How CloudNC’s Cutting Parameters module for CAM Assist delivers proven‑level cutting data instantly - and why that matters for every machine shop.

Why feeds & speeds are a bottleneck

For machine shops, selecting cutting parameters should be science, but it can often be a case of trial and error:

1. Consult catalogues for starting numbers - but each vendor uses a different format.
2. Cut & tweak until chatter, tool load and surface finish are acceptable.
3. Save a preset, repeat hundreds of times.

Even a seasoned CAM engineer can invest months or potentially years building a halfway‑complete database - and every new tool, material or workholding scenario resets the clock.

The result? Shops settle for conservative, one‑size‑fits‑all numbers that leave plenty of spindle time on the table.

A fun proof‑of‑concept: The Minecraft Chicken Challenge 🐔

Cutting Parameters, a module within our CAM Assist AI solution, can populate toolpaths with physics‑based feeds and speeds in seconds.

We wanted a demo that anyone - from CNC veterans to school kids - could get excited about, so we asked CAM Assist to mill an unmistakable icon: the block‑tastic Minecraft chicken. Two of them, in fact.

The full setup is captured in the short video above. The rules were simple:

1. Chicken A – CAM Assist‑generated toolpaths plus our shop’s trusted, human‑curated cutting‑data presets.
2. Chicken B – Identical toolpaths, but every speed, feed, depth and width of cut supplied by Cutting Parameters AI.

Both parts ran back‑to‑back on the same Haas VF‑2, under the same fixturing and with the same cutting tools. The only variable was how the numbers were chosen.

With factory presets, the chicken took 42 minutes, 20 seconds to machine.
With AI-powered cutting data, the cycle time dropped to 35 minutes, 12 seconds.

That’s a 17 % reduction in cycle time - a difference you can literally watch unfold in split‑screen. It’s a playful experiment, sure, but the result is serious: physics‑based feeds and speeds deliver tangible productivity gains, even on a straightforward 3‑axis job.

What that means on the shop floor

• More parts per shift – reclaim spindle time.
• Longer tool life & fewer scrapped parts – optimal chip thickness keeps forces within safe limits.
• No more database overhead – new tool? New alloy? Let the physics handle it.
• Lower barrier to entry – hobbyists and junior programmers get expert‑level feeds and speeds instantly.

(For more detail on the specifics, here's a Q&A with our CTO Andy Cheadle on how it all works.) 

Try it today

If you already use CAM Assist, enable Cutting Parameters AI from the sidebar and start experimenting. New to CloudNC? Request a demo or email sales@cloudnc.com.

‍