Mastercam Mill X3 Enhances Work with Solid Models

By DE Editors

Mastercam’s new FBM makes it easier to machine prismatic solids by automating the machining process.

Mastercam X3 Mill (Tolland, CT) from CNC Software,  Inc. offers expanded machining flexibility and an increased emphasis on speed and automation so users can automatically mill and drill solid models.

A few highlights and new functionality in Mastercam X3 Mill include Feature Based Machining (FBM), which evaluates a part’s features and automatically designs an effective machining strategy. It can detect solid machining features for pocketing, contouring, and drilling routines. FBM will machine pockets using new 2D HST roughing, rest mill, and finish operations; automatically create holes; and toolpaths are fully associative and editable after creation.

2D High Speed Toolpaths, another new highlight, is Mastercam’s 3D high-speed toolpaths that lead to new high-speed machining for 2D machining.

Enhanced Multiaxis Functions lets Mastercam X3 improve multiaxis toolpath speed and introduces new High Speed Toolpath controls to make programming more efficient.

Mastercam in SolidWorks is a new X3 package that brings Mastercam toolpaths directly into SolidWorks. This package will be released shortly after Mastercam X3.

Other new enhancements are intended to improve shop floor productivity, such as Import full SolidWorks history trees, expanded support for cutting STL files, CAD enhancements, 3D high-speed toolpath enhancements, and more.

Mastercam is Windows-based CAD/CAM software for 2- through 5-axis milling and turning; 2-  and 4-axis wire EDM; 2D and 3D design, surface, and solid modeling; artistic relief cutting, and 2D and 3D routing.

For details on Mastercam, go to CNC Software, Inc.

Sources:  Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.