CAMWorks for Solid Edge Introduction

Today is the beginning of a series of posts about CAMWorks for Solid Edge, which is an embedded CAM product that runs entirely within Solid Edge.  It was developed by the good folks at Geometric Technology, and it is based on their successful CAMWorks product.

“But wait,” you say, “doesn’t Siemens already have a CAM product for Solid Edge called CAM Express?”  Yes, we do, and thanks for asking.  CAM Express is an integrated CAM product based on the very powerful NX CAM platform.

“Okay,” you wonder, “why two separate CAM applications?”  Another great question! You are on a roll, my friend.There are a couple of very good reasons for this:

1. CAM Express is integrated with Solid Edge.  That means transferring files between the two products is very quick and easy (and file updates are also easy).  But CAM Express is a separate application from Solid Edge with its own user interface and terminology.  CAMWorks for Solid Edge is embedded within the Solid Edge application, which means no file transfer is required.


2. CAMWorks for Solid Edge is focused on automated machining (aka Feature-Based Machining or FBM for short).  It has Automatic Feature Recognition to identify a wide variety of prismatic features at the push of a button.  Then, the Technology database (TechDB) can generate strategies to machine the discovered features.  CAM Express has a FBM component too, but it also has a lot of manual operations that a skilled user can create complex machining strategies with.  These complex machining strategies are very helpful when machining complex geometry like Molds/Dies and Aerospace structures.

“One more question,” you say, “will you continue to sell and service CAM Express?”.Wow, your analytic skills are fantastic! Yes, we will continue with CAM Express.  As I mentioned above, these products fill very different niches in the CAM spectrum.

In my next blog post, I will show how to use CAMWorks for Solid Edge.

Jim has a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Central Missouri. He has over 30 years of experience in the manufacturing industry, and over 25 years of experience in the CAD/CAM field. He serves as Field Support for Siemens PLM CAM products. Prior to his current role, he held stints as CNC Programmer, CAD/CAM Department Manager, CAD/CAM instructor, and Project Coordinator for Siemens PLM CAM software development.  He says “Congratulations!” to NCAA DII Men’s Basketball Champions UCM Mules.