Why choose Mastercam?
Mastercam is the Industry Standard
The most recent analysis of CAM software seats produced by CIMdata, Inc. shows that CNC Software’s Mastercam® is the world’s most widely-used CAM software. With almost 136,000 installed seats, Mastercam has more than twice the installed base of the closest competitor.
What does this mean for you? It means that when you choose Mastercam, you’re using innovative CAM software that has helped more shops achieve success than any other. It also means that skilled Mastercam users are much easier to find.
Mastercam’s Support is Second to None
Mastercam is supported by a worldwide network of dedicated, expert resellers who focus exclusively on ensuring that Mastercam fits your needs. They know the software, know your area, and are there when you need them.
Mastercam also enjoys a large online user community that offers advice, help, tips and tricks to fellow Mastercam programmers.
Mastercam is Dedicated to the Future
As one of the pioneers in PC-based CAD/CAM, Mastercam has a long history of company security and health. As a privately-owned company, we continue to focus exclusively on the needs of NC programmers. And as a CAD/CAM innovator, we’ll be here to work with you as you move into the future.
Automation Eases Block Drilling
Mastercam X3 adds features that specifically target router
automation, including block drilling, nesting, and automatic toolpathing.
Nest block drill toolpaths within a restricted area on a sheet to ensure
that they are placed within the machine travel limits. Specify machine X
and Y axis limits and the proper offset for the drill block component in
your machine definition, and Mastercam automatically positions block-drilled
parts in a confined area of the sheet, ensuring that all drilling is done
within the travel limits of the machine. Generate separate block drill operations
for each sheet of material to provide more efficient sorting by optimizing
the block drilling motion for all parts as a group. Available for either
manual nesting or Automatic Toopathing (ATP), this option offers improved
material usage by allowing block-drilled parts to be rotated.
ATP users can create or open a layered (multilevel) geometry
file, select a machine definition, and select an strategy to automatically
chain geometry and create toolpaths using the new Single File ATP option.
With Mastercam X3, you can direct where the tool enters
the stock on an Engraving toolpath (interior corner, chain start point,
or the midpoint of the longest line.
Feature Based Machining (FBM)
A highlight of Mastercam X3 is Feature Based Machining (FBM),
available with Mastercam Router and higher. FBM eliminates manual feature
identification for programming milling and drilling operations on solid
parts. The FBM Mill and FBM Drill operations automatically create the toolpaths
needed to machine features that are identified using your specific criteria.
FBM's interface is simple and intuitive, so you'll become comfortable with
it quickly.
New 2D High Speed Toolpaths for Router
Face toolpaths offer an additional cutting method--controlled
engagement. This smooth controlled motion maintains a constant load
on the tool with minimal entries and exits.
Mastercam X3 introduces five new 2D High Speed Toolpaths
for Router, all optimized for high speed machining and hard milling. See the Mill Product page for more information on these new toolpaths.
Energized 3D Toolpaths for Router Pro
- Mastercam X3 improves multiaxis toolpath speed and introduces
new High Speed Toolpath (HST) controls that make programming efficient.
- HST can now be controlled by an XML-based file containing
formulas used to derive the values in the HST toolpaths. This gives you
the ability to set intelligent values for different cutting conditions
(for example, material hardness).
- Options for controlling climb or conventional cutting
have been added to all constant-Z HST toolpaths, including Core Roughing,
Area Clearance, Waterline, Rest Roughing, and Horizontal Area.
- The Port5ax and Flow5ax toolpaths include a new feature
that allows an overlap/blend to be added at the beginning and end of a
toolpath. This feature is very useful in creating better finishes where
toolpaths may need to meet from opposite directions.
Mastercam System Requirements
- Processor: 1.5 GHz (minimum) 32-bit Intel-compatible processor; 64-bit Intel-compatible processors are supported.
- Operating System: Windows XP, Windows Vista (Business or Ultimate) including the latest service packs and recommended updates; .NET 2.0 framework.
- Memory: 1 GB (minimum), 1.7 GB available hard disk space.
- Graphics: 128 MB OpenGL-compatible graphics card (minimum).
- Monitor: 1024 x 768 at 96 DPI (minimum)
- Mouse: Windows-compatible 2-button or 3-button mouse (or with middle mouse wheel.
As an independent software vendor partner with Dell, Mastercam receives and tests their latest hardware offerings to make sure that they are compatible with Mastercam. Once a system is received, Mastercam is installed and we run tests to insure the hardware platform and its individual components work without error. By eliminating the issue of incompatibility, both software and hardware vendors help reduce troubleshooting and resolution. If the system meets our approval, it is deemed “certified” and then listed on Dell's web page as a supported and recommended system from running Mastercam.
Click here for a list of the current Dell Precision Workstations that Mastercam has certified.