Mastercam 2022 includes some handy new 3D High-Speed Waterline tool path enhancements for spiral patterns, new contour directions, machining flat areas, and optimizing the cut order.

Machining with a Spiral Pattern and New Contour Directions

closed contour

The Cut Method drop-down on the Cut Parameters page has been replaced with the Closed contour direction and Open contour direction drop-downs. These new drop-downs allow you to create more efficient cutting motion and include reduced retracts on open contours.

  • Closed contour direction: Sets the cutting direction for closed contours, creating continuous motion without the need for a retract or reversal of direction.
  • Open contour direction: Sets the cutting direction for open contours.

3D High Speed Waterline Toolpath Enhancements

Waterline also includes two new Closed contour direction options, Climb Spiral and Conventional Spiral. These new cut styles provide cleaner finishes, less machining motion, and fewer retracts. Spiral also helps to avoid creating marks on your part due to stepdown motion.

  • Climb spiral: Cuts in one direction in a spiral pattern, with the tool rotating in the opposite direction of the tool motion.
  • Conventional spiral: Cuts in one direction in a spiral pattern, with the tool rotating in the same direction as the tool motion.

Machining Flat Areas

3D High Speed Waterline Toolpath Enhancements

You can now determine how a Waterline toolpath handles flat areas in a part. Use the new Critical Depths group on the Cut Parameters page to further customize this handling. Use the Type drop-down option to determine the types of flat areas to be machined, such as Flats only, which allows you to machine only flat areas. You can also manually select the flat areas using the Manual option, or you can use Extend to expand out these flat areas.

Optimizing the Cut Order

Mastercam cut order

When machining bosses and features that are close to each other, Mastercam now optimizes the cut order for Waterline toolpaths.

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