[tr8s-n-planes]

We have Solidworks with the BobCAM plugin. I have an assembly designed in SW, composed of several plastic parts that are to be cut out on a 2 ½ axis router. Some parts are different thickness, so they cannot all be cut on the same operation. Anything I have tried so far to collate the parts and get that into a file I can send to the router has been very laborious, and quite defeats the advantages of a Cad/Cam system. I have not (yet) found any info on how to accomplish this with any kind of efficiency.

Has anybody tried the BobCAM for Solidworks Training Professor videos? What are the chances that this would be covered in those videos?

TIA for any help or suggestions.

Bill Derksen
Saskatoon, SK

[Claude Boudreau]

We have Solidworks with the BobCAM plugin. I have an assembly designed in SW, composed of several plastic parts that are to be cut out on a 2 ½ axis router. Some parts are different thickness, so they cannot all be cut on the same operation. Anything I have tried so far to collate the parts and get that into a file I can send to the router has been very laborious, and quite defeats the advantages of a Cad/Cam system. I have not (yet) found any info on how to accomplish this with any kind of efficiency.

Has anybody tried the BobCAM for Solidworks Training Professor videos? What are the chances that this would be covered in those videos?

TIA for any help or suggestions.

Bill Derksen
Saskatoon, SK

Not sure I understand your problem, but have you search in Youtube for
bobcad-cam , also search for Mr.Bobhuh videos

model_slicing - YouTube

[ger21]

Imo, Solidworks is not the best choice for making multiple 2D parts on a router.
I think SW and an integrated CAM package are best suited to one off 3D parts.

Your best bet is to create 2D .dxf drawings of your parts, and bring them into a CAM package that can do nesting an automatic toolpath creation based on layers in the .dxf.
Vectric's V-Carve Pro can do this, provided the .dxf's contain the required information.
The biggest issue is always the creation of the .dxf files.
In the cabinet industry, we use expensive software that creates all the .dxf's automatically. And CAM packages that automate the toolpath creation.

[tr8s-n-planes]

Imo, Solidworks is not the best choice for making multiple 2D parts on a router.
I think SW and an integrated CAM package are best suited to one off 3D parts.

That is my primary intent for the SW/BobCAM suite, but it would be nice to use the same software for the router as well.

Your best bet is to create 2D .dxf drawings of your parts, and bring them into a CAM package that can do nesting an automatic toolpath creation based on layers in the .dxf...

This is more-or-less what I have been doing: export the individual parts to 2D files; open the 2D files and copy/paste as required into a new 2D file; arrange the 'parts' onto a 'sheet'; then import that 2D file into ARTCAM (Artcam came with the router) for creating the NC file for the router. This works, but it's pretty time consuming, and a lot of work again if I have to make a change to any one of the parts.

But you have given me another direction to work on - I just figured how to import multiple 2D vectors into an Artcam project. Not perfect, but it does save a couple of steps and some time.

Thanks
Bill Derksen