Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] CAD to CNC???

Nothing converts it automatically, including OneCNC, Siemens SW or any
of the good ones.
The good ones cost more than most guys machines in here, way up from
20-30k$.

You need to define, exactly, your machine to the cam sw.
You then use the cam sw to create a toolpath, and this toolpath is in
the g-code format.

Mach3 then exceutes and runs the g-code toolpath file.

Depending onf the complexity of the file, using the cam sw can take many
hours to many days.
I just looked at a turned part with internal and external holes,
undercuts, projections, slopes, cross-holes, cross-milled bits etc.
About 90 mm thick, and 150 mm long.

I estimated I might take 3-4 days to program it, for one part.
That is, none of the machining steps were difficult, but there were
maybe 40 features on it.
Internal and external radii, slopes, what have you.

I also estimated I might cnc turn it, semi-automatically, in maybe1-2
months.
Using maybe 3-4-5 setups.
I thought I might succeed in making a good-looking sample, in alu, in 2
months.
This was a complex part, and is an extreme example.

A big machine, like I am building, will take maybe 8 minutes to machine one.
Dual spindles, toolchangers, servo indexing, milling-in-lathe, live
tooling etc.
Machines like that start at 300k$ and up.

Manually, maybe 4 days, when you have done it several times.
To get close, king-of-looks like one, less than 1 day.

Learning cam sw may be hard, unless you know 3d sw already.
After that, it´s quite easy, but somewhat laborious.

> Hello:
>
> If I had a Solidworks 3D Solid model part and wanted to have it CNC
> machined.
>
> What do I need to have for software to convert it to G code for a certain
> CNC machine?
>
> Does Mach3 open the Solidworks 3D Solid model directly and converts
> it, or
> do I need to convert it to some other format?
>
> What format is best to use, sld.prt, dxf, iges, dwg, etc?
>
> Does MasterCam open Solidworks 3D Solid Models directly, or do they
> have to
> be converted to something else to?
>
> Just curious on the process.
>
> Thanks
> Rich
>
>
>

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