CAM Assist programs milled parts: prismatic parts with pockets, holes, slots, chamfers and 3D surfaces, machined in 3 Axis, 3+1 or 3+2. It doesn't program turning or simultaneous 4- or 5-axis toolpaths. In SolidCAM, CAM Assist programs in 3 Axis only.
Which parts suit CAM Assist best?
Parts you'd normally program for a 3-axis mill, or for indexed work on a 4th axis or a 5-axis machine, are a good fit. For example:
- Brackets, housings and plates with pockets, holes and profiles on several faces.
- Parts with tapped and reamed holes, counterbores and chamfered edges.
- Parts with 3D surfaces that can be reached from a fixed tool direction.
- Parts held on a 4th axis or a tombstone and indexed between positions.
The more of the part's features are standard milled features, the more of the program CAM Assist can do for you.
What machining does CAM Assist do?
CAM Assist chooses tools and creates operations in these families. You choose which ones it generates under Toolpath Types in the Setups stage. See Set up your setups.
| Family | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Facing | Machining the top faces flat. |
| Roughing | Removing bulk material, leaving stock for finishing. |
| Finishing | Wall, flat, freeform (3D surface), chamfer and T-slot finishing. |
| Undercuts | Finishing undercut features with undercut tools, such as T-slot cutters. |
| Holemaking | Spot drilling, drilling, boring (including helical boring with an end mill), reaming, tapping and thread milling. In SolidCAM, CAM Assist doesn't create reaming or thread milling operations. |
| Deburring | Breaking sharp edges with a ball mill or a chamfer mill. |
For how each family works, see How does CAM Assist rough and finish a part?.
Which machining modes can it use?
CAM Assist machines each setup in one of three modes:
| Mode | Use it for |
|---|---|
| 3 Axis | Features you can reach from one direction. |
| 3+1 | Indexing around one rotary axis, for example on a 4th axis or tombstone. |
| 3+2 | Tilting the part to several fixed orientations with two rotary axes. |
See What are 3 Axis, 3+1 and 3+2 machining modes?
What can't CAM Assist do?
| Not supported | What to do instead |
|---|---|
| Turning, and lathe-only parts such as shafts and bushings | Program turning in your CAM package. |
| The turned features of a mill-turn part | Program the turning yourself. |
| Simultaneous 4- or 5-axis toolpaths, for example impellers and turbine blades | Program these in your CAM package. CAM Assist only uses fixed tool directions. |
| Special toolpaths outside the families above, such as text engraving | Add them in your CAM package after sending the program. |
CAM Assist also only machines what's in the model. A feature that can't be milled as modeled, such as a sharp internal corner in a pocket, is left unfinished. See Why didn't CAM Assist finish some faces?
Which part files can I use?
CAM Assist has no file import of its own. It works on the part that's open in your CAM package, so any file your CAM package can open and machine works: native files, STEP, Parasolid, IGES and so on.
What matters is the model:
- Use a solid body for the part. Mastercam doesn't accept a mesh body as the Master Model, and GibbsCAM ignores mesh part bodies. See CAM Assist won't start in Mastercam: machine group, stock or Master Model errors and Prepare a GibbsCAM part for CAM Assist.
- Make sure the solid is closed. Gaps between faces stop the run. See "Non water-tight model" or "Geometry assessment error" in CAM Assist.
- If an imported file causes problems, re-export it as STEP from the source CAD and try again.
The stock can be a solid or a mesh.
Is there a part size limit?
There's no fixed size limit in CAM Assist. If your CAM package can load the part, CAM Assist can try to program it. It works best with parts under about 1 square meter (roughly 3 ft by 3 ft); very large or very detailed parts take longer. See CAM Assist takes a long time to calculate or create operations.
How do I find out if a part is a good fit?
Open it and let CAM Assist assess it. Machinability issues in the Assessment stage flags surfaces that can't be reached and model problems before you program anything. See The CAM Assist stages. After a run, Program shows how many faces are unfinished, and Machinability feedback explains why. See The Program stage.