Success Story
FeatureCAM Increased Effectiveness and Reduced Cycle Times
Customer challenge
Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Department of the Air Force (DAF), Research and Development (R&D), Rapid Prototype Fabrication Facility (RPFF) has been operating for nearly 50 years supporting R&D projects bringing engineering ideas/concepts to full scale working designs utilizing modern machining practices. As the industry has evolved so has their machining practices and in the modern environment, they are encountering more and more complex designs/parts that require more complex software/CAM intervention to make their methods more productive for a better/faster result. They had been receiving poor customer support from their previous CAM provider on some of the simplest of requests, so they began the search for a different company. NexGenCAM kept coming back as the go to place for knowledge and excellent customer support.
Project goals
Autodesk FeatureCAM has been widely accepted across the armed forces throughout the years so using the software has been a no brainer because their government workforce around the machining applications are generally former military members that performed some level of machining in their military careers. They are somewhat familiar with the Autodesk FeatureCAM so they generally require less training time so they can easily complete their tasks. Autodesk FeatureCAM has not disappointed AFRL as their transition to more complex 5 axis machining strategies for faster part fabrication. The Vortex machining option has proven to be second to none.
Solution
Using the AutodeskFeatureCAM aggressive aluminum defaults, along with simple machining options, AFRL can shred through aluminum at 10 to 15 times faster than any other time before in the past. Reduced machining time and better finishes utilizing higher surface rates has put this shop at the top of the DAF.
Business outcome
As AFRL gain more knowledge of the options available through Autodesk FeatureCAM, they can continually improve their efforts making the best product possible in an era where everyone is trying hard to do more with less. They are in the process of changing the entire shop over to a full time 5 axis machining environment and Autodesk FeatureCAM is their CAM software of choice.
Conclusion
Autodesk FeatureCAM is the best bang for the buck whether fabricating simplistic 3 axis operations to complex 5 axis simultaneous programs. Customized training with NexGen has increased effectiveness across their entire team resulting in reduced cycle times and time spent programming.
Project summary
- 1
- 2023-03-29
Duration & delivery
- Fusion 360
- Fusion 360 with FeatureCAM
Autodesk solutions
- Assessment of Needs
- Implementation
- Strategy & Planning
- Workflow Optimization
- CAM Programming
- Training
Services provided
- Additive Manufacturing
- Design
- Subtractive Manufacturing
Customer industry
Rapidly Increase R&D and Production
In business since 1994, Aimpro Tactical grew up with traditional CAD/CAM processes and machining techniques. In 2018, the team developed a new product, now covered by 2 US Patents, from which they built a prototype and completed small batches on a Prototrac DPM. Using a separate third party vendor to draw/model in Solidworks and then another to CAM out code in Mastercam or other CAM software, the company moved at what now seems like glacial speed. The challenge was to grow the product line from one specific application and dramatically increase the number of product lines and the number of units produced. This continues to grow and the team is expanding their machining and production capabilities each month. During this time, they are maintaining high-end quality and tight tolerances while minimizing scrap parts and set up times. The company's end user customers expect and demand the highest quality and Aimpro Tactical is committed to delivering only that.
Improving CNC Programming Results
Flotec, incorporated in 1983, creates respiratory products that enable providers to saves lives. Since the beginning, the core activity has been manufacturing for the medical, industrial, and Original Equipment Manufacturing markets. The products include: specialized regulators, pressure reducers, flow control valves, liquid oxygen valves, fill to vent valves, quick disconnect fittings, relief valves, economizers, vent to fill valves for the medical market, customized fluid power connectors, diesel fuel fittings, and their valves for the industrial market.
Bringing Capabilities In House To Streamline Processes
Elliott Guitars is a small boutique guitar shop that has been in business for over 16 years. We cater to musicians who expect more from the quality their guitars than the average player. As builders and musicians ourselves, we are constantly looking for ways to improve our designs and components to build the very best instruments possible. Several years ago, this process led us to the purchase of our CNC machine. In our search for better CNC design software, we were impressed by the products offered by NexGenCAM.
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