CNC overview process
Posted on Oct 15, 2008 10:14:44 PM
Quick Explanation of the Process
This is how I view CNC Machining.I break it down into steps that I can remember easily. Now, they all interact, but it is good to keep them in boxes for simplicity sake. I also like to keep them in a logical, progression type order. Here they are: Design, CAD, CAM, Control and Machine.
Today you are going on a journey. You are going to learn about the basics of CNC.I trust you are as excited as I am about this subject.
I have been using CNC equipment in my home shop for six years now. The technology gets better and better every year. The software gets better every year. At one time large companies could only afford this technology.Now there are thousands of CNC machines working in shops like yours and mine.
There are basically five elements to a CNC Project that you need to know:
Design - thinking and planning what you want to build
Computer Aided Design - translating it into the computer
CAM - converting it into machine language
Controlling - directing your machine’s motion
Machining - building the part to specifications
These five elements are really the building blocks to a CNC project. As you see them above, that is generally the order people associate them in. For example, you can’t control until you have a design. You can’t use your CAM software before your CAD software.One of the things you need to take into account is how these different elements interact with one another.
Right now this may seem confusing. Over time, it will seem very basic. The more you use these elements with one another, the more their order will become second nature.
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