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Overview
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ContourCAM is a powerful CAM system built for DesignCAD 3D Max, versions 14-21. ContourCAM completely integrates with DesignCAD’s menus and allows you to create parts for milling, drilling, and turning in 2D and 3D.
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Machining Operation
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Contouring
The contouring process is used to mill one side of a contour. You can do contouring on either open or closed geometries. For open geometries, you must specify which side to mill. For closed geometries, ContourCAM determines which is the internal and which is the external side.
Pocketing
Pocket milling is used to remove material in an enclosed area. You can specify any number of borders or islands; the only restriction is that the borders and islands must be closed and each island must be completely contained by the border. ContourCAM will generate toolpaths with minimum rapid traverse.
Boring
The boring process enables you to call canned machine cycles for boring, drilling, tapping, etc. on the circles in the drawing.
Engraving
With the engraving process, you can generate NC code for any drawing on a flat surface.
Cutting
The cutting paths process is used to directly convert the lines and arcs of a drawing to movements in the NC program. The contouring process is used to cyt one side of a contour with compensation for torch diameter. ContourCAM automatically generates lead ins and lead outs.
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Tool Libraries
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ContourCAM has 3 tool libraries, one for milling, one for turning, and one for cutting. Activate the tool library for milling and you can create a profile for each tool, i.e. diameter, rounding, length compensation, height of cutter, spindle speed, and feedrate.
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Toolpaths and Simulator
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Easily create toolpaths from a DesignCAD drawing which will generate the NC-code for use in the NC editor.
ContourCAM’s simulator will display whatever toolpaths you have generated by actually reading the NC code in the ContourCAM editor. Zoom in and out to turn your object to ensure it comes out the way you want. You can even step through each toolpath to confirm the movements of your CNC machinery.
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Postprocessors
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ContourCAM contains standard postprocessors for the most well known CNC machinery, but you can even create your own post processors, if the ones provided do not exactly meet the requirements of your machinery.
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Snake Programming System
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Many CAD/CAM systems base their 3D function on the user having to draw the object in 3D, but since this often requires a lot more skill from the user, we have chosen a different strategy with ContourCAM. With ContourCAM, you can create almost any 3D object by only working in 2D. We call it Snake programming.
ContourCAM’s Snake programming offers the following:
- Generation of finishing programs for 3D surfaces
- Generation of roughing programs for 3D surfaces
- The NC program can be radius compensated for everything from end cutters to ball cutters, with check for undercutting
- Engraving of 3D surfaces
- Generation of DesignCAD 3D MAX drawings showing the surface
The funnel below has been generated with ContourCAM’s Snake system.
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Serial Communication
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Easily send your NC program directly to your CNC unit with one click. If you send to File in the Communication menu, the information will be saved to a file and with comments removed and line numbers will be added automatically.
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NC-Simulator
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ContourCAM contains an NC (numeric control) simulator which will show you the toolpaths of your CNC machine, either in total or step by step, in top, front, side, and perspective views - the same way you can view a drawing in DesignCAD 3D MAX.
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