The Reliance on Software in Machining In Toronto

Machining in Toronto has changed so much in the last few years that anyone approaching a machining shop after an interval of only 5 or 7 years will find the environment quite fantastically different. Gone are rows after rows of hand operated machines that expert technicians would use to cut, shape and hone every part. Instead, they have been replaced by the CNC.

Make no mistake, the role of the technician has not diminished, it has only shifted to other tasks. In fact, new skills, previously unheard of in machining in Toronto, have been incorporated as well.

Software programmers and computer engineers on the shop floor(!) are a common sight now. And this is thanks to the advent of computer numerical control, or CNC.

CNC is, at its simplest explanation, a handing over manual control over machining tools from the human hand to the computer. Essentially, rather than the operator moving levers and adjusting angles manually, the computer is fed the information (and how the instructions are to be carried out) and it controls the machine itself.

Software, therefore, is an essential aspect of CNC machining in Toronto. In addition to the machine’s basic operating system, the industry now relies on computer-aided-design and computer aided manufacturing software.

CAD, as the name suggests, entails designing the custom parts for machining in Toronto on a computer. Long gone are the days of the drawing board and the engineer’s pencil, replaced by server-level software which can connect vast teams of engineers and make designing far more seamless. What results from this is a CAD file which contains all the information on the part.

This file must be input into CAM software which will interpret it for machining in Toronto. It breaks down the part into movements for the machine. These include how much the machine tool has to move, how fast, how much to rotate and more. Essentially, the software must control 5 axes of movement of the machine. Tasks are also divvied up between different machines.

Machining in Toronto therefore very much requires an expert hand on the computer and an experienced mind to guide you through the process and check your design. At RWD Tool & Machine, we invest not only in our equipment but in the skill development of our people. It is why we are trusted machinists and fabricators in Toronto and the GTA.