Increasing Efficiency in Your Wire Programming

Mastercam Wire provides a great way for your shop to increase its efficiency – subprograms. This article will explain subprograms, and more information can be found in Mastercam’s Help system.

Mastercam Wire provides the capability to include subprograms in an operation. A subprogram is an NC program that is called from the main NC program. It is used to repeat code (XY moves) in an operation, and creates a shorter NC program.

Both Contour and 4-Axis wirepaths can use subprograms. In 4-Axis wirepaths, subprograms are used to repeat passes that are the same. For Contour wirepaths, subprograms are used to repeat passes that are the same, and also to create copies of the same part. All contours use the same subprogram. You can use subprograms on a multi-contour operation where the contours are not identical, and Mastercam Wire gives each contour its own subprogram numbers.

The All contours use same subprogram option in the Subprograms page replicates the wirepath information from the first contour to create each consecutive contour in the file. Choosing the All contours use same subprogram check box causes Mastercam Wire to use the same subprogram on all chained contours in the operation.

The following restrictions apply:

• You cannot use All contours use same subprogram on non-identical contours.
• When using subprograms on identical contours, the contours must be oriented the same way and have the same relative distance from the thread position to the start of contour.
• You must individually chain each contour and start/thread/cut position that you want to include in the subprogram.

The NCI file contains all of the parameter information for each contour. However, the amount of information that is contained in the NC file is minimized by creating and using a subprogram to machine the same contour.

VERISURF: From Point Clouds to Solids, Verisurf AutoSurface is a Fast Reverse Engineering Solution

Many Mastercam customers have been using the Reverse Engineering tools from Verisurf Software for high-volume point cloud acquisition and management, right in Mastercam, to reverse-design into a mesh, surface, or solid model that can be directly used for manufacturing or inspection purposes. Now, with the addition of AutoSurface, you have the ability to automatically create even complex surfaces from point clouds automatically. AutoSurface takes a mesh and creates surfaces and boundary curves using a few, simple user inputs. The result is a collection of surfaces, the number of which automatically adjusts according to the complexity of the mesh and the desired level of surface detail. No other solution makes surfacing of complex geometries simpler and faster.

Verisurf AutoSurface is 100% automatic. No curve network is required. Import points, point clouds, or STL meshes, press one button, and get the model. All shapes, primitives, freeforms, and open and closed volumes are supported. “Using Verisurf, we can go from laser scans to accurate CAD models in a fraction of the time of any other software,” says Andy Solis, Production Manager for Tri-Tech Precision, Inc. “It’s fast, easy to use, and accurate.”
Verisurf software tools, integrated with Mastercam, allow users to accomplish the entire product cycle of scanning, meshing, auto-surfacing, solids generation, machining, and inspection – all within a single application and using a single file.

Originally developed to inspect complex aerospace parts to the CAD model, Verisurf is now used for reverse engineering, model-based tool building, and inspection. For more information on AutoSurface or other tools developed by Verisurf Software, please contact your local Mastercam Reseller or visit www.verisurf.com/mastercam.

Wanted: Customers to Participate in Mastercam Focus Group and Prototype Program

Starting in 2008 during the Mastercam X4 development cycle, CNC Software initiated a new Focus Group/Prototype Program. The goal of this new program is to get customer feedback early in the development process, field-test potential new enhancements, and allow for interface improvements and changes before final release.

So far, this new Focus Group/Prototype Program has been very successful. It has resulted in several new areas of improvement and has led to new enhancements for the Mastercam X4 release, such as multi-thread processing, toolpath refinement, dynamic pocketing, customized setup sheets, bump-mode nesting, Agievision custom user interface, and more. The Focus Group members were able to see their input addressed throughout the development cycle and had direct impact on the development of new features.

Not many people are aware of the program because we kept the initial program small and manageable in order to refine processes and procedures for future releases. Like the Beta program, the Focus Group/Prototype Program requires a commitment of time, and members must be willing to meet certain requirements:

• Commit to spending a specified amount of time based on Focus Group needs for a given product enhancement.
• Provide regular feedback and reporting to CNC Software.
• Participate in regularly scheduled webinars and feedback sessions.
• Agree to strict non-disclosure.
• Meet Mastercam Beta tester qualifications.

Although participating in Mastercam Focus Groups requires a substantial commitment, members receive enormous benefits. They have the ability to give and receive early feedback on emerging enhancements, help direct feature development, ensure that their requirements are being met in the final release, and influence enhancements and improvements in future releases.
Initial Focus Groups for each project are kept relatively small (typically no more than 10 to 15 users). Most candidates are recruited by our Authorized Resellers and coordinated through the CNC Software Product Management department.

We are currently looking for additional Focus Group candidates in a number of application areas. Those interested in participating should send an e-mail with their contact info to their Authorized Reseller or Distributor with a Cc: to prototypes@mastercam.com . The e-mail should include details on their area of application expertise, challenges they are facing, and areas of special interest.

As we get closer to the Focus Group/Prototype Program release stage, we’ll contact Resellers and candidates to verify interest and commitment.

Kayak Launches Two Agile Manufacturing Businesses

5th Axis, Inc. of Stonington, CT, designed and built the first kayak with integrated extendable pontoons that make it nearly impossible to swamp the craft. The entire job, from preliminary sketches to prototype kayak, was completed in a little over a month. The primary objective of this first project was not to design a new kind of kayak, but simply to prove out and demonstrate the company’s agile CNC manufacturing technologies.

When Doug Posich launched 5th Axis, Inc. he wanted to take on a demonstration project that would highlight his job shop’s agile prototyping and manufacturing capabilities. They brainstormed a new kind of kayak with extendable pontoons that would make it stable enough allow the captain to stand up and fish. The race was on!

New Online Mastercam Training

Mastercam University is a new, affordable, online learning tool created by CNC Software, Inc., that gives you 24/7 access to Mastercam training materials. It was designed by an experienced Mastercam trainer for both students and experienced professionals. With Mastercam U, you step through the fundamentals of Mastercam the same way you could in your shop. Master your skills with more than 180 videos to watch at your own pace.

The system allows you to track your progress and provides instructor reporting tools. Use it as an introduction to Mastercam, to improve your Mastercam skills, or to prepare for CNC Software’s official Mastercam Certification.

Click here for more information on Mastercam University. To purchase a subcription, please contact your Authorized Mastercam Reseller or email training@mastercam.com.

Mastercam at Westec in Review

EApprentice.net did a short write-up about Mastercam at Westec. Please follow this link to read the full review.

Fast, Flexible CAM Makes Medical Parts Prototype More Responsive

Orchid Design (Shelton, CT) is a contract engineering, prototyping and product development firm serving the medical device market. When they became part of the multi-divisional Orchid Orthopedics Solutions LLC a little over 3 years ago, one of the first orders of business was to install manufacturing systems that mirror the equipment used in five out of nine of the Corporation’s other divisions.

When Orchid Design, a contract engineering, prototyping and product development firm serving the medical device market, became part of the multi-divisional Orchid Orthopedics Solutions LLC a little over 3 years ago, one of the first orders of business was to install manufacturing systems (Swiss turning 5 axis mill and 4-axis wire EDM) that mirror the equipment used in five out of nine of the Corporation’s other divisions.As a result, when Orchid Design transfers a job from prototyping or short run manufacturing to one of the corporation’s production shops, a completely validated and compatible manufacturing goes along with it. Production manufacturing can begin immediately with little or no process tweaking needed.

For Orchid Design, that’s the end of an intense race that typically begins with someone, be it a doctor, a manager from a small start-up company or a designer from a major medical device manufacturer, bringing them an idea. This event triggers a whole series of steps than may include concept development, product engineering, prototyping, design modifications based on cadaver lab tests, and small run contract manufacturing.

Ron Calahan, Prototype Shop Manager for Orchid Design, said, “We don’t do the standard 12 -14 week lead time. Most of our parts are delivered in 2-3 weeks. However, it is not unusual for a customer to give us a design in the morning and expect us to have parts for him at the end of the day. Our CAM (Computer Aided Manufacturing) system allows us to do that.

Orchid Design uses Mastercam X to rapidly transform medical designs generated in SolidWorks or Pro Engineer into precise CNC tool paths for its CNC manufacturing equipment. However, that is only half of the story. Once the tool paths have been created, the company also uses CAD capabilities of Mastercam to design work-holding fixtures that allow the equipment to remove the maximum amount of material with the fewest possible set-ups.

“It works out great,” said Callahan. “We run the toolpath around the model with the fixture in place to make sure we don’t hit the fixture and that fixture will clear all of our axes.” That is just one of dozens of little tricks Callahan has learned to get parts up and running efficiently on the company’s CNC equipment the first time with backtracking.

Recently, a part that took a full 8-hour day to manufacture on the 5-axis mill was programmed in less than half that time. Orchid Design’s customer moved quickly through field trials, engineering revisions and into the marketplace. In the meantime, Orchid Design has employed its portfolio CAM compression programming techniques over and over again to speed a steady flow of projects along similar paths.