Programming options in Mastercam
| Approach | Suited to |
|---|---|
| Mastercam Lathe with C-axis toolpaths | Lathes with live tooling and C-axis |
| Mastercam Mill-Turn product | Complex mill-turns with B-axis heads, sub-spindles and multiple turrets |
Posts are not interchangeable between approaches: each uses its own machine definitions and post structure.
What mill-turn posts must handle
- Turning with diameter programming, CSS (G96) and feed per rev (G95).
- C-axis engage, positioning and live tool spindle control.
- Polar (face) and cylindrical (wrap) interpolation modes.
- B-axis head orientation for angled milling and drilling.
- Sub-spindle pickup, cut-off and back-working.
- Wait codes for multi-stream synchronisation.
Example: sub-spindle transfer sequence
(PART TRANSFER - codes are machine specific)
M05
G00 X100. Z50.
M* (spindle sync on)
G00 B-250. (sub-spindle approaches)
G01 B-282. F500.
M* (sub-chuck close)
(cut-off tool)
G01 X-1. F0.05
M* (spindle sync off)We show M* placeholders because sync, chuck and transfer codes are different on every machine and must come from the builder's documentation. Some machines also move the sub-spindle on a different axis letter.
Multi-stream synchronisation
For machines with two or more turrets, Mastercam's synchronisation tools let programmers place operations on streams and define sync points. The post writes each stream as a separate program block with matching wait codes.
A mill-turn post must be built for one specific machine; there is no truly generic mill-turn output.
Mastercam mill-turn posts
See our CNC post processor development service and dual-spindle post development.