What is Mastercam – Cad Cam Software

What is Mastercam?
Mastercam is a computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) software program used by manufacturing professionals, such as machinists and computer numerical control (CNC) programmers. This software helps users produce mechanical drawings of machine parts, learn how to operate CNC lathes and mills, and create 3-dimensional wire frame models.

Mastercam, CNC Software’s main product, started as a 2D CAM system with CAD tools that let machinists design virtual parts on a computer screen and also guided computer numerical controlled (CNC) machine tools in the manufacture of parts. Since then, Mastercam has grown into the most widely used CAD/CAM package in the world. CNC Software, Inc. is now located in Tolland, Connecticut.

Mastercam’s comprehensive set of predefined toolpaths—including contour, drill, pocketing, face, peel mill, engraving, surface high speed, advanced multiaxis, and many more—enable machinists to cut parts efficiently and accurately. Mastercam users can create and cut parts using one of many supplied machine and control definitions, or they can use Mastercam’s advanced tools to create their own customized definitions.

Mastercam also offers a level of flexibility that allows the integration of 3rd party applications, called C-hooks, to address unique machine or process specific scenarios.

Mastercam 2017 Software Feature :

The following list describes the Mastercam product levels that were updated with the release of Mastercam 2017:

Design—3D wireframe geometry creation, surface And solid modeling, dimensioning, importing and exporting of non-Mastercam CAD files (such as AutoCAD, SolidWorks, Solid Edge, Inventor, Parasolid, etc.).
Mill Entry—Includes Design, basic 2-2 1/2 axis machining including associative contouring, zigzag and one way pocketing, drilling operations and full toolpath verification.
Mill—Includes Mill Entry, 2-3 axis single surface machining plus limited multi-surface rough pocketing and finish parallel machining. Also positional 4th axis rotary support. Includes Engrave, Rast2Vec, Nesting.
Mill 3D—Includes Mill plus additional support multi-surface machining up to 3-axis.
Multi-Axis add-on—5-Axis roughing, finishing, flowline multisurface, contour, depth cuts, drilling, advanced gouge checking.
Mill-Turn add-on—Includes full machine simulation and the ability to synchronize multiple code streams including pinch/balance turning. Requires Mill 3D or Mill Lathe, and a .machine file.
Lathe Entry— Includes Design, Solids and 2-axis fully associative turning functionality and full tool-path verification.
Lathe— Full 2-axis turning functionality with C&Y-axis machining and part handling operations. Additional functionality gained by bundling with appropriate Mill package.
Router Entry— Includes Design basic 2-2 1/2 axis machining including associative contouring, zigzag and one way pocketing, drilling operations and full toolpath verification.
Router—Includes Router Entry, 2-3 axis single surface machining plus limited multi-surface rough pocketing and finish parallel machining. Includes Engrave, Rast2Vec, Nesting.
Router 3D—Includes Mill plus additional For multi-surface machining up to 3-axis. Includes Design, Engrave, Rast2Vec, Nesting, and Solids
Wire—Includes Design plus 2-axis and 4-axis package for Wire EDM applications.
Art add-on—Quick 3D design, 2D outlines into 3D shapes, shape blending, conversion of 2D artwork into machinable geometry, plus exclusive fast toolpaths, rough and finish strategies, on-screen part cutting.

The Router products are targeted to the woodworking industries but are virtually identical to the Mill line with additional of support for router specific functions such as aggregate heads, drill blocks and saws.