/
Custom Materials in CAM Assist

Custom Materials in CAM Assist

Owned by Geoffrey Brennan
Jan 23, 2025
4 min read
https://youtu.be/fRceVMI1NOA

Custom Materials are read by CAM Assist from the Materials database of the selected tool library. 

 

Follow the steps below to configure a Custom Material for use with CAM Assist.

 

To Set Up Custom Materials

 

Adding a Material to the Mastercam Tool Manager Material Database

  1. In the Mastercam Tool Manager, open up the tooldb file where you want to add a Custom Material.

 

  1. Open the Materials database.

 

image-20250122-172912.png

 

  1. Click the Material button to add a material

 

image-20250122-172953.png

  1. Fill in the Material Properties appropriately.

CAM Assist requires the ISO Group Value to be set. At this time, CAM Assist does not use the Density or Hardness properties.

 

In this example, Delrin has been added as a Custom Material.

Configuring Cut Parameters (Preset values) for Tools

Next, define Presets for the Material in the Cut Parameters section of the Mastercam Tool Manager.

For Custom Materials, Presets must be used as the CAM Assist Cutting Parameters engine will not recognize custom materials.

 

When creating Presets (Cut Parameters in the Mastercam Tool Manager) a handy trick is to copy or duplicate exiting presets. Refer to the tooldb files included with the installation of CAM Assist as examples.

 

  1. In the Mastercam Tool Manager, open the Cut Parameters database.

 

  1. Click the Cut Parameter button to add a new Cut Parameter.

 

  1. Each Cut Parameter for a Custom Material requires a name that contains the Tool Assembly Name that will link/associate the Cut Parameter to the Tool Assembly.

Find out more about Presets here.

 

  1. Fill in/edit the Properties for the Cut Parameter appropriate to the Custom Material. These include:

 

a. Material Name - Select the Custom Material (added in the previous step) from the drop-down menu.

 

b. Name - it is recommended that the name be edited to create a unique value. This is especially important when duplicating Cut Parameters, so they will be easily referred to later on. In the example on the right, ‘Delrin’ has been added as a suffix to the Name.

c. Feed Per Tooth - Set this value specific to the Custom Material and cutting tool.

d. Surface Speed - Set this value specific to the Custom Material and cutting tool.

For more information about calculating feeds and speeds see this page.

 

 

  1. Repeat this process for all Tool Uses for the required tools.

 

 

Using Custom Materials in CAM Assist

CAM Assist will be able to access Custom Materials if the library containing the material is selected.

 

In the Stock material drop-down, Custom Materials will be listed, along with an indicator that it is a Custom Material, and the ISO Group information.

 

When a Custom Material is selected, the Cutting Parameters will switch to the only use Presets option, and that the other options are not available. This indicates that Custom Materials are only available to use with Presets. The behaviour is different from the default materials in CAM Assist.

Using Custom Materials, some time will be needed to set up Cut Parameters. Check with your sales associate or reseller if you need any help with this process.