Archive for the ‘CAD Software’ tag
Learn how to make great CAD models for easy CNC machining
Right now we are going to discuss the initial element of computer numerical control. That element is CNC Design . Before you begin a CNC project, you need to have a plan of action. The design is like a blueprint, you know what you are going to build before you ever build it.
Here are some important elements of design that need to be answered:
What size will it be?
What material will the piece be constructed of?
Who is the customer?
What will it be used for?
Your design can be anything. It could be an industrial part or a work of art.You are only limited by your creative imagination. Many people use CNC every day to manufacture parts. Many hobbyists use CNC every day to create art and various home projects.
Before I design I like to sketch a few ideas out on paper. I like to toy with different ideas to spark my creativity.This is the same as brainstorming. When I really get my juices flowing, that is when my best designs rise to the top. I generally carry around a notebook with me to note designs that I think of during the day.
After I have a few likely suspects, I try to look through each of the ideas to see if I can merge them somehow. Some designs have different parts or components to them.Some components are better than other components. Can I take some of these parts and add them to another design to make it better?Just like editing your writing, looking over your designs and checking them is a very important step in the process.
When you are designing, you are really trying to describe what you are going to build. The more accurately you can do that, the better the whole process will go. Just like a house, if you have a strong foundation, you will have a good house. If you have a solid design, the rest of the process is easy.
Computer aided design
CAD stands for Computer Aided Design or Drafting.Computer aided design was developed in the early 60s. Today it is the premier way to design, develop and optimized products. People use Computer aided design every day to design virtually every product you see. Generally, designers use Computer aided design to design a product, and then produce prints to manufacture that product. A print is a picture of a part or assembly that is very exact. It includes the dimensions and a parts list used to manufacture a product.
Computer Aided Design software packages can generally be broken into two groups. The groups are 2-D drafting packages or 3-D drafting packages.Most every software manufacturing package is moving to 3-D design. 3-D design is really the next generation of Computer aided design. Utilizing 3-D design, engineers can make a model of their product.People can check over the model for any glaring defects before the part is ever produced.
3-D Design
Utilizing 3-D design, engineers can cut down on the number of manufacturing mistakes that occur due to fit up and tolerance issues. This translates into a more efficient operation with less waste for the manufacturer.
Here are some examples of 3-D drafting/design software:
Inventor
TopSolid
SolidWorks
Alibre Design
Rhino3D
2-D Design
2-D design can be very efficient if you need to make a quick part that is not very complex.You can quickly sketch out an outline of an object and convert it over to a computer aided manufacturing toolpath. This is an operation where 2-D will really shine.
Here are some examples of 2-D drafting/design software:
AutoComputer aided design
MicroStation
At some point you will need to use Computer aided design. You will need to take your design and translated it into a print. The best way to do that is to use CAD. You will need to purchase a CAD program of some sort if you are serious about CNC. Many Computer aided design programs have a free or trial period that you can use to evaluate the program. My suggestion is to try a few and then select one that fits the way you design.
CNC info community site:
do you want to know more about computer numerical control, head on over to http://www.cncinformation.com
Join today for free and get to CNC eBooks now. One is a GCode Quick Guide and the other is the CNC Info Site eBook. You also get access to the Free Video Series…Image to CNC Art when you join the community.
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CNC Design
First we are going to talk about the initial element of CNC. That element is CNC Design . Before you begin a CNC project, you need to have a plan of action. The design is like a blueprint, you know what you are going to build before you ever build it.
Here are some important elements of design that need to be answered:
What size will it be?
What material will it be made of?
Who is the customer?
What will it be used for?
Your design can be anything. It could be an industrial part or a work of art. This is only really limited by your imagination. Many people use CNC every day to manufacture parts. Many hobbyists use CNC every day to create art and various home projects.
Before I design I like to sketch a few ideas out on paper. I like to toy with different ideas to spark my creativity. This is the equivalent of brainstorming. When I really get my juices flowing, that is when my best designs rise to the top. I generally carry around a notebook with me to note designs that I think of during the day.
After I have a few likely suspects, I try to look through each of the ideas to see if I can merge them somehow. Some designs have different parts or components to them. Some of these components are better than others. Can I take some of these parts and add them to another design to make it better? Just like writing, editing your designs is a critical step in the process.
When you are designing, you are really trying to describe what you are going to build. The more accurately you can do that, the better the whole process will go. Just like a house, if you have a strong foundation, you will have a good house. If you have a solid design, the rest of the process is easy.
CAD
CAD stands for Computer Aided Design or Drafting. CAD was developed in the early 60s. Today it is the premier way to design, develop and optimized products. People use CAD every day to design virtually every product you see. Generally, designers use CAD to design a product, and then produce prints to manufacture that product. A print is a picture of a part or assembly that is very exact. It includes the dimensions and a parts list used to manufacture a product.
Computer Aided Design (CAD) software packages can generally be broken into two groups. The groups are 2-D drafting packages or 3-D drafting packages. Most all software packages are moving to 3-D design. 3-D design is really the next generation of CAD. Utilizing 3-D design, engineers can make a model of their product. They can then look over this model for any apparent defects before it is ever made.
3-D Design
Utilizing 3-D design, engineers can cut down on the number of manufacturing mistakes that occur due to fit up and tolerance issues. This translates into a more efficient operation with less waste for the manufacturer.
Here are some examples of 3-D drafting/design software:
Inventor
TopSolid
SolidWorks
Alibre Design
Rhino3D
2-D Design
2-D design can be very efficient if you need to make a quick part that is not very complex. You could quickly sketch out a silhouette of an object and convert it into a CAM tool path. This is an operation where 2-D will really shine.
Here are some examples of 2-D drafting/design software:
AutoCAD
MicroStation
At some point you will need to use CAD. You will need to take your design and translated it into a print. The best way to do that is to use CAD. You will need to purchase a CAD program of some sort if you are serious about CNC. Many CAD programs have a free or trial period that you can use to evaluate the program. My suggestion is to try a few and then select one that fits the way you design.
CNC Information Free Community Site:
If you would like to know more about CNC, head on over to http://www.cncinformation.com
You can join for Free and you get two free CNC ebooks. One is a GCode Quick Guide and the other is the CNC Info Site eBook. You also get access to the Free Video Series…Image to CNC Art when you join the community.
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My personal CNC tale
One day I knew I had a problem. I just spent 4 hours with my plasma cutter in my right hand. I had been cutting out patterns I had traced onto a sheet of metal. These shapes were going to be my new coffee table. Everyone complained to me that I didn’t have a coffee table. I thought, “I’ll show them” and began to build one.
Why make a coffee table out of metal you ask? The quick answer is that I wasn’t much of a woodworker at the time. On the other hand, I used to weld professionally and knew I could make anything out of metal. That is how it all began, making a coffee table out of metal.
Now if you knew me, you know that I can’t just make something normal. My brain is the scheming type that has to do things differently then the norm. I wanted to make a table that would knock people’s socks off. I thought a funky looking table, made out of metal, with casters and lights would do the trick. You know what? It did.
I really had a ball making this table. I mean I had serious fun. So much so that I started to design others. I began showing photos of my work to everyone I knew. On top of that, I was getting good feedback.I just came across a new hobby, it was furniture making. Who would have ever thought I would pick up furniture making as a hobby.
While making this first table a problem arose. It is the one I mentioned above with my right hand.After cutting out all those parts my wrist really began to hurt. While welding professionally there was always the threat of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.Human welders are continually afflicted by this injury and others because of repetitive motion tasks.
If you repeat something over and over and over and over, your body gives out at some point. After cutting up these table parts, I knew I couldn’t go on doing this for a hobby. I knew something would have to change or the new hobby would break my body.
That is when I began investigating CNC DIY. I call it “Hobby” CNC, because that is how I found it. There were small groups of enthusiasts on the Internet that were building these machines for the fun of it.I thought this was the way to go.
My Initial Thoughts on CNC…
I thought, “If I could build a CNC Plasma Cutting Table?”
I could hook my plasma cutter to it
Create a CNC program of the part I wanted to make
Cut out many parts to my content
Save a lot of time
And Finally…
Save my wrist from the dreaded Carpel Tunnel Syndrome.
I really wasn’t scared of the technology to start with. I grew up in fabrication shops across the Midwest and had seen these machines in action. These machine “Operators” were always held in high esteem at the shop. They always made more Money and always had as much Overtime as they wanted. I decided if they could do it, I could do it.
CNC hobby projects were not cheap at the time. I figured I would have to invest $4,000 – $5,000 to build my table (they have come down considerably). Keep in mind this was in 2000-2001. For some reason that didn’t scare me off. I always liked a good challenge and this was it.With a little faith, I purchased a CNC controller and then went down to my local steel yard to fill up the back of my truck with steel.
Little Did I know…
There was a steep learning curve with CNC learning. Building a frame for the machine is only a small part of the project. Today it is much easier. The software, components and suppliers are better. There is an entire cottage industry that has sprung up around CNC to support it. Some of the best people in the world make their livings servicing CNC Hobbyist needs.
For some reason I figured if I just build this machine it would spit out parts whenever I wanted it to. Simple, Simple, Simple ran through my head. Over time, I started to get it. I didn’t have a teacher, but I started to learn the ins and out of what I was doing.
Other items I had to pick up along the way:
CAD Software
Designing interesting parts
CAM Software
Preparing parts for machining
Simulating Machining
Machining Basics
Cleaning parts
CNC Information Free Community Site:
If you would like to know more about CNC, head on over to http://www.cncinformation.com
Get into CNC eBooks when you join up today. One is a GCode Quick Guide and the other is the CNC Info Site eBook. You also get access to the Free Video Series…Graphic image to CNC art when you join the CNC community.
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CAD software programs and you
There are multiple Computer Aided Design Softwares available for design. Generally people become familiar with one and stick with it. As far as selecting the right one, my advice is this. Most software companies have a free trial.30 day software trials are the standard. Take advantage of these trial periods and test the software out. Then at the end, decide if you want to try another software or stick with your best one. I would advise you try out at least three different packages.
The one you select will probably have to do with you liking the interface or finding it intuitive. Keep in mind it may work for you now. A simple to use and understand interface probably has some limitations for your designs. The very best programs are complex with many tools that give you the most control.I found out that when I start with a simple CAD program I quickly outgrow it. At some point I move up to the next level of software.This means a higher price as well.
Tools in CAD
Inside of your CAD program, you will have various tools that you can work with. Many of these tools speed up your design times and make you more efficient.Each computer-aided design program will have tools, and then some unique tools that are only available with their specific software package. These specialty tools are one of the ways software manufacturers differentiate themselves in the marketplace.
Versions of computer aided design
There are different types of CAD out there. These are the ones I deal with from time to time. 2D CAD, 2.5D CAD, and Three Dimensional CAD.Here are some fast explanations of each computer aided design type.
2D CAD
2D CAD is generally on the low end of CAD software packages. 2D CAD is most often vector based. The design consists on the X and Y-axis only. The designs are made up of lines, circles, ovals, slots, curves, etc. There is no “depth” to the design. Only the outline of the part is visible, to put it in a different way.
2.5D CAD
All of the same descriptions above apply, but the design is prismatic. By that I mean it has the depth of the material. There are Z levels, but they are on singular planes.
3D CAD
3D CAD is on the high end of CAD software packages. 3D CAD can be solid based, wire frame based or nurbs based. The design consists on the X, Y and Z-axis. The designs are made up of lines, circles, ovals, slots, curves, etc, but can also include Spheres, Pyramids, Torrids, Cubes, etc.There is a depth to the CNC design. The design can be rotated around 360 degrees. The design is an accurate description of what the part would look like if produced in the real world.
CNC Information Free Community Site:
If you would like to know more about CNC, head on over to http://www.cncinformation.com
You can join for Free and you get two free CNC ebooks. One is a GCode Quick Guide and the other is the CNC Info Site eBook. You also get access to the Free Video Series…Image to CNC Art when you join the community.
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