SOLIDWORKS CAM Milling

What is the SOLIDWORKS CAM Technology Database?

text menu with grey and white rows

You may have read a blog post or watched a webinar about SOLIDWORKS CAM and have heard the term “Technology Database” and how we say it’s like having a machining handbook in your back pocket. You may have also thought to yourself “Well that sounds…

Read More...

Multi-Surface Features and 3 Axis Contouring with SOLIDWORKS CAM

SOLIDWORKS CAM Multi-surface Features

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…

Read More...

Restricting Tool Movement with Contain Areas in SOLIDWORKS CAM

SOLIDWORKS CAM Contain Areas

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…

Read More...

Avoid Troubled Areas with SOLIDWORKS CAM Standard

SOLIDWORKS CAM Avoid Areas

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…

Read More...

Creating Milling Features Interactively with SOLIDWORKS CAM

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…

Read More...

How to set Milling Feed and Speed in SOLIDWORKS CAM

SOLIDWORKS CAM Milling Feed and Speed

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…

Read More...

Creating Custom Mill Tools and Holders in SOLIDWORKS CAM

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…

Read More...

SOLIDWORKS CAM Standard Milling Setup 3/9: Defining Coordinate System

Previous article: SOLIDWORKS CAM Standard Milling Setup 2/9: Defining Stock In this article, we will define our Coordinate System for 2.5/3 axis milling with SOLIDWORKS CAM Standard. The Coordinate System setup indicated on the part will become the work offset for machining (ex. G54). It…

Read More...

SOLIDWORKS CAM Standard Milling Setup 2/9: Defining Stock

Previous article: SOLIDWORKS CAM Standard Milling Setup 1/9: Defining Machine In this article we will define our Stock for 2.5/3 axis milling. SOLIDWORKS CAM has versatile tools for quickly defining the size of the stock while maintaining references to the part so geometry changes update…

Read More...