Mastercam has announced the release of Mastercam 2024, with numerous features and enhancements to the manufacturing industry, including the new Mill-Turn feature and improvements to the B-Axis Contour Turning.
The software underwent a Public Beta Programme where manufacturers worldwide tested and provided valuable feedback to shape the final product.
Mastercam said that improvements in the 2024 update are directly driven by user feedback, shop visits, customer surveys, and consultation with industry partners.
One of the key additions is the Mill-Turn feature, which should now allow users to use turret-mounted angled milling heads, enhancing productivity and ease of use for milling and turning operations.
B-Axis Contour Turning also sees significant enhancements, such as the ability to manually edit tool axis vectors, usable insert area, and stock function, providing more control and understanding of B-axis head motion.
In the area of hole-making, the Process Hole toolpath allows the application of pre-defined processes to solid hole features, saving time and maintaining process consistency.
The addition of a graphical elements button should provide more customised control on a hole-by-hole basis or across the entire toolpath.
Mastercam said milling operations have also been improved. Dynamic mill, face, and dynamic OptiRough toolpaths should now include a maximise engagement option, resulting in more nominal chips, fewer small chips, and reduced material slivers.
Waterline toolpaths should also have been enhanced to consider undercut stock conditions, improving toolpath motion and reducing air cutting.
In terms of general system features, Mastercam 2024 introduces the Gview cube, which should enhance the on-screen gnomon and provides a graphical representation of plane orientation.
Machine Group Setup Stock offers three new intuitive selection methods, aiming to make it easier to set up stock.
The save/load toolpath defaults list should have been improved, now allowing users to specify individual files and operations to load from or save to, facilitating quick switching between default sets and transferring operational data between files.
Mastercam 2024 aims to provide practical, shop-driven features based on user feedback, to enhance productivity, control, and the overall user experience in the manufacturing industry.
