SolidCAM Application Tutorial

3-5 Axis Conversion

SolidCAM + SOLIDWORKS
The Complete Integrated Manufacturing Solution
 Contents

Contents

1. Introduction................................................................................................................. 1

2. CAM-Part Definition.................................................................................................... 5

3. Stock and Target Definition...................................................................................... 11

4. 3-Axis Roughing Operation...................................................................................... 15

5. Finishing Operations................................................................................................ 25

i
Introduction 1
About this course

The goal of this course is to teach you how to use SolidCAM’s 3-5 Axis Conversion operation to
convert a 3 Axis operation into a 5 Axis operation and machine a part. This tutorial covers the basic
concepts of 3-5 Axis Conversion. Once you have developed a good foundation in basic skills, you
can refer to the online help for information on the less frequently used options.

Prerequisites
Students attending this course are expected to have basic knowledge of the SolidCAM software.

Course design
This course is designed around a task-based approach to training. The guided exercises will teach you
the necessary commands and options to complete a machining task. The theoretical explanations
are embedded into these exercises to give an overview of the 3-5 Axis Conversion capabilities.

Using this book

This tutorial is intended to be used in a classroom environment under the guidance of an
experienced instructor. It is also intended to be a self-study tutorial.
This book is made using SOLIDWORKS 2021 and SolidCAM 2022 SP2.

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 1. Introduction

3-5 Axis Conversion

In some machining cases, there is a need to perform machining of 3D parts using the 5-axis
capabilities. For example, 3D machining of deep cavities requires the use of tools of great length,
which can cause tool breakage; the same cavities can be machined using a tool of smaller length
while tilting this tool to follow the same tool path.
When the converted operation is saved and calculated, the source operation is suppressed in the
CAM Manager tree.

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4
CAM-Part Definition
2
The CAM-Part definition process consists of the following stages:

CAM-Part creation

CNC-Machine definition

Coordinate System definition

Stock and Target definition

• CAM-Part creation. At this stage, you have to define the CAM-Part name and location.
SolidCAM defines the necessary system files and a folder to allocate the place to store
SolidCAM data.
• CNC-controller definition. It is necessary to choose the CNC-controller. The controller
type influences the Coordinate System definition and the Geometry definition.
• Coordinate System definition. You have to define the Coordinate System, which is the
origin for all machining operations of the CAM-Part. You can create multiple CoordSys
positions and in each machining step select which CoordSys you want to use for the
operation.
• Stock and Target definition. It is necessary to define a boundary of the stock that is used
for the CAM-Part machining. SolidCAM enables you to define the model of the part in
its final stage after the machining.
The following exercises describe the full process of the CAM-Part definition. It is recommended to
go through the stages in order to understand how the CAM-Part features are built. For this purpose,
you have to turn off the automatic CAM-Part definition.

1. Click Tools > SolidCAM > SolidCAM

Settings.

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 2. CAM-Part Definition

2. In the left pane, select Default CNC-Controller.

3.Ensure that the Post - Processor files directory is pointing to the folder in which you have
extracted the part and machine files of this tutorial, or to a folder from which the .VMID files are
read.

4. In the left pane, select CAM-Part.

5.Ensure that the settings are as shown in

the image.

6. In the left pane, select Automatic CAM-

Part definition.

7. In the right pane, click the Milling tab.

8.Ensure that the settings are as shown in

the image.

9. Click OK.

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10. Browse to open the SOLIDWORKS part 3x_autotilt.SLDPRT.

11. Click Tools > SolidCAM > New > Milling.

The New Milling Part window displays.

12. Click to close the window.

Define the CAM-Part in the Milling Part Data dialog box.

13. In the CNC-Machine list, click Hermle_5AE.

14. Click CoordSys button in the Define section the coordinate system for
this part.

15. In the Definition options section, choose Select face.

16. In the Place CoordSys origin to list, click Top center of model box.

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 2. CAM-Part Definition

17. Select the face as shown in the image.

The coordinate system is defined.

18. Ensure that the direction of axis in you part

file are similar to the directions shown in this
image.

19. Click
The CoordSys Data window displays.

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20.Ensure that the Levels parameters in your file are similar to that
shown in the image.

21. Click
The defined Coordinate looks as shown in the below image.

22. Click to confirm the CoordSys Manager window.

The CAM part is now defined.

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Stock and Target
Definition 3
To define the stock, follow the steps mentioned in this chapter.

1. Select the Stock button in the Define section.

2. In the Defined by list, click Box.

3. Click once on the part to select the solid.

4. Ensure that in the Expand box at section. all values are set
to 0..

5. Click the Show button to see the 3D representation of the selected

stock.
The defined stock should look as shown in the below image.

6. Close the Stock model : stock window.

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 3. Stock and Target Definition

7. Set the Facet tolerance value as 0.1.

8. Click

9. Select the Target button in the Define section.

10. Select the target as shown in the image.

11. Set the Facet tolerance value as 0.02.

12. Click

13. Click to close the Milling Part Data window.

14. Right click Operations > Machine Setup >

Add at start of operations tree.

15. Set the Z value as 219.550.

16. Click OK in the Machine setup window.

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The stock and target are now defined and the Setup is added in the
CAM-Tree.

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 4
3-Axis Roughing
Operation
1. Right click Setup > Add Milling Operation > Turbo 3D HSR.

2. In the Technology list click THSR Contour.

3. Click the Geometry page and select the Stock tab.

4. Select the Respect stock model check box.

5. Click the Tool page > Select.

6. Double click the BULL NOSE MILL tool to add it for the operation.

7. Click the Topology icon and set the parameters as shown in the image.

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 4. 3-Axis Roughing Operation

8. Right click the tool > Add Holder.

9. Double click HSK A 63 ER 32x80 to add it.

10. Right click the added holder > Add Adaptor.

11. Click to save the tool for the operation.

12. In the Dynamic Holder Checking section, select the Check with in-process stock check box.

13. Set the Shaft, Arbor, and Holder values as 0.2, 2, and 2 respectively.

14. Click the Constraint boundaries page.

15. Ensure that the Use constraint boundaries check box is selected.

16. Select the Created automatically option and from the list, choose Auto-created box of stock
model.

17. Click the Passes page.

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18.Set the parameters and values as shown in the
image.

19. Select the Sorting tab.

20. In the Machine by list, click Regions.

21. Click

The created tool path must look as displayed in the image.

22. Right click the defined operation > Add Milling Operation > Turbo 3D HSR.

23. In the Technology list click THSR Rest.

24. Click the Tool page > Select.

25. Double click the BULL NOSE MILL tool to add it for the operation.

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 4. 3-Axis Roughing Operation

26. Click the Topology icon and set the parameters as shown in the image.

27. Right click the tool > Add Holder.

28. Double click HSK A 63 SRK 12x50 to add it.

29. Right click the added holder > Add Adaptor.

30. Click to save the tool for the operation.

31. In the Dynamic Holder Checking section, select the Check with in-process stock check box.

32. Set the Shaft, Arbor, and Holder values as 0.2, 1, and 1 respectively.

33. Click the Levels page.

34. In the Distances list, ensure that Previous Z Height is selected.

35. Set the Retract distance, Safety distance, and Exit safety distance values as 20, 5, and 5
respectively.

36. Click the Constraint boundaries page.

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37. Ensure that the Use constraint boundaries check box is selected.

38. Select the Created automatically option and from the list, choose Auto-created box of stock
model.

39. Click the Passes page.

40.Set the parameters and values as shown in the

image.

41. Select the Sorting tab.

42. In the Machine by list, click Regions.

43. Click the Link page.

44. Select the Links tab and in the Links between

slices section, select Step from the list.

45. Click
The created tool path must look as displayed in the image.

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 4. 3-Axis Roughing Operation

46. Right click the defined operation > Add Milling Operation > 3D HSR.

47. In the Technology list click Rest roughing.

48. Click the Tool page > Select.

49. Double click the BALL NOSE MILL tool to add it for the operation.

50. Click the Topology icon and set the parameters as shown in the image.

51. Right click the tool > Add Holder.

52. Click to save the tool for the operation.

53. Ensure that the Use constraint boundaries check box is selected.

54. Select the Created automatically option and from the list, choose Auto-created box of stock
model.

55. Click the Passes page.

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56. Set the parameters and values as shown in the image.

57. Select the Adaptive step down tab.

58. In the Adapt Step down by list click None.

59. Click the Link page and on the General tab ensure
that the Link per cluster check box is selected.

60. Select the Ramping tab and set the Ramp height offset value as 1.

61. Select the Retracts tab and select the option of Minimal vertical retract.

62. Select the Strategy tab.

63. Set the values as shown in the image.

Select first the Retracts tab

and then the Strategy tab.
This will enable the option of Stay down within. This option is available for
selection only when the Minimal vertical retract option is selected on the
Retracts tab.

64. Click
The created tool path must look as displayed in the image..

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 4. 3-Axis Roughing Operation

The defined 3D HSR operation will now be converted into a Sim 5-Axis operation.

65. Right click the 3D HSR operation > Add Milling Operation > 3 to 5 Axis Conversion > HSM
To Sim 5-Axis Milling.

66. In the Technology list, ensure that Conversion is selected.

67. In the Source operation list, click the previously defined 3D HSR operation.

68.Set the other parameters as shown in the

image.

69. Click the Machine control page and ensure that the values are set as shown in the below image.

70. Click

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The conversion operation is calculated and added to the CAM-Tree. The source operation
automatically appears suppressed.

You have completed the roughing operations. In the next chapter you will add the finishing
operations to the CAM-Part.

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 5
Finishing
Operations
1. Right click the previously defined conversion operation > Add Milling Operation > 3D HSM.

2. In the Technology list, ensure that Constant Z machining is selected.

3. Click the Tool page > Select.

4. Double click the BALL NOSE MILL tool to add it for the operation.

5. Click the Topology icon and set the parameters as shown in the image.

6. Right click the tool > Add Holder.

7. Click to save the tool for the operation.

8. Click the Constraint boundaries page and select Auto-created box of stock model from the list.

9. Click the Passes page.

10. On the Passes tab, set the values as shown in

the image.

26
 5. Finishing Operations

11. Click the Link page and on the General tab, select the option of Bi-directional.

12. On the Retracts tab, select the option of Minimal vertical retract.

13. Click the Motion control page.

14. Select the Approximate arcs by lines check box.

15. Click
The created tool path must look as displayed in the image.

The defined 3D HSM operation will now be converted into a Sim 5-Axis operation.

16. Right click the 3D HSM operation > Add Milling Operation > 3 to 5 Axis Conversion > HSM
To Sim 5-Axis Milling.

17. In the Technology list, ensure that Conversion is selected.

27
18. In the Source operation list, click the previously defined 3D HSM operation and ensure that
all the other parameters are as shown in the image.

19. Click

The conversion operation is calculated and added to the CAM-Tree. The source operation
automatically appears suppressed.

20. Right click the previously defined conversion operation > Add Milling Operation > 3D HSM.

21. In the Technology list, ensure that Linear machining is selected.

22. Click the Tool page > Select.

23.Select the same BALL NOSE MILL tool that

was used for the earlier 3D HSM operation.

24. Click the Passes page and set the values on the
Passes tab as shown in the image.

25. Click the Link page.

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 5. Finishing Operations

26. On the General tab, set the Stay on surface within value as 3.

27. On the Retracts tab select the option of Minimal vertical retract.

28. Click
The created tool path must look as displayed in the image.

The defined 3D HSM operation will now be converted into a Sim 5-Axis operation.

29. Right click the 3D HSM operation > Add Milling Operation > 3 to 5 Axis Conversion > HSM
To Sim 5-Axis Milling.

30. In the Technology list, ensure that Conversion is selected.

31. In the Source operation list, click the previously defined Linear machining operation.

32. Click

The conversion operation is calculated and added to the CAM-Tree. The source operation
automatically appears suppressed.

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33. Right click the previously defined conversion operation > Add Milling Operation > 3D HSM.

34. In the Technology list, ensure that Rest machining is selected.

35. Click the Tool page > Select.

36. Double click the BALL NOSE MILL tool to add it for the operation.

37. Click the Topology icon and set the parameters as shown in the image.

38. Right click the tool > Add Holder.

39. Click to save the tool for the operation.

40. Click the Reference tool page and set the

Diameter value as 8.

41.Click the Passes page and set the values and

parameters as shown in the image.

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 5. Finishing Operations

42. Click the Link page and on the General tab, select the option of Bi-directional.

43. On the Retracts tab, select the option of Minimal vertical retract.

44. Click
The created tool path must look as displayed in the image.

The defined 3D HSM operation will now be converted into a Sim 5-Axis operation.

45. Right click the 3D HSM operation > Add Milling Operation > 3 to 5 Axis Conversion > HSM
To Sim 5-Axis Milling.

46. In the Technology list, ensure that Conversion is selected.

47. In the Source operation list, click the previously defined Rest machining operation.

48. Click

The conversion operation is calculated and added to the CAM-Tree. The source operation
automatically appears suppressed.

31
 SolidCAM Application Tutorial

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