MANUFACTURING ENVIRONMENT IN AUTODESK INVENTOR

About Inventor HSM

The Integrated CAM Solution for Autodesk Inventor
Inventor HSM is designed from the ground up to work inside Inventor, providing a logical extension of the
parametric Inventor environment into the CAM world. Experienced Inventor users will feel right at home
working with Inventor HSM and will be able to create high-quality toolpaths within minutes. New users will
benefit from the unmatched modeling and simulation capabilities of Inventor mechanical design solutions
and quickly extend any knowledge gained to the CAM process, resulting in improved design quality and
reduced product development time.
Inventor HSM is a fully integrated CAM application for Inventor and Inventor LT. Depending on your
version of Inventor HSM, effective generation of high quality 2D, 3D, 5-axis milling, and turning toolpaths
for high speed machining are provided.
The Inventor HSM interface is designed for Inventor users and machinists alike. If you know Inventor,
getting to knowInventor HSM will be easy and straightforward.

Getting Started
Inventor HSM 2016 is the first Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAM) application fully integrated with
Autodesk Inventor and Autodesk Inventor LT. The three versions of Inventor HSM and their capabilities
are listed below:
1. Inventor HSM Express - 2D Milling functions supported by Inventor LT and Inventor.
2. Inventor HSM - 2D and 3D Milling plus Turning functions supported by Inventor LT and Inventor.
3. Inventor HSM Professional - 2D, 3D, and Multi-Axis Milling plus Turning functions supported by
Inventor LT and Inventor.
When you start Autodesk Inventor or Inventor LT after installing Inventor HSM, you will notice the addition
of a CAM tab to the Inventor command ribbon. The commands on the CAM tab become visible, active,
and ready for use after creating or opening an Inventor part or assembly file.
Restriction: Assemblies are not supported in Inventor LT.
You can also load an existing file of any of the types supported by Autodesk Inventor/Inventor LT. These
file types include CATIA, SolidWorks, NX, Pro Engineer, SAT, STEP, IGES, and many other industrystandard file formats.
The command ribbons and the commands they offer for the three different versions of Inventor
HSM appear below:

The Inventor HSM Express command ribbon

The Inventor HSM command ribbon

The Inventor HSM Professional command ribbon

Once a part or assembly file is loaded and a strategy selected from the CAM ribbon, the CAM
Browser becomes active replacing the familiar Inventor Model Browser. The CAM Browser lets you
view and modify all machining-related data in the current part or assembly.
To create your first machining operation, simply select any of the toolpath strategies from the CAM
toolbar. The type of toolpath required naturally depends on the geometry of your part. For a description of
the individual machining strategies, please refer to the Inventor HSM Help topics: About 2D Machining
Strategies and About 3D Machining Strategies.
The following example illustrates a 2D Pocket strategy which is used to remove the interior cavity of a
part .
Normally a machining operation, like pocketing, is started by creating a Setup. A setup defines a number
of general properties for a set of machining operations - including the Work Coordinate System (WCS),
the stock geometry, fixtures, and the machining surfaces. If you do not create a setup manually before
adding your first operation, a setup with default parameters is created for you automatically. For more
information about creating a setup, see the Help topic: Setup Reference.
You select the first operation you wish to perform on the workpiece by clicking the appropriate icon from
the command ribbon. In this example, you would click CAM tab
2D Milling panel
2D Pocket
Remember: As an alternative, you can also right-click in an empty portion of the graphics window to
display the familiar Inventor marking menu and click the appropriate marking menu node.

The Operation dialog box then replaces the CAM Browser at the left side of the graphics window, and
prominently displays in its title bar the strategy name you selected. Just to the right of the strategy name is
the operation number. Since this is the first 2D pocket operation for the part, the name displays as 2D
Pocket1. The next 2D pocket operation will display as 2D Pocket2, and so on. This naming convention
applies to all setup and machining strategies in Inventor HSM.

The Operation dialog box for the 2D Pocket strategy. Note that the Tool tab is active by default..
The Operation dialog box contains a number of sections with parameters controlling different aspects of
the toolpath whenever you create a new machining operation. Inventor HSM provides working default
values for all parameters, where possible. The only thing you need to do to obtain a toolpath is to select a
tool and the geometry to be machined.
Tip: If you want to display both the Operation dialog box and the CAM Browser in two separate windows
instead of combined, disable the Combine Operation dialog with CAM Browser setting on the User
Interface tab in the CAM Options dialog box. For more information about CAM options, see the Help
topic: CAM Options Reference.
Click the Tool button to open the Tool Library. Select an existing tool from a tool library by expanding the
tree, selecting a tool, and clicking the OK button. Alternatively, you can create a new tool by clicking
the New Mill Tool button, editing the parameters, and then clicking the Select button.

A 6 mm ball mill is selected from the Tool Library

Once you have selected your tool, click the Geometry tab and select the geometry to be machined. For
the 2D Pocketstrategy, you need to select one or more closed contours. You can select directly from the
model by clicking on edges, faces, surfaces, etc., but you can also use any 2D sketch directly.
When selecting 2D geometry, the contours are projected onto a plane parallel to the tool orientation. If the
projection looks incorrect, you can change the tool orientation by clicking on the Tool Orientation section
on the Geometry tab and selecting a different plane.
Having successfully generated a toolpath, you can see a preview of the toolpath generated on top of the
model simply by selecting the corresponding operation in the CAM Browser.

Toolpath Simulation
To simulate the toolpath, select one or more operations from the CAM Browser (multiple operations can
be selected by pressing and holding the Ctrl key while clicking with the mouse), and then click CAM
tab

Toolpath panel

Simulate

on the CAM ribbon.

Stock Simulation
To invoke the solid simulation, enable the Stock check box in the Simulation dialog.

Post Processing
Inventor HSM ships with a number of customizable post processors that can be invoked by selecting one
or more operations from the CAM Browser, and clicking CAM tab
Toolpath panel
Post
Process

on the CAM ribbon.

General Information
Multi-selection
Multi-selection of items in the CAM Browser is supported using the Shift and Ctrl keys.

To select consecutive items, click the first item, press and hold the Shift key, and then click the last
item.

To select non-consecutive items, press and hold the Ctrl key, and then click each item.

Log Messages
If an operation in the CAM Browser is overlaid with an orange checkmark, it indicates that the operation
could not be generated successfully. To see a description of the problem or error, right-click the operation
and select Show Log from the pop-up context menu. The log is displayed in a dialog box and explains
what went wrong.
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Associativity and Regeneration

When you define operations in Inventor HSM, all relations to the model are associative. That means that if
you change your model, you will not have to redefine any parameters and selections again - they will
persist across model changes and rebuilds. You will, however, have to regenerate your operation
whenever a part of the model is modified on which the operation depends.
When a modification of the model triggers invalidation of a toolpath, the regeneration symbol (i.e. a red
cross) is overlaid on the corresponding operation and toolpath nodes in the CAM Browser. If you try to
use an invalidated toolpath, you are notified that it requires regeneration.
You can regenerate all your operations either at once, or individually, depending on whether you
choose Generate Toolpath (All) from the right-click pop-up context menu of the CAM Browser, or
choose Generate Toolpath... from the right-click pop-up context menu of a single operation/toolpath
node.
Tip: Clicking CAM tab
Toolpath panel
operations that require regeneration.

Generate

from the CAM ribbon regenerates all

While regenerating toolpaths, the Inventor HSM Task Manager dialog is shown. This shows the progress
of any ongoing toolpath calculation, but can be hidden by clicking the Hide button so that you can
continue working while the regeneration completes. Normally, 2D toolpaths generate in a matter of
seconds, but some of the 3D strategies can take a considerable time to calculate, depending on the
geometry and tolerances. If you have hidden the Task Manager dialog, you can restore its visibility by
clicking CAM tab

Manage panel

Task Manager

Use Assemblies
Restriction: Assemblies are not supported in Inventor LT.
The machining operations created in a part or assembly are stored with the Inventor file itself - including
the generated toolpath. This Inventor HSM data remains within the file even if it is edited on a system that
does not have the Inventor HSMadd-in installed. To remove the Inventor HSM-specific data from a part or
assembly file, simply delete all operations from theCAM Browser and save the file.
You will notice that the toolpath data of machining operations can cause the size of your files to grow
considerably. If you wish to send the file by e-mail or similar, you may want to clear the not required
toolpath data from the file before sending it. Simply right-click the operation(s) and choose Clear
Toolpath before saving the document. The toolpaths can then be regenerated by the receiver from the
file containing only the parameters.
If you do not wish to add Inventor HSM-specific data to your design model, you can create a separate
assembly for theInventor HSM data and insert the parts you want to machine as assembly components,
which leaves the component part files unaffected by the Inventor HSM add-in - the machining data and
toolpaths will reside only in the assembly file along with any extra reference geometry (e.g. coordinate
systems) you may want to define for your operations.

Metric or Imperial Units

Inventor HSM supports input in either inches or millimeters for parameters. If metric units are selected for
the Inventor document system units, then the parameters units will be set to millimeters. This also applies
to inch units. The tool parameters are specified in the units of the tool geometry.

3+2 Machining
By default, new operations are created using the WCS (Work Coordinate System) of the current setup. If
the default WCS is incorrect, you can change it in the Setup dialog box. To change the tool orientation of
a single operation only, open theGeometry tab for the operation, and change the settings in the Tool
Orientation section.
A tool orientation can be specified as one of the following:
Use WCS
Use Point & Plane
Use Coordinate System
For most common cases, using Use Point/Plane is the easiest way to define the tool orientation, since
that allows you to select any point or vertex as the origin of the tool, and any face, edge, or plane as the
orientation.
Whenever an operation is selected, a small coordinate system is drawn on top of the model to indicate the
tool orientation. The coordinate system is placed at the origin of the tool orientation. The red, green, and
blue arrows correspond to the X, Y, and Z-axes respectively. Machining is always done from positive Z
towards negative Z (e.g. opposite of the blue arrow).

Boundaries
You can restrict every machining operation to one or more areas by specifying boundaries. The default
boundary used is the bounding box of the part geometry being machined. You can select silhouette
curves of the part geometry or a selection, for example a chain of edges, to confine the area of machining.
Boundaries can be nested, but a boundary should not intersect itself or other boundaries.

Rest Roughing
The most efficient roughing is achieved by following the work of a large tool with a smaller tool in the
areas that have not yet been cleared by the previous operation.
To achieve this, Inventor HSM uses a stock model of the remaining material to avoid air-cutting. The stock
model can be generated from a previous operation or supplied by you. In some cases, for example, very
large work pieces may require several rest roughing stages; with each stage using a smaller tool than the
previous operations. There is no restriction on the number of rest roughing stages.

Rest Material Machining

For the clearing of rest material with a smaller tool, any Inventor HSM strategy can be used; whichever is
most suitable. The area to be machined is defined by the tool and the machining strategy used in the
previous operation.
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About 2D Machining Strategies

Drilling and Hole Making

Inventor HSM includes a powerful Drill tool for generating drilling, counterboring and tapping operations.
The Circularstrategy is used for milling cylindrical pockets and islands, while the Thread operation is
used for thread milling cylindrical pockets and islands. The Bore operation allows you to bore mill
cylindrical pockets and islands by selecting the cylindrical geometry directly. All operations are optimized
to minimize tool travel and overall cycle time. Both standard and customized cycles are supported for all
point-to-point operations, including spot-drilling, deep drilling with chip break, etc.

Contouring

With the Contouring strategies, you can easily machine 2D and 3D contours with separate lead-in and
lead-out, and with or without tool compensation. Choose multiple roughing and finishing passes and
multiple depth cuts for any contour. Machine open and closed contours without creating additional
geometry and eliminate sharp motion with corner smoothing.

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Pocket

The Pocket toolpath is used for machining closed curves both with and without islands. The toolpath
starts at the center of the pocket and works its way outward. The entry can be selected anywhere on the
model and includes possibilities for plunge, ramp, or at a pre-drilled position. The special high-speed
option creates a smooth toolpath and allows you to specify a maximum tool engagement. As a result, the
feedrate can be increased significantly, reducing the machining time and tool wear.

Facing

The Facing strategy is designed for quick part facing to prepare the raw stock for further machining. It can
also be used for clearing flat areas in general.

Adaptive Clearing

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The Adaptive Clearing strategy creates a roughing/clearing toolpath inside closed curves both with and
without islands. This strategy avoids full-width cuts by progressively shaving material off the remaining
stock. The generated toolpath ensures that the cutting conditions remain constant with a stable load on
the tool. As a result, the feedrate can be increased significantly, reducing the machining time by 40% or
more which provides improved surface quality and less tool wear.

About 3D Machining Strategies

Parallel

Parallel passes is one of the most widely used finishing strategies. The passes are parallel in the XY
plane and follow the surface in the Z direction. Parallel passes are best suited for shallow areas and
down milling. To automatically detect shallow areas, the machining can be limited to a maximum angle
between the tool tip and the surface. By selecting the down milling option, tool deflection can be
minimized when machining complex surfaces.

Contour

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Contour passes is the best strategy for finishing steep walls, but can be used for semi-finish and finish
machining on the more vertical areas of a part. If a slope angle is specified, for example 30 to 90 degrees,
the steeper areas are machined, leaving the shallower areas up to 30 degrees for more appropriate
strategies.

Horizontal Clearing

The Horizontal Clearing strategy automatically detects all the flat areas of the part and clears them with
an offsetting path. When the flat area is shelved above the surrounding areas, the cutter moves beyond
the flat areas to clean the edges. Using the optional maximum stepdown, horizontal faces can be
machined in stages, making the horizontal clearing suitable for both semi-finishing and finishing.

Pencil

The Pencil strategy creates toolpaths along internal corners and fillets with small radii, removing material
that no other tool can reach. Whether using single or multiple passes, the Pencil strategy is ideally suited
for cleaning up after other finishing strategies.

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Scallop/Constant Stepover

The Scallop strategy creates passes that are at a constant distance from one another by offsetting inward
along the surface. The passes follow sloping and vertical walls to maintain the stepover.
Although Scallop finishing can be used to finish an entire part, it is most commonly used for rest
machining, following a combination of Contour and Parallel passes. Like the other finishing strategies,
machining can be limited by a contact angle range.

Spiral

Spiral machining creates a spiral toolpath from a given center point, generating a constant contact as it
machines within a given boundary. It is ideally suited for use on round shallow parts using tool contact
angles up to 40 degrees, in conjunction with Contour passes for the more vertical faces. The center point
of the detail to be machined is located automatically, or can be user-specified. This strategy also supports
tool contact angles.

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Morphed Spiral

The Morphed Spiral strategy is very similar to the Spiral strategy. However, a Morphed Spiral operation
generates the spiral from the selected boundary as opposed to a Spiral operation which trims the
generated passes to the machining boundary. This means that Morphed Spiral can be used for
additional surfaces for which Spiral is not appropriate. It can also be very useful when machining freeform/organic surfaces. Although the Scallop strategy is often used for these types of surfaces, both the
sharp corners and the linking transitions between the generated passes can result in visible marks.
The Morphed Spiral strategy generally provides a much smoother toolpath by avoiding these issues.

Radial

Like spiral machining, Radial machining also starts from a center point, providing you with the ability to
machine radial parts. It also provides the option to stop short of the center of the radial passes, where
they become very dense. The center point of the detail to be machined is located automatically, or can be
user-specified. This routine can also be used with tool contact angles.

Pocket

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Pocket is the conventional roughing strategy for clearing large quantities of material effectively. The part
is cleared layer by layer with smooth offset contours maintaining climb milling throughout the operation.
To avoid plunging, the tool ramps down along a helical path between levels. To maintain a high feedrate,
and thereby reducing machining time, sharp changes of direction are avoided by smoothing the tool
motion.

Adaptive Clearing

Adaptive Clearing is an innovative roughing strategy that offers significant improvements compared to
conventional roughing strategies. The strategy avoids full-width cuts by progressively shaving material off
the remaining stock. The generated toolpath ensures that the cutting conditions remain constant with a
stable load on the tool. As a result, the feedrate can be increased significantly, reducing the machining
time by 40% or more.

3+2 Machining

All 2D and 3D strategies support 3+2 machining (5-axis positioning) by rotating the part or the head of the
machine tool through a combination of A, B, or C axis motions. Creating 3+2 operations is just a matter of
selecting a work plane for the operation and Inventor HSM takes care of the rest. Once in position, all
machining strategies are available, and are both tooling and holder gouge protected for all the strategies
that normally support this.

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About Additional Features

Simulation
After generating a toolpath, you can inspect the result with the integrated Simulate tool. Using
the Play feature, the movement of the tool is simulated. The many controls include simulation speed and
direction, visibility of tool, shaft and tool holder as well as the coloring of rapid moves, lead moves, and
cutting moves.
The features on the Simulate Info and Statistics tabs allow you to measure distances or dynamically
view all the vital information about tools, feed/speed, estimated machining time, etc. Full 3+2 machining is
supported, and multiple toolpaths can be inspected in a single operation.

Stock Simulation
The integrated Stock Simulation allows you to see the actual stock being removed from a solid block of
material, and to automatically check for shaft and clamp/fixture collisions. The resulting solid model can
be inspected by coloring the surface according to the tool that cuts each part of the surface.

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Post Processing
No CAM system is complete without a post processor to convert the generated toolpath into a format
understood by the CNC machine control. Inventor HSM uses a flexible and fast post processor based on
the JavaScript programming language to perform this critical task. Inventor HSM comes with numerous
generic post processor configurations, with each post processor customizable to your specific
requirements.
Generic post processors include Fanuc, Heidenhain, Haas, Hurco, Mazak, MillPlus, Okuma, Siemens,
Yasnak, and many more.

Inventor HSM Edit

Inventor HSM includes Inventor HSM Edit for inspecting and manually editing NC program files. Inventor
HSM Editprovides a number of CNC code specific functions including line numbering/renumbering, XYZ
range finder, and file compare. It also features a DNC link for reliable RS-232 communications with a
variety of CNC controls.

The NC-Assistant makes editing NC code faster and easier than ever. Point at any M or G code and
the NC-Assistantidentifies the code.

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