If you are a currently maintained Mastercam customer, you can now participate in the Public Beta Program for Mastercam 2023. Manufacturers all over the world, from small job shops to Fortune 100 companies, get a chance to test-drive Mastercam 2023 before it is released and provide valuable feedback to help shape the final product. Participants in the Public Beta Program get an early look at dozens of powerful new tools for simple to complex jobs.

Many of the improvements in Mastercam 2023 are directly driven by Mastercam users and shops. Feedback from Public Beta releases, shop visits, customer surveys, and consultation with our expert industry partners create the practical, shop-driven focus that helps ensure Mastercam users’ success.

Consolidating Multiaxis Toolpaths. Morph, Parallel, Along Curve, and Project Curve are no longer individual toolpaths in Mastercam 2023. Instead, the Unified toolpath allows access to these cut patterns when you add the appropriate curves. For example, to create a toolpath that morphs between two surfaces, select Unified from the Multiaxis toolpaths, and then set the Cut Pattern to two surfaces with the Morph style.

Toolpaths in files from previous releases are automatically converted to a Unified toolpath as follows:

  • Morph: Becomes the Unified toolpath with a Cut Pattern of two curves or surfaces with the Morph style.
  • Parallel (set to Curves or Surface): Becomes the Unified toolpath with a Cut Pattern of one curve or surface with the Parallel style.
  • Parallel (set to Angle): Becomes the Unified toolpath with a Cut Pattern of Plane with the style set to the appropriate plane.
  • Along Curve: Becomes the Unified toolpath with a Cut Pattern of Curve with the Perpendicular style.
  • Project Curve: Becomes the Unified toolpath with a Cut Pattern of Curve with the Project style.

Detecting Undercut Stock When Machining. The Dynamic OptiRough and Area Roughing toolpaths can now be aware of undercut stock conditions, resulting in improvement to the toolpath motion, including less air cutting.

New B-Axis Contour Turning Toolpath. Mastercam 2023 introduces a new toolpath to the Turning suite for the Mill-Turn product. B-Axis Contour Turning is a finishing toolpath that allows for rotation of the B-axis while the tool is cutting. The toolpath features a top-down workflow and provides you with either Automatic or Manual motion control. Automatic mode produces safe toolpath motion that keeps the insert in contact with the contour. Manual mode offers full control over the B-axis angles along the contour.

These are only a few of the new features and enhancements coming to Mastercam 2023. For more information on Mastercam’s Public Beta Program, visit https://www.mastercam.com/support/customer-resources/.

This content was first published on the Mastercam website.