. And there are annoying things like if I want to change the rpm because it's on a different machine, I need to overwrite all the feedrates for all of the ops with that tool, and then go back and manually adjust them to what actually works best if I don't want to be roughing at the finish feedrate or if there's a special internal corner I need to address or etc. Maybe some tips on efficient tooling in HSM would help.

I could improve some of it by having more standardized setups, or buying more toolholders so I could always use the same ones, or maybe programming more conservatively so that it's more predictable, but I also know some of it could be improved by the CAM. For instance, FeatureCAM has a rough and finish feedrate formula it calculates out, and that's helpful. I don't have a wide range of CAM experience so I'm not totally sure what's out there that would help, to be honest. I have a 8 cncs that I'm responsible for setting up and programming, and I'd like to reduce the amount of double checking and overthinking that I'm doing now. I don't expect it to be free, but I don't want to pay for something that's harder and slower to use that what I'm doing now.
 
Well, that is a big one not having dedicated tool holders. If I had to guess there is more inefficiency in your have to set up tools due to not have dedicated holder then the issues you're having with HSM Works. I would start there and set up a proper tool Library.
 
Well, that is a big one not having dedicated tool holders. If I had to guess there is more inefficiency in your have to set up tools due to not have dedicated holder then the issues you're having with HSM Works. I would start there and set up a proper tool Library.

Yeah, I know that having dedicated holders for each tool would help a bit. I have mostly organized the carousels to always have certain diameters in certain pockets, and I usually have those pockets full, so that's a step in the right direction and has saved a lot of time. The variation comes in when I either don't have enough pockets anymore, or when I need a long reach 1/8th instead of a stub, or I need a 3.3mm drill instead of a #31, etc. But it could be better if I had some extra holders with those tools set up. I still have a lot of inefficiency in CAM and I want to work on that.
 
- Get more toolholders. Whatever time you're losing in HSM, you're probably doubling by going out and having to break down and set up a bunch of tools.

- Standardize tooling/feeds/speeds. Sometimes being efficient isn't about optimizing speed, it's about optimizing the entire process. Same with setups. The shorter the run of parts, the higher the probability it is that most folks spend WAY more hours chasing down cycle time efficacy than they would have had just going with sub-optimal programming and getting shit done.

- Start using templates.
 
Since HSM express and fusion 360 use basically the same software for cam you might want to look into tip and tricks for fusion. There are tons of ways to get way more efficient using that system and I am guessing your probably not using the custom tool cribs to their full potential.

Here is an idea I'm talking about make a tool crib for each machine in HSM use conservative feeds and speed for the tools. Then when you need to use a different machine rather than overriding everything duplicate the entire setup and change the tools to the ones you have in the crib for that machine. This will update you speed and feed for each tool to get close for each op. You can certainly still tweak it further but then you will not mess up anything for the other machines.
 
I am quite happy with HSM Works, using it with Solidworks. I was as well using Rhinocam with Rhino - it is the same as VisualCAM for Solidworks. Both work well. I think that the most important part is how familiar and experienced one is with a specific program. Learning and being proficient in new software can take a long time of consistent usage: this investment in time might out-wight the advantages the new software might have.
 
Tough to beat FeatureCAM for speed of programming really.
Takes a little time on the front-end to get dialed. But, once it is dialed, its freakin' fast!
Although, the tool-crib is the most cumbersome POS on the planet. I have learned to deal.
gkoenig made great points/advice.
 
EZ-CAM & High Speed Machining

May not be popular today but if you can find an old copy of EZ Cam I think you will be hard-pressed to find an easier/faster 2.5d cam. That said you won't have HSM tool paths.

Not sure how the 2018 EZ Cam compares to the newer Cam Softwares but it most is good as there still around after all these years. Ezcam Solutions Inc. – Cad/Cam Software – CNC Simplefied

EZ-CAM offers High Speed Machining in Mill Express.
 
@Jrill
what version of SolidWorks and HSMXpress are you using?

SW2018 now includes CAM 2.5 axis, it is basically like FeatureCAM but it is inside SW instead of a standalone. Has a tech database that can be setup to cut the way you want and remembers.

its been around along time since it is CAMWorks.

as for HSMWorks as others have said make tool libraries for each machine and even for materials.
if you are working on a job and you adjust the feeds and speeds, tool type and length all you have to do is copy and paste it into a new or existing library so you have it the next time.

you can also make up part templates that already have the tools with the correct setting for a material that you can insert an existing part into, I beleave Xpress doesn't work in assemblies?.

Again some work up front on your part will make it faster down the road, seat time..

and again more more tooling as others said too.
 








 
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