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SmartBench has a 7 inch full colour touchscreen display with intuitive controls and workflows. 

Workflow: Console apps

Shape Cutter

Shape Cutter is a start-to-finish tutorial app that allows you to create simple designs on SmartBench itself.

It will walk you through: 

• designing circles, rectangles and squares;

• entering your tool parameters;

• creating your cutting strategy;

• and starting your job - without the need of any computing!

Workflow: CAD/CAM to SmartBench

If you want to process more complex geometries, you’ll need to make your designs on a computer and then transfer the job files to SmartBench.

Design your part with CAD/CAM

Parts are designed and processed on the computer, using CAD/CAM software. Post-processing converts the design into job files for SmartBench.

Send your job to SmartBench

The files are transferred to SmartBench via Wi-Fi or USB. Our computer app, SmartTransfer, makes it incredibly easy to drag and drop files straight on to the SmartBench Console. 

Load files on SmartBench

Select, load, and check files on the SmartBench Console. 

Position and start the job

Choose your datums, and let SmartBench take care of the rest!

Which CAD/CAM software can I use?

SmartBench is compatible with 99% of CAM software packages. As long as you can post-process your file with a GRBL processor, then it will work.

We recommend two CAD/CAM packages, which cater for different applications:

2.5D design

If you are drawing lines and curves, or simply want to import images then we would recommend you look at Vectric VCarve Pro which is £540 Ex Vat (one off payment). 

Vectric specialises in the application of CNC machining to sheet material. It is very popular in the woodworking community for applications such as doors, panels and nested sheets.

Click here to get VCarve Pro.

3D design

3D Design is useful for more detailed engineered work, where fittings and parts with complex features are required. 

If this is right for you, then we would recommend Autodesk Fusion 360 which is free for personal use for one year. After that, it's approximately £450 a year.

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