Autodesk has sponsored this post.

The manufacturing workspace in Autodesk Fusion 360 with the Machining Extension. (Image courtesy of Autodesk.)

In our recent article about Autodesk Fusion 360, Why Fusion is 360, we explained the cloud software’s raison d'être. It aims to be the jack-of-all-trades of engineering software—not just mechanical design, not just electrical design, not just simulation, not just rendering, not just manufacturing, but all of those things and more, in one software suite in the cloud.

“At the highest level, what Fusion 360 is all about is making that integration as seamless as possible, removing as much of the re-work as possible when something moves from one discipline to another, so that everybody's working from the same playbook, the same design,” summarized Jason Love, Technology Communications Manager at Autodesk.

In today’s article, we’ll drill down on Fusion 360’s manufacturing capabilities and how the platform fits into the landscape of computer aided manufacturing (CAM) software.

CAM in the New Normal

For years, software companies have been preaching the benefits of the cloud, waging what at times seemed an uphill battle to win over customers of legacy desktop software. Autodesk Fusion 360 debuted in 2013 as one of the earliest cloud-based design tools, and in the time since many more have come online.

Then, along came a global pandemic, a suddenly remote workforce—and a surge in interest in cloud-based tools. These tools seem tailor-made for the new normal.

“Software like Fusion 360 enables collaboration and makes it easy to do remote working and continue production,” emphasized Mark Gadsden, Senior Manager of Product Marketing at Autodesk.

Fusion 360 files are stored in the cloud and accessed through the Fusion 360 client on devices big and small, mobile and immobile, Mac and PC. Most general processing is done locally, but processor-intensive functions like simulation, generative design, and rendering take advantage of cloud computing. It’s a solution that offers the benefits of the cloud—such as multiple users working concurrently on a design—while keeping one foot on the ground—such as the ability to work offline.

Design for Additive and Subtractive Manufacturing (Or Both)

Autodesk Fusion 360 doesn’t discriminate between manufacturing methods, offering users tools for both additive and subtractive manufacturing. Want to make a quick prototype on your desktop FFF printer? You can set up the 3D print in Fusion 360. Ready to mill on your CNC machine? The same software provides a workspace to program your toolpath. Dozens of 3D printers and cutting, milling and turning machines can be found in the Fusion 360 machine library.

The Fusion 360 machine library includes a variety of additive and subtractive machines.

Having both additive and subtractive capabilities in one application is nice; however, according to Autodesk, the real differentiator for Fusion 360 is that these CAM tools are integrated with Fusion 360’s core CAD capabilities.

“We are truly the only tool out there that integrates additive manufacturing with subtractive manufacturing with design,” said Bryce Heventhal, Senior Manager of Technical Marketing for Fusion 360.

That integration allows for some handy time savers. A change to the geometry of a part automatically propagates to other workspaces, so CNC toolpaths or AM support structures update without any need for rework. “With any other setup, I would have to update everything downstream in a serial fashion, where with Fusion 360 it just magically happens,” Heventhal continued.

Fusion 360 Extensions

A recent addition to the Fusion 360 platform is the concept of extensions. True to their name, these optional add-ons extend the core functionality of Fusion 360 for users with particular needs, such as advanced manufacturing. In fact, manufacturing was the focus of the very first Fusion 360 Extension when Autodesk announced the development in 2019.

Using the Machining Extension in Fusion 360. (Image courtesy of Autodesk.)

The Machining Extension (formerly called the Manufacturing Extension) provides specialized options for machinists including advanced toolpaths (such as the steep and shallow toolpath, which automatically combines parallel and contour toolpaths) and automation features (such as drilling automation for parts with many holes). Some machining capabilities are included by default in Fusion 360, but the Machining Extension adds an extra layer on top for the users that need it.

“The base version of Fusion 360 is truly meant for your generalist, for 80 percent of customers out there. We're seeing Extensions leverage the other 20 percent,” Heventhal explained. “If I was focused on subtractive manufacturing day in-day out, that's where I'm going to need the Machining Extension.”

The Machining Extension can be added to Fusion 360 directly through the application. Extensions have different access options, with daily and/or monthly options available depending on the Extension. The Machining Extension can be licensed for 200 cloud credits (USD$200) per month or 25 cloud credits per day.

Adding the Machining Extension in Autodesk Fusion 360.

In Heventhal’s opinion, the flexible licensing model of Fusion 360 Extensions is worth highlighting. Compared to the typical bronze, silver and gold tiers of software, Fusion 360 has a single base version that can be enhanced à la carte. In this way, users can pay only for the extra features they need.

“If there's only one feature a user needs, but that feature is held hostage in a premium-level gold tier offering, a user has to pay top dollar to get it, bundled with a bunch of random stuff they never wanted access to,” said Heventhal. “We’ve done away with that model, so you only pay for what you use.”

The Additive Build Extension

Another Fusion 360 Extension made for CAM users is the Additive Build Extension. Like its subtractive counterpart, the Additive Build Extension provides additional AM capabilities that go beyond the core Fusion 360 functionality. In particular, this Extension is made for metal additive manufacturing with a suite of tools for selective laser melting (SLM) 3D printing (a.k.a. powder bed fusion). An SLM print can be set up and then paired with the Machining Extension for subtractive finishing, all in the same environment.

The Additive Build Extension in Fusion 360 used to simulate an SLM print.

Following the same 80/20 rule as machinists, the majority of users can get away with the 3D printing tools in the stock Fusion 360. “In base Fusion 360, you can still do other 3D printing or additive manufacturing applications. You can drive FFF printers, for example. You don't have to buy the Additive Build Extension to do additive,” Gadsden clarified.

The Additive Build Extension is available for daily licensing at a rate of 25 cloud credits (USD$25) per day. Another additive extension, the Additive Simulation Extension, is currently available as a tech preview.

How PowerMill, FeatureCAM and Netfabb Tie Into Fusion 360

There was an Autodesk before Fusion 360, and the company still offers many of the original CAM tools that are so familiar to manufacturing professionals. Some of Autodesk’s existing heavy-hitters are PowerMill and FeatureCAM for subtractive manufacturing, and Netfabb for additive manufacturing. Rather than compete with Fusion 360, these legacy tools provide the underlying technology behind Fusion 360’s CAM capabilities, and have been symbolically enveloped by the Fusion 360 brand.

Rather than push its CAM customer base to switch from their beloved 30-year-old PowerMill to Fusion 360, Autodesk instead encourages users to explore the solutions in tandem. Subscriptions to PowerMill, FeatureCAM, Netfabb and other legacy products come bundled with Fusion 360, as do select Extensions depending on the application (e.g. Netfabb includes access to the Additive Build Extension and PowerMill includes access to the Machining Extension).

“We love to say Fusion 360 is the better CAD tool for CAM users,” said Heventhal, noting that many of Autodesk’s customers have started using the legacy and cloud offerings together. Autodesk can also strategically develop these products concurrently, since they share the same underlying CAM kernels—though Heventhal made sure to note that “we're not just taking that technology from PowerMill and FeatureCAM and shoving it into Fusion 360, we're actually reimagining it.”

CAM Down, 359 To Go

Fusion 360 offers a range of additive and subtractive manufacturing tools, both in the core platform and through extensions, but it would be a mistake to categorize it as a CAM tool. If there is one theme its users seem to appreciate most, it’s that Fusion 360 is a Swiss army knife of engineering software.

“Fusion 360 is not just a modeling tool, or a rendering tool, or a CAM tool; it’s all of them combined,” praised Phil Law, founder of PEMBREE, a mountain bike parts manufacturer and satisfied user of Fusion 360. “Even setting the cost issue aside, if we had to get three separate packages for all of those capabilities, then it’s on us to learn how to use all of them and figure out how to integrate them. With Fusion 360, we don’t have to do any of that.”

To learn more about Autodesk Fusion 360, read Why Fusion is 360 or visit Autodesk.com.