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SOLIDWORKS CAM · Lesson 2: From model to toolpath

Automatic feature recognition, operation plan, toolpath generation and simulation.

Lesson goal

Get a first complete program using SOLIDWORKS CAM automation, then check it in simulation.

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4 videos

✎

1 exercise

Beginner

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Prerequisite: Lesson 1

1. Watch the videos

Dassault Systèmes videos hosted on MySolidWorks: they open in a new tab and a free account is enough. Watch them in order.

Automatic Feature RecognitionVideo 1▶Automatic Feature RecognitionExtract machinable features automatically and review them in the CAM feature tree.↗ Generate Operation PlansVideo 2▶Generate Operation PlansCreate the operations and tools for each feature, then handle the warnings.↗ Generate ToolpathsVideo 3▶Generate ToolpathsCalculate toolpaths from the operations in the plan.↗ Simulate ToolpathsVideo 4▶Simulate ToolpathsRun and control the material removal simulation, adjust the display.↗

2. Key takeaways

1

Automatic Feature Recognition (AFR) finds pockets, holes and machinable faces from the model.

2

The operation plan assigns a strategy and tools to each feature; it appears in the CAM operation tree.

3

Handle the plan warnings before generating toolpaths: a missing tool or an impossible strategy is flagged there.

4

The simulation shows material removal: this is the time to spot an omission or a collision before the machine does.

Tip

Review the CAM feature tree right after automatic recognition: a wrongly recognized feature is easier to fix at this stage than after toolpath generation.

3. Do the exercise

On the part prepared in lesson 1:

  • extract the machinable features and check the resulting list
  • generate the operation plan and handle any warnings
  • generate the toolpaths and run the simulation
✓To check: The simulation ends on a part that matches the model, with no missed area and no remaining warning in the operation tree.

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