Keller Technology Corporation Puts Mastercam to the Test, Passing Every Time 

Jim Fortin stands next to a complex part being machined for the Department of Energy

Keller Technology Corporation (KTC), located in Tonawanda, NY, designs and fabricates specialty equipment for many different industries and companies. Businesses that reach out to Keller Technology need a solution to produce their end-product with the assurance that their proprietary information and intellectual property (IP) will remain secure. Projects include new products (Design and Build programs) to be introduced to the market and expansion (Build to Print programs) of existing product lines. Because of this, KTC is involved with "leading edge" technology for both consumer and industrial products and also scientific development. To accomplish this, KTC has an experienced engineering and manufacturing support team along with the facilities to produce highly complex fabrications, machine parts, machinery, and complete manufacturing lines.

The complex project above was done for the Department of Energy and was machined on a Parpas SL 100 5-Axis machine. KTC programmed this massive and extremely complex part using Mastercam's advanced multi-axis module. The completed part will be for a state-of-the-art high-resolution diffractometer. 

Keller Technology counts on Mastercam to be able to program extremely challenging and complex jobs like the one above. "We put Mastercam to the test with the type of jobs that we take on and so far, it has all the resources necessary to handle these complex projects," says Jim Fortin, CAD/CAM Manufacturing Engineer at Keller Technology. Besides the vast programming capability of Mastercam, Jim also emphasizes the increased efficiency that Mastercam has yielded."Unlike previous software, Mastercam allows us to put the software on the plant floor. Our machine operators are now able to write their own programs in Mastercam, rather than directly on the machine control panel. Having Mastercam available on the plant floor has doubled our efficiency."

Even though Mastercam has yet to fail a test Keller has given it, Jim says that the initial reason for going with Mastercam in the first place was based less on capabilities and more on the CAD/CAM software being the industry standard and strong interface with SolidWorks. "We are much more likely to find users who are familiar with Mastercam. We have trained 15 people to use Mastercam by sending them to Erie Community college for an accredited course. As our company continues to grow, it becomes imperative to be able to find talent that has past experience with the software we run."

To learn more about Keller Technology Corporation, visit their website at www.kellertechnology.com.

If you would like more information regarding Mastercam, please call 585-265-0160, send emails to sales@optipro.com, or visit www.optipro.com/mastercam.

July is Maintenance Customer Appreciation Month!

Mastercam expert Chris Parish leads one of the jam sessions.

To show our appreciation to our Mastercam maintenance customers, OptiPro has declared July to be Maintenance Customer Appreciation Month! Instead of one jam session on the first Friday of the month, OptiPro will be hosting four jam sessions in July! Jam sessions allow maintenance customers to sharpen their Mastercam skills by coming in to ask our Mastercam experts for help with any issue they may be having. The four jam sessions will be taking place July 8th, 15th, 22nd, and 29th from 9 AM until Noon. To sign up, please contact Lynda Bechtold at OptiPro by calling 585-265-0160 ext. 236 or send emails to lynda@optipro.com.

Mastercam X5 MU1 Is Released! 

Please take a few minutes to browse some of the powerful new tools that X5 delivers. Mastercam X5 MU1 offers expanded machining flexibility and an increased emphasis on speed and automation. This maintenance update is available at no charge to all current Mastercam Maintenance customers.

Here are some of the most significant highlights and new functionality in Mastercam X5 MU1:

Mill:

- Enhanced gouge checking and containment options for 3D high-speed toolpaths

- Improved curve 5-axis and Swarf 5-axis cutting, allowing overlap

-Faster Mill tree-style dialog performance

Router:

- Drag and drop parts from one sheet to another during geometry or toolpath nesting

- Output block drilling parameters for easy use on setup sheets and with certain point-to-point routers

Wire:

- Enhanced 4-axis Direct wirepath accommodates a new suite of geometry and outs for even smoother motion

- Added options give you even more precision tab control

- Ability to window chain relief cuts in your material workpiece

CAD Tools:

- Updated file translators for ACIS, CATIA, SolidWorks, Solid Edge, Unigraphics, and Rhino

- Easier surface curve selection and solid layout functions

- New option to import STL files as lines or STL mesh

With the release of Mastercam X5 MU1, we are also introducing Mastercam Port Expert, a new purchasable add-on designed for the head porting industry. This powerful tool can be added on to Mastercam Mill Level 3 or Router Pro, and delivers:

- Intelligent, specialized programming that machines as far as possible into the port with 3-axis toolpaths before switching smoothly to 5-axis motion

- Advanced gouge checking to help ensure high-quality cuts

- Flexible machining definition and constraints, allowing automatic or manual choices

To download Mastercam X5 MU1, click here. For more information, please feel free to contact OptiPro by calling 585-265-0160. 

Mastercam University Promotion: Buy One, Get the Second Class Half Off!

Mastercam has announced a new promotion for anyone interested in learning more about the software:

Mastercam U Promotion: Buy one, get the second half off!

From now until August 31, 2011, if you buy one Mastercam U class, you get the second at 1/2 off! Both classes must be under the same company's email (the person's name can be different). This is for Industrial customers only. This promotion cannot be used in combination with any other Mastercam U promotion. For more information regarding Mastercam University's online training and for a complete list of classes being offered at Mastercam U, go to the Mastercam U website at www.mastercamu.com. To purchase Mastercam U classes, contact Lynda Bechtold at OptiPro by calling 585-265-0160 x236 or send emails to lynda@optipro.com.