Intelligent “best fit” CAM process for alignment and machining of 3D printed stock

Additive/3D printed material used in manufacturing applications, in particular, are witnessing high growth worldwide in a broad range of industries including automotive, medical, aerospace, and defense. Historically, for components that need finish machining after additive manufacturing, the alignment on the machine tool requires high expertise, expense in setup time, and can have inconsistent results. This is due to the challenge in alignment of the NC program to the real-world conditions presented by the clamping position of the irregular material on the machine tool. Intelligent part alignment integrated in the CAM system offers a solution to this problem by efficiently adapting the virtual (NC program) to the real world (location of the stock on the machine). A “Best Fit” CAM process offers a quick, predictable, and reliable path to overcome this challenge in a way that eliminates the requirement for specialist knowledge, reduces setup time and eliminates waste.