Comparing Mill-Turn and Lathe

Mastercam has always supported multi-function lathes that are capable of milling operations. Different levels of support are available depending on which product licenses you have purchased:

  • The Mastercam Lathe license includes access to C-axis and Y-axis toolpaths. These let you create simple milling operations with standard part setups.
  • Mastercam Lathe users can purchase an additional Mastercam Mill license that lets them use Mill toolpaths directly. These include many more options than Lathe's C-axis and Y-axis toolpaths. Lathe users can purchase Mill 3D or Multiaxis licenses for complete access to all of Mastercam's Mill's capabilities.
  • Mastercam Mill-Turn is a product solution which runs on top of your existing Mastercam Lathe and Mill licenses. It provides Mastercam's most complete support for multi-function lathes.

Mastercam Mill-Turn is based on .machine files which include posts written in Mastercam's MP.NET language. The Mill-Turn platform provides a number of benefits to Lathe users:

  • Robust job setup module tailored to your specific machine.
  • Simplified workflow for programming milling operations.
  • Full simulation.
  • New functions for loading and simulating tools.
  • Enhanced support for multi-stream machines including syncing and multi-tasking.

It is important to understand that Mastercam Lathe users without a Mill-Turn license can also program multi-stream machines with multiple rotary axes (such as Mazak Integrex and Okuma Multus) so long as the post is written properly and they have an appropriate Mill license. However, without a Mill-Turn license they will not have access to Simulation and the many other features and enhancements that are only available with the Mill-Turn product.

Mastercam Mill-Turn users have access to all of Mastercam Lathe's turning toolpaths, plus the Mill toolpaths corresponding to their Mill license (Mill, Mill 3D, or Multiaxis). Mastercam Lathe's C-axis and Y-axis toolpaths are not available in Mill-Turn because they are not needed. Every Mill operation uses Mill-Turn's simplified workflow for setting up your milling applications.

Mill-Turn users also have access to advanced turning operations that are not included with a Lathe license:

In addition, Mill-Turn users can use Y-axis tools in standard Lathe turning operations.

Mill-Turn uses machine definitions, but differently than Lathe.

  • Mill-Turn uses machine definitions indirectly. Mill-Turn uses a .machine file, which has a Lathe machine definition serialized inside it. In Mill-Turn, you never work with the machine definition directly, only the .machine file.
  • Only authorized developers can create Mill-Turn .machine files. This includes the machine definitions and posts contained inside them. In contrast, any Mastercam user can create a Lathe machine definition or write a Lathe post.
  • Mill-Turn supports a broader array of components. These include collets and collet chucks in addition to chucks with jaws, advanced tool locator blocks (including multi-station blocks) for both turrets and tool spindles, and advanced tailstock programming tools.
  • Mill-Turn machines support multiple data streams and robust tools for syncing them.
  • Mill-Turn supports the use of configuration files that let you save pre-loaded tools, chucks, and jaws so that you can easily reuse them in multiple parts.

Yes, there are several differences.

  • Mill-Turn includes a different set of part handling operations.
  • Most Mill-Turn part handling operations are created as part of pre-defined strategies that have been created for you by your machine developer. However, standalone, independent operations are also supported.
  • Mill-Turn includes a center operation for using a turret-mounted center, which is not available in Lathe.
  • Mill-Turn and Lathe both support steady rest operations. However, the support in Mill-Turn is much more robust. Steady rest operations in Lathe are different operation types than Mill-Turn steady rest operations.
  • Centers in Mill-Turn are a type of tool. They are stored in a tool database (.tooldb file). In Lathe, they are a boundary that is defined on the Stock Setup tab in the machine group properties.
  • Mill-Turn's bar feed operation is more powerful and flexible than the Lathe version.
  • Mill-Turn part handling operations do not include custom parameters. Any required customization is handled in the .machine file.

See Part Handling Operations (Mill-Turn) to learn more.

Beginning with Mastercam 2019, Lathe users who have not purchased a Mill-Turn license can use Mill-Turn .machine files. However, this is limited to single-stream machines with no more than a single rotary axis. This lets Lathe users experience all the advantages of the Mill-Turn platform when programming these simpler machines.

  • Lathe users still need a Mill license to create milling operations. Lathe's C-axis toolpaths are not available on the Mill-Turn platform.
  • Lathe users still need to purchase a license for each .machine file.

See Understanding Mill-Turn Licenses to learn more.

A complete set of generic .machine files is installed with Mastercam, ranging from a simple slant-bed lathe to multi-stream machines with B-axis heads. These are intended for training and demo purposes and represent a typical Fanuc control. Other generic machines are available for Seimens controls as well as other component layouts. These can be used for training or demo purposes without an additional license. Contact Mastercam for more information.

Learn more