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Session 10: Post-Processing & Troubleshooting

Unit 2 — Manufacturing Foundations, Week 3

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Session 10

Post-Processing & Troubleshooting

A Clean Simulation Isn't the Finish Line

OnShape's simulation shows the toolpath. Your machine needs its own language to actually run it.

The Post-Processor

Translates CAM Studio's generic toolpath into the specific code your exact machine's controller understands.

Different Machines, Different Language

A ShopBot and a Makera don't read the same code — the wrong post-processor produces code your machine can't run correctly, even from an identical simulated toolpath.

Your Machine

[VERIFY] — confirm the exact post-processor selection for your specific machine with your instructor before running anything for real.

The Diagnostic Clinic

From here on, most problems show up as a symptom first — you work backward to the cause.

Symptom: Didn't Cut All the Way Through

Likely cause: stock thickness entered wrong, or final depth set short.

Symptom: Part Came Out Undersized

Likely cause: wrong profile offset — Session 7's exact problem.

Symptom: Part Shifted or Came Loose Mid-Job

Likely cause: no tabs, or tabs too small — Session 8's exact problem.

Symptom: Bit Broke

Likely cause: step-down too aggressive for the material.

Symptom: Machine Errored or Moved Strangely at Startup

Likely cause: wrong post-processor, or zero point not actually verified — Session 4's protocol.

Notice the Pattern

Every one of today's symptoms traces back to something already taught — nothing here is a brand-new idea, just the same ideas showing up as real-world failures.

Two Things to Remember

A symptom rarely has just one possible cause.

Check the most likely explanation first, but don't stop looking if it turns out wrong.

Two Things to Remember

A pre-cut checklist beats fixing mistakes after material's already ruined.

Everything on today's list is cheaper to check before pressing start than after.

Next Up

Week 4: The Practice Build.

Design a small item, program it, actually cut it — everything from these four weeks, in one small project.

'F' → Fullscreen

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Build

Step 1: Match Symptom to Likely Cause

SymptomLikely Cause
Cut didn't go all the way through the material
Part came out noticeably undersized
Part shifted mid-job
Bit broke partway through a deep cut
Machine behaved strangely right at startup

Step 2: Write Out One Real Fix

Pick one symptom above. Write the actual fix — not just the cause, but the specific correction you'd make in the CAM setup.

Step 3: Build Your Pre-Cut Checklist

Write a personal checklist of everything you'd verify before pressing start on a real job. Pull from all four weeks so far — safety protocols, offset choice, tabs, step-down, post-processor, zero point. You'll use this checklist for real in Week 4.

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Checkpoint

Before you move on, confirm your pre-cut checklist includes at least one item from each of: safety (Session 4), CAD/offset (Session 7), and pocket/tabs (Session 8).

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Reflection

Answer the following questions before submitting your work.

  1. Which symptom from today's list do you think would be most confusing to diagnose in the moment, without today's session to reference? Why?
  2. Every symptom today traced back to something from an earlier session. What does that tell you about how these skills actually connect, rather than existing as separate topics?
  3. Looking at your own pre-cut checklist, which item are you most likely to forget under real time pressure?
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Submit

Submit your symptom-matching table, your written fix, your pre-cut checklist, and your reflection.

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