CNC Software has introduced Mastercam 2017, which the company says will help make it faster and easier for users to create CNC programs for complex parts, enhancements that improve material removal safety and productivity, and extended support for a broader range of CNC manufacturing equipment, cutting tools and related technologies.

Transitioning from CAD to CAM is now easierMastercam 2017 improvements include:

CAD for CAM: a CAD package that includes tools focused on preparing CAD models for CNC programming and for designing tools and fixtures used during subsequent manufacturing processes.

2D Enhancements: Enhancements include improvements to Mastercam’s Dynamic Motion toolpaths. An example is its micro lifts which use an intelligent line-of-sight approach to move the tool as it travels through unobstructed areas. Users will see a reduction in air cutting, better machine cycles, and smaller program files.

Multiaxis: New features may make it easy to program complex parts for manufacturing on 4- and 5-axis CNC equipment. Among these is "advanced rotary 4-axis" which the company says constructs the appropriate toolpath based on a sequence of predefined steps. In a similar fashion, the company says its "stock aware multiaxis drilling" simplifies and automates the creation of multiaxis hole drilling operations.

Mill-Turn: Mastercam 2017 also says it is introducing "multi-station tool locators" for turrets and half index positions. Tool locator positions are set in the turret setup, which has been redesigned. As a result, turrets that could support 12 tools can now show 50.

Improved workflow: The company says that Mastercam 2017’s CAM programming tools are brought to the forefront and their organization has been greatly enhanced. Beta testers reported an average of two days to become comfortable with the new interface, with the majority reporting report substantial productivity gains.