Machinery, CAD, CAM and CAE Get Affordable

Dear Desktop Engineering Reader:

This is a sweet one for those of you who have balked at making the leap into your own business because the idea of owing too much of your soul to some bank or Kickstarter backers unnerves you.

Tormach, the maker of affordable CNC (computer numerically controlled) machines, tooling and associated items like inserts, taps and vises, just announced a new partnership with Autodesk. The deal is as straightforward as it gets: Your purchase of a qualified Tormach machine tool is eligible for a complimentary one-year commercial subscription to Autodesk’s cloud-based Fusion 360 integrated CAD, CAM and CAE platform.

Now, Tormach has earned its reputation as a designer and manufacturer of affordable, high-function milling machines. Affordable means that you can get into the game for thousands of bucks less than you’d expect to shell out. High-function means a machine that’s fully capable of production-quality fabrication.

Take the PCNC 1100 Personal CNC Mill pictured below. It has features like a 34 x 9.5 in. table, support for manual and automatic operations, 100 to 5140 RPM spindle speed, precise cutting and a bunch of other nifty specs. It cuts anything from plastic to pre-hardened steel, yet starts at less than 8500 simoleons. This, in a nutshell, is why Tormach’s machines are widely deployed in small shops doing custom work, short runs and prototyping as well as in machining education and in big shops exploring the idea of new lines of business.

Still, for the engineer with the plan to set up shop in their in-law’s extra garage, the added expense of a professional-level CAD/CAM and CAE software suite can be another deterrent. But a complimentary year’s worth of Fusion 360 makes a Tormach PCNC 1100 an even more viable option for many of you. For good measure, toss in the high-quality support that both companies are known to offer and their very active Internet user communities, and you just might be able to pull off that notion of yours.

Qualified Tormach machinery tools are eligible for a complimentary one-year commercial subscription to Autodesk’s cloud-based Fusion 360 integrated CAD, CAM and CAE platform. Tormach says the PCNC 1100 Series 3 pictured here is its best-selling small CNC mill. Image courtesy of Tormach Inc.

Today’s Check it Out link takes you to more details on Tormach machinery and its new relationship with Autodesk Fusion 360. If you sometimes have a great dream to jump into a new gig doing what you really want to do, this is a Check it Out you’ll want to dive into. Sweet stuff.

Thanks, Pal. – Lockwood

Anthony J. Lockwood

Editor at Large, Desktop Engineering

Learn about Tormach's new partnership with Autodesk here.