Mastercam, headquartered in Tolland, Connecticut, is celebrating the tenth anniversary of the opening of its Swiss office. CNC Software Europe, SA was opened in April 2011 as a development office primarily to support the market for small precision-turned parts. Today, the office is now 10 years old and is a part of several teams within CNC Software Inc., contributing across the entire suite of Mastercam products.
Gary Hargreaves, CNC Software chief legal officer, said the company opened the development center in Switzerland because of its commitment to the Swiss market. “Hiring the right talent in Switzerland gave us the team to successfully push forward in this growing market,” he said. “The Mastercam Swiss Machining Solution is a great compliment to the existing suite of Mastercam products.”
Located in Porrentruy, Switzerland, CNC Software Europe allowed the company to access the expertise available in the Jura Region of Switzerland, known as the birthplace of Swiss machining and is known for watchmaking, medical, and has many companies manufacturing products with small, precise moving parts.
“In addition to Swiss machining expertise, the Swiss office contributes today to many features being developed in Mastercam, as well as in post processor development,” said Matthieu Saner, manager, software engineering. “Some research projects in the field of manufacturing automation and Industry 4.0 are being completed in partnership with Swiss universities driven by the Swiss office. Our office also participates in local internship programs to provide opportunities for students to become familiar with the development of leading software in the world.”
Swiss turning machines can be highly complex with many operations happening simultaneously. The ability to accurately drive these machines requires software developed specifically for this type of machine. Mastercam’s Swiss Solution combines Mastercam Mill and Lathe with an optimized post processor to give users a reliable set of tools to program parts for their Swiss machines.
For more information on Mastercam Swiss Machining Solutions, visit www.mastercam.com/solutions/swiss-machining-solutions or phone 800-228-2877. Outside the U.S., phone +1 860-875-5006.
Related Glossary Terms
- computer numerical control ( CNC)
computer numerical control ( CNC)
Microprocessor-based controller dedicated to a machine tool that permits the creation or modification of parts. Programmed numerical control activates the machine’s servos and spindle drives and controls the various machining operations. See DNC, direct numerical control; NC, numerical control.
- lathe
lathe
Turning machine capable of sawing, milling, grinding, gear-cutting, drilling, reaming, boring, threading, facing, chamfering, grooving, knurling, spinning, parting, necking, taper-cutting, and cam- and eccentric-cutting, as well as step- and straight-turning. Comes in a variety of forms, ranging from manual to semiautomatic to fully automatic, with major types being engine lathes, turning and contouring lathes, turret lathes and numerical-control lathes. The engine lathe consists of a headstock and spindle, tailstock, bed, carriage (complete with apron) and cross slides. Features include gear- (speed) and feed-selector levers, toolpost, compound rest, lead screw and reversing lead screw, threading dial and rapid-traverse lever. Special lathe types include through-the-spindle, camshaft and crankshaft, brake drum and rotor, spinning and gun-barrel machines. Toolroom and bench lathes are used for precision work; the former for tool-and-die work and similar tasks, the latter for small workpieces (instruments, watches), normally without a power feed. Models are typically designated according to their “swing,” or the largest-diameter workpiece that can be rotated; bed length, or the distance between centers; and horsepower generated. See turning machine.
- milling machine ( mill)
milling machine ( mill)
Runs endmills and arbor-mounted milling cutters. Features include a head with a spindle that drives the cutters; a column, knee and table that provide motion in the three Cartesian axes; and a base that supports the components and houses the cutting-fluid pump and reservoir. The work is mounted on the table and fed into the rotating cutter or endmill to accomplish the milling steps; vertical milling machines also feed endmills into the work by means of a spindle-mounted quill. Models range from small manual machines to big bed-type and duplex mills. All take one of three basic forms: vertical, horizontal or convertible horizontal/vertical. Vertical machines may be knee-type (the table is mounted on a knee that can be elevated) or bed-type (the table is securely supported and only moves horizontally). In general, horizontal machines are bigger and more powerful, while vertical machines are lighter but more versatile and easier to set up and operate.
- turning
turning
Workpiece is held in a chuck, mounted on a face plate or secured between centers and rotated while a cutting tool, normally a single-point tool, is fed into it along its periphery or across its end or face. Takes the form of straight turning (cutting along the periphery of the workpiece); taper turning (creating a taper); step turning (turning different-size diameters on the same work); chamfering (beveling an edge or shoulder); facing (cutting on an end); turning threads (usually external but can be internal); roughing (high-volume metal removal); and finishing (final light cuts). Performed on lathes, turning centers, chucking machines, automatic screw machines and similar machines.
