
In a lathe, you can turn that whole part from start to finish and then start your crosswork operations. For example, a 6-inch-long part with holes and milled flats on the side would require the programmer to rearrange operations. In a Swiss machine, the stock moves in the Z-axis to a stationary tool, whereas the stock in a lathe is stationary while the tool moves into it. This last task is a result of how the stock and tool move in relation to each other in lathe machines versus Swiss machines.

Mastercam and the post work together to make this happen.Īll you need to do to reprogram a part for a lathe to a Swiss machine is load a new machine data file, load a new post, change tool numbers if necessary, and possibly rearrange some operations. Using both of these settings allows you to create special switches or options so that the end-user gets specific NC code output from the post. Fortunately, the programmer can easily handle these variables within “Custom Parameters” and “Miscellaneous values”. For example, a Star programs differently than a Tsugami, which programs differently than a Citizen. This will be different with every machine brand. These differences come into play with machines that have variable options, like the use of high-pressure coolant. The minor differences lie in “Custom Parameters”, “Miscellaneous values”, and pick-off and cut-off (POCO) operations. If you can program a part in Lathe, you have essentially already programmed it for Swiss. The Mastercam interface has not changed at all, and you use the same tools inside of Lathe to generate code for a Swiss machine. Virtually everything is the same as using Mastercam Lathe when programming a part for a Swiss machine. Luckily, switching from Mastercam Lathe to our Swiss Solution is quick and simple. What is a post processor? A software engineer from CNC Software, makers of Mastercam programming software, explains the different types of CNC post processors, the different types of post processor users and the different levels of functionality in post processors.If you are using a lathe to machine a part with a length to diameter ratio that exceeds 3:1, you may be wasting time and money. An understanding of this process can help you know what to expect and will aid you when making a CAM purchase.


Importing and exporting CAD files is a fundamental function of CAM software. It runs fully integrated inside Mastercam CAM software for CNC machine tools. Robotmaster is a software package that provides this CAD/CAM-based, off-line programming for robots. Programming a robot with the same CAM software used for a multi-axis machine tool makes it unnecessary to “teach” the robot by jogging it manually from point to point and recording these point-to-point moves as the robot’s motion commands. Programming A Robot The Way You Program A CNC Machine Tool
