Mastercam Multi-axis Machining Improves Productivity

Multi-axis machining can dramatically increase a shop’s competitiveness. Mastercam Multi-axis is an add-on for Mastercam Mill 3D, Router 3D, Mill-Turn, and Mastercam for SOLIDWORKS^®_.  It improves productivity with simultaneous 4- and 5-axis machining capability for Mastercam. Mastercam Multi-axis offers a wide range of multi-axis machining strategies, both basic and advanced. These toolpaths are also useful for advanced control of 3-axis machines.

The new Multi-axis Unified toolpath allows you to select multiple pieces of input geometry to generate the toolpath pattern. Using those geometry choices, the toolpath picks the best algorithm to calculate the path. This single toolpath gives you access to all the surface-based toolpaths, as well as the geodesic toolpath options, in a single interface.

New Deburr toolpath enhancements include a new option, Number of cuts along edges, which allows users to add multiple cuts to the Deburr toolpath, rounding or flattening edges, to create a quality edge on deburred parts. Additionally, the new Tilt Range options allow you to limit tilt when machining type is set to 5-axis (simultaneous) or 3+2 axis.

Maintaining climb and conventional machining is critical for surface finish and tool life. Controlling Climb and Conventional Cutting now provides control of climb or conventional cutting while working with surfaces that may require using both sides of a tool. It was previously impossible to maintain this while cutting a curved shape that would require the use of both sides of the tool.

Swarf Milling toolpath enhancements include the Drop tool to floor option which controls whether Mastercam will drop the toolpath down to a floor or retract to the bottom of swarf surfaces. The new Sorting Spiral Multi Cuts option allows multiple slices to be output as a spiral instead of single slices, providing a better finish across the part.

Rotary Advanced toolpath enhancements include the Axis offset option which allows you to shift the tool off-center to maintain a better contact point, which extends tool life and improves the machining quality. The new Smoothing options round sharp corners using a perfect of the stepover.

Mastercam continues to expand the critical machine simulation needed for optimal multi-axis programming with Mastercam Simulator which includes the new Smart Measure feature that allows you to measure distances quickly and accurately in the graphics window during simulation. Simulator now processes standard 3-axis and 5-axis operations faster when back plotting, verifying, or simulating, and now lists all collisions, proximity alerts, and axis overruns in the new Report pane.

Additional enhancements to Mastercam Multi-axis include:

• Maintaining a single tool axis orientation with Accelerated Finishing tools, providing optimal tool axis control to minimize or eliminate extra multi-axis movement.
• The new Point tool to rotary axis option allows you to rotate a toolpath around an offset point instead of the toolpath being fixed to the axis itself, which leads to a better tool contact point.
• The new Automatic arc lead-in type creates automatic arcs in locations where it can be difficult to determine the correct arc to fit and makes it easier to add arcs to linking moves.
• New Apply filtering for conversion generates a more efficient toolpath by filtering incoming toolpaths to reduce size and noise.

For more information on Mastercam’s Multi-axis machining, please visit https://www.mastercam.com/solutions/multiaxis/.