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Bridging the gap between CAD and CNC

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Success Story

Rapidly Increase R&D and Production

Rapidly Increase R&D and Production

Customer challenge

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.

Project goals

Aimpro Tactical goals, as mentioned above, were to massively and rapidly increase CAD/CAM capabilities, which pivoted on the ability to modify and add models and subsequently machining practices and performance with much faster turnaround time. Reduced waste, faster cycle times, more accuracy had to add up to more cost efficiency. And all of this had to be delivered on a massively bigger scale that the company had previously imagined. It was a daunting project.

Solution

By moving to Autodesk Fusion 360 and with the hands on help of Phil Brown from the NexGenCAM team, Aimpro Tactical can draw/model, CAM out tool path code and prototype in a 10th of the time it used to take. The ability to make subtle changes in tool paths and tolerances on the fly is exponentially more efficient than their previous process. Set-ups and fixtures are intuitive within the program and new parts can be simulated and evaluated before ever cutting a chip. The confidence the team has in the end-to-end capabilities of Fusion 360 and Phil’s expertise have enabled the company to invest in two large HAAS machining centers and they have at least one more in their sights. Aimpro Tactical's confidence in knowing that they can now make production parts immediately is a game changing improvement over the old school way they were designing and manufacturing before.

Business outcome

Aimpro Tactical has hit or exceeded their original manufacturing goals and are now able to do more R&D and do it faster and with greater confidence. The team can quickly make those parts to the high level of expectations that their customers demand. "The ROI value of Fusion 360 and Phil’s coaching is hard to describe. We will continue to grow our production capabilities with Fusion as an integral part of the process. There is no going back to the old way." - Aimpro Tactical

Conclusion

"Before Fusion, I never thought that we could bring end-to-end CAD/CAM capabilities in-house, and I was skeptical. I told Phil as much when he first described the capabilities and process. I was pleasantly surprised at the results and now am a true believer in this solution. As I write this, both my machines are making parts that were modeled and CAM’d out by Fusion." - Aimpro Tactical

Project summary

    Duration & delivery

  • 5
  • 2021-10-29

    Autodesk solutions

  • Fusion 360
  • Product Design & Manufacturing Collection

    Services provided

  • Workflow Documentation
  • Product Training
  • Technical Support
  • System Implementation
  • Configuration & Deployment
  • Collaboration & Productivity
  • Post Processor Development

    Customer industry

  • Subtractive Manufacturing
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