Mastercam 5axis for Mold Programming

[Brian B 74]

I was asked by my boss to post here and ask what others (tool and mold programmers) think of Mastercam's Multi-Axis / 5-axis module.  I guess we are looking into purchasing our first 5 axis this year.  The salesman who he was talking to (I don't know what machine manufacturer) says Mastercam cannot do 5 axis and proceeded to start promoting Powermill.

 

From you guys using the multi-axis / 5 axis module - how do you feel Mastercam performs in 5 axis for doing cores and cavities for plastic injection molds?

 

All comments are welcome.

[Guest]

I was asked by my boss to post here and ask what others (tool and mold programmers) think of Mastercam's Multi-Axis / 5-axis module.  I guess we are looking into purchasing our first 5 axis this year.  The salesman who he was talking to (I don't know what machine manufacturer) says Mastercam cannot do 5 axis and proceeded to start promoting Powermill.

 

From you guys using the multi-axis / 5 axis module - how do you feel Mastercam performs in 5 axis for doing cores and cavities for plastic injection molds?

 

All comments are welcome.

 

Mastercam can't do 5 axis????

 

I guess I"m out of work then......

[Brian B 74]

John - you and I both know it can do it.  My boss is looking for some opinions about the 5 axis module before he invests in another CAM package.  I told him MCAM will be able to do it just fine and I would get real world users opinions about it.

[CJep]

Can't do 5 axis,...

Yeah, I would have agree with JP, I've been wasting my time.

[crazy^millman]

Complete crap. Been making my living doing 5 Axis work with Mastercam for 15+ years, along with 3 Axis and 4 Axis Milling, Lathe programming from 2 axis all the way up to XX axis. (Triple Turret Y axis machine with Robot and 2 Spindles). http://www.nakamura-tome.co.jp/products/en/turret/super-ntm3.html

 

I have personally programmed 50 different 5 Axis machine using Mastercam. Mastercam is the only software we use for programming. You can have the salesman give me a call and I will be glad to educate him.

[Guest]

I hear you...

 

Yes, Mastercam will be fine for 5 axis work......

 

This is no knock on PowerMill, a good product but spending the money on it when you already have a product that can do it...

 

I program a MAM72, There's no issue

[Jim at Gentex]

Brian,

All 5 axis software packages have strengths and weaknesses, and people who will swear by one and condemn another. 

That's just the way it works.

 

I've been using Mastercam 5 axis toolpaths since around 1991 (Version 3).

I have yet to encounter a 5 axis job that could not be done successfully with Mastercam.

[CJep]

Brian if you have McamX8 loaded check out the collision control strategies on the holder page for the highspeed surf finish toolpaths, they added a tilt function for the folks that have multiaxis enabled.

[crazy^millman]

Powermill might be a great product. If you guys want to completely go in a different direction and take years of experience with Mastercam and throw it out the window to start over with a new CAM package that is his right.

[GIZMO 21]

mastercam will do just fine, but it takes someone to know how to do it.

you'll be fine with some training. we had few guys here bashing mastercam

telling the owner that it can't do this and it can't do that, so the owner asked for

my opinion, and I told him the only thing these guys need, is some training.

after they went to training, VOILA. now all of a sudden mastercam does do all those things.

[Guest]

Powermill is good 5-Axis software, Mastercam is good 5-Axis software. Each one has it's own strengths and weaknesses and those strengths/weaknesses will be magnified based on the driver's skill. :

 

JM2CFWIW

[Jayson Kramer]

Brian I have programmed Cavities using Mastercam 5 axis.  There are more and more Mold companies going to 5axis in makeing molds. and allot of the mold companies I know all use Mastercam for it.
I know we do not see Jimmy Wakeford much lately I know he has some customers doing 5axis mold work using mastercam. I have help support one his customers on this in the past.

[Brian B 74]

Thanks everyone for the input.  Hopefully this will help light the fire to bring 5-axis in house.

[Brian B 74]

Another question came up yesterday - what brand of 5-axis machine would be a good fit for mold machining (cores and cavities hard milling)?  Heard some good things about Fidia, Makino, and Hermle.  What are other good machines worth looking into?

[MIL-TFP-41]

Another question came up yesterday - what brand of 5-axis machine would be a good fit for mold machining (cores and cavities hard milling)?  Heard some good things about Fidia, Makino, and Hermle.  What are other good machines worth looking into?

 

The answer will vary depending on what size of work you do. Tough to beat a Matsurra for smaller work (say under 40")

[Guest MTB Technical Services]

Mastercam is MORE than capable.

 

If you really want to torture yourself, try using Pro/MFG or Creo/MFG for 5-axis work.

It's one step above stone knives and bears skins.

[Teh Bear without Brains kinda idiot]

Another question came up yesterday - what brand of 5-axis machine would be a good fit for mold machining (cores and cavities hard milling)? Heard some good things about Fidia, Makino, and Hermle. What are other good machines worth looking into?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I vote for HERMLE

 

We use one actually and it rocks

Best 5 AXES MACHINE I ever run

[Josh Kinney -Elite Engineering]

I've seen a lot of large DMG's being used for this stuff also.

 

-Josh 

[Matthew Hajicek - Singularity]

 

 

Been making my living doing 5 Axis work with Mastercam for 15+ years, along with 3 Axis and 4 Axis Milling, Lathe programming from 2 axis all the way up to XX axis. (Triple Turret Y axis machine with Robot and 2 Spindles).

 

 

 

I've been using Mastercam 5 axis toolpaths since around 1991 (Version 3).

 

Dang.  Make sure you guys get your minds uploaded before you die; the human race needs that experience.

 

Neo: "I know Mastercam!"

 

"Trinity, I need a pilot program for a MAM72!"

[Jim at Gentex]

Another question came up yesterday - what brand of 5-axis machine would be a good fit for mold machining (cores and cavities hard milling)?  Heard some good things about Fidia, Makino, and Hermle.  What are other good machines worth looking into?

 

Well the answer to that question is as varied as the software question.

 

There are many good machine tools out there to choose from, and most people will recommend one or another based on their own experience.

Usually your budget will narrow down your choices very quickly. 

[Brian B 74]

I guess maybe I should have asked which manufacturers to stay away from.

[K2csq7]

The salesman who he was talking to (I don't know what machine manufacturer) says Mastercam cannot do 5 axis and proceeded to start promoting Powermill.

 

 

 

When a salesman blatantly lies to your face about something so grossly obvious, it's time to get a new salesman.... what else is he lying about?

 

You are right next door to a Mazak tech center.... being close like that has some SERIOUS advantages...... 

[gms1]

Another question came up yesterday - what brand of 5-axis machine would be a good fit for mold machining (cores and cavities hard milling)?  Heard some good things about Fidia, Makino, and Hermle.  What are other good machines worth looking into?

 

As others have posted there are far to many good choices for 5axis machines to list. I think the better question to be asking would be how good is the support for the machine in your area. You don't want to have a problem one day and find out it takes a week + $$$$ just to get a guy out there to fix something.

[Jimmy Wakeford from Barefoot CNC]

Mastercam 5ax definitely rocks at molds. One thing to keep in mind thought is that a lot of features on a mold are more efficiently ran as a 3+2 toolpath. I sometimes use a 5ax path in order to "tilt away" for clearance and also to get off the center of a ball cutter as well.

 

Don't know if you guys have played with the new tilt away function or multi-ax roughing but here's a few vids. 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=PG-2F9Xnr3c

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=vSNf7SOhj8Y

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=vgk3UpAzRws

[MotorCityMinion]

I believe no one has mentioned this yet. The 5 axis tool paths are really derived from these people.

 

http://www.moduleworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/ModuleWorks-Factsheet-5-Axis.pdf

 

ModuleWorks Partners.  http://www.moduleworks.com/company/partners/?lang=en

 

What you get are proven and tested strategies used in quite a few different CAM packages. This make it less cumbersome to bring in new programming talent as the nomenclature used in the tool paths parameters is virtually the same from one CAM package to the next. Also worth noting is all the feedback sent to ModuleWorks with regards to bugs and fixes. Their R&D resources are massive relative to that of just one CAM program. 

 

If I we're to start from scratch again, I would learn as much about these tool paths first. They will cover the bulk of of your machining needs when working with Solids or Surfaces.

 

Nice videos Mr. Wakeford.