Getting Started with

Mastercam Lathe
May 2015
 Mastercam X9 Lathe: Getting Started
Date: May 2015
Copyright 2015 CNC Software, Inc. All rights reserved.
Software: Mastercam X9
TERMS OF USE Use of this document is subject to the Mastercam End User License Agreement. A
copy of the Mastercam End User License Agreement is included with the
Mastercam product package of which this document is part. The Mastercam End
User License Agreement can also be found at:
http://www.mastercam.com/companyinfo/legal/LicenseAgreement.aspx

Be sure you Information might have been changed or added since this document was
have the latest published. The latest version of this document is installed with Mastercam or can
information! be obtained from your local Reseller. A ReadMe file (ReadMe.pdf)installed
with each releaseincludes the latest information about Mastercam features and
enhancements.
 iii

Contents
Introduction ....................................................................................................... 1
Tutorial Goals................................................................................................. 2
General Tutorial Requirements ....................................................................... 2
1. General Setup........................................................................ 5
Lesson Goals ................................................................................................. 5
Getting Ready to Work ................................................................................. 5
Exercise 1: Loading a Machine Definition ............................................. 8
Exercise 2: Setting the Construction and Tool Planes ........................... 9
Exercise 3: Translating the Part .......................................................... 11
Exercise 4: Rotating the Part............................................................... 12
Exercise 5: Creating 2D CAD Geometry .............................................. 15
Exercise 6: Setting Up the Stock in the Main Spindle ......................... 17
Exercise 7: Defining the Chuck Jaws.................................................. 20
2. Facing, Roughing, and Finishing the Outer Diameter ......... 23
Lesson Goals ............................................................................................... 23
Exercise 1: Facing the Part ................................................................. 23
Exercise 2: Roughing the Outer Diameter............................................ 26
Exercise 3: Finishing with a Quick Finish Toolpath.............................. 33
Exercise 4: Backplotting the Toolpaths ............................................... 36
3. Adding Grooves and Threads.............................................. 41
Lesson Goals ............................................................................................... 41
Exercise 1: Grooving on the Outer Diameter: Multiple Chains ............. 41
Exercise 2: Grooving on the Outer Diameter: Rough Pass Only........... 47
Exercise 3: Finishing with Plunge Cuts ............................................... 48
iv MASTERCAM X9

Exercise 4: Adding a Thread Toolpath ................................................. 54

Exercise 5: Verifying the Toolpaths ..................................................... 59
4. C-Axis Drilling Operations................................................... 63
Lesson Goals ............................................................................................... 63
Exercise 1: Making Drill Geometry ...................................................... 63
Exercise 2: Adding a New Toolpath Group .......................................... 67
Exercise 3: Creating a C-Axis Drill Operation....................................... 68
Exercise 4: Copying the Drilling Operation........................................... 74
Exercise 5: Modifying the Drilling Parameters..................................... 75
5. Cutoff and Stock Flip........................................................... 79
Lesson Goals ............................................................................................... 79
Exercise 1: Cutting Off the Part ........................................................... 79
Exercise 2: Programming a Stock Flip................................................. 83
6. Machining the Inner Diameter ............................................ 89
Lesson Goals ............................................................................................... 89
Exercise 1: Creating New Tools in the Lathe Tool Manager ................ 89
Exercise 2: Facing the Back of the Part............................................... 98
Exercise 3: Drilling the First Inner Diameter ........................................ 99
Exercise 4: Drilling the Second Inner Diameter.................................. 101
Exercise 5: Roughing and Finishing the Third Inner Diameter............ 104
Exercise 6: Adding an ID Thread ....................................................... 109
Exercise 7: Refining Your Verification Results ................................... 112
7. Post Output........................................................................ 119
Lesson Goals ............................................................................................. 119
Exercise 1: Renumbering Tools ......................................................... 119
Exercise 2: Posting............................................................................ 121
Conclusion ....................................................................................................... 122
Mastercam Resources ............................................................................. 122
Mastercam Documentation ..................................................................... 123
 v

Contact Us .................................................................................................. 124

vi MASTERCAM X9
Introduction

Mastercam Lathe delivers comprehensive

turning software with powerful toolpaths and
techniques. In this tutorial, you create
general turning, milling (c-axis), and miscella-
neous operations to program the interior
core of a hose nozzle in Mastercam X9. The
part requires basic lathe operations such as
facing, roughing, and finishing as well as
grooving and threading toolpaths.

Starting with Lesson 2, a blueprint at the

beginning of each lesson provides the
necessary dimensions you need to create
the toolpaths. Within the parts folder
that is delivered with this tutorial, you
will find the original SOLIDWORKS part
used in the tutorial.
Nozzle - 2.SLDPRT
For your reference, the folder also provides a sample of the part after each lesson:
Hose Nozzle - Inner Core - L1.MCX-9
Hose Nozzle - Inner Core - L2.MCX-9
Hose Nozzle - Inner Core - L3.MCX-9
Hose Nozzle - Inner Core - L4.MCX-9
Hose Nozzle - Inner Core - L5.MCX-9
Hose Nozzle - Inner Core - L6.MCX-9
Hose Nozzle - Inner Core - L7.MCX-9
Place these files (extracted from MCAM Lathe Getting Started-X9.zip) anywhere
that is convenient on your system, but be sure to also keep unmodified copies.
Mastercam is a comprehensive CAD/CAM software program, with solutions for a wide
array of machining applications. While this tutorial requires only a basic familiarity with
Mastercam, its intention is to provide you with an introduction to the Lathe product.
Use the resources listed at the end of this tutorial to explore and learn more about
other features and functions in Lathe and in Mastercam.
2 MASTERCAM X9/ Introduction

Tutorial Goals
Set up the job by creating a stock model and fixtures.
Move the solid model to its machine orientation and create any necessary 2D
geometry.
Create and edit tools as required by the part operations and dimensions.

NOTE: The tool numbers called out in this tutorial are the defaults listed in
the default library: Lathe_mm.Tooldb. Your tools may have different tool
numbers.

Program operations to work on a parts inner and outer diameter.

Use Mastercams verification tools and posting to check your work.

IMPORTANT: Screen colors in the tutorial pictures were modified to

enhance image quality; they may not match your Mastercam settings or
the tutorial results. These color differences do not affect the lesson or
the exercise results.

General Tutorial Requirements

All Mastercam tutorials have the following general requirements:
You must be comfortable using the Windows operating system.
The tutorials cannot be used with Mastercam Demo/Home Learning Edition
(HLE). The Demo/HLE file format (EMCX-9) is different from Mastercam (MCX-
9), and basic Mastercam functions, such as file conversions and posting, are
unavailable.
Each lesson in the tutorial builds on the mastery of preceding lessons skills.
We recommend that you complete them in order.
Additional files may accompany a tutorial. Unless the tutorial provides specific
instructions on where to place these files, store them in a folder that can be
accessed from the Mastercam workstation, either with the tutorial or in any
location that you prefer.
You will need an internet connection to view videos that are referenced in the
tutorials. All videos can be found on our YouTube channel:
www.youtube.com/user/MastercamTechDocs.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

 TUTORIAL GOALS 3

All Mastercam tutorials require you to configure Mastercam to work in a

default metric or English configuration. The tutorial provides instructions for
loading the appropriate configuration file.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

4 MASTERCAM X9/ Introduction

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

LESSON 1
1 General Setup
Before generating toolpaths for the part, you must prepare Mastercam and the part
file. This preparation includes such tasks as selecting a machine definition and defining
the stock.

Lesson Goals
Open and orient the part.
Select a machine.
Create 2D CAD part geometry.
Define stock boundaries.
Add chuck jaws.

Getting Ready to Work

This tutorial includes the files you need to complete the exercises. You can find these
files in the tutorials Parts folder. Place these files on your system wherever convenient,
but be sure to keep an unmodified set. In preparation for this tutorial, set up
Mastercam as described here.
6 MASTERCAM X9/ General Setup

Select configuration file

1 Start Mastercam using your
preferred method:
Double-click Mastercams
desktop icon.
Or
Launch Mastercam from the
Windows Start menu.
2 Select the default metric configuration file:

a Select Settings, Configuration

from Mastercams menu.

b Choose ...\mcamxm.config <Metric> from the Current drop-down list.

c Click OK.

Enable Backplot in Mastercam Simulator

This tutorial takes advantage of features in the Backplot mode available in
Mastercam Simulator. Mastercam X9 allows you to open either this version of
Backplot or an earlier version (Classic Backplot) when you access it via the
Backplot button in the Toolpaths Manager. Use the following procedure to
ensure that Mastercam defaults to the more recent application.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

 GETTING READY TO WORK 7

1 From your Windows Start menu,

select All Programs, Mastercam
X9, Utilities, Advanced
Configuration.

2 Select Backplot.

3 If necessary, choose the option to disable Classic Backplot from the drop-
down menu.
4 Select OK.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

8 MASTERCAM X9/ General Setup

Exercise 1: Loading a Machine Definition

Your part file needs at least one machine group before you can create toolpaths on
the part. Mastercam automatically creates a machine group for each machine you
select from the machine selection menu item. To see how machine selection works,
complete the following exercise.
1 Open the part file, Nozzle-2.SLDPRT, which was provided with this tutorial.
2 Save the part as Hose Nozzle - Inner Core.mcx-9.
Saving the part under a new name helps prevent your accidentally modifying
the original.
3 From the Machine Type menu,
choose Lathe.

Mastercam displays the available machine definitions.

Normally, you would select the machine on which you plan to cut the part.
This tutorial uses Mastercams default Lathe machine so you can close the
menu without making a choice.

TIP: To customize the Machine Selection lists, choose Machine Type, Mill,
Manage List or Machine Type, Lathe, Manage List. For more information
on the dialog box that displays, click the dialog boxs Help button.

Rename the Machine Group

Machine groups store complete jobs for a specific machine. For example, if some
toolpaths will be cut on a lathe, and other toolpaths on a mill, you can simply
create a second machine group. Each machine group can store its own job setup
information and tools, and use a different set of toolpath defaults. The toolpaths
from each group will post to separate NC files.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

 SETTING THE CONSTRUCTION AND TOOL PLANES 9

Mastercam lets you create as many machine groups as you need to organize your
work.
1 Right-click the machine group, and select Groups, Rename from the pop-up
menu.

Mastercam highlights the current group name.

2 Type a new machine group name.
The machine group name can be
anything you want, but its best to
choose a name that describes the
machine and its operations.
3 Select File, Save to save the file.

Exercise 2: Setting the Construction and Tool Planes

Traditional lathe turning applications use a very different coordinate system from
milling applications. Instead of a 3D/XYZ space, a lathe coordinate system for typical
turning applications is 2D, with the tool axis perpendicular to the spindle (Z axis)
instead of parallel to it. In other words,
The D (diameter) axis in Lathe is equal to the Y axis in Mill.
The Z (length) axis in Lathe is equal to the X axis in Mill.
Mastercam includes special lathe construction planes that let you work in radius or
diameter coordinates. For conventional 2D turning applications, use the Planes menu
on the status bar to select the desired coordinate system.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

10 MASTERCAM X9/ General Setup

1 Press [F9] to display axes.

The blue WCS axes appear on top of the red world axes.
2 Click the Planes menu on
Mastercams Status bar.

3 Select Lathe diameter, +D +Z (WCS).

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

 TRANSLATING THE PART 11

The Status bar indicator updates to

reflect the new settings.

Exercise 3: Translating the Part

Before you can machine the part, you need to move the geometry to its machine
orientation.
1 Select XForm, Translate 3D.

2 Select the part and press [Enter].

3 Make the following changes in the

Translate 3D dialog box:
a Select the Move option.

b Choose Top from the Source

View drop-down list.
c Choose Right Side from the
Destination View drop-down list.
d Click OK.
Mastercam moves the parts
geometry from the Top plane to the
Right plane.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

12 MASTERCAM X9/ General Setup

4 Click the Clear Colors button to

remove the result colors from the
translated geometry.
5 Save the file.

Exercise 4: Rotating the Part

In this exercise, you use Mastercams dynamic gnomon to rotate the part geometry
and improve the view.
1 Right-click, and select Isometric
(WCS) from the menu.
The graphics view changes to
Isometric.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

 ROTATING THE PART 13

2 From the Xform menu, choose

Dynamic Xform.

3 Select the part, and press [Enter].

4 Move the gnomon to the origin.

TIP: The interactive gnomon allows you to move, rotate, and

align the selected geometry or the gnomon relative to the
geometry. Toggle the button next to the gnomon to select either
of these options.
By default, the geometry manipulation button is active when the
gnomon is placed.

5 Confirm that the Move button is selected on the ribbon bar.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

14 MASTERCAM X9/ General Setup

6 Select the center segment of the

curved control to perform a rotation
around the X axis.

7 Rotate the gnomon 90 degrees, or

enter 90 into the on-screen input
box.
Mastercam rotates the part.

8 Click OK to finalize the rotation.

9 Click the Clear Colors button to

remove the result colors from the
geometry.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

 CREATING 2D CAD GEOMETRY 15

Exercise 5: Creating 2D CAD Geometry

Hose Nozzle - Inner Core.mcx-9 is an imported solid with no wireframe geom-
etry. To create Lathe toolpaths in Mastercam, you need two-dimensional geometry.
This exercise teaches you how to create a two-dimensional profile from a solid part.

Create a level for the new profile geometry

Use levels to organize part geometry. By organizing your files into levels, you can
more easily control which areas of the drawing are visible at any time and what is
selectable. In this section, you create a level specifically for the 2D profile
geometry that you will create in the next section.
1 Click Level in the status bar to open
the Level Manager.

2 Create a new main level by typing 2

and Turn Profile in the Number and
Name fields.
The new level displays in the table
with zero entities. It is the new main
level.
3 Leave the Level Manager open.

TIP: The Level Manager is a modeless

dialog box. This means that you can
leave the Level Manager on the
screen as you work in Mastercam's
main window. You can even move
Level Manager to another monitor in
a multi-monitor system.

The current level displays in the

status bar.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

16 MASTERCAM X9/ General Setup

Create the profile

1 From the Create menu, select Turn
Profile.
2 Select the part as prompted and
press [Enter].
The Turn Profile dialog box opens.

3 Use the Spin computation method.

The Spin method creates a

profile by spinning the geometry
about an axis.
The Slice method produces a
profile by creating a cross-
section through the geometry on
the XY plane.
4 Reduce the Tesselation tolerance to
0.01.
5 If necessary, choose the Upper
profile option.
6 Click OK.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

 SETTING UP THE STOCK IN THE MAIN SPINDLE 17

7 Return to the Level Manager, and hide Level 1 to view the profile.

NOTE: The illustration above shows the part from the MASTERCAM TOP
view.

8 Save the file.

Exercise 6: Setting Up the Stock in the Main Spindle

This exercise teaches you how to create the stock for the part, set the parameters for
the stock to create stock margins and grip length, and place the stock in the correct Z
position.
Creating the stock before creating the chuck jaws makes it easier to locate the stock
relative to your part. Then, when you create the jaws, you can choose to automatically
position them relative to the stock.
1 In the Toolpaths Manager, expand
the Properties group and click
Stock setup to open the Stock
Setup tab of the Machine Group
Properties dialog box.

2 In the Stock section, select Left

Spindle and click Properties.
The Machine Component Manager -
Stock dialog box opens.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

18 MASTERCAM X9/ General Setup

3 In the Name field, type in Lathe

Tutorial Stock to name the stock
setup for the main spindle.

4 Choose Cylinder from the Geometry

drop-down selections.
Cylinder lets you create 3D bar stock
by entering or selecting its
dimensions. This is suitable for most
turning operations.
5 Click the Make from 2 points
button.

6 In the graphics window, select the origin and the top of the parts back face.

Mastercam calculates the distance

between the points and enters the
values of the parts outer diameter
(OD) and length directly into the
fields in the Machine Component
Manager - Stock dialog box.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

 SETTING UP THE STOCK IN THE MAIN SPINDLE 19

7 Add an additional 30 mm to the

Length field.
The additional stock (about 30
percent) provides enough material
for the main spindle clamp to hold
the stock in place during machining.

TIP: Fields that take number values have

a built-in calculator that let you enter
simple formulas directly into the field.

8 Confirm that the Position Along Axis

is set to 0.0, and the Axis field has -Z
for the stock direction.
These two values determine the
location and orientation of the
cylinder. The center of the parts face
lies on the origin, and the part is
positioned along -Z.

9 Select the Use Margins option to

activate the stock margin fields.
10 Enter 4.2 mm in the OD margin field
and 1.0 mm in the Right Margin
field.
This extra material protects against
collisions. Mastercam will add the
margin to the stock boundary when
calculating Tool Clearance warnings.

11 Click the Position/Orientation On

Machine tab, and make sure the
option, Stock is drawn in position
on the machine is selected.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

20 MASTERCAM X9/ General Setup

12 Return to the Geometry tab and click the Preview Lathe Boundaries button
to view your results.

13 Press [Enter] to return to the Machine Component Manager - Stock dialog

box.
14 Click OK to accept your lathe stock
setup settings.
The left spindle stock is defined.

Exercise 7: Defining the Chuck Jaws

In this exercise you will define the position and grip length for the chuck jaws. You can
only use the method described below after the stock has been set up.
1 In the Chuck Jaws section, select
Left Spindle and click Properties.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

 DEFINING THE CHUCK JAWS 21

2 In the Position section:

Select From stock.

Enter 25 mm in the Grip length
field.
Mastercam uses these settings to
calculate the chuck jaw's position in
space using the defined stock, and
to determine how much stock is
being held by the chuck jaw.

Your chuck jaws settings in the Machine Component Manager - Chuck Jaws dialog
box should match the following graphic.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

22 MASTERCAM X9/ General Setup

NOTE: If any of the other values you have differ from the values shown
above, make changes to your values to match the graphic.

3 Click OK to accept these settings.

The Stock Setup tab displays with
left spindles chuck jaw defined.

4 Select the Shade boundaries option

to more easily see the stock
boundaries and chuck jaws you have
created.

5 Click OK to close the Machine Group Properties dialog box.

6 Save the file.

You have prepared your part. Now you can create toolpaths.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

LESSON 2
Facing, Roughing, and Finishing the
2

Outer Diameter
Once you have set up your job, you can begin creating toolpaths. Several toolpaths
are normally involved in machining a lathe part. In this lesson you create the toolpaths
necessary to shape the outer diameter (OD) of the part. Then, you backplot the opera-
tions you created to check your work.

Lesson Goals
Apply basic lathe toolpaths to the outer diameter of the part.
Select tools and enter cutting values for each toolpath.
Use Quick Finish to quickly create a finish toolpath based on the rough
operation you created.
Use Backplot and its functions to check your work.

Exercise 1: Facing the Part

Face toolpaths prepare the face of the part for further machining. Once the face of the
part is clean, you can use it to set tools or determine tool offsets.
You do not need to chain geometry to create a face toolpath. Mastercam can create
the toolpath entirely from parameters you enter in the Lathe Face Properties dialog
box.
24 MASTERCAM X9/ Facing, Roughing, and Finishing the Outer Diameter

1 Choose Face from the Toolpaths

menu.

2 Click OK to accept the NC Name.

The Lathe Face Properties dialog box
opens.

Select the tool

1 From the Toolpath parameters tab,
select the default OD roughing tool:
T0101 R0.8 OD ROUGH RIGHT -
80 DEG.

TIP: Mastercam uses different

colors to represent the orientation of
lathe tool inserts.
The tool has a red insert when the
insert faces away from you.
The tool has a yellow insert when
the insert faces towards you.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

 FACING THE PART 25

2 Keep all other parameters on this page at their default values.

Enter the cutting values

1 Click the Face parameters tab.
The Use stock option is selected with the Z coordinate of the stock (1.0 mm)
entered in the Finish Z text box.

NOTE: The Use stock option is available only if you have defined the
stock boundary in Stock Setup. (See page 17.)

2 Enter 0 in the text box, or click

Finish Z and select the origin from
the graphics window.
The finished face of the part is at the
origin.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

26 MASTERCAM X9/ Facing, Roughing, and Finishing the Outer Diameter

3 Keep all other parameters on this

page at their default values.
4 Click OK to create the toolpath.

NOTE: If you use the stock model for the start and end positions of each
pass and the stock changes, the start and end positions of each pass are
automatically updated when you regenerate the toolpath.

Exercise 2: Roughing the Outer Diameter

Use rough toolpaths to quickly remove large amounts of stock in preparation for a
finish pass. Roughing passes are typically straight cuts parallel to the Z-axis.
Mastercam includes several types of roughing toolpaths:
standard rough toolpaths, which let you access all of Mastercam's roughing
options
quick rough toolpaths, which let you quickly create simple rough toolpaths
with fewer options
canned rough toolpaths, which use your machine tool's canned cycles to
create the most efficient code (however, these do not offer as many options
as the standard rough toolpaths)
canned pattern repeat toolpaths, which create roughing passes in the shape
of the part contour, rather than cutting parallel to the Z-axis
dynamic rough toolpaths, which remain engaged in the material more
effectively, and use more of the surface of your insert, extending the tool life
and increasing the cutting speed
contour rough toolpaths, which are useful for parts where the initial stock
shape is similar to the final part shape, such as using a casting for stock
In this exercise, you create a standard rough toolpath.

VIDEO: Click the icon to see the difference between a dynamic rough
toolpath and a standard rough toolpath.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

 ROUGHING THE OUTER DIAMETER 27

Chain the geometry

1 Right-click in the Toolpaths Manager. Select Lathe toolpaths, Rough.
The Chaining dialog box displays, and you are prompted to select an entry
point.
Mastercam Lathe defaults to partial chaining.

TIP: Access an extensive list of commands from the Toolpaths

Managers right-click menu.

2 Click the geometry at the first entity (a) and then, at the last entity (b) to
create a partial chain.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

28 MASTERCAM X9/ Facing, Roughing, and Finishing the Outer Diameter

3 Click OK in the Chaining dialog box

to accept the chain.

The Lathe Rough Properties dialog box opens.

Enter the toolpath parameters

Like many other toolpaths in Mastercam, you create the rough toolpath by
entering tool and cutting values.

Select the tool

Use the Toolpath parameters tab to select a tool, set feeds and speeds, and
modify other general toolpath parameters. This tab is similar for most Lathe
toolpaths.

NOTE: The tool numbers called out in this tutorial are the defaults listed in
the default library: Lathe_mm.Tooldb. Your tools may have different tool
numbers.

1 From the Toolpath parameters tab,

select the default OD roughing tool:
T0101 R0.8 OD ROUGH RIGHT -
80 DEG.
This is the same tool you used to
face the part (page 24).

TIP: A green check next to the tool

indicates that it is used in another
operation.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

 ROUGHING THE OUTER DIAMETER 29

2 Type OD - Rough in the Comment

field.
Comments help identify the
operation in the Toolpaths Manager.
They can be output to the NC file
when you post.

NOTE: Use of comments are optional. In this tutorial, not all operations will
have comments.

3 Keep all other parameters on this page at their default values.

Enter the cutting values

1 Click the Rough parameters tab.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

30 MASTERCAM X9/ Facing, Roughing, and Finishing the Outer Diameter

2 Increase the Stock to leave in X to

0.5.

3 Select Use stock for outer

boundary from the Stock
Recognition drop-down.

TIP: Stock recognition lets you adjust how the stock is removed by the
roughing operation. When you select the Use stock for outer boundary
option, the operation uses more passes to remove material and avoids
excessive cut depths.

4 Click the Lead In/Out button.

The Lead In/Out dialog box opens.

The parameters in this dialog box control how the tool approaches and/or
retracts from the part for each pass in the toolpath. This eliminates the need
to create extra geometry for this purpose.
a Click the Lead out tab.
The Lead in and Lead out tabs have identical options for creating entry and
exit moves. This allows you to set different values for each move and to
combine different types of moves.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

 ROUGHING THE OUTER DIAMETER 31

b Select the Extend/shorten end of contour option.

c Extend the distance of the chained contour by 5.0 mm.
Extending the distance of the parts contour will stabilize it during the
cutoff operation.
d Enter 90 in the Angle field.
This is the angle the tool follows as it retracts from the part.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

32 MASTERCAM X9/ Facing, Roughing, and Finishing the Outer Diameter

TIP: Set the angle of the entry or exit

vector by dragging the pointer to the
desired orientation. Mastercam auto-
matically enters the new angle in the
Angle field.

e Click OK to return to the Lathe Rough Properties dialog box.

5 Keep all other parameters on this page at their default values.

6 Click OK to create the toolpath.

7 Save the part.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

 FINISHING WITH A QUICK FINISH TOOLPATH 33

Exercise 3: Finishing with a Quick Finish Toolpath

Use finish toolpaths to have the tool follow the contour of chained geometry. Typi-
cally, a finish toolpath follows a roughing toolpath.
In addition to standard finish toolpaths, which let you access all of Mastercam's finish
toolpath capabilities, Mastercam also includes quick finish toolpaths, which let you
quickly create a finish toolpath based on a previous operation (but with fewer options),
and canned finish toolpaths, which finish canned rough or pattern repeat toolpaths.
Quick finish toolpaths are useful for placing finish passes on an uncomplicated part
where you don't need all of Mastercam's more advanced finishing options. You can
chain geometry for this toolpath or simply select an existing roughing operation.
1 Select Quick, Finish from the
Toolpaths menu.

The Lathe Quick Finish Properties dialog box opens.

Enter the toolpath parameters

Entering the toolpath parameters for any finish toolpath uses the same workflow
as other lathe toolpaths: first you select the tool and tool options, and then you
enter the cutting values.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

34 MASTERCAM X9/ Facing, Roughing, and Finishing the Outer Diameter

1 Select the finishing tool: T2121 R0.8

OD FINISH RIGHT - 35 DEG.

2 Decrease the feed rate to 0.2.

3 Keep all other parameters on this page at their default values.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

 FINISHING WITH A QUICK FINISH TOOLPATH 35

4 Click the Quick finish parameters tab.

5 Change the Finish stepover to 0.3

and the Number of finish passes to
2.
The operation makes two, finer
finish passes and avoids excessive
cut depths.
6 Leave all other parameters on this page at their default values.
The roughing operation that you
created is selected in the Contour to
Finish section.

NOTE: Only rough and quick rough operations will be available for
selecting.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

36 MASTERCAM X9/ Facing, Roughing, and Finishing the Outer Diameter

7 Click OK.

Mastercam creates a finish operation on top of the previous roughing

operation.
8 Save the part.

Exercise 4: Backplotting the Toolpaths

Backplotting shows the path the tools take to cut your part and lets you spot errors in
the program before you send it to the machine. In this exercise, you use Backplot to
check the work that you have done.
1 Click the Select all operations
button on the Toolpaths Manager
toolbar to select the Face, Rough,
and Quick Finish toolpaths that you
created.
2 Click the Backplot selected
operations button.

Mastercam Simulator opens in a separate window.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

 BACKPLOTTING THE TOOLPATHS 37

3 Select the Initial Stock option in the

ribbon bars Visibility group to see
the stock before machining.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

38 MASTERCAM X9/ Facing, Roughing, and Finishing the Outer Diameter

4 Select the Initial Stock option again

to view the part profile against a
translucent display of the initial
stock.

TIP: Click to cycle through to view

the visibility options in three states:
on, translucent, and off.

5 For a better view of the operations, use the Page Up key to zoom into the
part and [Ctrl + Right Arrow] to pan the view to the right.

6 Click the Play button at the bottom

of the Simulator screen.

Simulator backplots all three toolpaths with information about the current
toolpath motion displayed in the Move List on the right-side of the screen.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

 BACKPLOTTING THE TOOLPATHS 39

7 To pause the simulator at the end of

each operation, select Operation
change from the Stop Conditions
drop-down.

8 Use the Run [R], Step Forward [S], and Backstep [B] keys to view the
operations again at your own pace.

TIP: There are several shortcut keys in Mastercam Simulator that can
make your workflow more efficient. See Help for a complete list.

9 Minimize the Mastercam Simulator, or move it to another monitor.

You can dock the Mastercam Simulator on a second monitor, and refresh
your toolpaths as you make changes.
When you close the Mastercam Simulator window, the current layout is
saved and used at the application's startup.
The face, rough, and quick finish operations reveal the basic shape of the outer diam-
eter of the hose nozzle. In the next lesson, you further refine the outer diameter with
grooves and threads. You also use the additional capabilities of a standard finish oper-
ation to efficiently remove material, and check your work against Mastercam Simu-
lators Verify option.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

40 MASTERCAM X9/ Facing, Roughing, and Finishing the Outer Diameter

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

LESSON 3
3 Adding Grooves and Threads
Grooves and threads are common features on a lathe part. A groove is an indented or
recessed area in a workpiece. They can be very difficult to machine with a roughing
toolpath or a roughing tool. A thread is the helical ridge of a screw. Both groove and
thread toolpaths require that you define the shape and orientation of the operation as
well as their cutting values. In this lesson, you create groove and thread toolpaths on
the outer diameter of the part. You also see how you can employ plunge parameters
to efficiently remove material in a finish operation. To analyze the viability of these
operations, you use advanced verification features in the Mastercam Simulator.

Lesson Goals
Create groove operations on a single chain and on non-adjacent geometry.
Use plunge cuts in a finish operation to efficiently remove material.
Manually enter thread parameters to create a thread on the outer diameter.
Use Verify and its functions to check your work.

Exercise 1: Grooving on the Outer Diameter: Multiple Chains

Groove toolpaths are useful for machining indented or recessed areas that are not
otherwise machinable by roughing toolpaths or tools. You can machine several
grooves in a single operation, even if their geometry never connects. In this exercise,
you create one groove operation from two distinct chains.
42 MASTERCAM X9/ Adding Grooves and Threads

1 Choose Groove from the Toolpaths

menu.
The Grooving Options dialog box
opens.

2 Select the Multiple chains option.

3 Click OK.
The Chaining dialog box displays
and you are prompted to select an
entry point.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

 GROOVING ON THE OUTER DIAMETER: MULTIPLE CHAINS 43

4 Chain two of the three grooves by selecting the first and last entities of each
chain as shown in the illustration.

TIP: Right-click in the graphics window, and

use Zoom Window to more easily select the
groove geometry.

5 Click OK in the Chaining dialog box

to accept the chain.

The Lathe Groove (Chain) Properties dialog box opens.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

44 MASTERCAM X9/ Adding Grooves and Threads

6 From the Toolpath parameters tab,

select the grooving tool: T4141 R0.1
W1.85 OD GROOVE CENTER -
NARROW

7 Keep all other parameters on this page at their default values.

8 Click the Groove shape parameters tab, and make sure that all values are as
shown.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

 GROOVING ON THE OUTER DIAMETER: MULTIPLE CHAINS 45

NOTE: The Use stock for outer boundary option can remain unchecked
since the roughing operation already removed any stock past the end of
the chained geometry.

9 Click the Groove rough parameters tab, and make sure that all values are as
shown.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

46 MASTERCAM X9/ Adding Grooves and Threads

10 Click the Groove finish parameters tab, and make sure that all values are as
shown.

11 Click OK to create the toolpath.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

 GROOVING ON THE OUTER DIAMETER: ROUGH PASS ONLY 47

Exercise 2: Grooving on the Outer Diameter: Rough Pass Only

In this exercise, you restrict a second groove toolpath to machine just a rough pass on
a single, recessed area.
1 Choose Groove from the Toolpaths menu.

2 Select the Chain option from the Grooving Options dialog box.

3 Click OK.
The Chaining dialog box displays and you are prompted to select an entry
point.
4 Chain the third groove by selecting the first and last entity of the chain as
shown in the illustration, and click OK.

The Lathe Groove (Chain) Properties dialog box opens.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

48 MASTERCAM X9/ Adding Grooves and Threads

5 Keep T4141 R0.1 W1.85 OD

GROOVE CENTER - NARROW
selected.

6 Open the Groove finish

parameters page, and clear the
Finish option.
In the next exercise, you use a
standard finish operation to remove
remaining stock from this groove.

7 Click OK to create the toolpath.

Exercise 3: Finishing with Plunge Cuts

In this exercise, you finish the groove you created. To more efficiently remove the
material, you activate plunging in both directions.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

 FINISHING WITH PLUNGE CUTS 49

1 Select Finish from the Toolpaths

menu.
The Chaining dialog box displays,
and you are prompted to select a
point or chain contour.

2 Select the Last button to reselect

the geometry chained for the
previous grooving operation.

3 Click OK in the Chaining dialog box

to accept the chain.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

50 MASTERCAM X9/ Adding Grooves and Threads

The Lathe Finish Properties dialog

box opens with the finish tool used
in the quick finish toolpath
(Operation 3) already selected.

4 Type OD - Finish with Plunge in the

Comment field.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

 FINISHING WITH PLUNGE CUTS 51

5 Open the Finish parameters page.

You do not need to edit any fields on this page.

6 Click the Lead In/Out button.
The Lead In/Out dialog box opens.

a Enter -135 in the Angle field, or

drag the angle dial to define the
entry vector.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

52 MASTERCAM X9/ Adding Grooves and Threads

The tool will follow this angle as it enters the cut.

b Click OK to return to the Lathe Finish Properties dialog box.

7 Click the Plunge Parameters
button.

The Plunge Cut Parameters dialog box opens. Use this dialog box to define
how you want the tool to handle plunges along the toolpath. You can choose
to plunge in either or both axes.
a Select the option to allow plunging in both directions.
The tool plunges into all sections on the chained path.
Choosing to plunge in both directions activates the Front and Back
clearance angle fields.
b Keep the default values for both clearance angle fields.
Clearance angles control how the tool plunges and give additional
clearance at the undercut wall.
The front clearance angle prevents the tool front from cutting with the
entire length of the insert's front as the tool cuts up to the wall.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

 FINISHING WITH PLUNGE CUTS 53

The back clearance angle

prevents the tool back from
cutting with the entire length
of the insert's back as the tool
plunges to the next cut depth.

c Click OK to return to the Lathe Finish Properties dialog box.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

54 MASTERCAM X9/ Adding Grooves and Threads

8 Click OK to create the toolpath.

9 Save the part.

10 (Optional) Backplot the groove and

finish toolpaths that you have
created in this lesson.

Exercise 4: Adding a Thread Toolpath

A threading toolpath is typically the last toolpath performed on a lathe part because
of the need for accuracy. A threaded part has to fit precisely into another part. You can
program threads on the OD or ID to secure parts to each other.
With Mastercam, you can directly enter toolpath parameters or select geometry to
create a thread toolpath.
In this exercise, you use part geometry to create an OD thread toolpath.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

 ADDING A THREAD TOOLPATH 55

1 Choose Thread from the Toolpaths

menu.
The Lathe Thread Properties dialog
box opens.

Select the tool

1 From the Toolpath parameters tab,
select the thread tool: T9191
R0.072 OD THREAD LEFT - SMALL

2 Enter 400 into the Spindle speed

field, and select the mm/rev option
for the Feed rate.
The feed and speed rates you enter
here overwrite the default settings
for this operation.
3 Keep all other parameters on this page at their default values.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

56 MASTERCAM X9/ Adding Grooves and Threads

Enter thread shape parameters

The values you enter into this tab determine the shape of the thread as dictated
by its geometry, whether it is cut on the inner diameter, outer diameter, or face/
back of the part, and how much variation is allowed.
1 Click the Thread shape parameters
tab.

2 In the Lead field, enter 1.5 mm.

The blueprint on page 41 shows the
lead value.

3 Click the Major Diameter button.

You are prompted to select a point
in the graphics window.
4 Click the threads largest diameter.

5 Click the Minor Diameter button.

You are prompted to select a point
in the graphics window.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

 ADDING A THREAD TOOLPATH 57

6 Click the threads smallest diameter.

7 Make sure that your major and

minor values are as shown, and
press [Enter].
Mastercam automatically calculates
the Thread depth from the major
and minor diameter values.

8 Click the Start Position button and

select the beginning of the thread
from graphics window.
9 Click the End Position button and
select the end of the thread from
graphics window.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

58 MASTERCAM X9/ Adding Grooves and Threads

The fields on the tab show the

location of the start and end of the
thread on the Z axis.

10 Confirm that the Thread orientation is OD.

Thread orientation determines whether the thread is created on the inner or
outer diameter of the part.
11 Click the Draw Thread button to preview the thread geometry in the graphics
window.
Mastercam creates an outline of the
thread.

12 Choose Yes to save it with your part.

Enter thread cut parameters

The values entered in this tab define how Mastercam will cut the material.
1 Click the Thread cut parameters
tab.

2 Select the Compute option on the

right side of the dialog box.
Mastercam automatically calculates
the required acceleration clearance
from the lead and main spindle
speed.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

 VERIFYING THE TOOLPATHS 59

3 Keep all other parameters on this page at their default values.

4 Click OK to create the toolpath.

5 Save the file.

Exercise 5: Verifying the Toolpaths

Verifying your toolpaths allows you to use solid models to simulate part machining
against a selected stock definition. The result Verify creates represents the surface
finish, and shows collisions, if any exist. You can identify and correct program errors
before they reach the shop floor.
In this exercise, you use some of Verifys features to check the thread operation you
created in this lesson.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

60 MASTERCAM X9/ Adding Grooves and Threads

1 Make sure that the Thread operation

is selected in the Toolpaths
Manager.

2 Click the Verify selected

operations button.

Verify displays in the Mastercam Simulator window.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

 VERIFYING THE TOOLPATHS 61

3 Right-click in the graphics window

and change the view to Isometric.
Pan and zoom into the area that will
be threaded.

4 Click the Play button or press [R] to verify the toolpath.

Mastercam Simulator verifies the toolpath.
5 Open the Verify ribbon bar.

6 Click Accurate Zoom.

Accurate Zoom smooths surfaces when you view the part in close-up.

Accurate Zoom Off Accurate Zoom On

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

62 MASTERCAM X9/ Adding Grooves and Threads

TIP: Click Reset Zoom to restore the

original magnification result.

7 Click the True Thread button, and

click OK to continue.
True Thread requires that you re-
verify the operation.

8 Click the Play button or press [R] to restart verification.

True Thread displays a more realistic threading motion and helical screw
threads, instead of concentric circles and grooves.

True Thread Off True Thread On

Toggle the True Thread button to return to a quicker, but less accurate
verification.
9 Minimize the Mastercam Simulator, or move it to another monitor.
You have completed machining the outer diameter. In the next lesson, you will create
operations on the C-Axis.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

LESSON 4
4 C-Axis Drilling Operations
Lathe C-Axis toolpaths are included with Mastercam for most common contour and
drill applications. When you select one of these toolpaths, Mastercam automatically
sets the Tplane and Cplane to the appropriate settings for the desired application.
These toolpaths also support Y-axis rotation and axis substitution. To use C-axis tool-
paths, the active machine definition must support the appropriate axes. In this lesson,
you use two operations to drill a hole through the part on the C-axis.

Lesson Goals
Create 2D geometry from circular holes in the solid body.
Add a toolpath group.
Create a C-Axis drill operation.
Copy and modify an existing operation to create a new one.

Exercise 1: Making Drill Geometry

The drill toolpath requires the selection of two-dimensional geometry. Because the
method you used to create 2D geometry on page 15 did not create a cross section of
the part, the geometry for the drill hole was not created. In this exercise, you use
Mastercams Hole-Axis function to create the necessary geometry from circular holes
in the solid body.
64 MASTERCAM X9/ C-Axis Drilling Operations

1 Open the Level Manager, and make

Level 1 visible.
The solid model displays in the
graphics window.

2 Create a Level 3. Name this level, C-

Axis Geometry.

3 Turn on translucent shading in the

graphics window to view the interior
of the solid.

4 Use the Isometric Gview and Zoom

to more easily see the models drill
hole.

5 Create the C-Axis geometry.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

 MAKING DRILL GEOMETRY 65

a Select Model Prep, Hole-Axis.

b [Ctrl + click] the internal face of

the upper hole to select both
openings of the through hole.

TIP: Use [Ctrl +click] to select faces with matching diameters.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

66 MASTERCAM X9/ C-Axis Drilling Operations

c Place points and circles at both

the top and bottom of the holes.
d Click OK to accept your changes.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

 ADDING A NEW TOOLPATH GROUP 67

Mastercam creates geometry for

both ends of the through hole.

Exercise 2: Adding a New Toolpath Group

Toolpath groups are subgroups that are children of machine groups. They inherit
machining properties and other important properties from their parent groups. Tool-
path groups house toolpath operations as well as other subgroups. They are useful for
creating sets of toolpaths on the same machine that you will want to post separately.
Mastercam supports unlimited subgroups.
In this exercise you organize your operations into two different toolpath groups: Outer
Diameter and C-Axis Drill.
1 Right-click Toolpath Group-1, and select Groups, Rename from the pop-up
menu.
2 Change the name of Toolpath
Group-1 to Outer Diameter.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

68 MASTERCAM X9/ C-Axis Drilling Operations

3 Create the C-Axis Drill toolpath group.

a Right-click the machine group and select Groups, New Toolpath group
from the menu.

A new toolpath group is created.

NOTE: If necessary, move the insert

arrow past the new toolpath group.

b Rename the new toolpath group:

C-Axis Drill.

Exercise 3: Creating a C-Axis Drill Operation

In this exercise, you create a center drill operation with a C-axis drill toolpath.
1 Select Toolpaths, C-axis, C-Axis
Drill.
The Drill Point Selection dialog box
opens

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

 CREATING A C-AXIS DRILL OPERATION 69

2 Select the top point or arc using the

Manual or Entities buttons.

OR

NOTE: The illustration shows the top

arc selected. When you select open or
closed arcs, the drill points are placed
in the center of the arcs.

When finished, confirm your

selection.
Manual selection: press [ESC].
Entity selection: press [Enter].
Mastercam confirms that you have
one point defined and that point
sorting and the duplicate point filter
are off.

3 Click OK.
The C-Axis Toolpath - C-Axis Drill
dialog box opens

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

70 MASTERCAM X9/ C-Axis Drilling Operations

Enter the Toolpath Parameters

In addition to selecting tools and entering cutting values, the C-axis drill
operation requires that you define the rotary axis motion.

Select the tool

1 From the Tree View, open the Tool
page.

2 Click the Select library tool button.

The Tool Selection dialog box opens.

3 Choose 5.CENTER DRILL from the list, and click OK to return to the Tool
page.

TIP: Use the Tool List Filter to narrow the tools displayed
in the list.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

 CREATING A C-AXIS DRILL OPERATION 71

4 In the Comment window, type C-axis Drill - Center Drill.

Define Hole Depth

1 Open the Linking Parameters page.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

72 MASTERCAM X9/ C-Axis Drilling Operations

2 Enter an incremental cutting depth of -3.0.

3 Keep all other options on the Linking Parameters page at their default values.

Configure Rotary Axis Motion

C-axis toolpaths automatically set the rotation type to Axis substitution around
the Z axis. This gives you the choice of chaining either flat geometry which will be
rolled around the cylinder, or geometry which is already properly positioned in
3D space.
1 Open the Rotary Axis Control
page.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

 CREATING A C-AXIS DRILL OPERATION 73

The Axis substitution option is the

only rotation type available for C-
axis drill operations.

2 Set Rotation direction to CW (clock-

wise), and confirm that the Unroll
option is selected.
Mastercam unrolls the geometry on
to a flat plane in a clockwise
direction relative to the selected
axis. When you post the toolpath,
the geometry wraps back onto the
cylinder using the axis substitution
and rotary diameter parameters.
3 Enter the Rotary diameter. Use the dimension from the blueprint on page 63,
or follow the procedure below.
a Right-click in the Rotary
diameter field, and select D =
Diameter of an arc.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

74 MASTERCAM X9/ C-Axis Drilling Operations

b Select the circular edge of the

stock.

A built-in calculator reads the dimensions of the selected arc directly into the
Rotary diameter field.

4 Click OK to create the toolpath.

5 Save the part.

6 Backplot and/or Verify this toolpath following the procedures you learned in
Lessons 2 and 3.

Exercise 4: Copying the Drilling Operation

The final drill operation uses the same geometry and many of the same parameters as
the center drill operation you created in Exercise 3. In this exercise, you copy and paste
one operation in the Toolpaths Manager in order to quickly create a new one.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

 MODIFYING THE DRILLING PARAMETERS 75

1 Right-click and drag the drill

toolpath you just created to the
bottom of the operation list.
2 Release the mouse button and
choose Copy after from the right-
click menu.
Mastercam creates a new operation.

3 If necessary, move the insert arrow

past the new toolpath.

Exercise 5: Modifying the Drilling Parameters

In this exercise, you create the drill through operation by modifying the parameters in
the center drill operation that you copied.
1 Click new toolpaths Parameters
folder to open the dialog box.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

76 MASTERCAM X9/ C-Axis Drilling Operations

2 Open the Tool page.

3 Click the Select library tool button, and select the 6 mm drill.

4 Type C-axis Drill in the Comment field.

5 Open the Linking Parameters page.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

 MODIFYING THE DRILLING PARAMETERS 77

6 Using the dimension on page 63,

enter the cut depth.

7 Open the Tip Comp page.

Use this page to configure how the
tool drills all the way through the
stock.

a Select the Tip Comp checkbox to

activate the parameters on the
page.
b Enter a 1.0 mm breakthrough
amount.
This insures that the full diameter
of the tool breaks through the
bottom of the stock.

8 Click OK.
9 The new toolpath is marked dirty in
the Toolpaths Manager.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

78 MASTERCAM X9/ C-Axis Drilling Operations

10 Regenerate the toolpath, and save

your part.

You have completed machining the outer diameter of the hose nozzle. In the next
lesson, you prepare for machining the inner diameter with Mastercams cutoff and
stock flip operations.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

LESSON 5
5 Cutoff and Stock Flip
Lathes miscellaneous operations manipulate the stock and reposition chucks, tail-
stocks, and steady rests. Operations can output a comment and a program stop in the
NC code to let the operator manually reposition the stock or a peripheral, or they can
output code to automatically control peripherals. Mastercam Lathe currently supports
the following miscellaneous operations:
Stock flip (reposition stock on the same spindle)
Stock transfer (reposition stock to a different spindle)
Stock advance (program a bar feeder)
Chuck (clamp/unclamp/reposition)
Tailstock (advance/retract)
Steady rest reposition
In this lesson, you prepare for machining the inner diameter with Mastercams cutoff
and stock flip operations.

Lesson Goals
Create a cutoff operation.
Program a stock flip.

Exercise 1: Cutting Off the Part

Cutoff toolpaths vertically cut off pieces of the part, such as sections of bar stock. You
do not need to chain any geometry for a cutoff toolpath. Instead, you select the point
where the part is cut off.
In this exercise, you use the options in the cutoff toolpath to separate the part from
the bar stock.
80 MASTERCAM X9/ Cutoff and Stock Flip

1 Select Toolpaths, Cutoff.

2 Select the cutoff boundary point at the point indicated.

TIP: To view the part as illustrated:

change the GView to Top
hide Level 1
turn off the toolpath display [Alt + T]

The Lathe Cutoff Properties dialog box opens.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

 CUTTING OFF THE PART 81

3 Select the cutoff tool: T151151 R0.4

W4. OD CUTOFF RIGHT.

4 Click the Stock Update button to

open the Stock Update Parameters
dialog box.
Use this dialog to define whether
the stock model will be based on the
finished part or leftover stock after
the cutoff operation.
a Select the Keep separated piece
option.
Mastercam will display the part
boundary after the part is cut
from the stock.
b Click OK.

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82 MASTERCAM X9/ Cutoff and Stock Flip

5 Open the Cutoff parameters tab.

6 Select the From stock option.

Mastercam computes the Entry amount from the maximum stock diameter
at the Z coordinate of the cutoff boundary point.
7 Select Chamfer to cut a chamfer on the corner of the part.

8 Click Parameters to enter chamfer dimensions in the Cutoff Chamfer dialog

box.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

 PROGRAMMING A STOCK FLIP 83

a Enter 0.25 in the Width field

The chamfer is defined by its
width. Mastercam automatically
calculates the height from this
dimension and the angle.
b Click OK to return to the Cutoff
parameters tab.

9 Click OK to create the operation.

Mastercam cuts the part from the stock.
10 Save the part.

Exercise 2: Programming a Stock Flip

A stock flip lets you program operations on the opposite side or back of a lathe part in
the same Mastercam file. Stock flip operations output a comment and program stop in
the NC code, which lets the operator manually remove the stock and reposition (flip) it
in the chuck.
In this exercise, you program the new stock and chuck position.

IMPORTANT: You can only program miscellaneous operations such as a

stock flip when they are supported by the active machine definition.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

84 MASTERCAM X9/ Cutoff and Stock Flip

1 Use the procedure on page 68 to

create a new toolpath group.
Rename the group Back/Inner
Diameter.
The new toolpath group will include
the stock flip and the operations
machining the back and inner
diameter of the part.

2 Select Toolpaths, Misc Ops, Stock

Flip.
The Lathe Stock Flip Properties
dialog box opens.

Re-align Part Geometry

Use the options in the Lathe Stock Flip Properties dialog box to make a copy of
part geometry that is aligned with the new stock model and to remove the
original geometry from view.

NOTE: Mastercam blanks the original entities. They are not deleted. (See
Help for more information on blanked entities.)

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

 PROGRAMMING A STOCK FLIP 85

1 If necessary, select the Transfer

geometry and Blank original
geometry options.
2 Click the Select button under the
Transfer geometry option.
Mastercam returns you to the
graphics window.

3 Window-select the entire part, and press [Enter].

All entities are selected.

4 In the Level Options section, offset
the level of the transfer geometry by
100.

Enter new stock and chuck jaw positions

Use this procedure to define the new stock position and the final position of the
chuck jaws after the stock flip.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

86 MASTERCAM X9/ Cutoff and Stock Flip

1 To position the transferred stock,

click the Select button, and choose
any point on the back edge of the
part.

As indicated by the image in the

dialog box, the point you select
(Z -89.0) will be transferred to Z0
after the stock flip operation

TIP: The point you choose does not have to be on the face of the stock.
You can choose any convenient reference point.

2 To set the final position of the chuck

jaws, click the Select button, and
chose the point as indicated from
the graphics window.
This is where the chuck jaws will grip
the stock after the stock flip
operation.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

 PROGRAMMING A STOCK FLIP 87

3 Click OK to create the operation.

The stock and chuck display in the graphics window in their transferred
positions.

4 Save the part.

The part is now in the correct position for you to machine the features of the back end
and inner diameter.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

88 MASTERCAM X9/ Cutoff and Stock Flip

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

LESSON 6
6 Machining the Inner Diameter
In this lesson you create the toolpaths necessary to machine the inner diameter (ID) of
the hose nozzle. You may notice that many of the toolpaths need only to be slightly
adjusted to be applied to work on the inner diameter. After you have completed
creating the toolpaths, you use Verifys display tools to inspect your work.

Lesson Goals
Create new tools based on existing tools
Create toolpath operations on the inner diameter of the part
Use Verifys display tools to inspect your work

Exercise 1: Creating New Tools in the Lathe Tool Manager

The interior of the hose nozzle part is hollow. You use two drill operations to cut the
longest two inner diameters. Both operations require creating new tools that match
the diameter of each drill hole (9.6 mm and 11.4 mm). The third and widest inner
diameter requires roughing and finishing tools that fit within dimensions of the bore
(24.5 mm), as well as an ID threading tool that can cut to the thread standard for
garden hoses (GHT).
Although your shop may choose to use standard tools to cut these toolpaths, in this
exercise you create all of these tools in the Lathe Tool Manager.
90 MASTERCAM X9/ Machining the Inner Diameter

Create the 9.6 mm drill

The 9.6 mm drill is based upon a 9 mm drill that is already in the tool library.
1 Select Toolpaths, Lathe Tool
Manager.
The Tool Manager opens. The upper
window displays the tools used in
the current Mastercam file.

2 Click and drag T123123 9. Dia DRILL 9. DIA from the library window to the
part window.

When you create or work on a tool in the part window, you are working on a
the tool definition that is stored in the machine group. That means if you edit

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

 CREATING NEW TOOLS IN THE LATHE TOOL MANAGER 91

a tool from the part window, you are only changing the definition in the
machine group and not the tool library. If you import the tool from another
Mastercam file, the changes you make here will not appear in the original file.

TIP: Select the Filter Active option to filter the list of tools. Click the Filter
button to change the filter criteria with the Lathe Tool Filter dialog box.

3 Using the right-click menu, copy and paste the 9 mm drill in the part window.

4 When prompted, click Yes to add a similar tool.

A copy of the 9 mm drill is added to
the part window.

5 Right-click the copied tool, and

select Edit tool from the menu.
The Define Tool dialog box opens.

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92 MASTERCAM X9/ Machining the Inner Diameter

6 Edit the tool geometry as shown.

These values define the dimensions
of the new tool insert.

7 Click the Holders tab, and edit the dimensions of the holder.

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 CREATING NEW TOOLS IN THE LATHE TOOL MANAGER 93

8 Click the Parameters tab and rename the tool.

9 Click OK to finalize your changes.

The new tool profile displays in the
part window.

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94 MASTERCAM X9/ Machining the Inner Diameter

Create the 11.4 mm drill

Repeat Steps 3 9 to create the 11.4 mm
drill.
Enter the following values to
create the tool and holder
dimensions.
Rename the tool: DRILL 11.4
DIA.

The original tool and the two new tools display in the part window.

Create the ID roughing tool

1 Click and drag T7171 R0.4 ID ROUGH MIN 16. DIA - 80 DEG. from the
library window to the part window.
2 Right-click the tool, and select Edit tool from the menu.
The Define Tool dialog box opens.

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 CREATING NEW TOOLS IN THE LATHE TOOL MANAGER 95

3 Choose 05 from the IC Dia./Length drop-down.

This value defines the insert's IC diameter or length (depending on the

selected shape). The IC diameter (IC = inscribed circle) is determined by
placing a circle in the insert shape and measuring the circle's diameter
4 Leave the other parameters on this
tab at their default values, and click
the Boring Bars tab.

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96 MASTERCAM X9/ Machining the Inner Diameter

5 Change the holder geometry as

shown to fit the newly edited insert.

6 Click the Parameters tab, and

rename the tool: ID ROUGH MIN.
10. DIA. - 80 DEG.

7 Click OK to finalize your changes.

Create the ID finishing tool

Create a finishing tool for the bore you will turn.
1 In the part window, use the right-click menu to copy and paste the tool you
just edited (ID ROUGH MIN. 10. DIA. - 80 DEG).
2 When prompted, click Yes to add a similar tool.
3 Right-click the copied tool, and select Edit tool from the menu.
The Define Tool dialog box opens.

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 CREATING NEW TOOLS IN THE LATHE TOOL MANAGER 97

4 Enter the following values to create the inserts inscribed circle diameter and a
smaller corner radius.

TIP: You can either enter dimensions directly or select them from the
drop-down menu.

5 Keep the holder geometry as shown

to fit the newly edited insert.

6 Name the new tool: ID FINISH MIN. 10. DIA. - 80 DEG.

7 Click OK to finalize your changes.

Create the ID threading tool

1 Click and drag T101101 R0.036 ID THREAD MIN. 20. DIA. from the library
window to the part window.
2 Right-click the tool, and select Edit tool from the menu.
The Define Tool dialog box opens.

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98 MASTERCAM X9/ Machining the Inner Diameter

3 Edit the insert geometry by

increasing the lead (mm/thread) and
cutting depth (C) of the insert.
Mastercam uses these values to
calculate the default feed rate based
on the spindle speed value entered
on the Parameters page.

4 On the Holders tab, decrease the

diameter of the holder (A) to 12.0.

5 Click the Parameters tab, and rename the tool: ID THREAD MIN. 12. DIA.

6 Click OK to finalize your changes.

You have now finished creating the tools that you need to machine the inner
diameter of the part.
7 Click OK to exit the Lathe Tool Manager.

Exercise 2: Facing the Back of the Part

It is a best practice to prepare the back face of the part for further machining. Create a
Face toolpath using the default roughing tool (T0101 R0.8 OD ROUGH RIGHT - 80
DEG) to finish the back face of the part to Z0.

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 DRILLING THE FIRST INNER DIAMETER 99

Use the same procedure to face the back of the part as you used to face the front. If
you feel you still need instruction to create this operation, refer back to Lesson 2,
Exercise 1 (page 23).

Exercise 3: Drilling the First Inner Diameter

Drill operations in Lathe are on the center line of the part and are placed by default at
the part origin.
1 Select Toolpaths, Drill.
The Lathe Drill Properties dialog box
opens.
Unlike most toolpaths, lathe drill
toolpaths do not require you to
select geometry before entering the
toolpath parameters.

2 Select the 9.6 mm drill from the tool

window.
If desired, enter comments for the
toolpath.

3 Click the Simple drill - no peck tab.

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100 MASTERCAM X9/ Machining the Inner Diameter

4 Click the Depth button to define the

bottom of the drill hole from a point
in the graphics window.
5 Select the point indicated.

Mastercam returns you to the Lathe

Drill Properties dialog box and
automatically enters the correct
value in the Depth field.

6 Choose Peck Drill from the Cycle

drop-down list.

The parameters tab changes from

Simple drill - no peck to Peck drill
- full retract.

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 DRILLING THE SECOND INNER DIAMETER 101

The name that appears on this tab depends on the cycle you select in the Drill
Cycle Parameters drop-down list. The cycles which are available to you
depend on the active control definition.
7 Set the depth for the first and all
subsequent peck moves to 2.0 mm.

8 Click OK to complete the operation.

The graphics window displays how the first inner diameter is drilled.

Exercise 4: Drilling the Second Inner Diameter

This operation uses the depth calculator to adjust the drilling depth of the tool.
1 Select Toolpaths, Drill.

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102 MASTERCAM X9/ Machining the Inner Diameter

2 Select the 11.4 mm drill from the

tool window.
If desired, enter comments for the
toolpath.

3 Click the Peck drill - full retract tab.

Mastercam remembers the last drill cycle you selected.
4 Click the Depth button to define the bottom of the new toolpaths drill hole.
5 Select the point indicated.

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 DRILLING THE SECOND INNER DIAMETER 103

The depth of the drill hole at the

selected point is automatically
entered in the Depth field.

Although you did not select the tip of the drill hole, you can use Mastercams
depth calculator to calculate the proper drilling depth based on the finish
diameter and drill size.
6 Click the Depth Calculator button.

The Depth Calculator dialog box

opens.
With the Use current tool values
option selected, Mastercam displays
the tool diameter, tool tip included
angle, and tool tip diameter for the
tool you choose on the Toolpath
parameter page. It calculates the
proper drilling depth and adds it to
the existing depth.

7 Click OK to return to the Lathe Drill

Properties dialog box.
The depth of the bottom of the drill
point is entered into the field.

8 Leave all other parameters in the dialog box as is, and click OK to create the
operation.

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104 MASTERCAM X9/ Machining the Inner Diameter

Exercise 5: Roughing and Finishing the Third Inner Diameter

In this exercise, you bore the third inner diameter with roughing and finishing opera-
tions. With the exception of a standard finish toolpath, the roughing and finishing
operations that you create on the inner diameters are very similar to the toolpaths you
created on the outer diameter (Lesson 2).
1 Select the Rough toolpath from the Toolpaths menu.
The Chaining dialog box displays and you are prompted to select an entry
point.
2 Click the geometry to create a partial chain as shown.

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 ROUGHING AND FINISHING THE THIRD INNER DIAMETER 105

3 Click OK in the Chaining dialog box

to accept the chain.

The Lathe Rough Properties dialog box opens.

4 Select the ID roughing tool you
created on page 94: ID ROUGH
MIN 10. DIA - 80 DEG.

5 Type ID - Rough in the Comment

field.

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106 MASTERCAM X9/ Machining the Inner Diameter

6 Change the following cutting values on the Rough parameters tab.

Change the Depth of cut to 1.0.

Decrease the Stock to leave in Z
to 0.05.

Select Use stock for outer boundary from the Stock Recognition drop-
down.
7 Click the Lead In/Out button.
The Lead In/Out dialog box opens.

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 ROUGHING AND FINISHING THE THIRD INNER DIAMETER 107

a Click the Lead out tab.

b Enter 0.5 in the Length field.

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108 MASTERCAM X9/ Machining the Inner Diameter

This is the length of the vector

the tool follows as it retracts from
the part.

c Click OK to return to the Lathe Rough Properties dialog box.

8 Keep all other parameters in the dialog box at their default values.

9 Click OK to create the rough

toolpath.

10 Use ID FINISH MIN. 10. DIA. - 80 DEG to finish the bore you just roughed
with a new operation. (This is the finishing tool you created on page 96.)
Leave all settings at their default values.
11 Save the part.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

 ADDING AN ID THREAD 109

Exercise 6: Adding an ID Thread

1 Choose Thread from the Toolpaths menu.
The Lathe Thread Properties dialog box opens.

NOTE: You do not need to select geometry to create a thread toolpath.

2 From the Toolpath parameters tab,

select the thread tool you created
on page 97: ID THREAD MIN 12
DIA.

3 Enter 400 into the Spindle speed

field, and select the mm/rev option
for the Feed rate.

4 Type ID - Thread in the Comment

field.

5 Keep all other parameters on this page at their default values.

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110 MASTERCAM X9/ Machining the Inner Diameter

6 Click the Thread shape parameters

tab.

7 Refer to the illustration above to enter the following thread dimensions:

lead
major and minor diameters
start and end positions
The blueprint on page 89 also shows these values.

TIP: If you are cutting a standard thread, click Select from table to
display a list of standard thread tables. Mastercam will automatically fill in
the fields for the thread dimensions with values from these tables. See
Mastercam Help for more information.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

 ADDING AN ID THREAD 111

8 Confirm that the thread orientation is ID.

9 Click the Thread cut parameters tab.

10 If necessary, select the Compute option to calculate the required acceleration

clearance.
11 Keep all other parameters on this page at their default values.

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112 MASTERCAM X9/ Machining the Inner Diameter

12 Click OK to create the toolpath.

13 Save the part.

Exercise 7: Refining Your Verification Results

In Lesson 3, you used Accurate Zoom and True Thread to more clearly see your work.
In this exercise, you use Verifys Part Sectioning tools to view the cuts you made along
the inner diameter.

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 REFINING YOUR VERIFICATION RESULTS 113

1 Select operations 12 through 17 in

the Toolpaths Manager.
These are all the operations you
created on the inner diameter.

2 Click the Verify selected

operations button.

Verify displays in the Mastercam Simulator window.

3 Hide the fixture, and change the
stock opacity to translucent.

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114 MASTERCAM X9/ Machining the Inner Diameter

4 Turn the Color Loop on to view

each operations change to the stock
as a different color.

The color of each operation is also represented as a different color on the

playback bar.

TIP: Improve your view by panning, zooming, and rotating.

5 Click the Play button or press [R] to verify the toolpath.

Although you are able to view the operations through the translucent stock,
Mastercam Simulators clipping plane and part sectioning tools offer an even
better view of the parts interior.

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 REFINING YOUR VERIFICATION RESULTS 115

6 Change the stock back to opaque.

7 Open the Verify ribbon bar.

8 Select the XY Clipping Plane

button.
A cross-section is drawn through the
stocks XY plane.

TIP: Click and drag the plane to position the cross-section.

9 Click the XY Clipping Plane button again to turn it off.

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116 MASTERCAM X9/ Machining the Inner Diameter

10 Select a quadrant from the 3/4

sectioning menu.

Part sectioning displays your stock in 3/4 sections using a combination of two
clipping planes. Once you select a section, you can click and drag either plane
to adjust the view.

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 REFINING YOUR VERIFICATION RESULTS 117

11 Click 3/4, Off to turn off part

sectioning.

You have finished cutting the part. In the next lesson, you organize your tools and
post your work to the machine.

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118 MASTERCAM X9/ Machining the Inner Diameter

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

LESSON 7
7 Post Output
Posting refers to the process by which the toolpaths in your Mastercam part files are
converted by a specialized processing program to a format that can be understood by
your machine tools control.
Tool numbers that are output to your NC file come from the Toolpath Parameters tab
or Tool page for each operation. When you select a tool for an operation, Mastercam
generates a default tool number and default tool offsets. If your machine only accepts
a limited range of tool numbers, Mastercam lets you reassign tool numbers for opera-
tions in a machine group.
In the final lesson of this tutorial, you renumber the tools used in the operations you
created, and then post the entire set to the NC file.

Lesson Goals
Renumber all tools used to cut the part
Post your work for inspection

Exercise 1: Renumbering Tools

In this exercise, you renumber the tools for each operation.
1 Select all operations in the
Toolpaths Manager.

2 Right-click the machine group.

120 MASTERCAM X9/ Post Output

3 Select Edit selected operations, Renumber tools from the menu.

The Renumber tools dialog box displays.

4 Clear the last option to renumber
tools that are not used in any
operation.

5 Click OK.
The tools in the Toolpaths Manager are renumbered relative to the current
order of the operations.

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

 POSTING 121

TIP: Use the procedure above to reassign tool numbers after you have
already created toolpaths. To number tools in the machine group by
operation before you create toolpaths, select the option on the Tool
Settings tab in the Machine Group Properties dialog box.

Exercise 2: Posting
In this exercise, you post the operations in the machine group.
1 If necessary, select all operations in the Toolpaths Manager.
2 Click the Post selected operations
button in the Toolpaths Manager
toolbar.

NOTE: If you have not selected all the operations in a machine group,
Mastercam will ask if you want to post all the operations.

The Post processing dialog box

displays. Mastercam uses these
settings to handle the files that are
generated when posting.

Click OK.

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122 MASTERCAM X9/ Post Output

The Save As dialog box displays.

3 Rename the file, or click Save to accept the default NC file name.
Mastercam posts the file, and it is opened in your default file editor. Use the
generated text file to evaluate your post before sending it to the machine.

Conclusion
Congratulations! You have completed the Getting Started with Mastercam Lathe tuto-
rial. Now that you have mastered the skills in this tutorial, explore Mastercams other
features and functions.
You may be interested in other tutorials that we offer. The Mastercam tutorial series is
in continual development, and we will add modules as we complete them. Visit our
website, or select Tutorials from the Help menu to see the latest publications.

Mastercam Resources
Enhance your Mastercam experience by using the following resources:
Mastercam HelpAccess Mastercam Help by selecting Help, Contents from
Mastercams menu bar or by pressing [Alt+H] on your keyboard. Also, most
dialog boxes, function panels, and ribbon bars feature a Help button that
opens Mastercam Help directly to related information.
Mastercam ResellerYour local Mastercam Reseller can help with most
questions about Mastercam.
Technical SupportCNC Softwares Technical Support department (860-875-
5006 or [email protected]) is open Monday through Friday from 8:00
a.m. to 5:30 p.m. USA Eastern Standard Time.
Mastercam TutorialsCNC offer a series of tutorials to help registered users
become familiar with basic Mastercam features and functions. The Mastercam

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

 MASTERCAM DOCUMENTATION 123

tutorial series is in continual development, with new modules added as we

complete them. Visit our website, or select Tutorials from the Help menu to
see the latest publications.
Mastercam UniversityCNC Software sponsors Mastercam University, an
affordable online learning platform that gives you 24/7 access to Mastercam
training materials. Take advantage of more than 180 videos to master your
skills at your own pace and help prepare yourself for Mastercam Certification.
For more information on Mastercam University, please contact your
Authorized Mastercam Reseller, visit www.mastercamu.com, or email
[email protected].
Online communities You can find a wealth of information, including many
videos, at www.mastercam.com.
For tech tips and the latest Mastercam news, follow us on Facebook
(www.facebook.com/mastercam), Twitter (www.twitter.com/mastercam), or
Google+ (plus.google.com/+mastercam). Visit our YouTube channel to see
Mastercam in action (www.youtube.com/user/MastercamCadCam)!
Registered users can search for information or ask questions on the
Mastercam Web forum, forum.mastercam.com, or use the knowledge base at
kb.mastercam.com. To register, select Help, Link on Mastercam.com from
the Mastercam menu and follow the instructions.

Mastercam Documentation
Mastercam installs the following documents in the \Documentation folder of your
Mastercam installation:
Whats New in Mastercam X9
Mastercam X9 Installation Guide
Mastercam X9 Administrator Guide
Mastercam X9 Transition Guide
Mastercam X9 Quick Reference Card
Mastercam X9 ReadMe

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124 MASTERCAM X9/ Post Output

Contact Us
For questions about this or other Mastercam documentation, contact the Technical
Documentation department by email at [email protected].

LATHE: GETTING STARTED

 Attention! Updates may be available.
Go to Mastercam.com/Support for the latest downloads.

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