Hardware Podcasts

277: The Future of CAM Software and Elevating the Status of Manufacturing Jobs with Mastercam President Russ Bukowski

Manufacturing Happy Hour · 3 Mar 2026 · 44m

AI in practice: 2 real uses of AI described

What this episode covers

Russ Bukowski, President of Mastercam, explains how AI-powered CAM systems like Mastercam Copilot are bridging the knowledge gap left by retiring manufacturing experts, compressing the learning curve from years to months. He discusses how mid-size machine shops are gaining leverage through vertical integration and exclusive supplier agreements, driven by post-COVID supply chain vulnerabilities. Bukowski also details Mastercam's acquisition by Sandvik, which enabled significant investment in new technologies like Everpath and the acquisition of channel partners to foster direct customer relationships.

AI in practice

Where this conversation describes AI being used to build or deliver a product. Part of the AI in practice tracker.

Engineering & simulationMastercam Copilot

The AI system provides knowledge-based answers to user questions about how to conduct actions in the software and allows users to drive the software via voice commands to make program changes without manual computer interaction.

“We have MasterCam copilot, which is primarily a knowledge-based system where you can ask it questions and it will return, you know, steps on how do you actually conduct an action in MasterCam … You can also drive the software through it … you can actually talk to MasterCam and make that change without having to interact with the computer.”

Speaker 2 · Hear it at 20:12

Engineering & simulationMastercam Copilot

The AI leverages data from Sandvik tooling brands to recommend specific feeds and speeds for a given machine, material, and tool, allowing operators to choose from a list of options rather than manually looking up tables.

“Instead of having to manually look up feeds and speeds tables … to be able to have the inputs already set up in the cam software. So it says, okay, I'm running this particular machine. … To have it recommending these feeds and speeds and letting the operator choose from a list of 3 to 5 options…”

Speaker 2 · Hear it at 20:12

Most relevant to

companies scaling up

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Mastercam, Sandvik, Tree House Brewing Company, Sandvik Coromant, Seco, Walter
Products
Mastercam Copilot, Everpath

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