Creating a Contour Toolpath for Laser Cutting – Mastercam Flat Pattern Skills 2/10

This video tutorial guides viewers through the process of creating a simple contour toolpath in Mastercam, specifically for laser, water jet, or plasma cutting applications.

CNC machines like lasers, waterjets, or plasmas cut through sheet material with a thin beam. To cut out flat shapes like sheet metal or plate, a contour toolpath traces around the perimeter of the part.  For this part, a laser is used and a pierce point is defined to avoid piercing the part perimeter and creating a hole where it isn’t wanted. 

To create a pierce point, hold Shift+Click with the point command to place and then translate a point a specified distance from the entry point. In this example, the pierce point is offset from the mid-point of a straight edge.   

A tool can be selected or created to represent the cut width using a simple end mill tool and the dimensions of the cut.  From there, specify any lead-in or lead-out settings according to the machine capabilities.  Backplot the toolpath to verify the cutting trajectory.  Since this toolpath will be re-used in nesting jobs later any issues with the toolpath movement should be resolved here.