Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Re: 4 Axis Cam Software

William Thomas wrote:

> Hi Glen:
> Think very very hard and then can you explain to us what you will be doing that you will be cutting to running all four axis at the same time. Mach 3 says it will do 4 axis and from what I have see of it is true.
>

A number of CNC programs will control a 4-axis machine. EMC2 will even
do 5. But, I don't know of any low-cost 4-axis ***CAM*** systems, which
was the original question (see Subject line). That's the rub, you can
design a fancy 3-D object in several CAD systems, you can move the
machine if you have the 4- or 5-axis G-code, but there is very limited
affordable stuff to get from the CAD to the CNC. There is a reason for
it! The strategies for efficiently removing material from a chunk of
stuff to get any totally arbitrary shape described in the CAD drawing,
without gouging the stock any place where it would matter are NOT
trivial, and are considered the top trade secret of the "big guys" like
Gibbs CAM, SolidWorks, Catia, etc.

Jon