CAD/CAM in Schools ~ Systems

CADCAMLink

Click here to view our full range of CAD/CAM products

CAD/CAM - Your Questions Answered

CAD/CAM Systems
Knife Cutting CAMM 1 GX-24E Our most popular vinyl/card cutter A good quality knife-cutter is the ideal entry point for developing CAD/CAM as an important strand in the Design and Technology curriculum. The machines are quiet and inherently safe to use making them the most child-friendly option for a huge variety of project outcomes in just about every area of the subject. This versatility and a low initial cost means that almost any department can get started with real CAD/CAM activity even if budgets do not stretch to milling or laser systems. The machines are far more than entry level tools and they will never be made redundant by new or different technologies. Knife cutting is the only way to cut delicate ‘applied media’ in vinyl and only knife cutters can offer registration mark recognition and give sufficiently precise control to differentiate between score lines and cut-out profiles for print-and-cut work. At their simplest, knife cutters offer a low cost means to teach relevant CAD/CAM technique and to produce high quality outcomes. TechSoft supply a broad range of Roland machines which represent the industry standard in this technology – these machines are designed for continuous commercial production so feature rugged construction and rock-solid reliability.	Milling/Routing/Engraving RotoCAMM MDX-40AE Our most popular miller/router Milling, Routing and Engraving refer to the technique of feeding a revolving cutter into the billet of material to be worked. They are not rigid definitions but routing tends to refer to larger-scale 2D profiling in timber, milling is often smaller in scale and with harder materials, and engraving generally uses ‘V’ pointed tools for surface decoration or ‘isolation engraving’ Printed Circuit Boards. All machines in our milling and routing range are capable of milling, routing and engraving - it’s just a question of scale and the job in hand. All the machines have (at least) three-axes so are very capable when it comes to 2D, 2.5D and 3D projects so, whichever machine you buy, you will have the assurance of versatility. The difference between them is speed, power and capacity so you will see that some machines are geared more towards one application than another. A common misconception is that Engineering courses require CNC milling machinery that will cut steel. This is not the case. MODELA PRO II MDX-540E Large, powerful, ultra high speed miller/router for the more demanding user. TechSoft’s approach is to supply high quality ‘student friendly’ machines that will deliver components quickly with the minimum of fuss. When required, the larger machines will happily cope with suitable grades of alloy.	Laser Cutting/Engraving TechSoft LaserCAM A2+ High specification laser cutter and engraver Once schools have a laser they wonder how they ever managed without one – so why is this? Above all, lasers provide the simplest way possible to get from the CAD drawing to the finished product. They work with extraordinary accuracy and delicacy, and the finished edge is usually just that – finished. Lasers have large work areas and are quick to produce results, so class sets of work can be cut and engraved in normal lesson time, with students directly involved in setting-up and outputting files - great for building confidence. Turnaround is fast and with a few important exceptions, lasers will cut and engrave a huge variety of materials so just about every area of Design and Technology is able to get the benefit. It might be tempting to think that a LaserCAM is the only CAD/CAM machine that you will need and it is certainly true that they can revolutionise the quality of work that students produce. It is important to remember, however, that lasers do not accept 3D data and must not be used to cut vinyl material because of harmful fumes. Milling and knife cutting machines will still be needed alongside lasers to give students a realistic experience of real-world practice, and to have the right mix of tools available for specific applications. LaserCAM machines are built for world-wide commercial markets and TechSoft have an exclusive arrangement to supply LaserCAM to UK Education. This allows us to work closely with the manufacturers to ensure all necessary safety standards are met and operation is seamless from 2D Design V2. LaserCAMs are supplied as a package that includes everything you need including the highest specification extraction and filtration system available.

Plasma Cutting PlasmaCUT Slice through 6mm mild steel Lasers have made a huge impact on student project work but we are often asked “Why can’t they be used to cut metals?” In industry, lasers are used routinely for metal-cutting, but high costs and significant risk management issues make the technology unsuitable for educational use – at least at the moment! To meet the need for metal profiling in education, TechSoft are delighted to introduce PlasmaCUT - plasma-beam technology that lets you slice through 6mm mild steel with no more hassle than it took to cut card on a CAMM 1. PlasmaCUT is a high speed profiling machine that works from 2D CAD files generated in 2D Design V2. The machine is housed in an interlocked protective enclosure with tinted panels, and connects to a high-efficiency extraction system which captures all gas and airborne particulates. PlasmaCUT is not a machine for a regular classroom or design studio, but it will fit into any workshop space where there are the usual provisions for hot metal working. Specialist engineering schools will clearly be interested in the potential PlasmaCUT has to bring sheet metal cutting up to date and, more widely, PlasmaCUT will fit naturally alongside other CAD/CAM and ‘benchwork’ techniques. It has the power to revolutionise what students are able to do in their project work.	3D Printing HP Designjet 3D Printer Build real plastic parts from 3D CAD files 3D CAD with Rapid Prototyping (RP) is now an essential tool to enable designers to compete in global markets - it is something all design and engineering students need to know about and, ideally, have access to. TechSoft are delighted to offer the Dimension series of machines which have been specifically designed to provide an affordable, safe, simple to operate, clean and quiet way for designers to produce Rapid Prototypes from their own studio. These machines use Fused Deposition Modelling (or FDM) to build the model in thin layers, by extruding a fine filament of molten ABS plastic. As it builds, a second filament is extruded to create a support structure around and within the model (as needed), for hollow or overhanging parts of the design. Once complete, the support structure is broken or dissolved away leaving a tough, smooth and (for most applications) totally functional finished part. We believe that Dimension machines provide by far the most appropriate rapid prototyping system for education - there is no mess, models are strong, and the machine works quietly looking after itself as it builds. In 2008 TechSoft were delighted to supply DATA with nine Dimension machines for their regional CAD/CAM Centres. Dimension has proved a phenomenal commercial success world-wide and, now in its third generation of machines, you can be assured of proven technology with rock-solid backup and support.	Computerised Embroidery Brother PR-650 A mid range computerised embroidery machine Brother has a long-standing reputation for making high-quality machines for commercial and domestic markets, so you can be sure of reliability, long life and excellent back-up. The range includes computerised sewing, embroidery or combined capability, so whatever resources you already have, there will be a Brother machine to take you on to the next level without making existing machines redundant. 2D Design V2 gives you all the tools you need for embroidery design so, with a site licence for the software, you will have full-class access with no limit to the number of ‘seats’ you can provide. 2D Design V2 and great value Innov-is machines will unlock the potential of CNC embroidery for all students. Design work can be anything from simple geometrical shapes and patterns to vectorised, colour-mapped or ‘straight’ photos – just about anything is possible. PE Design embroidery software will be needed to convert designs into a stitch pattern.
Image Transfer for CAD/CAM
Laser Image Transfer Ideal for enhancing graphic products more info Every department needs a fast, good quality colour printer so why not choose one that will not only deal with high quality ‘regular’ paper printing	but will also become the heart of a system so versatile that it can transform project outcomes in just about every area of Design and Technology? A TMT OKI colour laser printer from TechSoft has been slightly modified to print images onto a sheet of special transfer media. The laser toner itself creates the colour image so no special inks or ‘extras’ are needed. The transfer sheet is then placed face-down onto the material and heat	pressed to create a crisp image that reproduces all the colour and vibrancy of the original. LIT images can be transferred onto almost any normal workshop material, regular 100% cotton, wood, metal, clear or opaque plastics, ceramics, cork, etc. TechSoft supply a high quality swing-press for this job, these are built to provide even pressure and have accurate pre-sets for time and temperature. LIT is a superb complement to a huge variety of CAD/CAM processes and, because it does not need specially prepared media or inks, your investment will be able to earn its keep throughout the year and not just for one-off projects.