CNC Software Unveils Mastercam X5

By DE Editors

The new OptiRough toolpath in Mastercam X5 is designed to remove large amounts of material quickly using a dynamic milling motion.

CNC Software (Tolland, CT) has released Mastercam X5, extending its CAM software with such new features as dynamic milling techniques, multiaxis machining, and Smart Hybrid Finishing. In a simultaneous announcement, the company also released the X5 edition of Mastercam Router system for NC programming.

CNC says that Mastercam X5's dynamic milling techniques are designed to constantly adjust the toolpath to ensure the most efficient cut and enable use of the entire tool flute length. New dynamic milling techniques include dynamic rest mill and dynamic contour. The former is said to behave in a manner similar to the current toolpath, only it uses dynamic milling motion instead of core mill or area mill motion for the rest operations. Dynamic contour uses a high-speed contouring strategy to remove material along walls. It supports multi-passes and can optionally include finishing passes.

Mastercam X5 lets you choose the basic type of work you’re doing using illustrations, and then provides step-by-step processes for defining how to cut the part. Mastercam X5’s new 3D surface high-speed OptiRough toolpath is a new technique designed to remove large amounts of material quickly using dynamic milling motion. Hybrid finishing blends two cutting techniques in a single toolpath that first evaluates the model shape and switches between Constant Z cutting and Constant Scallop machining.

Hybrid finishing in Mastercam Router X5 intelligently blends two cutting techniques in a single toolpath.

Mastercam Router X5 includes imporvements to its Automatic Toolpathing (ATP) function and block drill support. An option in ATP can read in entire projects and have then automatically programmed using presets that you choose. Other ATP improvements expanded customizability and streamlined operation.

To minimize tool change, Mastercam Router X5's Feature Based Machining (FBM) Drill capability now recognizes block drill units that are configured in the active Router machine definition. FBM Drill can also assign block drill tools and generate block drilling toolpaths.

Mastercam runs under Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7, and is said to be compatible with all other CAD/CAM systems. For more information about Mastercam X5 and Mastercam Router 5X, visit CNC Software’s Mastercam site.

Read Mastercam success stories.

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Access a variety of machining videos (registration free).

See why DE's Editors selected Mastercam X5 as their Pick of the Week.