#CNC

You’re Welcome to Break my Endmill – 2 minute read

Lars Christensen

May 17, 2018
1 min

You’re Welcome to Break my Endmill – 2 minute read

“There is no secret to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure” – Colin Powell Here is a practical way to learn. Fail and fail quickly. However, in most machine shops there are two rules: Don’t crash the CNC machine (That’s a good one) and don’t come and ask for another endmill Do you know the cost of that 12mm endmill!?! *(Insert angrily Boss name here.) The problem is the way we think about failure. For centuries. Errors of all kinds h

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Lars Christensen

Oct 2, 2017
1 min

Understand Smarter Toolpaths – Adaptive…

I am sorry to bring it up, but someone has to do it. If you on a regular basis gets in contact with a CAM program or a CNC milling machine tool, you better keep reading. They said it was for roughing and so much faster, but that was only because they did not know how to explain it to you. If you are in the game of removing metal chips, making money and at the same time take care of your endmills and machine. Then, You need to know that smarter toolpaths exist. Adaptive Clea

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Lars Christensen

Aug 28, 2017
2 min

Best Way To Learn Autodesk Fusion 360

My hero, Tony Robbins said: “You can only learn by connecting something unknown to something you already know.” Trying to learn a new CAD/CAM software can be painful, especially if you have no idea where to find someone to connect the unknown to the known. Now, there is a place for Fusion 360 users to close the gap between the unknown and known… The Getting Started Portal: https://www.autodesk.com/products/fusion-360/get-started I can still remember that Saturday afternoon i

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Connect Design to Machining— Once Difficult, Now Easy

Lars Christensen

Aug 23, 2016
2 min

Connect Design to Machining— Once Difficult, Now Easy

There is no reason to argue the phrase “Because that is the way we have always done it…” is the stupidest reason for doing anything. However, the reason people are still holding on to this behavior is that of distrust and lack of confidence. I know that there have been times where I decided to start all over and completely re-program a part when faced with a few design changes. This is happens when there is a disconnect between design and machining. One question could be: is

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How to Hold on to Complex Parts in You Mill

Lars Christensen

May 9, 2016
1 min

How to Hold on to Complex Parts in You Mill

It’s easy to machine a box, but what when our shapes become a little more complex? Time to jump and attack the biggest request from my inbox. “How do I hold on to my already machined part for the second operation?” Here is a preview of the 3 different solutions from the video: Want to learn more about Fusion 360? Check out this link: http://autode.sk/2bZypPp #Autodesk #Milling #machining #CAM #CNC #Fusion360

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Better Way to Verify 5-Axis Machining— PowerMill add-on

Lars Christensen

Mar 30, 2016
2 min

Better Way to Verify 5-Axis Machining— PowerMill add-on

“Had we ordered the stock 25mm longer, we would have been in a position where the tool holder we decided on wouldn’t have got over the top of the part.”— Chris Northall, Delcam Delcam’s PowerMill is a favorite when it comes to 5 axis CAM software, and after taking a look at Delcam’s Advanced add-on simulation software, I think this is the answer to CNC programmer and shop owner’s sleepless nights. See, a CNC programmer has no fear making a few axis moves. However, it can beco

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Advanced Manufacturing is On Top at Autodesk University Next Week

Lars Christensen

Nov 24, 2015
6 min

Advanced Manufacturing is On Top at Autodesk University Next Week

This event has a long list of manufacturing roundtables discussion, labs, and presentations. Here is everything for any manufacturing junkie: • Integrated CAM inside Inventor and Fusion 360. • Delcam’s high-end PowerMill, FeatureCAM and ArtCAM. • Composite solution with TruNest and TruLaser. • Factory Design Suite: Raise your productivity with better plant layout. Also, make sure you take a break from classes, and visit the exhibit hall. Here you will find live machining

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Autodesk releasing HSMWorks 2016 for SOLIDWORKS

Lars Christensen

Nov 10, 2015
2 min

Autodesk releasing HSMWorks 2016 for SOLIDWORKS

Time to strengthen up your CNC toolkit. SOLIDWORKS 2016 is here for the design. To make it better, here is HSMWorks 2016 for manufacturing. The standard for CAM companies is one major release a year. But, the Autodesk CAM development team sends updates out all the time; One of my favorite things. Making technology available when ready for users, and not some big one-year marketing release. To see the long list and version history, go here: http://cam.autodesk.com/download/hs

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Lars Christensen

Oct 26, 2015
2 min

Is CAD in the cloud helpful or painful?

CAD software is just another tool. Today’s CAD Developers need to look beyond the latest technology and more at how people are using it. It is not about how many new functions you can fit in there. We do not have time for the latest technology if it is not helping. More can be painful. CAD in the cloud: is it painful or helpful? If CAD is just another tool we are using to get to the final result, there should only be one question; does it really fit? An example: My father-in-

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Lars Christensen

Oct 19, 2015
1 min

Get going with CAM in Fusion 360 with Quick bite size Tutorials

If you are looking for the quick “How-To” on getting going with CAM within Fusion 360 this should be your answer. It still amazes me what you get in the Fusion 360 package, and being a manufacturing junkie, CAM is a favorite. Just to be clear, you get Turning, indexing, and full 3 Axis milling; you can attack things like crazy mold cavities. Not only that, Fusion 360 is by far the most user-friendly, high quality and easy to learn CAM I have ever used. It doesn’t matter if

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Autodesk’s HSM: Easy to use, Powerful & Free!

Lars Christensen

Sep 23, 2015
2 min

Autodesk’s HSM: Easy to use, Powerful & Free!

There is a CAM product that is easy to use. Making the move from programming your CNC machine by hand, or struggling with a CAM program that is difficult to use should not be a hard decision. Autodesk’s HSM runs inside SolidWorks and Inventor; giving you the best CAD/CAM, and you will like that the standard 2.5 version is FREE! If you are already familiar with powerful CAD, the integrated CAM is going to shorten the learning curve dramatically. Many CNC Programmers are havin

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Lars Christensen

Aug 28, 2015
1 min

Autodesk Releasing HSMWorks 2015 R3

Some examples include continued improvements to the free post directory, including a CAMplete APT and post for my new favorite Haas UMC-750. Also, rest machining has improved for both Milling and Turning. Further, there are new Simulation updates, making sure you can see what is going to happen before hitting Cycle Start. Looking for a toolpath of a racecar? They have also worked hard on updates for Adaptive Clearing, a toolpath strategy you could never live without. This is

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Lars Christensen

Aug 12, 2015
1 min

Learn HSMWorks Faster with Bite-size Tutorials

Learning new software can be confusing and frustrating, but I think you will find HSMWorks the easiest CAM you will ever use. Installing the software and get up and running takes minutes, and you will find yourself ready to program your first part in no time. If you don’t have HSMWorks, download your free CAM for SolidWorks here This series shows the short, bite-sized “how” on learning HSMWorks. These videos are broken down into individual toolpaths and will not cost you mor

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Lars Christensen

Jun 23, 2015
1 min

How to learn Inventor HSM – Basic –

A few months ago I wrote a blog post with the same title, except it was about CAM inside Autodesk’s Fusion 360, not Inventor HSM. The 5 part video series is blowing up my view count on YouTube. Why? One could think it’s because it is not only about the “how” (there is a lot of “how to videos on YouTube) but also focuses on the “why”. When learning something new, you will find it easier if the “why” comes before the “how”. If interested, check out the Fusion 360 CAM series lin

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Lars Christensen

Dec 18, 2014
1 min

Autodesk adds 5-Axis CAM into Inventor

Autodesk creates a Powerful CAD/CAM Bundle Inventor HSM Pro 2015 Many will agree that Inventor is super easy to use when it comes to 3D CAD. Many will also agree that CAD software is a decade ahead of most CAM software when it comes to power and user friendliness. Autodesk is changing that by streamlining the workflow, giving the CNC programmer more control, and more power by utilizing latest technology, such as 64-bit multi-core machining strategies that significantly reduc

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Why CNC Operators are like Fighter Pilots!

Lars Christensen

Nov 6, 2014
3 min

Why CNC Operators are like Fighter Pilots!

First off it is noisy; some places you might even have to operate half in the dark, and night vision is not standard gear in most shops. Then there is the equipment: if you don’t think that the thrill of a F-15 compares*, you have never pressed the green cycle- start button on a multi-axis machining center that rapids at 1200 inches per minute and does Tool-to-Tool change in under 3 seconds. It can be scary, but awesome! Tom Cruise made it look easy in Top Gun, but besides re

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Using CAMWorks Material Library will make your life easier

Lars Christensen

Oct 3, 2012
1 min

Using CAMWorks Material Library will make your life easier

Ever had one of those things on your to-do list that you know you should have done something about a long time ago? 1. By limited time spend you can comfortably forget about feeds and speeds when programing your standard parts 2. In conjunction with CAMWorks philosophy, you can teach the Material library how your do things in your shop 3. Picking a Material to machine and the software recognize what machine and conditions you are up against and adjust the feeds and speed ac

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DFMXpress=Your FREE Design For Manufacturing Consulting inside SolidWorks

Lars Christensen

Jun 5, 2012
2 min

DFMXpress=Your FREE Design For Manufacturing Consulting inside SolidWorks

It will happen, one day you will receive a part that is nearly impossible to manufacture. Not because the part is on the “top secret out of space” difficult level, but because something as simple as an unexperienced engineer/designer did not realize that there is some physics rules that apply to make a design that actually can be manufactured in a very competitive industry. DFMXpress… SolidWorks has a nifty tool that pretty quickly can run an analysis on you part, and provide

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How to add your custom strategy right into CAMWorks techdb

Lars Christensen

Feb 23, 2012
1 min

How to add your custom strategy right into CAMWorks techdb

Be Prepared… I always recommend that you do a backup of your technology database. As I stated in this video, How to save back your shop knowledge to CAMWorks TechDb I have never seen the database go corrupt, but I have made stupid alterations to my database that made a backup at hand priceless. #CADCAM #CAMWorks #CNC

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How to save back your shop knowledge to CAMWorks TechDb

Lars Christensen

Jan 26, 2012
1 min

How to save back your shop knowledge to CAMWorks TechDb

The truth is that there is about 6-8 serious CAM program creators on the market. They are all trying to make a product that fits every CAM programmers needs. It is also a fact that every CAM programmer have their own preferable way of doing things. The cool thing is… The way cool thing is, as you will see in this video, you can stuff some of your knowledge and experience into those fancy sequences and parameters. #CAMWorks #CNC #Database

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About Me

What I'm doing now

YouTube and Social content creation

What I'm doing now

YouTube and Social content creation

Lars Christensen