"We will be installing more CAMWorks down the road, as well," notes Ernie.Įrnie says that every CAMWorks release has been remarkably enhanced and loaded with useable features. The company started with one seat and has since converted it to a floating license and purchased four more CAMWorks seats.
Polaroid immediately purchased the first release of the software after reviewing the demo. "However," says Ernie, "we knew that working in a 3D environment was imminent." The software did not handle 3D work, but fortunately Ernie and his team weren't doing much 3D work at that time. "That product was as easy or easier to use than the other CAM product and offered more functionality," notes Ernie. With CAMWorks still in its infancy, Ernie opted for one seat of a commercial CAM software package. As a result, we insisted that the next CAM package would work inside SolidWorks," recalls Ernie.Įrnie evaluated competitive packages and even spent time and money on off-site training for one of them. If conversions weren't quite right, geometry got lost and had to be painstakingly recreated. We were well aware of the issues associated with transferring files in and out of the various systems that we were using in-house. "Since it's part of my job to keep up with new technology, we wanted to find a CAM product that was as easy to learn as SolidWorks, yet powerful enough to do everything that we needed it to do within the SolidWorks environment. "After we saw SolidWorks and realized how easy it is to use, we got very excited," notes Ernie. After Polaroid switched CAD systems, Ernie started looking for a new CAM product. The company migrated from its MCAD system to SolidWorks about two years ago. That scenario was frustrating." says Ernie.
"In our situation, it was imperative to understand the CAD product in order to use the manufacturing tool. The process can take up to a couple of years to achieve proficiency and improved productivity. The problem with that approach, from a machining perspective was that tremendous training was required first to understand how to work in solids as well as how to use the MCAD product and the CAM machining software. Back then, to machine 3D parts, Ernie used the manufacturing function of the CAD system or a popular CAM product to create tool paths. Up until about two years ago, Polaroid engineers used a very popular MCAD product that the company had standardized several years prior to revitalize its CAD/CAM systems. Ernie Harrington is a technical specialist responsible for computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) in the company's model shops. Polaroid offers a wide range of superior, easy-to-use imaging products - from instant cameras and film to advanced digital imaging.
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