Cam Systems Input

[Jday]

I am looking for input on a new CAM system for the shop I work at. We currently use GibbsCam and SmartCam ffm. I have programmed for many years with Gibbs and find it to be very capable system. I am new to this company and I find that the other programmers dont like Gibbs and prefer to use Smartcam so they can control almost every move the machine makes. There complaint with Gibbs is there are to many "Air cuts" in the code. I find this to be more a use of the system than a fault of the system itself. So now I am looking for a system that will kind of meet in the middle as far as automated processes with some more control of tool toolpaths than gibbs offers. One of the programmers raves about UG and Mastercam. I would like to hear about all other systems as well. Our shop is a mid sized job shop that makes parts for the medical and electronics industries. I would descibe the parts we do as moderately complex with about 10-20% requiring some surfacing. Thanks for your input

Jday

[Rekd]

UG and Mastercam are good candidates. I would get a few names, contact the dealers, and have them come out to YOUR shop, and demo their software on YOUR parts. That way you can see the ins and outs of each, and the flexability.

Having been a long time Gibbs and Smartcam, and a current long time Mastercam user, my money would be with Mastercam. (I haven't used UG, so I won't comment.)

There's a host of others out there.

GL in your search, and Welcome to the Forum. No matter what you decide on, you'll prolly find lots of help here..

'Rekd

[wms]

J,

I would suggest that you take a look at OneCNC xp series.

It has lots of tool path choices, is easy to learn, and is layed out in an easy to use fashion. They have some extremely impressive multi logic tool paths.

It has very powerful modeling functions. And the posts are fully customizable. The nc manager is a real time saver. The solids and surfacing portion is top notch.

And on top of this their support is better that top notch.


You can get to their web site thru the banner add at the home page of this forum. You can also look thru the onecnc forum to see what other user have to say. You can also call the us office and they can set up a "live" web demo.


If you have specific questions you can post them in this forum or the onecnc forum.

[mace]

Jday,
Find out what your customers are using try to match there software.

If they design in uniGraphics look hard at UG
If proe look at it.

This will be great assitance in not having to reprogram when they rev the parts.

Also having A system Like Ug or Proe is good for marketing new customers.(It is Money well spent)

Our shop runs MasterCam And Proe none of our customers care that we have MC some of them get excited that we use Proe.

Many insist that we use Proe on the Parts

Mace

[Fish]

Hi Jday,

I've used M-cam version 9, Bobcad V 18, Surfcam 2000, Gibbs 5.5, and now I just bought FeatureCam. The reason? It is the fastest way to program, bar none. It has associativity with our Solidworks files, so if the drawing changes, the program will change - it will prompt you when the file is opened. As far as control is concerned, I've found that quite a few people who have used one or two of the "main" packages get used to the way that they work, and are afraid to look at anything else. I was that way with M-cam. But, with Featurecam, if you set up properly, it's a breeze. There are many times now that I have been able to go from post to part without changes of any sort, not even offsets or speeds and feeds. The software will also optiomize feeds and speeds to maintain tool a consistent tool load when entering and exiting, or changing directions in your part. Just my two cents worth.

Fish

I

[Klox]

Fish, tell me more about FeatureCAM. I'm curious.

Klox