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Mastercam for SolidWorks X7 – The Best of Both Worlds

August 26, 2013, 8:07 am
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Mastercam for SolidWorks combines the world's leading modeling software with the world's most widely-used CAM software so you can program parts directly in SolidWorks, using toolpaths and machining strategies preferred by shops around the world. With the X7 release we deliver a suite of new tools include milling improvements and efficient turning.

 

For more information on Mastercam for SolidWorks, please visit our website.  And to locate your local Mastercam Reseller, please click here.
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Wheels of Dreams

August 28, 2013, 7:24 am
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Earlier this year, In-House Solutions (our Mastercam Reseller in Canada) partnered with one of their customers Industrial Machine and Manufacturing Limited (IMM), in its ‘Wheels of Dreams’ project to raise funds for a new children’s hospital in Saskatchewan.

With a deadline of October, IMM has been hard at work on the build of a 1956 F100 Ford truck. It will be built to merge the truck's original appearance with that of the brand new Ford Shelby Mustang, ‘street rod style.’ The truck will be a ‘Ford featured vehicle’ in the upcoming SEMA Show
 in Vegas this November. They are hoping to raise more than $500,000 in total; from the proceeds of donations as well as the money raised when the truck is auctioned off at the Barrett-Jackson Collector Car auction in Scottsdale this coming January. All proceeds go to the Saskatchewan Children’s Hospital Foundation.

This picture (above) illustrates the hole that gets filled with the grill insert machined with Mastercam (below).



When asked about how the build was coming along, IMM’s Arden Burton commented, “Great!  The wheels were a big thing.” We designed the wheels and then programmed them using Mill Level 3. We also used Mastercam to program and cut the grill, engrave logos in the wheel hubs, various logos around the truck and more.


This is the original wheel render, with spinner, slated to be machined for the build. 

This is a shot of an unfinished, still in-process wheel. Images provided courtesy of IMM’s project manager, Dave Pihach.


Until now, IMM had Mastercam Mill Level 1 and Lathe in the shop. Having access to Mill Level 3 and Art for this project opened their eyes to the added capability and efficiency each product brings to the table. Arden commented, “It worked the first time! It looked great and there were no problems. There was a lot of exposure as to what we can actually do. As far as lights out machining goes, we set rims up on the machine, pushed go, walked away and came back to finished ones in the morning. So in that aspect, we’re kinda going ‘why don’t we do this as a company?’"

IMM reported that using Mastercam Mill Level 3 was a breeze. Arden added, “...the small details we were able to do on the wheel hubs; we were using ten thou wide cutters to make fancy swirls, which really impressed. Seeing that we actually can now do this and other intricate parts in a reasonable amount of time, it had us going ‘ah, we should be able to do this too.’ We did it, and did it well.”

Thanks to IMM for taking the time to share their story. We wish you the best of luck with the rest of the build and reaching your charitable goal!
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Where’s Your Mastercam Reseller?

August 30, 2013, 12:35 pm
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If you notice a delay in response from your Mastercam Reseller next week, there’s a good reason. We’re gathering resellers from across the globe for our 2014 Mastercam Reseller Conference on September 4-6th. This intense 3-day conference delivers product training, Mastercam technical tips and product direction to your Reseller. In addition, select Resellers are staying though the weekend and into the following week for a series of in-depth advanced training sessions covering the Mastercam software family. This is all done so your Reseller can come back with the latest knowledge and technical skills to serve you better.


However, it’s likely you may not notice any delay. Each break, meal, and walk to a conference room is filled with Resellers rapidly responding to Mastercam users, answering questions, and providing support. They’re there because they want to support you the best way they can, and they don’t stop. Even when we ask them to turn off their cell phones!
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Back To School With Mastercam U

September 4, 2013, 6:52 am
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It’s that time of year! Students near and far, young and old are settling into their classrooms to begin another year of school and experience new learning opportunities. And just in time for that, we have our Mastercam University Mill Design and Toolpaths class up-to-date for X7! There is a lot of new functionality in X7, and whether it’s in the classroom or at home, Mastercam U is a great way to get up to speed. So log into www.mastercamu.com to see what’s new in X7, and whether you’re a seasoned Mastercam user or new to the scene, Mastercam U is one of the best choices out there for learning the #1 CAD/CAM System in the world.*

*Source CIMdata, Inc.
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Mastercam Reseller Conference Going Strong

September 6, 2013, 8:46 am
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Mark and Brian Summers kick off the start of the conference.

Our Resellers from all over the world came together for this special event.

 
Some of our presenters got a little excited about our new products. 

For the past couple of days we've been putting our Mastercam Resellers through a little Mastercam boot camp. They have come together from all corners of the world to learn all about the latest and greatest Mastercam advancements and help us plan for the upcoming years.

 
Mastercam's Third Party Partners got a chance to display their products. 
   
Jeremy Bout of the Edge Factor got everybody excited about his upcoming projects.

We have had some long days and nights and we are not done yet. Training will continue over the weekend and into next week. It's been a great opportunity to have the Mastercam Family all together networking and catching up. Thank you for your patience while we and our Resellers have been away. We will be back to business as usual next week.

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Long Sleeve Mastercam Clothing On Sale

September 9, 2013, 8:54 am
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Mastercam at EMO Hannover

September 11, 2013, 7:45 am
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This month, CNC Software will be traveling to Hannover, Germany to support esteemed German Mastercam Reseller InterCAM-Deutschland GmbH at the upcoming EMO show. If you are going to be in Hannover, stop by the Mastercam booth (Hall 25, Stand L25) at the Hannover Exhibition Center, September 16-21 to see Mastercam X7 in action.

EMO Hannover is the undisputed leading trade fair in the industry. Exhibitors come to EMO Hannover from all over the world and from all segments of metalworking technology.  To learn more about the EMO show, please visit this link. When you’re at the show, look for the big Mastercam X, you can’t miss it. We hope to see you there!
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5-Axis Machine Accuracy Training

September 16, 2013, 7:03 am
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On October 15 – 17 in East Hartford, CT IQL (Independent Quality Labs, Inc.) and IBS Precision Engineering are hosting a 5-axis machining seminar presented by the leading industry 5-axis experts. Mastercam’s 5-axis expert, Karlo Apro, will be one of the presenters in this “5-Axis Machine Accuracy Training.”

The three-day course on 5-Axis Machine Tool Metrology Applications provides the understanding and application of fundamental metrology principles specific to the testing and improvement of 5-axis machine tools. Through lecture and demonstrations, focus is placed on the importance of functionally significant tests, the proper use of terminology for describing these tests and parametric test procedures as outlined in ANSI and ISO machine tool standards. The course is designed for a wide variety of engineers and technicians concerned with machine tool productivity and purchasing specifications.

The course is being held at the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology, Inc. (CCAT)  in East Hartford, CT. For more information please visit http://www.iqlinc.com/training/5axis_ma.htm
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Turning Your Dreams into Reality for 30 Years

September 18, 2013, 11:26 am
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Mastercam has been helping you create NC code for three decades. Watch how Mastercam and your programming have changed the world! We've seen amazing projects come to life through the combination of your creativity and our software. We look forward to many more years of collaboration with our #MastercamFamily of users around the world.


To see more Mastercam video please visit our YouTube channel.
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Mastercam at TOYOtech

September 20, 2013, 7:28 am
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TOYODA Machinery asked us at Mastercam to help introduce their new 5-Axis machine line at TOYOtech 2013. We designed  and programmed some complex 5-Axis parts and trained their people on best practices in Mastercam. We all collaborated in a creative process with deep collective determination to realize our shared goals which are to provide our customers with leading edge technology so they can prosper in today’s manufacturing environment.


To see more Mastercam videos, please head over to our YouTube Channel.
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Tech Support Remotely Accomplished

September 23, 2013, 7:10 am
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If you need tech support, your Mastercam reseller will get it to you...no matter where you are. Alaska Arms of Big Lake, Alaska, stands out as proof of this concept.

This machine shop, specializing in custom-made firearms components primarily for gun makers and collectors is owned and operated by former logging truck driver Morris Melani. It is located 60 miles north of Anchorage where there is, on average, one house for every 16 square miles of land. Temperatures can dip to -50° F in the dead of winter. The degree of difficulty for getting technical support under these conditions is higher than average, but far from impossible.

When Melani decided to start his custom manufacturing business, he chose Mastercam Mill because of all the capabilities it offers. Plus, of all the CAM resellers he talked to, Tim Rowley of MCAM Northwest was the one who had the deepest expertise in providing service to users who are off the beaten path.

While he was putting his business plan together and arranging to finance his equipment, Melani relied heavily on web-based resources to build up his CAD/CAM programming skills. His initial focus was on learning the fundamentals using Streamingteacher, one of many learning resources listed on the Mastercam web site. Melani combined his Streamingteacher subscription with the generous tech support available with his license to obtain both personalized training online with MCAM Northwest trainers using GoToMeeting.com.

After about a year of self-paced learning, he knew his way around Mastercam well enough so that he could begin using the software to design his first products, along with the CNC processes and toolpaths for manufacturing them. By the time his tombstone-equipped Haas VF2 arrived and was installed in his garage, this North Country machinist was ready to roll.

Melani says he has 100% confidence that whatever he decides to manufacture, he will be successful. He has procedures and processes that have been vetted for their soundness and he has software tools that allow him to design and manufacture efficiently. And if he gets stuck, he has multiple avenues of support available via his high-speed Internet connection.
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Mastercam Participates in 2nd Annual Manufacturing Day

September 25, 2013, 6:25 am
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The second annual Manufacturing Day will be held on Friday, October 4. Manufacturing Day is a day for everyone who is involved with manufacturing to show the public what modern manufacturing is all about.

Manufacturing Day addresses common misconceptions about manufacturing by giving manufacturers an opportunity to show, not only what manufacturing is, but also what it isn’t.

CNC Software is opening its doors on October 4th. We will be providing quick tours of our corporate office, giving product demonstrations, providing a visit to the machine shop to see Mastercam in action, and giving you a chance to talk with our staff about the software and manufacturing in general.

If you are in the area, stop by and help us make Manufacturing Day a success. Our Educational Office in Gig Harbor, WA is also hosting an Open House, as are many local Mastercam Resellers.


For more information on Manufacturing Day, or to see if any businesses are in your area, please visit www.mfgday.com. To register online to visit us on Manufacturing day, please click here.


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Friday Tech Tip - Mastercam Simulator Engines

September 27, 2013, 8:36 am
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( The following piece comes from Mastercam Shop Talk, a digital newsletter that goes out to Mastercam Maintenance customers).  

Mastercam X7 introduced the new Mastercam Simulator, unifying backplot and solid part cut simulation and providing a variety of additional tools.

Under the hood, the Mastercam Simulator switches between two engines; one dedicated to 2 & 3 axis machining, and one that expands that to include 5-axis machining. The reason is straightforward. The 3-axis engine doesn't need to account for multi-axis moves, so it's the faster of the two. Mastercam Simulator decides which engine to use based on the operations.

But did you know that you can override the Mastercam Simulator and tell it which engine to use? And more importantly, why would you want to do such a thing?

The Mastercam Simulator 5-axis engine continually tracks all sides of the stock, not just the area being cut. This is an obvious necessity because the part is always moving, rotating and shifting in different axes. If you have a 3-axis part that has features on the bottom that you want to see while operations are being done on the top, just tell the Mastercam Simulator to use the 5-axis engine.

The following pictures show the difference between the two engines:

 
3-axis engine cutting the top of a part.

5-axis engine cutting the top of a part with the same 3-axis toolpath, but also showing details of the part's underside.


To switch between the two engines, select File > Options > General in the Mastercam Simulator window.  


(All Maintenance customers have access to the Mastercam Shop Talk digital newsletter. For more information on Mastercam maintenance,click here).


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Spotlight: Save Time with the New Toolpath Optimization System in Robotmaster V6

September 30, 2013, 11:55 am
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Thirty seconds may not seem like much to some, but when it comes to offline robotic programming, 30 seconds can make all the difference in the world to the bottom line.

The new optimization system of Robotmaster V6 allows for substantially faster optimizing, which means you can check for collisions, singularities, out of reach, and joint limits faster and more easily than ever before. Fine tuning the optimizations can reduce the time of regenerating and verifying a smooth, collision-free toolpath by 10, 20, 30 seconds or more. The time saved increases exponentially with larger and more point-intensive paths.

This per-path time savings add up when you consider that a program with only 2 paths could be optimized a full minute faster in Robotmaster V6 than in previous versions. At only one program a day, that’s an annual time savings of roughly 250 minutes, or 4+ hours, based on days worked per year.

Many programs have 5, 10, or more toolpaths per part, which means the time and cost savings, as well as efficiencies, will increase dramatically as the year progresses. Programming becomes more efficient, time is spent more wisely, and the beneficiary is your bottom line when you use the new toolpath optimization system in Robotmaster V6.




For more information or to schedule a demo, contact In-House Solutions at 800.529.5517 or email robotmaster@inhousesolutions.com

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Mastercam On The Road – October ’13 Edition

October 2, 2013, 6:17 am
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Every day no matter where you are in the world, you see countless of instances where Mastercam has left its mark. What that could be is a very broad answer; it could be the products you use regularly, Mastercam stakeholders, or the software you use for a living. Mastercam stakeholders are frequently overlooked, but are an essential piece of creating a strong product used worldwide. We are everywhere, from end users to our software Resellers to the CNC Software Corporate staff. It’s a worldwide community and family that is constantly growing and helping each other. We all get around as a function of everyday life, but we also are busy traveling to all corners of the globe to find ways to make our software more efficient and to solve the real world problems that every shop goes through, fortune 500 or one man shop alike.

Well, this coming month is no different. Take a look at our busy schedule of events, shows, expositions, meetings, and visits where Mastercam will be on display. If you’re in the area, take a moment to stop in and chat with fellow Mastercam-heads, as you really do help make the software what it is today.

UralMetal Expo (October 1 – 3, Ekaterinburg, Russia)

Haas Oktoberfest (October 2 – 3, HFO Trident, Windsor, CT)

SNK America Open House (October 2 – 3, Chicago, IL)

Manufacturing Day (October 4, CNC Software Corporate and Educational Headquarters)

MSV (October 7 – 11, Brno, Czech Republic)

Holz 2013 (October 8 – 12, Basel, Switzerland)

Mazak (October 8 – 16, Mazak North American HQ, Florence, Kentucky)

WESTEC (October 15 – 17, Los Angeles, CA)

WESTEC Mastercam Meetup (October 16, Yard House, 800 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles, CA)

HaasTec 2013 (October 16 – 19, IMT Manesar, Haryana, India)

WITS 2013 (October 22 – 24, Wichita, KS)

AMTS (October 23 – 24, Dayton, OH)

Morris South Southern Tech Fest (October 23 - 24 Huntsville, AL)

WMS 2013 (October 24 – 26, Toronto, Ontario, Canada)

MD&M Minneapolis (October 28 – 30, Minneapolis, MN)

mashEX Moscow (October 29 – November 1, Moscow, Russia)

SOUTH-TEC (October 29 – 31, Greenville, SC)


We hope to see you at any one of these shows in October!


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Manufacturing Day is Under Way

October 4, 2013, 11:23 am
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So far we've had many visitors come through our doors here at Mastercam corporate. What a great day it's been. We've had the opportunity to show folks of all ages what we do here at CNC Software.

 The President's youngest son has been showing off his machining talents.

This is one of our newest college interns ready to show off her machining wizardry.

Vice President, Brian Summers has been in the shop talking to all of our visitors.

A group from UConn were fascinated to play with the very first version of Mastercam, which happened to be a full decade older than they were!

Our Applications Manager explaining a little bit about how this part was made.

Our Sales Manager introducing everybody to our 'home.'

Our training room has been hopping all day with presentations and software demos.

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Stay warm the Mastercam way!

October 7, 2013, 11:31 am
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Head-to-head: Mastercam Dynamic Milling vs. Traditional Toolpaths

October 9, 2013, 9:40 am
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Cycle time and tool wear are shops' constant concerns. Mastercam's dynamic milling is designed to improve both of these with a single powerful technique. Mastercam's Dynamic Milling toolpaths create constantly adapting motion providing smoother, safer cuts. This motion is easier on your machine and can effectively use the full flute length, greatly extending cutter life and often eliminating the need for multiple depth cuts.

In this video we run a test of Dynamic Milling Opti-Core against traditional milling. Watch to see the difference using this one simple toolpath can make!





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WESTEC Mastercam Meetup

October 11, 2013, 7:38 am
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Are you planning on being at WESTEC next week? Well, have we got a treat for you! From 4PM – 6PM at the Yard House on Wednesday, October 16, just a few blocks away from the show, join us for another installment of our popular Mastercam Meetups. Come hang out with fellow Mastercam pros for a few beverages and some appetizers, it’s sure to be a blast! You also could walk away with some Mastercam swag. Here’s all the information you need:

October 16, 2013 4 – 6 PM
Yard House Los Angeles
800 West Olympic Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90015

P: 213-745-9273

Click this link to register. We hope to see you there.


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What’s Your CAM Initiative?

October 14, 2013, 7:17 am
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CAM Initiatives are on-going programs (large or small) advocated and driven by top management who encourage manufacturing personnel in the shop to take the time necessary to investigate how they can use equipment and software they already own (or could easily acquire) to do their work more efficiently. In our experience manufacturing companies who undertake CAM Initiatives are among the most productive and profitable.

So the question we ask here is: “What’s Your CAM Initiative?” If you don’t have one at the moment, here is a short list of initiatives other manufacturers have pursued to great advantage:

  • Encourage customers to send models whenever possible to save thousands upon thousands of dollars in redrawing costs.
  • Train everyone in your company to improve their CAM knowledgeability and proficiency. This results in better work process flexibility and short circuits the talent crisis by making it easier to promote from within.
  • Reduce tool wear by using appropriate new cutter technology along with Mastercam’s Dynamic Toolpaths. This not only reduces tool costs but also improves productivity because far fewer tool changes are required.
  • Run lights out whenever possible to get more spindle hours from existing equipment. Mastercam’s Dynamic Toolpaths and simulation features will allow you to do this with great confidence.
  • Increase feeds and speeds whenever possible within reasonable limits to improve productivity and lead times. In many cases Dynamic Toolpaths (again) can help you make dramatic improvements in this area.
  • Become proficient at 3 + 2 machining: 3 + 2 machining on 5-axis equipment allows many different operations in multiple planes with just one setup resulting in  very high levels of productivity on a single piece of equipment.
  • Enlist Your Mastercam Reseller to become part of your CAM Initiative. They are likely to have many other specific ideas you can use for improving productivity, profitability and/or obtaining a competitive advantage.
Contact your local Mastercam Reseller to start your CAM Initiative today!

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