CNC Software 101
Here is an article out of Modern Woodworking Magazine about CNC and Woodworking.
New contributing editor Hector Henry, research engineer and faculty member for the Advanced Wood Products Laboratory at Georgia Institute of Technology answers wood products manufacturers’ prevailing question, “Which software is right for me?”
By Hector Henry
At the top of my list, the first piece of advice that I give to any one person approaching CNC software for the first time is: Be honest with yourself. What do I mean by that? You need to ask yourself these questions:
- Do I know how to use computers? (Sorry, browsing the Internet doesn’t count.)
- Do I like computers? (If your mouse hits the wall at least once a week, I’d say you don’t necessarily have a love affair with microprocessors.)
- Do I mind spending time behind the computer making drawings and designs?
You should know that CNC is an industry that is completely driven by software; therefore it is extremely advisable that you become a decent user of the Windows™ Operating System (much respect to Linux™ users, but currently all major CNC software developers use Windows™). You should at least know and understand the following concepts:
- The difference between a File and a Folder.
- How to find files in your computer.
- How to copy files from one source to another (i.e., the “C:\Temp” folder to the 3.5” Floppy drive).
- Understand file extensions and what they mean.
- Be proficient in navigating through the many folders of your computer.
- How to attach files to an e-mail (to send to a technician or help-desk type person).
Through my years as a CNC instructor, I’ve found that the people that lack these basic computer skills are the ones that suffer the most when implementing CNC software.
Assuming that these basic skills described above have been acquired, we must face the really important question: Which software is right for me?
You will see that there is a great variety of packages and some of them do a lot more than others. Knowing your own strengths and weaknesses will help you make the right decision. While some packages only aid you in the manufacturing of products, other packages help you with the design of the product. Bigger packages provide complete solutions (design & manufacturing automation). Keep in mind that these solutions do not come cheap.
I arrived at the conclusion a couple of years ago that CNC packages are divided into three different categories: Engineering/Manufacturing, Design and Artistic applications software. Let’s discuss them a little further:
Engineering/Manufacturing Packages
These packages are regarded to as CAD/CAM packages (Computer Assisted Drafting-Computer Assisted Manufacturing). In almost all cases, these are packages that allow the user to draw and add tooling information to the drawing and, therefore, have tools that will help the user generate drawings and tooling information accordingly. As an example, a package of this nature will help you draw and machine a kitchen cabinet, but it will not draw and design the cabinet for you. These packages are an adequate solution for places where:
- The product has little variation and therefore generating the designs won’t take too long.
- The production is always custom-based and runs are small. In other words, when you just simply don’t know what the next job may hold for you and you’ll have to draw it anyway.
Design Packages
Design packages are the foreseeable evolution of CAD/CAM packages. These are packages that think for the user, helping in many of the cases with the design of the product itself. As an example, one of these packages will help with the entire design of a complete kitchen, not just a kitchen cabinet.
Historically, these packages are divided into different modules. You can keep adding modules depending on your needs. If all you want to do is generate nice pictures for your potential customers, then there is no need to purchase the CNC module. If you are interested in getting cut lists and hardware counts, then you may have to purchase an additional module. Finally, if on top of generating pictures and hardware/raw material lists you need CNC machine code, then you may be required to purchase yet another module.
Make sure that you thoroughly understand what you are buying, what the software can and cannot do. There is no one package that will handle everything. I have heard way too many stories of people that were not aware of limitations and additional costs once they bought the first portion of the package and were forced to make an additional investment that they didn’t plan for.
Artistic Packages
There are not that many of these out there. These are a special category of CAD/CAM packages that specialize in artistic applications. What is artistic? I consider artistic any of the following: carving; engraving; elaborate sign making; and complex inlay work.
These packages usually come with tools that help the user import and manipulate pictures, hence providing an additional platform to work with. The common drawback to these packages is that artistic work is very difficult to automate, so expect to spend a fair amount of time at the computer generating the designs for the CNC. The more complex and elaborate the piece, the more time it will take to produce (but you already knew that).
Final Considerations
Almost all CNC Machining Centers already come with some form of CAD/CAM software. Nonetheless, you are always free to decline the provided software and purchase it on your own. Do not discard a CNC machine just because you didn’t like the software that the salesman showed you. Sometimes they are not proficient users of the software in the first place. Talk to a technician or sales engineer if you have unanswered questions.
I recommend that you put to them the same questions that you would put to any software vendor. If you’re lucky, your CNC may already be provided with software that will handle your needs. Consider that CNC machine manufacturers will always provide a solution that allows its machine to do most of the work, whether it is time consuming for the user or not.
Finally, try to implement a little foresight. You may have to face different or bigger manufacturing challenges down the road and there is nothing more frustrating than having the right machine with the wrong software.
Hector Henry is a research engineer and CNC instructor for the Advanced Wood Products Laboratory, part of Georgia Institute of Technology’s College of Architecture. The AWPL provides training in computer-aided manufacturing and in the operation and maintenance of wood processing machinery. Training is available to individuals in the wood products manufacturing industry and those outside the industry who wish to become employed in the wood products manufacturing field. Henry can be reached at hector.henry@arch.gatech.edu. For more information on the AWPL, please visit www.awpl.org.
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