CAD – the Everyday Tool

Anyone who uses CAM soft­ware to create NC programs will also use CAD soft­ware on a daily basis as it is an important tool. The CAD system displays the digital 3D model and, at the same time, supplies all component information that is relevant to manufacturing. In the CAD/CAM soft­ware, programmers create construction aids and make any necessary changes to the component.

 

What is CAD soft­ware?

CAD (computer-aided design) is the computer-aided design of a product or component. Geometric mo­dels can be generated and modified much more easily when soft­ware is used. According to Wikipedia, professional CAD applications today are complex, expert systems for designing and constructing tech­ni­cal solutions.

What does an NC programmer do with a CAD system?

Classic CAD systems are mainly directed at designers and drafters who are always keen to draw on an unlimited range of functions.

The tasks of a CAM programmer, on the other hand, do not revolve around design, but are instead limited to preparing digital models. The programmer there­fore focuses on functions such as the extension of surfaces, closing of holes, or the boundaries of milling areas. It there­fore makes little economic sense for CAM programmers to use a CAD license whose range of functions they really do not need.

CAD software from a CAM manufacturer

Although NC programmers may need fewer functions, what they do need are special functionalities. The CAM experts at OPEN MIND are very familiar with these everyday challenges, which is why they developed the CAD soft­ware hyperCAD®-S.

NC programmers benefit from a unique exchange of data between the CAD and CAM system. Special CAD functions make it easier for them to carry our their everyday work. hyperCAD®-S is a system that also speaks the language of CAM: Or, put simply, it’s CAD for CAM.

CAD and CAM interacting

Good NC programming requires team­work. As one of the team players, hyperCAD®-S provides special fun­cti­ons for the fast and high-quality preparation of CAD data. The close connection between hyperCAD®-S and hyperMILL® is reflected in the perfect exchange of information. hyperMILL® – another team player – directly accesses all information that is relevant to manufacturing from the CAD file. CAD functions are directly integrated in the CAM strategies. For example, the hyperMILL® CAM soft­ware can automatically extend milling surfaces with­out any additional effort.

 

CAD modules

Points Curves Faces

Geometric Engine

Solids

Solids

Polygon Meshes

Polygon Meshes

Deformation

Deformation

Electrode

Electrode

What makes a good CAD system for CAM?

3D data can have many entity types and there is often not much consistency from user to user. NC programmers can tell you a thing or two about the kind of customer data they are confronted with every day. For example, customers send them face models as well as solid or mesh models. In addition, the quality of the model surfaces varies considerably.

Which file format do you want? Native data or standard formats? In many environments, the manufacturing process starts with a CAD model supplied by their customer in their preferred format. A CAD system must be able to reliably read in and process all types of data. hyperCAD®-S is more than up to these re­qui­re­ments. The CAD soft­ware offers every CAM programmer the freedom to react flexibly to all circumstances at all times.

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