Mastercam Multiaxis
Mastercam Multiaxis is an add-on for Mastercam designed to program demanding 3-, 4-, and 5-axis toolpaths. It enables control over toolpath generation, tool-axis orientation, collision avoidance, and the transition and clearance movements required for multiaxis machining—all within the same CAM environment.
Multiaxis is suitable for parts where the geometry, accessibility, or tool-orientation control makes conventional 3-axis programming difficult or impossible. It can be used with Mastercam Mill 3D, Router 3D, and Mill-Turn configurations. Many Multiaxis toolpaths can also be used for 3-axis machining, but the add-on’s primary application is simultaneous 4- and 5-axis machining.
Mastercam Multiaxis for programming demanding 3-, 4-, and 5-axis toolpaths
Mastercam Multiaxis expands CAM programming to applications where controlling the tool’s position alone is not enough—the tool’s orientation relative to the part must also be controlled during machining.
This makes it possible to machine complex 3D surfaces, side walls, curved edges, undercut geometries, and other difficult-to-reach areas. Some Multiaxis toolpaths can be run using 3-axis machining, while in simultaneous 4- and 5-axis machining, the machine’s rotary axes move together with the linear axes throughout the operation.
Multiaxis machining provides access to different surfaces of a part in a single setup, reducing the need for refixturing. The tool can also be tilted into a more favorable orientation relative to the part, which may allow the use of shorter, more rigid tools and improve access to difficult geometries.
Combination multiaxis toolpaths and multiple machining strategies in a single operation
In Mastercam Multiaxis’s Combination operation, different machining strategies can be selected for the same multiaxis operation without having to rebuild the geometry, tool axis settings, and collision control each time.
The toolpath can be generated based on curves, surfaces, or other 3D geometry, for example. Available strategies include morph, parallel, curve-following, and projected toolpaths.
This allows the programmer to compare different ways of generating a toolpath for the same geometry and select the option best suited to the part, tool, and machine. This is especially useful when programming parts where the toolpath shape and tool orientation must be coordinated precisely.
Tool Axis Control in Multiaxis Machining
Tool axis control is one of Mastercam Multiaxis’ key features. The programmer can define how the tool orientation changes along the toolpath and the position at which the tool meets the surface or curve being machined.
The tool orientation can be controlled, for example, relative to a surface, curve, point, or specified direction. You can also control the tool’s tilt, lead and lag angles, and limit the tool axis movement to a desired area.
Tool axis control can be used to tilt the tool away from a collision, improve tool accessibility, or keep the cutting point in an appropriate position on the tool. At the same time, movements of the machine’s rotary axes can be limited to avoid unfavorable tool orientations.
Collision Control, Avoidance Movements, and Safety Zones
In multiaxis machining, the position of the tool, shank, and holder continuously changes in relation to the workpiece and fixture. In Mastercam Multiaxis, collision control can be defined as part of the toolpath calculation.
During programming, the tool’s cutting portion, shank, and holder can be taken into account. In addition to the workpiece, other geometry to avoid—such as fixtures—can also be defined. The required clearances and limits can be specified for these elements, allowing the toolpath to respond to potential collisions.
Safety zones can be used to guide tool movement into safe areas during machining and transitions. Approach, retract, and transition movements can also be defined according to the multiaxis machining environment and fixturing.
Completed toolpaths can be checked using Mastercam’s Backplot, Verify, and Machine Simulation functions before running the NC program on the machine. Machine-specific simulation is particularly important in simultaneous 4- and 5-axis machining, where the machine’s kinematics also affect the actual movements.
For demanding multiaxis machining, it is also recommended to verify the final postprocessed NC code using NC-code-based machine simulation. In this case, the simulation is based on the same NC program that is sent to the machine tool, making it possible to detect potential errors introduced during postprocessing, incorrect axis movements, or other unexpected machine movements before running the program in production. Examples of such solutions include CIMCO Machine Simulation and VERICUT.
Flank machining, curve-based toolpaths, and machining of demanding 3D geometries
Mastercam Multiaxis includes several multiaxis machining methods designed for different types of geometry. In flank machining, the side of the tool is used to machine, for example, straight or contoured walls, while the tool axis orientation is controlled relative to the surface being machined.
With curve-based toolpaths, tool motion can be defined based on selected curves or edges. These toolpaths can be used, for example, to machine contoured edges, grooves, and other geometries where the tool’s movement and orientation must follow the shape of the part.
Multiaxis also includes strategies for flowline machining, multi-surface machining, rotary-axis machining, multiaxis pocketing, and automated 3+2-axis roughing. The method is selected based on how the tool should move relative to the part and how the tool axis must be controlled during machining.
This allows the same Multiaxis environment to be used both for machining individual complex 3D geometries and for complete simultaneous 4- and 5-axis machining operations.
Automated 5-Axis Deburring and Edge Finishing
Mastercam Multiaxis includes a 5-axis deburring function that creates a multiaxis finishing toolpath along the edges of a solid model. The programmer defines the geometry to be machined and the settings, after which the function detects the edges to be processed and controls the tool-axis orientation based on their direction and the surrounding geometry.
Automatically changing the tool-axis orientation makes it possible to deburr edges that cannot be reached from a single fixed tool direction. This is useful, for example, on edges opening in different directions, contoured surfaces, and parts where the tool orientation must be continuously adjusted during the toolpath.
Suitable tools can be used for deburring, and collisions involving the tool, shank, and holder can be managed in the same way as in other Multiaxis operations. This allows edge finishing that requires multiple tool orientations to be created as a single multiaxis operation.
Multiaxis 5-axis deburring differs from the separate Mastercam Deburr add-on. Mastercam Deburr is intended for 3-axis deburring, whereas Multiaxis can automatically adjust the tool axis during a multiaxis deburring toolpath.
Contact us to learn how you can benefit from Mastercam Multiaxis for demanding 3-, 4-, and 5-axis machining.
