Tech Tips

Today we are going to discuss how to properly set up your PC to use a high-performance graphics card. If not plugged into the High-performance card, your Mastercam software might seem a bit slow, sluggish, or worse, it may crash either during startup or when you are using the software. Overall, Mastercam is a graphics intense application that requires more power than what the onboard graphics can provide. Using high-performance graphics cards helps the software run smooth. The first thing you should do is look at the back of your computer tower. There are a few different options to plug [...]

Today we’re going to cover a new enhancement to the Divide/Delete tool in Mastercam 2019. If you were to use the Divide/Delete tool in the past, you had to manually select the pieces of wireframe that you didn’t want to keep. While you can still individually select each piece of geometry that you want to delete with this feature, this can be a time-consuming and cumbersome process. Now, you can trim your geometry efficiently with the outline of our cursor. To do this, start by going to go to the Wireframe tab, on the right side of the Modify group, [...]

  There is a new enhancement in Mastercam 2019 for wireframe and curves functions when using STL files. In previous versions it was not possible to create wireframe geometry from STL files so their utility for toolpaths was limited. Now in Mastercam 2019, edges and vertices are recognizable snap locations for creating wireframe geometry.   In the example above, we have three models displayed on the screen. We can analyze each to see their properties. The first is a surface model, the next a watertight solid, and the last is an STL mesh. If you turn off the shading you [...]

  Mastercam Align to Plane is a fairly new function inside of Model Prep. Many times, after importing models from other CAD software programs such as Solidworks and AutoCAD, the parts don’t line up with the Mastercam World Coordinate System (WCS). Now, in Mastercam 2019 this process has become simplified. You now have the option to either create a new WCS in relation to the parts current layout or transform the model and any additional geometry to an existing plane. To use this new function, go into the Model Prep tab in your ribbon bar at the top of the [...]

  Today we are going to explore one of the newest features in Mastercam 2019 called Axis Control. This new feature can be found inside of the Machine Simulation options and is a great tool to ensure all of the axis, X,Y, and Z along with A,B, and C all fall within the limits of your machine. Let’s begin with a part file that includes proper stock setup and some toolpaths on it to simulate. Go into the Backplot and Simulator options in the Toolpaths Manager and then into the Simulation tab in the top right corner. From here, make [...]

Mastercam 2019 Mill-Turn makes machining on today’s high-powered turning centers and full-function machining centers simpler and easier than ever before. Machines that eliminate multiple setups, manual part handling, redundant fixturing, and reduce idle time can boost production and maximize profitability. Adjust Tool Projection After loading tools, you now have the ability to adjust the tool’s projection length by dragging the tool in the graphics window. Mastercam will display the tool and its locator component in the graphics window. Bar Feed The Bar Feed toolpath has been improved and is now supported in Simulation. There are also new options to help manage geometry including [...]

The feature called Mask on Arc in Mastercam for Solidworks is a familiar option in the standalone version of Mastercam. It provides a quick selection process for hole making toolpaths to help accelerate programming. It can quickly differentiate between similar sizes and select multiple locations. In this example, we have a combination of sketched and fully defined features visible in the part file. Let’s first use the circles drawn in these sketches. If you call a hole making function, such as drill, you will see the checkbox on the point manager to activate the masking. Once you check the box, [...]