CAD/CAM Software Directory

Cimatron’s software is primarily used in the tooling industry – that is, the design and manufacture of the molds, dies, and fixtures required to produce finished goods. A hallmark of Cimatron is its strength in injection mold design for plastics and stamping die design for sheet metal. For example, automotive suppliers use Cimatron to design the intricate injection molds that form plastic components like car dashboards and interior trim, which often involve hundreds of precisely interlocking parts.

GibbsCAM has a strong foothold in what’s known as the production machining sector: environments with high-volume or repeat CNC work, where efficiency and reliability are paramount. It excels at generating error-free toolpaths for CNC lathes, mills, and mill-turn centers that run day in and day out. The system is also widely used in toolmaking and mold-making contexts, though sister products (such as the Cimatron software for mold design) have traditionally catered more specifically to that domain.

Mastercam is a leading computer-aided design and manufacturing (CAD/CAM) software suite that has become a mainstay in modern manufacturing. Developed by CNC Software, the Mastercam system allows engineers and machinists to design virtual parts and generate precise toolpaths for computer-controlled machine tools. Over nearly four decades, Mastercam has evolved from a small startup’s idea into the world’s most widely used CAM software, empowering industries from aerospace to education and shaping how products are made.

VERICUT is a prominent software system for verifying and simulating CNC machining operations before any real cutting occurs. Developed by the California-based company CGTech, VERICUT creates a virtual “digital twin” of CNC machines to test and optimize tool paths in a 3D environment​. Manufacturers use VERICUT to detect programming errors, collisions, or inefficiencies in their NC code, thereby preventing costly machine crashes and scrapped parts on the shop floor. Over the past three decades, this software has become widely regarded as the industry standard for CNC simulation and toolpath optimization​. In October 2022, CGTech was acquired by Sandvik AB, a Swedish engineering conglomerate best known for its cutting tools and machining solutions.