This article will give you a quick overview of what CAD/CAM is.
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What is CAD/CAM?
CAD/CAM is used to describe the software used to design the structure and toolpaths of machined parts.
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CAD stands for Computer-Aided Design.
CAM stands for Computer-Aided Manufacture.
CNC stands for Computerised Numerical Control.
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Workflow: CAD/CAM to SmartBench
Design your part with CAD/CAM
Parts are designed and processed on the computer, using CAD/CAM software. Post-processing converts the design into job files for SmartBench.
Send your job to SmartBench
The files are transferred to SmartBench via Wi-Fi or USB. Our computer app, SmartTransfer, makes it incredibly easy to drag and drop files straight on to the SmartBench Console.
Load files on SmartBench
Select, load, and check files on the SmartBench Console.
Position and start the job
Choose your datums, and let SmartBench take care of the rest!
Do I have to use CAD/CAM to operate SmartBench?
Shape Cutter is a start-to-finish tutorial app that allows you to create simple designs on SmartBench itself - no CAD/CAM package required!
However, if you want to process more complex geometries, you’ll need to make your designs on a computer and then transfer the job files to SmartBench.
What is GCode, and how is it generated?
GCode is the type of machine code that SmartBench reads in order to know how to manufacture your job.
Your CAD/CAM software will use a post-processor to turn your design and toolpaths into GCode, ready for SmartBench.
Click here to learn more about CNC theory.
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