1. No category

Selecting the
Right
CAM System
David S. Hayden
http://www.haydenpub.com
Copyright ã 2004
David S. Hayden - All Rights Reserved
Selecting the Right CAM System
2
Introduction
Avoid Costly Mistakes!
Critical Facts you should know before
selecting any CAM system.
Most individuals and companies select good
Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) systems for all the wrong reasons. They end up
with a great, but inappropriate piece of software.
Picking the wrong CAM software wastes time
and money, something most of us can not afford to do.
Here are some examples.
A small one man wood working shop purchased its first CNC router. Not having any
NC experience, the owner did some research
and selected what appeared to be best software for his shop.
His first choice was great for programming
files created by other CAD packages but had
no tools for creating geometry. His second
choice appeared to have good CAM capabilities but was difficult to learn. He didn’t want
a new career, he wanted a tool program his
router. To make things worse, if was difficult
to get support for the software.
Eventually he landed on yet a third CAM program that has the CAD tools he needs to make
intricate designs, the strong CAM features
generate reliable NC code, and is relatively
easy to learn and use.
A large manufacturing company wanted to
upgrade to a better CAD and CAM system.
They wanted the ability to quickly transfer
files and reduce the time from design to completed parts. A worthwhile goal? Absolutely!
Copyright ã 2004
To make sure they selected the best software,
they picked a team of engineers, draftsmen,
NC programmers.
When it was all said and done, the Engineering group selected a very expensive, very
powerful Solid Modeling software that had
CAM modules for NC programming.
The Manufacturing group, looked at several
of the latest and greatest CAM programs.
They were looking for “best of class” software with a focus on doing more in less time.
The end result was over $1,000,000 was spent
on software, training and support and the
CAM software was only used for a few
months and, to this day is, sitting on a shelf.
A different company, when looking for software, had a small budget and big ideas. They
did not want to pull the programmers away
from their work. So a number of managers,
selected software based on the “powerful
Demonstration” and low cost and bought 10
seats of CAM software.
3 months later, after investing hundreds of
man hours in training and postprocessor development, management realized they made a
bad decision. The CAM company finally
agreed to refund the price of the software but
the company was out thousands of dollars for
training and lost production. And, they still
did not have a CAM software they could use.
You can avoid these mistakes!
Learn from other’s mistakes so you don’t
have to waste your time and money.
David S. Hayden - All Rights Reserved
Selecting the Right CAM System
On pages 3 and 4 of this report you will learn
the questions you must answer before making
a good CAM selection.
On pages 4 thru 7 you will learn the pluses
and minuses of choosing software based on
price, programmer preference and name
brand.
On pages 8 thru 10 you will learn how to develop a feature selection matrix that will weed
out the real contenders from the over hyped.
You will also learn how to prepare a potential-problem analysis so you can spot and plan
for potential problems
On pages 10 through 12 you will learn some
tips on software demonstrations and getting
references.
Use this process for any large
investment!
This process will work whether you are
choosing a CAM system, a house or a
spouse . . .It is about planning you major
decisions rather than falling into them.
This process works equally well when choosing between such large players as SDRC,
Unigraphics, NCL, SmartCAM, MasterCAM
Pro/Engineer. Similarly, it helps small shops
select amongst powerful but economical software such as TurboCAD, BobCAD/CAM,
RAMS Gold or Enroute.
Careers can be made or broken on these types
of decisions. Small shops may thrive or struggle based on these types of decisions.
3
About the Author
Learn from someone who has successfully
purchased software ranging in price from
around $1,000 per seat to over $40,000 per
seat.
I am a manufacturing manager with an MBA in
Technology Management, Author of 2 popular
books on CNC programming, and have recently
been awarded dealer status for BobCAD/CAM
software.
I have worked with numerous CAM systems in
large and small companies. Contrary to what
most CAM salesmen will tell you, no one CAM
is good for all shops.
I have written this document as a guide for other
managers, shop owners and CNC enthusiasts to
use when choosing a CAM system. For those of
you who do not need or can not afford the high
priced, mega-software products, you may want
to consider BobCAD-CAM.
A little self-promotion!
Yes, I do sell BobCAD/CAM. However the
following is the last time I will mention the
subject. You need to choose a CAM system
that is right for you or your shop.
As its moto implies, BobCAD-CAM is “The
World leader of Powerful & Affordable
CAD/CAM software. I have worked in a number
of shops and CNC programming departments
and I can honestly say, BobCAD/CAM is a
great, economical solution, but it is not for everyone . There is no such thing as a one-sizefits-all solution when it comes to any software.
In the back of the book you will find coupons
for discounts that will save you 50% on my
7 Easy Steps to CNC Programming books and
hundreds of dollars on BobCAD/CAM products.
Copyright ã 2004
David S. Hayden - All Rights Reserved
Selecting the Right CAM System
Remember you do not have to be a large or
wealthy shop to afford powerful CAD/CAM
software. Regardless of the price you are
willing to pay, you do have to do a little home
work and choose wisely if you are going to
get the best return on your investment.
To learn more about BobCAD/CAM visit my
website http://www.haydenpub.com. (Note the
BobCAD/CAM pages on my site may not be completed, so, for more complete information, you
should also visit http://www.bobcad.com.)
When you are ready to save hundreds of dollars over suggested retail on BobCAD/CAM,
contact me at bobcad.sales@haydenpub.com
or call (724) 238-7563.
Copyright ã 2004
David S. Hayden - All Rights Reserved
4
Selecting the Right CAM System
5
Selecting the Right CAM System
Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) software can be a powerful tool for most shops.
Still many shops may never need a CAM system. For example, a small shop that does
mostly simple turning, milling, and drilling
may have all the power they need in the machine's CNC control. In this case, buying
CAM software may be a waste of money.
Shops that frequently make complex parts requiring complicated calculations to complete
the NC program could benefit from CAM
software. Another compelling reason to buy a
CAM system is to bring in more business.
Often customers require CAM capability.
Once you decide to buy CAM software, your
work really begins. There are dozens of very
good CAM systems. Most of them can do all
the basic NC programming. And, there are
vast differences in capabilities, features, costs,
learning curves, training expenses, customer
support, etc.
As a CAM Systems Administrator, one of my
duties is to stay on top of trends in the
CAD/CAM Industry. Over the years, I have
learned a lot about selecting and maintaining
CAD/CAM software, and integrating old
technologies with new. Following are the
guidelines I use and /or recommend to upper
management regarding CAM system selection.
The size and future direction of your shop
should have a strong influence over your selection of CAM software. If you are a small
job shop with limited resources and you need
CAM capability, your choices will be based
on cost vs features.
Copyright ã 2004
If your shop must interface with engineering
departments, customer CAD systems and so
on, your decision will be far more complex.
Depending on your situation, you should review and answer some or all of the following
questions:
• Is the CAM system going to be of
strategic importance to the company?
• What is our goal for having a CAM
system?
• What is the budget for purchasing the
software?
• How much money can our company
afford to budget annually for
maintaining the software and hardware?
• What are our competitors using?
• What are our customer expectations
with regards to our NC / CAM
programming capabilities?
• What CAD programs are our customers
using?
• What are our machine capabilities /
requirements? Turning, milling, 5 or
more axis positioning, 3 or more axis
simultaneous movement?
• What is the local labor pool from which
we can draw programmers?
• Is our NC / CAM programming done by
dedicated programmers or by
machinists, operators, supervisors,
methods engineers, etc.?
• Do we need an MIS or IT staff to
support the software and hardware?
• Will CAM software ownership enhance
our shops market position?
• How large is the local user base for our
CAM software?
• How large / stable is the software
vendor's company?
David S. Hayden - All Rights Reserved
Selecting the Right CAM System
• To what extent will our company suffer
if the software developers go out of
business?
• What features must we have in a CAM
package?
• What features do we want to have but
could get along without?
• What is the software vendor's reputation
for customer support?
• Is there local training and support for
the software? Or, will employees have
to travel to get training?
Seems like a lot of questions doesn’t it? You
may not need to answer all of them or you
may have many more. Either way, CAM software selection should be well thought out.
Too often, in my experience, the selection of a
CAM system is driven entirely by retail price.
Likewise I have seen the decision made exclusively by the programmer or programming
group without regard for corporate goals, interdepartmental requirements, marketing opportunities or subcontracting situations.
Selecting by Price
For many shops, price may be the primary
driver. To effectively make this decision, you
must consider a few things.
•
•
•
•
•
Obviously, the retail price is a consideration.
The price of CAM software can range from
hundreds to tens-of-thousands of dollars. But
that is only part of the story.
There are two bottom line numbers you
should look for. First is the total acquisition or
start up price. To determine this number you
need to know:
• The software purchase price. This can
vary greatly based on the features or
modules you need. Most CAM
software has modules for turning,
milling, multi-axis machining, etc.. This
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•
•
6
pricing scheme allows the vendors to
tailor appropriate cost / feature
solutions for their customers.
The total training cost required to get
the programmer productive. Different
packages have different degrees of
complexity. Some have very long
learning curves that require weeks of
extensive training.
The cost of the hardware required to
best use the software. Many CAM
systems require high end computers. In
some cases, the hardware requirements
can be in the tens-of-thousands of
dollars.
The installation cost if you do not have
the IT / MIS staff to handle the software
installation. If your shop does not have
an MIS department or person to install
and administer the CAM software, what
are those services going to cost?
The cost of annual maintenance for the
first year. Software developers are
constantly improving their products and
cleaning up bugs that were
inadvertently programmed into the
system. Having an annual maintenance
contract will help you keep your
software up to date.
The cost of any support contracts. The
first year is typically the toughest.
Until your programmers become
experienced, they may need a lot of
support. Often, to get the extensive
support you need, you will require a
support contract.
The cost of any travel required to attend
training. If the software is not locally
supported or the vendor or local trade
schools do not have courses for the
software, you will have travel expenses
associated with training your
programming staff.
If deemed necessary, the cost of back
up staff to handle programming
requirements while the programmer(s)
David S. Hayden - All Rights Reserved
Selecting the Right CAM System
get trained on the software. More often
than not, I see companies ignore this
expense. The fact is that, when your
programmers are learning new
software, their productivity drops
dramatically. If they are barely keeping
up as it is, you will have additional
salary expenses as a result of your
software purchase. You may be paying
lots of overtime for weeks or months, or
you may have to hire contractors to
help keep up with programming load.
• You also need to consider the salary
requirements to keep or hire good CAM
programmers. CNC programmers with
CAM experience are in higher demand.
So you may have to pay existing
programmers higher wages to keep
them once they know the software. It
may also cost more to lure good
programmers away from their current
jobs.
Don’t expect a lot of loyalty. Many
shop managers / owners expect an
employee to stick around if they train
them but do not raise their salary to
accordingly. The sirens of greater
income can quickly lure the most
faithful away.
You may want to consider employment
contracts that obligate the employee to
work for a specific time in exchange for
training. If they leave by their own
volition prior to the end of the contract,
then they will be responsible for a
prorated portion of the training expense.
In summary, if you budget for sticker price
only, you are quickly going to find out you
have undercapitalized your move to a new
CAM system.
The second bottom line number to consider is
the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). This
number is an extension of total acquisition
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7
price. While the total acquisition price is a
one time expense, TCO is ongoing. To calculate TCO you must determine the following:
• What are the annual maintenance fees.
Your company may reap significant
benefits from improvements in the
software. These improvements and bug
fixes are generally released quarterly,
semi-annually, or intermittently as
available. It is not always necessary
that you subscribe to the maintenance
agreements. If the software is good and
does everything you need in its current
form you may want to forego the annual
maintenance expense.
Keep in mind annual maintenance
contracts keep your software current at
a reduced annual expense. If you chose
not to subscribe to the annual
maintenance and a few years later you
decide you need/want to upgrade to the
latest revision, you will most likely pay
full retail price as if you never owned
the software.
• You should budget salary increases for
your programmers, unless you want to
keep hiring and training new
programmers . As they gain
experience, their value in the job market
may increase as well.
• You may want to consider budgeting
for annual training expense. CAM
software packages are packed full of
features and utilities. Most
programmers learn to use but a few of
these that simplify their immediate
programming tasks. Chances are good
they have developed less efficient
habits that can be improved by
additional training and exposure to
undiscovered utilities.
• You may want to consider budgeting
for memberships in user groups. Along
with this goes the expense of sending
David S. Hayden - All Rights Reserved
Selecting the Right CAM System
them to group events where they can
swap ideas and learn new techniques.
• You definitely need to budget for
hardware upgrades and replacement.
Current PC hardware has a useful life of
3-5 years but planning to replace them
every two years would be more
realistic. Faster computers can greatly
improve productivity if software is
pushing hardware to its performance
limits. If not, you may not want to
replace the hardware until it wears out
or projects a low-tech image to your
customers.
Selection by Programmer Preference
Programmer preference is a very important
consideration when selecting a CAM solution.
The programmers need to produce results
with the software you purchase, so their needs
and preferences should be considered. Additionally, the more “buy in” they have for the
chosen software, the more energy they will
put into its success.
There are other factors you must consider and
weigh against programmer preferences. First
and foremost, you must know the strategic direction of the company. If your company is
investing in software to attract new business
or improve interdepartmental efficiency, you
may want programmer preference to take a
back seat to higher goals.
You must consider your company’s approach
to NC programming. Does the company plan
on having a dedicated NC programming department? If so, what is the range of software
possibilities?
Does your company plan to use multi- tasking
people who program, write route sheets, operate machines, supervise, etc.? If so, you might
limit your software choice to one based on
ease of use and shorter learning curve.
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8
Does your company envision high degrees of
automation where data is passed to the CAM
system and within minutes an NC program is
produced? If so, your company need a
high-end software with extended macro or
feature recognition capabilities.
What sorts of part data will your programmers
have to use? Many companies have volumes
of information in various forms. For example
a company may have a library full of manual
drawings plus CAD files generated by several
different CAD packages. And, there is always
the need to adapt to the customer’s preferred
drawing format. If you have a wide variety of
drawing inputs, your company may need software with strong CAD abilities for programming parts from paper drawings. Naturally,
your software should also have the ability to
import IGES and DXF files.
Will your programmers be expected to program parts developed with Solid Modeling
software such as ProEngineer, Solid Works,
Solid Edge, etc.? If so your software should
be able to recognize and use the native files
created by Solid Modeling software. If that is
not possible your software should at least be
able to to import ACIS, ParaSolid or STeP file
types.
There is one thing you must consider consideration when choosing software based on programmer preference. It is likely that
programmers will be drawn to software that
most enhances their career.
I was part of large CAD/CAM software selection team that included engineers, draftsmen
and programmers. During a full day presentation by a major software developer, the attitude in the morning was that the software was
nice but very difficult to use and learn. At
lunch, the vendor took some of the programmers out for lunch and discussed the high salaries programmers of that software could get.
David S. Hayden - All Rights Reserved
Selecting the Right CAM System
In the afternoon, the same people who were
unimpressed with the software became its
most vocal supporters. Just a little food for
thought.
Selection by Brand Name or Vendor
You can choose from many first class CAM
software developers including but not limited
to DP Esprit, Catia, Unigraphics, SurfCAM,
MasterCAM, NCL, Varimatrix and Virtual
Gibbs. All of these companies have very
powerful software products. One thing you
need to consider is the stability of the company.
Several years ago there was a very solid CAM
software called SmartCAM. To this day they
have a loyal user base and thousands of seats
around the country.
Somewhere around 1995, Point Control, the
company that developed the software, sold
SmartCAM to CAMAX. CAMAX, a much
larger company, promised the acquisition
would increase their market base. They also
suggested they were going continue developing the software. Unfortunately SmartCAM
was only a small part of their revenue stream.
Instead of further development, CAMAX ultimately reduced the software development.
About a year later, Structural Dynamics Research (SDRC) acquired CAMAX. In 1998 or
1999 SDRC dropped development and support of the software altogether.
SDRC was a very large company by competitive standards. During this time, Ford Motor
Company was looking to invest millions of
dollars in CAD/CAM/PLM software to drive
their business into the future. They wanted to
invest in a large, stable company that would
be around for years to come. So, after a great
deal of research, they ultimately purchased
software from SDRC.
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9
Ford did not invest in SDRC because of
SmartCAM which was already dead. They
were purchasing SDRC’s CAD/CAM systems
and their popular Product Life Cycle Management software. Ford expected that SDRC, being a very large company, with good software
products would be around for a while. The ink
was barely dry on the Ford deal when EDS,
acquired SDRC.
The fact that SmartCAM, CAMAX, and
SDRC no longer exist, just shows there is no
such thing as a secure investment.
I recently learned the SmartCAM source code
was purchased by a small company intending
continue developing it.
Still, there are very good software products
that are developed by closely held (private)
corporations. One thing you must consider
with respect to privately held corporations is
whether the company is ripe for a acquisition
by a larger company. There are potential
problems regarding survivorship. If something happens to the company founder, will
the company survive and the software remain
viable.
Current statistics indicate roughly 70% of
closely held companies do not survive past the
death of the founders. An astounding 92% do
not survive past the death of the second generation.
On the other hand, as fast as software companies enter and leave the market place, it may
all be an exercise in futility since no one can
predict the future.
So, pick software that fits your immediate situation AND brings you years of benefit, even
if the company goes out of business. After
all, hundreds or thousands of companies still
rely on SmartCAM to this very day.
David S. Hayden - All Rights Reserved
Selecting the Right CAM System
Developing Selection Criteria
Before you or your team should look at software, make a list of criteria the software must
satisfy to be considered. Put your criteria into
two groups.
The first group is the REQUIRED criteria.
When researching the software possibilities,
immediately eliminate any system that does
not satisfy all of your required criteria. Obviously, if you can use software that does not
meet some required criteria, then the criteria
is really highly desirable, not required.
Isn’t there some old saying that starts out
“The best laid plans of mice and men...?”
Well, selecting and implementing Computer
Aided Manufacturing software is no different.
You will have setbacks and problems, so just
plan on it.
Remember, it is not what happens that matters
so much as what you do about it.
Put your highly desirable criteria on a second
list. Use this list as a tie breaker when comparing competitive offerings.
Beyond the criteria, you evaluate how well
the software meets the criteria. For example
suppose you have a criteria that the Total Acquisition Cost (TAC) must be $10,000 or less.
If the TAC of two, nearly identical products,
are priced at $9,500 and $6,200 then clearly
the less expensive software has an advantage.
For expedience, group all criteria and potential vendors together on a matrix. By each
criteria place a value rating system that shows
how well each vendor’s software satisfies
your specific criteria. (see sample criteria matrix on the
following page)
Make the second phase of your software selection process a potential problem analysis.
Evaluate all the negative things that could
happen as a result of picking a particular
CAM system.
Reserve this process for the finalists. This
helps you measure the impact of worst case
scenarios. This matrix will involve identifying potential problems, severity of the problem, the likelihood the problem will occur, the
key indicator that the problem is eminent, and
necessary actions to mitigate negative effects.
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10
David S. Hayden - All Rights Reserved
Selecting the Right CAM System
11
Fig. 1 - Sample Criteria Matrix
R
E
Q
I
R
E
D
D
E
S
I
R
E
D
S
c
o
r
e
Brand W
Software
Criteria
V
a
l
u
e
Value
x
Score
S
c
o
r
e
Brand X
Value
x
Score
S
c
o
r
e
Brand Y
Value
x
Score
S
c
o
r
e
Brand Z
Value
x
Score
Must have lathe module
5
2
10
4
20
3
15
1
5
Must be easy to use
5
5
25
2
10
1
5
3
15
Must support Parasolid
5
5
25
5
25
5
25
0
0
TAC must be less
than $15,000
5
1
5
4
20
4
20
Want Local Training
5
0
0
0
0
3
15
Want ability to run
on PC w/ Windows
XP
2
5
10
5
10
5
10
Want Feature
Recognition
4
5
20
10
4
16
Want custom
Post-processor
capability
3
5
15
0
4
12
Totals
110
95
118
0
In the Sample Criteria Matrix example above,
notice how Brand Y (green) has the highest
score. The more thoroughly you test the software, the more reliable your score will be.
Brand W scored the highest for feature recognition but still had a total score lower than
Brand Y because local training is more important.
Notice that Brand Z has no total score because it failed the “required” test for total acquisition cost. Once a product fails a required
test, there is no point evaluating it further.
You can save a lot of time by evaluating all
required criteria first.
The score for each brand is calculated by multiplying the Value column by your quantified
subjective score as to how well the product
will meet that particular criteria.
Notice the values columns In this example,
the criteria are rated for importance on a scale
of 1-5. All of the required items have an importance rating of 5.
The highly desirable criteria, or wants do not
need an importance rating of 5. So in this example, you can see local training is more important than the software’s feature recognition
capability.
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For example, Brand W above has a lathe
module, but not a very good one. So it’s
score for lathe module is 5 (the value) x 2 (a
low score for the lathe module) = 10 Brand X
obviously must have a better lathe module.
You can use a similar matrix for any significant purchase whether it is a new machine
tool for the plant or a computer for home. I
know of one woman that very successfully
used a similar matrix concept for choosing
her spouse!
David S. Hayden - All Rights Reserved
Selecting the Right CAM System
Potential Problem
12
Fig. 2 - Potential Problem Analysis for Brand W
Severity Probability Score
Indicator
Response / Corrective
S x P
Action
Vendor could go out
of business
7
2
14
Trade or
financial
journals
indicate
trouble
Hunker down, join user
groups, seek legal remedies, develop internal
training and support,
hire / contract experts
Funding for implementation could dry
up
5
6
30
Projected
low business cycle or
change in
business
priorities
Re-evaluate goals, negotiate project objectives,
prioritize remaining objectives, determine future
funding requirements and
possibilities
Becomes difficult to
retain programmers
because of competing
job opportunities
8
5
40
Want ads, Programmers are high
attrition
paid but software not
common in this area.
Contact vendor for list
of programmer candidates, institute nation
wide search -
Total
91
Fig. 3 - Potential Problem Analysis for Brand Y
Potential Problem
Severity
Probability
Score
S x P
Indicator
Response / Corrective
Action
Vendor could go out
of business
3
5
15
Trade or
financial
journals
indicate
trouble
Less severe, large local
user base, software
well established, needs
little support, leverage
internal and external
support systems
Funding for implementation could dry
up
5
6
30
Projected
low business cycle
or change
in business
priorities
Less likely, lower cost
software. Re-evaluate
goals, negotiate project
objectives, prioritize remaining objectives, determine future funding
requirements and possibilities
Becomes difficult to
retain programmers
because of competing
job opportunities
3
8
24
Want ads, More likely, very popuattrition lar software in area but
large pool of programmers to draw from utilize want ads and increase salary / perks
Total
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69
David S. Hayden - All Rights Reserved
Selecting the Right CAM System
13
When the same software is available from
several sources, develop matrices for each
vendor.
feel. That’s ok. Just note that your decision
was based on gut feel. In hindsight you may
be glad you trusted your intuition or you may
wish chose the high scoring vendor.
The Potential Problem Analysis (PPA) Matrices shown on the previous page was only developed for the top two choices. You may
want to do the analysis for all the CAM systems that make the final cut.
If things "go south," you may have to justify
your choice but you will have fully documented why the vendor was chosen and how
your intuition came into play.
Notice how Brand Y had a lower (better) PPA
score. This low score combined with the high
scoring criteria seems to indicate Brand Y
would be a pretty good choice.
Here is a very important reason to develop
your matrices. If your company is like many
others, software selection might be delegated
to lower level managers and users.
Obviously, when the decision gets made, all
but one company gets left out.
Brand Y got a lot of points because a) it was
less expensive determined by the higher score
on the Criteria Matrix, b) its software is more
commonly used locally.
The lower price means it is probably less susceptible to budget cuts or at least the effects
would not be as devastating. The larger user
base means there are a lot more local resources to draw upon in the event of employee turnover or even vendor failure.
Is the matrix development a foolproof way to
select a CAM software package? Of course
not. But it does give you a tool you can use
to eliminate obvious misfits. Developing the
matrices also forces you to evaluate what is
important and what can go wrong. This will
help prevent buyers remorse or the unenviable
task of having to confess to upper management that your selection was poorly made.
While the matrices help you make your decision, you still need to trust your judgement.
Often, during software demonstrations, you
can get a feel for product support and vendor
integrity.
Don’t discount your intuition. You may
choose a lower scoring vendor based on gut
Copyright ã 2004
Do not be surprised if one or more of the
losing software companies have their district
managers contact your upper management
regarding your decision. They will show the
fluff and how their product is a much better
investment. If you have not done your
homework and can not show the logic you
used to arrive at your decision, then you will
have a lot of explaining to do.
Without good documentation, your boss may
succumb to pressure and overturn your
decision. You could find yourself saddled
with inappropriate software that does not
meet your needs . . . Not to mention the
damage to your reputation as a decision
maker.
Some thoughts on Software Demonstrations
When vendors demonstrate their software
they usually have a couple of things going for
them. First, they have a demo person who is
very adept at showing off the whiz bang features. Second they will typically have a
canned presentation of a seemingly difficult
part to program. It all looks great. After all,
that is what it is designed to do.
David S. Hayden - All Rights Reserved
Selecting the Right CAM System
14
Since you really need to know how the software will perform in your environment, you
need to control the demonstration. To do this
you must insist that the demonstrator programs one of your typical parts using methods
you are likely to use.
The references you receive will help you validate and refine your intuition. Bear in mind
that vendors are not going to give you references to dissatisfied customers. To find attend user groups or log on to an Internet users
group.
For example, if you program from paper
drawings, the demonstration should focus on
manual entry and tool path creation. If you
use IGES or other file formats, the demonstrator should be given one of your typical files to
work with.
All companies will have some dissatisfied
customers. Listen for patterns of dissatisfaction that might indicate a pervasive problem.
I like to play a game of stump-the-demo -guy.
This is where I insist the demonstrator address
programming issues we face everyday. If the
expert has a devil of time solving the problem,
I can generally assume it will be harder for us
to overcome the problem.
Finally, vendors can arrange on-site visits
where your management and programmers
can talk to people actually using the software.
These meetings can be very enlightening. Users tend to speak their minds. Within any
given company you will likely find both
strong supporters and nay-sayers. Your goal
is to determine which group more closely represents the environment at your company.
Sometimes the simplest things will trip up the
demonstration and expose weakness in the
software. During one demonstration, our
team asked the expert to use the software to
drive the tool down and make a small witness
mark on the part. This was common for us
because our CNC lathe can put very light, accurate scribe lines on the part, which greatly
reduced assembly time.
After an hour or so, the expert confessed he
could not make the software do this simple
task. Our scheduled 8 hour demonstration
was over in one hour.
Ask for References
No matter how well the software and vendor
score on your matrices it is wise to ask for and
check references. You will be amazed how
things change when you talk to people who
work with the software on a daily basis. You
may find the vendor with the slickest presentation has the worst reputation for service or
company integrity.
Copyright ã 2004
David S. Hayden - All Rights Reserved
Selecting the Right CAM System
15
New Low Price! Save 50%
7 Easy Steps to CNC Programming
. . .A Beginner’s Guide —- ISBN 0-9705309-0-0
Introducing a new book that simplifies the task of learning CNC programming.
From this step-by-step guide you will learn:
CNC Machine G & M codes
CNC Machine coordinate systems
The syntax of the CNC programming language
About CNC Machine positioning and interpolation
CNC Machine use of Cartesian/Rectangular coordinates
How to program the most common CNC Machine canned cycles
Dear Colleague,
Enclosed you will find information on the quickest and easiest method ever developed for learning CNC programming.
I can also tell you from years of experience as a Manager/Supervisor of CNC departments that
these simple concepts, when presented correctly, can be learned by anyone.
For Manufacturers interested in safeguarding the future of their business and for Managers/Supervisors interested in improving the quality of their work force, these proven methods are for
you.
Copyright ã 2004
David S. Hayden - All Rights Reserved
Selecting the Right CAM System
16
But first, let’s dispel some myths:
MYTH #1 - It costs a lot of money to learn CNC programming.
In the past, your choices were to spend thousands of dollars to send individuals to specialized
CNC training programs. Or, you could have spent hundreds of dollars to purchase video or
CD-ROM based training programs. BUT NOW, for a fraction of those costs, your key personnel
can learn the CNC basics from my book 7 Easy Steps to CNC Programming...A Beginner’s
Guide.
MYTH #2 - It takes a lot of time away from the company to learn CNC programming.
Often the inconvenience of sending key personnel away for training is more troublesome than
the actual expenses involved. BUT NOW your important staff members can learn the concepts of
CNC programming without leaving your facility. 7 Easy Steps to CNC Programming...A
Beginner’s Guide provides you with a self-paced, self-directed approach to learning CNC programming concepts.
MYTH #3 - It is difficult to learn CNC programming.
As with any technical subject, instruction methods are usually developed by design engineers
who often teach over the heads of their audience. BUT NOW these seemingly complex programming concepts have been demystified in the 7 Easy Steps to CNC Programming...A Beginner’s
Guide. By using everyday examples and layman’s terminology, learning CNC programming has
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MYTH #4 - Only CNC programmers and operators need to understand the concepts of
CNC programming.
In the past it did not seem necessary for managers, supervisors or engineers to understand the
concepts of CNC programming. BUT NOW increasing competition, shrinking margins and high
employee turnover demands that people communicate more effectively between disciplines. 7
Easy Steps to CNC Programming...A Beginner’s Guide makes it possible for everyone, regardless of their primary job assignment, to understand CNC programming concepts.
7 Easy Steps to CNC Programming...A Beginner’s Guide is a manual specifically created for beginning programmers, engineers, supervisors and other personnel that support CNC operations.
This easy to understand learning aid was designed to maximize the readers retention. It features:
• 8 ½“ by 11" single sided pages with generous amounts of white space for jotting down
important notes.
• Numerous self-evaluation tests so readers can assess their progress.
• A detailed table of contents for simple navigation and reference.
• A detailed index that references all CNC commands discussed.
• Spiral binding so it lays flat on any surface for convenient reading and note taking.
• Dozens of illustrations and examples to clarify complex concepts.
• Most common CNC control codes covering a majority of CNC controls.
• Utilizes every day non-technical examples to explain otherwise complex subjects.
• Provides the necessary steps and instructions to go from a blueprint to a completed CNC
program.
Copyright ã 2004
David S. Hayden - All Rights Reserved
Selecting the Right CAM System
17
Why is it important for your employees to understand CNC programming?
Consider the following:
• Engineers can more easily design for manufacture.
• Supervisors can be of greater support to operators. Managers/Supervisors can more
reliably measure the quality of CNC programs.
• Programmers using Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) systems can more reliably
desk check programs before sending them to the shop.
• Managers/Supervisors can feel more confident when discussing CNC related issues.
• Managers/Supervisors can garner more respect from CNC operators and programmers.
• Well trained operators increase efficiency and profitability.
• Well trained operators can more easily spot programming errors.
• Well trained operators are less likely to scrap parts.
• Well trained operators are less likely to have crashes and suffer personal injury.
•
About the Author
In the mid 1970’s I started working as a lathe operator in a small machine shop. Within a couple
of months, I found myself operating a Warner and Swasey 1-SC NC tape lathe. It did not take me
long to see where the future of machining was going. I studied every NC program I could get my
hands on and asked a lot of questions. Within a few months our NC programmer had quit and I
was the only one left capable of programming the lathe.
It has been 25 years since I first taught my self NC programming. In that time I have attended
over 450 hours of specialized trainings involving NC/CNC/CAM programming. In 1984 I developed and presented a CNC programming course called The Fundamentals of CNC programming.
Using these materials I provided contract training services for a large machine tool reseller in
Denver CO. From the early 1980’s on I moved from CNC programmer to Department Supervisor to Operations Manager of small machine shops. During this time I completed my Degree in
Business Administration and taught part time at the Denver Branch of National College.
Currently, I am the CAM Systems Administrator for a midsize turbo machinery manufacturer in
Western Pennsylvania. In this position I’m responsible for communicating effectively with CNC
machine operators, CAM programmers, engineers, supervisors, and all levels of management. I
have found that the more I can get these people to understand the concepts of CNC programming, the greater the inter-departmental understanding and the smoother the operations of the
company.
100% Satisfaction Guarantee
Try my book 7 Easy Steps to CNC Programming...A Beginner’s guide for 30 days. If you are not
completely satisfied, just return the book, undamaged and you will be sent a full refund. It’s that
simple, no questions asked. However, if you enclose a note stating why you were not satisfied
with the book, I will also refund an additional $4.00 to cover your shipping costs!
There are several easy ways to order your copy(s) of: 7 Easy Steps to CNC
Programming. . .A Beginner’s Guide
Order Now and Save 50%
Copyright ã 2004
David S. Hayden - All Rights Reserved
Selecting the Right CAM System
18
For Secure Credit Card orders, send email to 7steps@haydenpub.com and a secure PayPAL
money request will be sent to you.
To Pay by Cash, Check or Money Order send $39$19 + $4.00to cover shipping and handling for
the first copy. Additional copies are $19 + $4.00 to cover shipping and handling.
All payments should be in US dollars drawn on a US bank and be made out to: David S. Hayden.
Mail your payment along with your name, address, phone number, and E-Mail address to:
David S. Hayden
246 Murphy Road
Ligonier, PA 15658-2228.
EMAIL:7steps@haydenpub.com
Item: 7 Easy Steps to CNC Programming . . . A Beginner’s Guide
Name:____________________________________________________
Address:__________________________________________________
Address:__________________________________________________
City:____________________________ State: _____ Zip: __________
Phone:(_____) ______-__________
Email: ___________________________________________________
Copyright ã 2004
David S. Hayden - All Rights Reserved
Selecting the Right CAM System
19
SPECIAL OFFER
$20 savings
7
Easy Steps to
CNC Programming...
Book II
Beyond The Beginning
Your career may depend on the information in this book!
Career Limiting Mistake
Result
John was an excellent programmer. John was so
good, he was promoted to programming supervisor.
His first task was to hire a programmer to replace
him. After many interviews he hired the smartest
candidate he could find. The new programmer could
anything John asked except he was prone to mistakes. He lacked the necessary detail orientation.
After a series of mistakes, the operators
began complaining about the bad programs
they had to put up with. Ultimately, there
was a serious mistake and a very expensive
part was scrapped.
John was bumped back to programmer and
a new supervisor was hired!
Richard was the lead programmer and supervised 3 After several months, the software still
people. The time had come to select a new CAM sys- could not program some of the more diffitem. After several weeks of talking to vendors and cult parts. Richard had to confess to his
trying different CAM programs, Richard, wanting to boss that he had made a bad decision that
save the company money, selected the least expen- cost the company thousands of dollars!
sive software.
The company hired a consultant to select
more appropriate software.
Copyright ã 2004
David S. Hayden - All Rights Reserved
Selecting the Right CAM System
20
In a effort to streamline programming, David worked
closely with the Engineering Department to directly
import CAD files into SmartCAM. Every thing was
working beautifully until a draftsman used the wrong
orientation of the part to create the IGES file for
SmartCAM.
The imported file worked as it should but
because of the bad orientation, caused the
machine to cut the parts oversized by .06.
Because inspection used the same files for
the CMM machine, the problem was not
picked up on the first article inspection.
Dozens of parts were made costing the
company hundreds of dollars!
A small shop owner bought his first CNC machine
and was faced with selecting the most appropriate
person to program and operate the machine. The
owner selected the brightest, most ambitious person
and trained him to program and operate the machine.
The recently promoted operator learned
very quickly and did an excellent job. Having trained the operator, the owner expected he would be grateful an stick
around for a while. 6 months later the operator left for a higher paying job in a
larger shop. The owner lost a contract because he couldn’t deliver on time
Don’t make these or other career limiting mistakes!
When you buy 7 Easy Steps to CNC Programming . . . Book II Beyond the Beginning
you will have information you need to make informed decisions. When you are called upon to
offer input or inform your boss about CNC controls, programmers, CAD/CAM systems, accuracy, etc. you will be able to speak with confidence and authority.
Here is a brief look at what you will find in this popular new book.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
3
Selecting the Right CAM System
53
List of Illustrations
5
Typical G & M Codes
63
List of Frequently Asked Questions
7
Most Common Turning G Codes
64
Introduction
8
Most Common Turning M Codes
69
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
9
Most Common Milling G Codes
71
Index
77
Common CNC Terminology
26
Accuracy and CNC Machining
36
Cartesian Coordinates
41
Machine Axis Definitions
43
Current State of CNC Programming
47
Copyright ã 2004
David S. Hayden - All Rights Reserved
Selecting the Right CAM System
List of Illustrations
21
Fig. 22 - Insert Inscribed Circle
40
Fig. 1 - Normal Distribution
17
Fig. 24 - Line
41
Fig. 2 - Points on a Circle
21
Fig. 23 - 3 Dimensional Space
41
Fig. 3 - Chords on a circle
21
Fig. 25 - Plane
42
Data Starvation
22
Fig. 26 - NC Axes, Lathe
43
Fig. 4 - Stock Conditions
22
Fig. 27 - NC Axes, VMC
43
Fig. 5 - Example Polynomials
23
Fig. 28 - NC Axes, HMC
44
Fig. 8 - Chords on a circle
24
Fig. 29 - NC Axes, Bridge Type
Machine
44
Fig. 6 - Spline Curve
24
Fig. 27 - NC Axes, VMC
45
Fig. 7 - Bezier Curve
24
Fig. 28 - NC Axes, HMC
45
Fig. 9 - Insert Inscribed Circle
28
Fig. 10 - Polar Coordinates
30
Fig. 29 - NC Axes, Bridge Type
Machine
45
Fig. 11 - Right-Hand
30
Fig. 30 - CAD Error 1
51
Fig. 12 - Tool Nose Radius
31
Fig. 31 - CAD Error 2
51
Fig. 13 - 1” End Mill Example
32
Fig. 32 - Sample Criteria Matrix
59
Fig. 14 - Straight Turning
36
Fig. 33 - Potential Problem Analysis
for Brand W
60
Fig. 15 - Straight Facing
36
Fig. 16 - Lathe Contour Cutting
36
Fig. 17 - Circular Contouring Motions
37
Fig. 18 - Angular Contouring Motions
37
Fig. 19 - Backlash
38
Fig. 20 - Backlash 2
38
Fig. 21 - Contour Cutting
39
Copyright ã 2004
Fig. 34 - Potential Problem Analysis
for Brand Y
60
David S. Hayden - All Rights Reserved
Selecting the Right CAM System
# of Observations
Fig. 1 - Normal Distribution
22
Type of machine
Accuracy in
Inches
25
Large Boring Mills
.001-.002
20
Small Mills
.0006-.001
15
Machining Centers
.0003-.0008
Lathes
.0002-.0005
Precision Lathes
.0002-.0003
Jig Mills
.0001-.0004
Cylindrical Grinders
.00004-.0003
10
5
1.0001
1.0001
1
1
1
1
0.9999
0.9999
0
Observed value
Fig. 6 - Spline Curve
Stock Contour
Finish Part Profile
Fig. 7 - Bezier Curve
Fig. 12 - Tool Nose Radius
Actual tool path
cut by tool nose radius
Desired / programmed
tool path not taking in to
account the tool nose radius
Copyright ã 2004
Programmed to X0
but leaves nub equal to
2x the nose radius.
David S. Hayden - All Rights Reserved
Selecting the Right CAM System
23
For Secure Credit Card orders, send email to 7steps@haydenpub.com and a secure PayPAL
money request will be sent to you.
To Pay by Cash, Check or Money Order send $39 $19 + $4.00 to cover shipping and handling
for the first copy. Additional copies are $19 + $4.00 to cover shipping and handling.
All payments should be in US dollars drawn on a US bank and be made out to: David S. Hayden.
Mail your payment along with your name, address, phone number, and E-Mail address to:
David S. Hayden
246 Murphy Road
Ligonier, PA 15658-2228.
EMAIL:7steps@haydenpub.com
Item: 7 Easy Steps to CNC Programming, Book II, Beyond the Beginning
Name:____________________________________________________
Address:__________________________________________________
Address:__________________________________________________
City:____________________________ State: _____ Zip: __________
Phone:(_____) ______-__________
Email: ___________________________________________________
Copyright ã 2004
David S. Hayden - All Rights Reserved
Selecting the Right CAM System
24
V19 Special Promotion
(Suggested Mfg. Retail Price $1495.00) Call (724) 238-7563 for your money saving quote.
Version 19 CAD-CAM incorporates Wire Frame, Surfaces and Solids into one with the primary
goal of allowing you the ability to create clean toolpath and accurate g-code programs for imported surface or solids type files.
V19 supports DXF, IGES and STEP files for the importing of surfaces or solid models for machining. CAM functionality includes customizable tool libraries, canned cycles as well as customizable drilling cycles through using simple visual basic scripting technology. The feature
comparison belowwill provide you with a complete list of features.
Below is a table to help you compare BobCAD-CAM with other programs you may be
considering.
Choice 1
Features
Less than $1,000 (through haydenpub.com)
DXF Import
IGES Import (Solids & Surfaces)
STEP Import (Solids & Surfaces)
Solid Modeling
CAD-Design with Primitive Solids
Solid Edit-Boolean Operations - Union, Difference & Intersection
Automatic Stitch surfaces to Solid
Automatic Un-Stitch surfaces from Solid
Definition boundary machining
Solid or Surface Toolpath wizard
Solid part rendering
Isolation Surface Machining
Offset Surfaces & Solids
2 Axis Milling
Pocketing with island avoidance.
Automatic Spiral & Horizontal toolpath
Profiling - Open & Closed Shapes.
Copyright ã 2004
David S. Hayden - All Rights Reserved
Choice 2
Selecting the Right CAM System
Engraving
Bolt hole Patterns - Grid & Circular.
3 Axis Milling
Horizontal Z Level Roughing
Surface Machine Around Raised Text Roughing & Finishing.
Direct Surface Toolpath To Wireframe
Horizontal Z Level Finishing
Spiral Z Level Roughing
Spiral Z Level Finishing
Surface Roughing - Skin Surface,
Revolved Surface, Swept Surface, Ruled Surfaces, Radial Surfaces.
Surface Finishing - Skin Surface,
Revolved Surface, Swept Surface, Ruled Surfaces, Radial Surfaces.
Spiral Skin Surface Toolpath
Gears Creation & Machining
Clean Circle - Roughing & Finishing.
Project Text Onto Surfaces - Roughing and
Finishing.
Project Text To Curves - Roughing & Finishing.
4 Axis Milling
4th Axis Indexing
5 Axis Milling
5 Axis Tool Positioning
5 Axis Surface Finishing
CAM & Communications
Fully Customizable RS 232 Communications
Fully Customizable DNC Communications
Fully Customizable PostProcessors
Fully Customizable PostProcessor Libraries
Customizable CAM Menus
Customizable Drill Cycles
Copyright ã 2004
David S. Hayden - All Rights Reserved
25
Selecting the Right CAM System
Customizable Tool Library
Customizable Tool Boxes & Icons
Graphical Tool Rendering
G-Code Editor
Customizable Color Coded NC Codes
Verification
Solid NC Verification/Part Simulation
NC Code Backplot
Hole Making
Drilling
Tapping
Boring
Reverse Boring
Peck Drilling
Reaming
Visual Basic
Visual Basic Scripting Capability
Create & Record Operations
Script Library
2 Axis Lathe
Customizable Tool Library
Roughing
Finishing
Grooving
Slotting
Facing
Collision Detection
Diameter Programming
NC/G-Code Generation
Training
Complete Documentation
Multimedia Training CD Videos w/Workbook
Copyright ã 2004
David S. Hayden - All Rights Reserved
26
Selecting the Right CAM System
NOTES:
Copyright ã 2004
David S. Hayden - All Rights Reserved
27