Contents
- Index
- Next
AlphaCAM
This is software published by Licom Systems, Davenport Road, Coventry, CV5 6PY telephone: 024 7671 3434 fax: 024 7671 3449 www.licom.com. It is a CADCAM program which can create NC code for a wide range of CNC machine tools: lathes, mills, routers, flame and laser cutters etc. It enables the profile of a part to be drawn on a PC screen. Cutting tools are then selected and tool cutting paths generated. The result is NC code which can be imported into machine control software such as WELturn.
Pay-As-You Use
AlphaCAM is extremely good software but is expensive to purchase outright. However, it is available on a pay-as-you-use basis over the internet. Full details are on the Licom Systems web site: link above.
Post Processor
The NC code which AlphaCAM generates needs to be in the format which WELturn requires. This is achieved by installing the appropriate WELturn Post Processors. (A Post Processor is rather like a printer driver which ensures that data from a word processor matches the requirements of a particular printer.)
Two post processors are supplied. One is called WELturn and creates code from data in metric measurements (millimetres). The other is called WELturn Inch and creates code from data in Imperial measurements (inches).
These files can be found in C:\WELturn\WELturn Allsorts\AlphaCAM-WELturn Post Processor
There is a text file in the same folder whih gives information about the two post processors.
To install the Post Processor:
Start AlphaEDIT. Click on FILE - Open Post - Turning. Locate the required metric or Imperial Post in C:\WELturn\WELturn Allsorts\AlphaCAM-WELturn Post Processor and open the file.
Click on FILE - Save as Post - Turning and go into drive C, open the folder Licomdat and, within that, open the folder Tposts.alp This is where you save the Post Processor with the name WELturn or WELturn Inch.
Most likely there will be many other Post Processor files for other lathes in Tposts.alp You can delete them if you wish. If you wish to keep all these files or if you need to have two or three Post Processors because you have other types of CNC lathe, you can choose which Post Processor is to be the default file. To do this:
Start AlphaEDIT. Click on FILE - Set Default Post - Turning. Choose the Post Processor you wish to have as the default file.
Portadisk
Even though NC code has been created by AlphaCAM in the correct format for WELturn, it still needs to be delivered to WELturn. This is achieved by using a utility within AlphaEDIT called Portadisk. Portadisk must be configured correctly for this job. See the item AlphaCAM, AlphaEDIT and Portadisk
Other Software
CADCAM software other than AlphaCAM, for example MasterCAM, EdgeCAM and CAPSturn, can be used to generate NC code. Provided that the CADCAM software can be configured to create code in the format required by WELturn, it can be imported and used by WELturn.
WELsoft publishers are very familiar with AlphaCAM and that is why it figures in these notes. However, the remarks about using AlphaCAM with WELturn apply equally to any other NC code producing software.
Manually Written NC Code
NC code for WELturn can be pepared manually and topics in this Help file give guidance on how to do this.
AlphaCAM, AlphaEDIT and Portadisk
AlphaCAM and Internal Tool Paths
AlphaCAM, the Part and the Billet
AlphaCAM and the Tailstock Centre
Defining Tools in AlphaCAM
Manually Prepared Code