CloudNC has made its Soft Jaw Designer plug-in free for users of Autodesk Fusion and Mastercam. Once installed, instead of multiple sketches, booleans and clearance checks, users simply outline where the jaws should grip.
According to CloudNC, soft jaws – custom aluminium or steel inserts used to grip delicate or complex parts so they can be machined – typically take machinists 30 – 60 minutes per set-up to model manually.
Soft Jaw Designer collapses that process into a simpler process, that positions two blanks around the part model, adds precision allowances and drilling corner relief – all while keeping the model fully editable – and generates complete soft jaw designs ready for machining.
After generating the jaws, users can import the model to CAM Assist, which automatically creates toolpaths for both jaws and part, pushing the assembly to the machine in minutes and further accelerating delivery. Soft Jaw Designer is unrestricted and catties no time limit.
“Fixture design shouldn’t keep a spindle idle. By making Soft Jaw Designer free, we’re putting instant, machinable fixturing in every programmer’s toolbox – accelerating their output and helping them focus on tasks that move the needle, while giving a small glimpse into how much time CloudNC technology can save machinists,” said CloudNC CEO Theo Saville.
CloudNC CAM Assist was first launches for Autodesk Fusion in July 2023, and Mastercam in July 2024. Founded in 2015, CloudNC is headquartered in London, UK, with a test factory in factory in Chelmsford. Backed by venture capital firms Atomico and Episode 1 Ventures, Autodesk and Lockheed Martin act as strategic partners.
