NX CAM Basic Tutorial Series

Here is a link to the NX CAM Basic Tutorial Video Series YouTube Playlist

Model Files

Part 1 – Create an Assembly Model

You need to be familiar with NX assembly modeling as a pre-requisite to using the NX Manufacturing Application. You will want to create an assembly that allows you to model as closely as possible the actual arrangement of your machining setup.

Part 2 – Configure the CAM Environment

NX needs to know what kind of machining or turning you want to do. It will also need to know what the blank (starting condition) of your workpiece is, what the finished part should look like, and what it should not cut. It is also essential that you define the MCS. This will be the key to coordinating the direction and orientation of the X, Y, and Z axes.

Part 3 – Create a Cutting Tool

Tools can be loaded from the library or they can be specified using the Insert->Tool option.

Part 4 – Create an Operation

Each manufacturing step in NX is its own distinct operation. Operations are the building blocks of a CNC program. Operation “inherit” from geometry, tools, and methods.

Part 5 – Create a Sequence of Operations

Operations are organized into ordered sequences called “programs.” The sequence makes a big difference in how the toolpaths are generated. In this video, we show how we can limit the cutting region to material that has been left behind by previous operations. This material is know as in-process work or IPW.

Part 6 – Postprocessing

Postprocessing is the process of converting the toolpaths generated by the CAM software into G-Code (or other languages) that can be understood by the particular machine that is to be used to run the program.