Learning the CNC process

cad/cam

Rapid overview of the CNC process
This is how I view CNC.I break it down into steps that I can remember easily. Now, they all interact, but it is good to keep them in boxes for simplicity sake. I also like to keep them in a logical, progression type order. Here they are: Design, CAD, CAM, Control and Machine.

Today you are going on a journey. You are going to learn about the basics of CNC. I hope you are as excited as I am about this topic.

I have been using CNC equipment in my home shop for six years now.The technology gets better every year. The software gets better every year. At one time large companies could only afford this technology.There are hundreds of thousands of machines working in shops everywhere.

There are basically five elements to a CNC Project that you need to know:
Design - planning on what you want to build
Computer Aided Drafting - translating it into the computer
CAM - converting it into machine language
Controlling - controlling your machines movements
Machining - building the part to specifications

These five elements are really the building blocks to a CNC project. As you see them above, that is generally the order people associate them in.For example you can’t control your CNC machine until you have a design ready. You can’t use your CAM software before your CAD software.One of the things you need to take into account is how these different elements interact with one another.
This may cause some confusion right now. Over time, it will seem very basic.The more you use these CNC elements with one another the more their order will become apparent.

CNC Information Free Community Site:
If you would like to know more about CNC, head on over to http://www.cncinformation.com
You can join for Free and you get two free CNC ebooks. One is the G-Code guide and the other is a CNC e-book. You also get access to the Free Video Series…Image to CNC Art when you join the community.

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