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Session 12: Program Your Practice Build's CAM

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Session 12

Program Your Practice Build's CAM

From Your Design to a Real Toolpath

Session 11 gave you a model. Today, exactly what Session 9 practiced — but on your own design instead of a provided test coupon.

Same Sequence as Session 9

  1. Pocket
  2. Drill
  3. Profile — last, since it frees the part

Nothing New to Learn Today

Every decision today — offset, step-over, step-down, tabs — is a skill from Week 3. Today is about applying it to something that's actually yours.

Don't Forget Tabs

Your profile cut fully separates the tray from the stock. Session 8's exact reason for tabs applies directly here.

Use Your Session 10 Checklist

You already wrote a pre-cut checklist. Use it for real, right now — not just for the actual cut next session.

Simulate, Then Simulate Again

Watch the full sequence run. If anything looks off, fix it now — Session 13 is real material, not a redo.

Two Things to Remember

This is the last checkpoint before real material.

A mistake caught here costs nothing. The same mistake caught next session costs your actual stock.

Two Things to Remember

Your own design means your own judgment calls.

Session 9 gave you a shape. Today, you're deciding step-over and step-down for a pocket you designed yourself — trust the reasoning, not a guess.

Next Time

Session 13: Cut It

Real material, real machine, everything from four weeks.

'F' → Fullscreen

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Build

Step 1: Export and Set Up

Export your Session 11 part from OnShape as STEP, open it in Fusion, and switch to the Manufacture workspace. Create a Setup with your WCS origin on a findable corner and your stock set to real material thickness — the same three checks as Session 9.

Step 2: Program Pocket and Drill

2D Pocket first — set Stepover and, under Multiple Depths, Maximum Roughing Stepdown, both justified. Then Drill for your hole, after confirming it matches your bit diameter.

Step 3: Program the Profile, With Tabs

Add a 2D Contour last. Confirm the offset arrow points outside your line, and tick Tabs so the part doesn't come loose at the moment it's fully cut free.

Step 4: Simulate and Run Your Pre-Cut Checklist

Right-click the Setup and Simulate with Stock turned on, watching it run rather than skipping to the end. Then go through your Session 10 pre-cut checklist against this actual job, item by item — including the two new ones: right post configuration, and machine zero matching your WCS origin.

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Checkpoint

Before you move on, confirm:

  • Toolpath order is pocket/drill, then profile
  • Tabs are included on the profile cut
  • Your Session 10 pre-cut checklist has been run against this real job, not just filed away
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Reflection

Answer these on your own. Reflections are individual, even when the rest of the session was team work.

  1. Was setting up CAM for your own design easier or harder than Session 9's provided test coupon? Why?
  2. You're one session away from real material. Rate 1–5 how confident you are this cuts correctly first time, then name the single step you're least sure of.
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Submit

Submit your Fusion file with all toolpaths, your completed checklist run-through, and your reflection.

Activity Complete