• On a sheet of paper, draw a welcome sign for your family's house.
• Include your families last name, a picture and the word Welcome.
• Take 5 minutes

• Followed for most design to production activities
• Key component in any study of CNC machining
• Consideration of each step will help ensure a successful outcome.

• This is the idea stage. The need for some part is expressed and a decision is made to produce the part.

• This is the design stage. The geometry for a proposed part is drafted. The geometry represents the contour lines the plasma cutter will follow when cutting a part. The geometry may be created in a drafting program like
AutoCAD or it may be created directly in the
CAM software. If there is a collection of vector art files available for use with the plasma cutter, these files represent geometry that has already been created.

• In this stage, toolpaths are applied to the geometry created for the part. This is done in the
CAM software. When using the CNC Plasma cutter, the toolpath is always a contour. The toolpath will direct the torch tip to follow the lines in the geometry.

• This is a testing stage. The computer is used to run a graphic simulation of the proposed machining. This allows the programmer to check for errors in shape or size and to check for possible machining problems. When using the
CNC plasma cutter, it is important that contours are cut in the correct order. Verifying the part allows the user to confirm the correct cut order.

• In this stage, the computer is used to generate the machine code necessary to guide a machine tool through the production of the proposed part. This process is called posting.

• In this stage, the part program that was generated by the posting in the previous stage is downloaded to the machine tool and the part is cut.

• The activities in this stage depend on the part.
This stage may include grinding, sanding, polishing or painting the part, or the assembly of several parts into a finished product. For example, several precise parts cut on a CNC plasma cutter may be welded together and finished to produce a finished product.

• 4 basic systems used in the modern industrial production process.
▫ CAD
▫ CAM
▫ CNC
▫ CIM

• Or Computer Aided Design
• Used to create the geometry necessary for producing the finished parts. This is the drawing aspect of the process. The designer uses a CAD program to create mathematically accurate drawings of the proposed part. CAD software can be used to produce the geometry for part production, but is also used independently to produce drawings of all kinds.

• Modern CAD programs are used to create drawings of everything from very small electronic circuits to entire buildings and machines.
• Many careers available to today’s CAD draftsman.

CAM: Computer Aided Manufacturing
• Combines some of the features of CAD software with features that allow the user to machine processes to the parts. These machine processes are called toolpaths. Toolpaths are tool movements that remove material from the stock.
CAM software is used to apply toolpaths to the geometry created in the CAD stage of production.

• Control the behavior of the tool through the use of numerical information. This numerical information is called CNC code. This code can be written manually or can be generated by a CAM software program.

CIM: Computer integrated
Manufacturing
• CIM is the process of total automation of the manufacturing process.
• Includes robots, conveyors, parts positioners and quality control devices.

• CNC machines are capable of producing many identical copies of a part at a great degree of accuracy.
• The tool will move exactly the same every time the code is run
• Human operator may not be able to maintain that level of accuracy from part to part.

• CNC machine tool operation requires a different skill set than traditional manual machining.
Manual machining is an art and can take many years to master.
• Computer control of the tool opens up the field to operators who may not ever be able to master the skills for manual tool operation.
 Before the crossbow was invented, accurate long bow archers took years to train; after the invention of the crossbow accurate archers took hours to train

• When a part is produced in a CNC machine, the files that created it can be saved for later use or revision. This allows manufactures to create vast library of parts for production.
• Once the part is created, it can be reproduced as often as desired without having to recreate the files.

• Automation of the production process often cuts production costs.
▫ 1: Possible for one operator to do a job that took two operators before automation.
▫ 2: Increased production. CNC operator can make more parts in a day then a manual operator making the same part.

• CNC machines can increase safety for the operator and lessen the chances of injury.
• The tool is controlled by the computer and the operator can stay clear of the cutter or torch as well as any other moving parts.

Understanding the Coordinate System
• The position of the tool is controlled by CNC code
• Code relies on the use of a coordinate system to determine tool location.
• Coordinate system is a series of values along one or more axes to determine a physical location in space.
• The position with a value of 0 is the origin.

One dimensional coordinate system
• The coordinate value of the position indicated is
X2.
• X specifies the name of the axis and 2 indicates the position along that axis.

Two dimensional coordinate system
• The origin is the point with the value of X0Y0
• The position indicator is at X2
Y3