CAMWorks
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Powerful CNC Machine Tool Programming Inside SOLIDWORKS
CAMWorks offers a seamless process for converting 3D CAD models into CNC parts, ensuring design accuracy across industries by leveraging SOLIDWORKS integration and full associativity, enabling rapid iterations and updates.
With CAMWorks, design changes are effortlessly managed through SOLIDWORKS associativity, triggering automatic toolpath updates and eliminating rework. Additionally, CAMWorks accelerates programming with advanced feature recognition technology and rules-based machining, allowing for efficient part programming and standardized techniques, ultimately reducing cycle times for both milling and lathe operations.
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Rules-Based Machining
SOLIDWORKS CAM allows you to focus on critical areas of making your parts by using rules-based machining to improve the programming process while leveraging the tolerances that are assigned to components.
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Tolerance-Based Machining (TBM)
TBM automatically creates CAM machine programs by using tolerances and annotations in 3D models and automatically adjusting asymmetric tolerances to mean tolerances for cutting tool strategies.
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Knowledge-Based Machining (KMB)
KBM defines strategies and tools to best machine your part geometries once features are identified through feature recognition. This allows you to easily and automatically define repeatable machining processes to meet your company’s standards.
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Associativity with SOLIDWORKS CAD
Changes made to a part design in SOLIDWORKS 3D CAD are automatically updated, applied, and reflected in CAMWorks.
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Automatic Feature Recognition (AFR)
Automatic Feature Recognition can recognize certain geometry types not only as CAD features – including holes, pockets, bosses, and turn (Professional only). It can identify prismatic parts at a feature level based on machinable shapes.
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Automate Machine TimesEasily automate calculations for machine time and compare that to traditional methods to ensure that all aspects of your part are accounted for before you commit to production.
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3+2 Indexing
3+2 indexing is a technique where a 2.5 Axis Premium milling program is executed with the cutting tool locked in a tilted position in order to use the five-axis machine's two rotational axes.
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High-Speed Machining
Use 2.5 axis high-speed machining along with VoluMill technology to ensure a constant tool pressure through the entire cutting process. This technology uses a variable feed rate that allows the tool to cut at full depth. Shorten your cycle times, lower overhead costs, and extend machine and tool life.
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Turning Capabilities
Take advantage of turning functionality including:
- face rough and finish
- rough and finish turn
- groove rough and finish
- rough and finish bore
- cut-off
- ID and OD threading
- drill
- tap on center
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Sub-Spindle Programming
Use lathes with 2 spindles, including the ability to pass parts from the main spindle to sub-spindle and to create toolpaths for sub-spindle operations.s.
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Two Turret Support
Get support for lathes that have 2 turrets, gaining the ability to program for turning operations on both front and rear turrets.
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Rotary Milling
Cut wrapped features that are defined from cylindrical faces or edges where the axis of the faces/edges is coincident with the 4th axis or turn axis (in a Mill-Turn environment).
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Advanced 3 Axis Tools and Capabilities
Advanced capabilities for Roughing and Finishing include:
- Area clearance
- Pattern project
- Z level
- Constant stepover
- Pencil mill
- 3 axis rough and finish cutting cycles
- Curve project
- Flat area
- Rest machining support for all 3 Axis cycles
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3 Axis Undercutting with Standard and Custom Tools
Machine areas that are recessed with finished material protruding above them.
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Mill-Turn
Gain capabilities for milling and drilling operations on the OD and Face of your parts.
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Synchronized Machining
Utilize the Sync Manager to synchronize two turrets in a mill-turn or turning environment. Sync Manager supports up to two channels and does not support the simulation of Swiss Screw style machine movement.
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Virtual Machine Standard
Simulate full machine movement by using C/L data for advanced collision detection and machine travel verification. This includes multiple spindle and turret machines.
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4 & 5 Axis Simultaneous Milling
Gain support for 4 and 5 axis simultaneous complex machining. Use machines of varying configurations, including table-table, head-head, or head-table.
Additional Modules
Pushing the Limits On and Off the Track: RPG Customer Story
RPG Offroad is an automotive company pushing the envelope in vehicle manufacturing by leveraging cutting-edge technology like SOLIDWORKS and CAMWorks. Corey Kausch and the team transitioned from outsourcing expensive machining work to bringing production in-house.
Today, the team has drastically reduced time and costs, streamlined processes with rapid design modifications and maximized tool life for years to come using CAMWorks VoluMill.
Services & Customer Benefits
Frequently Asked Questions
One great benefit of our CAM solutions portfolio is the flexibility it offers programmers in selecting the right level for their machining needs. Whether you’re just starting out with entry-level machining using SOLIDWORKS CAM or require more advanced capabilities like 3D to 5-axis machining with CAMWorks, we have the perfect solutions to match your requirements.
No, the hardware requirements are the same as those for SOLIDWORKS.
A post processor is needed, which translates the CAM data into NC code that your machine controller can read. CAMWorks comes with standard post processors, Hawk Ridge Systems has free post processors available for download, and additional post processors can be purchased and supported through Hawk Ridge Systems.
If the file type can be brought into SOLIDWORKS as solid bodies or surfaces, it can be programmed with CAMWorks.
There are three ways to purchase CAMWorks licenses:
- A hardware dongle, which is a USB device that plugs directly into a computer.
- A standalone locked node locked, which is a single software type license that is linked to a client computer’s MAC address.
- A floating network license, which is 1 or more seats of the software that are licensed to the MAC address of a server. The client computers check out the license to use it and return it when they are completed; enabling multiple computers to utilize the license – floating it back and forth.
Yes. CAMWorks is designed to be easy to learn and comes with self-paced tutorials. Hawk Ridge system offers additional training classes, webinars, and blogs for learning resources. We also offer SolidProfessor on-demand training content so you can view training materials whenever and wherever is convenient for you.
Manufacturing Resources
