Best CAM software for 5 axis + Swiss 2021? No Autodesk.

**mhajicek** · 02-09-2021, 07:04 PM

To drudge up an old topic, what's the best CAM for 5 axis milling plus Swiss turning this year? Autodesk products are off the table. I'm used to Mastercam for milling, but they don't do Swiss well. I'd like to use the same package for both. I hear Topsolid is good? Maybe Esprit? Local support and training in or near Minneapolis would be important.

Thanks!

P.S.

Products are medical devices, no turbines.

**boosted** · 02-09-2021, 09:46 PM

If you have to do both with the same package, Esprit TNG would be at the top of my short list.

FeatureCAM + Partmaker might be okay, but I very much share your distaste for AD (we got burned bad with FeatureCAM in 2017 - never managed to post a working program to our NT1000).

TopSolid is good stuff, but I can't speak to their ability to handle swiss. A lot of CAM companies say they can, but then if course the implementation is not great.

**TeachMePlease** · 02-10-2021, 06:13 AM

Esprit is hands down the best Swiss software that is or is not Autodesk.

**LockNut** · 02-10-2021, 11:07 AM

I do here a lot of good things for Esprit for 5 Axis. Quite a few of our customers use Esprit for our 5A machines.

**Hardplates** · 02-10-2021, 11:27 AM

I'd take a look at SolidCam. I do 3 axis 3D stuff and it is great for that. I've heard their 5 ax, swiss and millturn are pretty good, though I've yet to get that far

**metalmadness** · 02-10-2021, 01:41 PM

We use Mastercam but obviously it isn't optimal for multitasking or Swiss. I would vote Esprit

As a side note, how does Esprit 5 axis compare to Mastercam 5 axis, if anyone has experience with both?

**boosted** · 02-10-2021, 01:52 PM

Originally Posted by metalmadness

As a side note, how does Esprit 5 axis compare to Mastercam 5 axis, if anyone has experience with both?

I went from MasterCAM to Esprit almost a decade ago. Esprit 5 axis was way better at that time, mainly due to great feature recognition and very robust simulation. The Esprit TNG product is a totally different animal, and seems to have made some big improvements. Though neither of those packages would be my first choice for an environment that was exclusively doing five axis milling, I think Esprit has a pretty firm grasp as the best (or at least most accessible) "jack of all trades" CAM software.

**CG60** · 02-10-2021, 03:11 PM

Originally Posted by mhajicek

To drudge up an old topic, what's the best CAM for 5 axis milling plus Swiss turning this year? Autodesk products are off the table. I'm used to Mastercam for milling, but they don't do Swiss well. I'd like to use the same package for both. I hear Topsolid is good? Maybe Esprit? Local support and training in or near Minneapolis would be important.

Thanks!

P.S.

Products are medical devices, no turbines.

Take a look at Hyper mill can't beat for 5X, support is second to none. They have some very innovative features for turning.

**boosted** · 02-10-2021, 03:42 PM

hyperMILL has absolutely no support for multi-channel work. It's literally not supported. Would have to create and post multiple separate programs. It has some neat features, but as a whole the turning package from hyperMILL is abysmal. Been a happy five axis customer of theirs for several years.