CNC

[Aren_Hill]

You'll have to get in touch with whoever has the machine, or if you yourself are doing it you'll need to run the part through masterCAM or any other CAM software.

Whenever we've had things waterjetted it was simply just saving the file as ".sat" and the guy their took care of setting up the rest.

When i myself have used a CNC mill on anything i imported my inventor part into masterCAM created my codes and went to it.

[Team1710]

K thanks for the input. I'll have to talk with the shop to see what they need.

[Doug G]

We have a small CNC in our shop and the students learn how to hand write some simple G-Codes. We also have some of the advanced students able to take Inventor models and load them into MasterCAM where they specify the cutter specs, depths and passes, and all the nitty gritty details, then create a post with all the G-code. We then feed that program into the CNC and walla. I used to think that once we got the CNC, we would build everything on it - but we have found that only a few pieces really have to be done on it, the rest can get by on a manual mill.

Or you can just create model in Inventor and save it in about 10 different formats and see which one the shop can use.

Now if we just had a waterjet....

[Brandon Holley]

Def talk to the shop.

The waterjet may very well need a 2D file (.dxf) while a CNC mill or lathe will want code converted from a 3D file (.step, iges etc)

-Brando

[Kyle Love]

Originally Posted by Brandon Holley

Def talk to the shop.

The waterjet may very well need a 2D file (.dxf) while a CNC mill or lathe will want code converted from a 3D file (.step, iges etc)

-Brando

Second that.

The two places I have dealt with CNC and Waterjet in the past both wanted a .dxf.

[artdutra04]

Learn how to make proper engineering drawings for all the parts you need.

While most shops will take a model file and make the part, it will often cost them more money and time to do so. Creating drawings ahead of time can vastly cut down on their production time, even if you give them a PDF file of the drawing in addition to the part. Things like tolerances, critical dimensions, materials, surface finish, tapped holes, etc. are better expressed through an engineering drawing.

I would also suggest talking to the machine shop to make sure the parts you have in mind are actually machinable. Over the years, I've seen way too many people come up with models that would be practically (if not) impossible to machine (square inside corners, 1/8" radius fillet 3" deep into a part, etc).

[Team 135]

We have a plasma cutter in our shop and we make it in inventor, put it on a IDW, and then save as a DXF. Then all we have to do is import it directly.