Northeast Manufacturing News • Feb 19 • Streamline The Manufacturing Process

Mastercam 2019 Mill offers expanded machining flexibility and an increased emphasis on speed and automation. Two - dimension high speed toolpaths, 3-D enhancements and multiaxis features combine with dozens of additional new enhancements in a software package intended to improves hop floor productivity.

• 2-D enhancements—A new toolpath, Model Chamfer, is now available for 2- D machining. This toolpath allows the user to machine safe horizontal chamfers on solid models. After selecting your geometry, Model Chamfer has several unique parameters to further control the toolpath.

Maintain sharp corners is now available for standard 2-D Contour and Pocket toolpaths. This new option allows the user to roll the toolpath around sharp corners and is available when entering a positive value for Stock to leave on walls.

• 3-D enhancements—A new 3-D high speed toolpath, Equal Scallop, creates a consistent scallop motion relative to step-over distance, and produces an enhanced surface finish. Equal Scallop generates clean, noise-free motion with the ability to smooth out sharp corners or convert the motion to a spiral approach while avoiding stepover moves.

The linking process time for Area Roughing toolpaths has been improved, specifically for parts with many pockets and small stepdowns. This improves the overall processing time for high speed machining applications that use high feed endmills.

Projected boundary smoothing tolerance has been added for Hybrid and Equal Scallop toolpaths. When users project a containment boundary onto the machining model, the resulting projected boundary can be jagged or noisy, especially near steep features. Use this option to allow Mastercam to improve the quality of the projected boundary.

A new toolpath, Deburr, can be used to break edges for 3- to 5-axis, and to remove burrs. Deburr can be used with the ball end mill and the lollipop with undercut tools.

Morph and Parallel toolpaths now support a gradual Front shift which keeps the tool in better contact with the part, without placing excess wear on the tool’s leading and trailing edges. Without it, the tool cuts across the part with the tool’s edge.

Curve, Swarf, Flow, Multisurface, Port and Rotary toolpaths are now multithreaded. This allows Mastercam to operate while the toolpaths generate and allows for speed improvements in multiple and offset cut calculations. Other tools in Mastercam 2019 Mill include:

• Check an operation’s toolholder for interference with the part with Check Holder enhancements.

• Accelerated Finishing technology has two new tool types, Lens Form and Taper Form.

• Skip Pocket Smaller Than is a new parameter that allows users to skip pockets based on the tool diameter percent, rather than by entering a dedicated size of the pocket.

• New Point Selection Workflow • Transitions Feed Rate allows users to set which feedrate is used during transition moves for Waterline toolpaths.