Mastercam University Announcements

On March 19, 2012, Mastercam University (www.mastercamu.com) launched a new updated interface to enhance your Mastercam U learning experience. In addition to a new, intuitive look and feel, we greatly improved video quality. Plus, all X6 Mastercam U classes now operate on many mobile platforms so you can access us anywhere you go, anytime you want. 


To help you check out everything Mastercam U has to offer, from now until June 30, 2012, we are offering the classes at a Buy One, Get One Half Off price for all industrial Users. Whether an experienced Mastercam user or just starting out, head over to www.mastercamu.com and check out these classes!

• Mill Design and Toolpaths
• Advanced Mill Design and Toolpaths
• Lathe Design and Toolpaths
• Mastercam for SolidWorks
• Principles for Machining
• Mastercam Maintenance (free for maintenance customers)
• Mastercam Transition V9 to X
• Mastercam Multiaxis (Curve Drill and Circle Mill)

Also, remember to keep checking back. We're always adding new material to help you learn Mastercam or bolster your existing skills at your own pace, on your own time.

All Mastercam X6 Tutorials Now Available

In January’s blog, we announced the availability of nearly all of the Mastercam X6 Getting Started Series tutorials. These introductory tutorials are an excellent way for you to learn basic Mastercam functions. Now, we’re happy to announce that all tutorial updates are complete, including all Mastercam X6 Focus Series tutorials! Our Focus Series tutorials help you master basic and advanced skills for working with a specific Mastercam feature—for example, Dynamic Milling or Lathe Plunge Turn Toolpaths.

Here’s a complete list of all Mastercam X6 tutorials available only from your local Mastercam Reseller.

Mastercam X6 Focus Series Tutorials

• Lathe Plunge Turn Toolpaths (PDF and video)
• Machine Simulation (PDF and video)
• FBM Drill (PDF and video)
• Using Views, Planes, WCS (PDF and video)
• Creating Setup Sheets with the Active Report Designer (PDF and video)

Mastercam X6 Getting Started Series Tutorials

• Preparing for a Tutorial (video only)
• Welcome to Mastercam (PDF and video)
• Files and Mastercam (PDF and video)
• Working in the Graphics Window (PDF and video)
• Basic 2D Design (PDF and video)
• Basic 2D Machining (PDF and video)
• Basic 3D Design (PDF and video)
• Basic 3D Machining (PDF and video)
• Intro to Multiaxis (PDF and video)
• Dynamic Milling (PDF and video)

The PDF tutorials include the Mastercam files you need to work through each tutorial exercise. Video versions are fully interactive, multimedia training lessons that let you experience each Mastercam function without needing Mastercam installed on your system. View the video below to see a portion of the Dynamic Milling tutorial video. In this sample, the student runs Backplot to compare a dynamic area milling toolpath to Mastercam’s standard pocketing toolpath on the same part.



Please contact your Mastercam Reseller to request copies of the PDF and video tutorials and don’t forget to check out our online training at Mastercam University (www.mastercamu.com). Please direct your comments on the tutorials to Tech.Docs@mastercam.com and thank you for choosing Mastercam!

Battling Robots and Manufacturing Basics

We recently had the privilege to visit Miami Lakes Educational Center in Miami Lakes, Florida and got the opportunity to meet an amazing Mastercam instructor and his awesome students. Paul Kynerd is the Engineering Instructor and uses Mastercam, as well as Mastercam University, to provide an introduction to Engineering to his students by having them build and run battling robots in the Battlebots IQ competitions.

 Team lead Andrea Flores programs a robot component as instructor Paul Kynerd offers advice.

The team’s completed robot – complete with Mastercam decal and deceptively cute sticker.

The final build out of the robot requires design, mechanical and electrical skills.

Andrea shows off her certificate for successfully completing the online Mastercam University, which she used in class.

Paul runs an amazingly complete program with design stations, testing facilities, and a complete machine shop.

Please stay tuned for the full story to be published here on the blog within the next couple of months.

Two Designers, One Programmer/Machinist

Billy Crump works as a programmer/machinist for Scinomix, a relatively small but rapidly growing high-tech manufacturing company. His work life is fast-paced. He divides his time between setting up and operating a Haas 3-axis vertical CNC mill, and programming a steady stream of prototype and production parts continually fed to him by the company's two founders and principal designers.

As such, he spends a lot of his time making design changes, which happen frequently, as the company specializes in prototyping. In the past, design changes occurred in SolidWorks, with reconciliation with the machine cutting programs created in Mastercam CAD/CAM software from CNC Software Inc., Tolland, CT. This was costing at least one day per workweek, and slowing the company's productivity. Scinomix solved the problem by giving their programmer/machinist a seat of a single product called Mastercam for SolidWorks, which integrates both programs in one seamless environment. 


So Much Happening

Scinomix, located just west of St. Louis, MO, designs, develops, and manufactures flexible, modular automation and product solutions for laboratory research and drug discovery in the pharmaceutical, agrochemical, and healthcare industries. Founded in 2001 by two pharmaceutical industry veterans, Scinomix has grown steadily due to the company's commitment to quality, reliability, and customer service.

Scinomix is currently developing its own product line of fully automated systems, which integrate many of its own products with other manufacturers' instrumentation, to provide complete solutions for its customers. However, the industries Scinomix serves are very proprietary and competitive, so many of the products the company manufactures are custom one-of-a kinds.

To read the full story, click here: http://www.onlinetmd.com/tmd1211-CAD-CAM-software.aspx

Short Text–Big Info: 5 Sources to Follow on Twitter

If you use Twitter, you're well aware of the steady stream of personal updates, jokes, and pop culture that flows by the second. It's also likely you've found useful tweeters, whether they supply breaking news or links to useful and interesting information.

Here are five sources to consider following on Twitter:

The Society for Manufacturing Engineers https://twitter.com/#!/SocMfgEng
SME offers a steady stream of interesting articles and links related to issues facing today’s shops.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology https://twitter.com/#!/NIST_MEP
Focusing on US manufacturing, NIST regularly links to articles about improving manufacturing.

Modern Machine Shop Online https://twitter.com/#!/MMSOnline
Modern Machine Shop has been a crucial source of information for decades, and continues the tradition online.

The Institute for Supply Management  http://twitter.com/#!/ism
Tracking manufacturing growth since the 40's, the ISM tweets great links to their current manufacturing reports and articles.

The Association for Manufacturing Technology http://twitter.com/#!/amtonline
The AMT delivers solid information about policies, technology and trends that impact the industry.

And, of course, we always suggest you follow: http://twitter.com/#!/mastercam !

Call for Mastercam Energy Parts

Do you work in, or provide service to, the Energy industry? Are you proud of the work you do and want to show it off to fellow Mastercam heads? Here’s your chance! Post your part pictures to our Facebook Wall, along with a brief description of what you’ve posted and the work you do, and you may win a free subscription to Mastercam University! We will announce the winner next week. Good luck!

How Mastercam Helps Heal Burn Patients

Watch to learn how Cimmed uses Mastercam to quicken the process of making burn masks and reduce the discomfort to the patients.