That Maker-works chart is missing the biggist column, between scanner and CAD. Paper blueprints.
I know that by now you would expect that companies would supply electronic design media to speed up both quote and delivery times, but it seems that anything other than paper printed blueprints is available less than 30% of the time. I also have been using Geomagic and am going to be seriously looking at Fusion360. I think Fusion360 is going to decimate the lower and mid range CAD/CAM options. For simple 2D and 2 1/2D type jobs I have my original licensed copy of BobCAD V12 for DOS which worked great before they attempted the Windows port. I can run BobCAD V12 just fine in Linux via DOSBox. Oh and RE: Collets. This is one place where you dig deep into your wallet and buy the best you can afford for your milling tools - run out is everything. get that special collet in 1/8", 3/16", 1/4" and for what ever other endmill shank sizes you use. The tool life gained for about 5 endmills will pay for that size collet. The generic sets are ok for drilling and reaming but for fine milling you need top shelf. Also for fine work - look into using SGS or other quality 3/64" solid carbide endmills (and try to buy double ended for only a few $$ more) these are much tougher than 1/32" yet allow you to do a G2/G3 move with a .025" radius. I have a planetary gear spindle speeder head I use. It has a 1:6 speed ratio so with my mill at 4000 rpm I have 24,000rpm at the tool. I bought it about 1992 and it still runs the same today and has about 10,000-12,000 hours on it. It was very expensive, custom built by a division of the Lovejoy Corp. in the UK but it has paid for itself many times over. Looks kind of like this but mine is smaller and has a Universal Engineering 200 Kwik-switch shank. http://www.nikken-world.com/Nikken-Spindle-Speeders.aspx Info on kwik switch - http://www.tools-n-gizmos.com/specs/KS_200_R8_Adapt.html - Ignore the R8... Greg ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Site24x7 APM Insight: Get Deep Visibility into Application Performance APM + Mobile APM + RUM: Monitor 3 App instances at just $35/Month Monitor end-to-end web transactions and take corrective actions now Troubleshoot faster and improve end-user experience. Signup Now! http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/clk?id=267308311&iu=/4140 _______________________________________________ Emc-users mailing list [email protected] https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
