Currently, Tornos machines, known for their ability to produce extremely precise parts, are driven by the company’s TISIS software. Under the new arrangement, CNC Software, Mastercam’s parent company, would become the sole CAM provider for Tornos.
While most machinists are familiar with mills and lathes, where a cutting tool moves to meet a part, Swiss-type machines work in the opposite manner. Because of this unique action, Swiss machines can produce parts with extremely high tolerances at the submillimeter scale. With this ability, Swiss-type machines can be employed by master watch makers, micro-mechanical engineers and other practitioners of the finer milling arts.
In this new collaboration, Mastercam will provide TISIS users with CAM features through an integrated interface. Once the Mastercam interface has been initialized, users will be able to take advantage of the software’s flexible and intuitive methods for creating complex tool paths. To that end, operators will now be able to execute numerous simultaneous operations, as Mastercam’s designers have placed special emphasis on building a master-slave relationship between the axes that will be needed for any given toolpath.
Need to mill miniature, complex parts like those in this Bulgari? You'll need a Swiss-type machine.
Though Mastercam’s main market will continue to exist in the “macro-machining” world, it’s interesting to ponder whether this new software initiative might entice companies into considering, or possibly adopting, a micro-machining mill to expand their product portfolio. I’m doubtful that many will, but after learning that Mastercam was giving this venture a go, I certainly started doing more research about Swiss-type machines.
Now, if I can only convince my boss that we absolutely need one …
Tornos machinists can expect Mastercam tools to be available via TISIS in Q3 of 2016.