In this episode, Lars Christensen and myself talked about Fusion 360 and the features and benefits that it has for CNC router users. Lars has been with Autodesk for over 5 years now and is known around the world for his Fusion 360 tutorial videos on YouTube with over 100,000 subscribers.

In this episode we discuss:

• Using Fusion CAM for CNC Routers vs. Conventional Milling Machines
• Fusion 360’s unlimited use license for hobbyists and small businesses with under $100k/year in revenue
• Fusion 360 is based off of mechanical CAD and uses HSM Works for CAM which was purchased by Autodesk
• 90% of CAM operations that are required by CNC router users are found in the 2D CAM section including: 2D Adaptive Clearing, 2D Pocket and 2D Contour
• Lars discusses possible future plans for more CNC router-related content in his videos
• 4th axis capability within Fusion 360
• Fusion 360 post processors and the Autodesk Post Library
• Solidworks vs. Inventor vs. Fusion 360
• Fusion 360 is able to open Solidworks files due to the “Any CAD” capability
• Fusion 360 is cloud-based and has full support for the Mac operating system
• Discussion of Feeds and Speeds within Fusion 360
• Using Foam and cheap end mills when first learning
• Using good quality end mills once you become more proficient and the benefits they have

LINKS FROM EPISODE

• Fusion 360 (Autodesk)
• Stepcraft CNC
• G-Wizard (CNC Cookbook)
• Lakeshore Carbide
• Amana Tool
• Lars’s YouTube Channel
• CNC Handbook (Free Download)