Published 07/22/2025

Video Interview: Programming Faster and Winning Jobs with AI CAM Software

Part programming can become a bottleneck, one that only gets longer as part complexity increases. MSP has cut down this bottleneck through AI-powered CAM software. Get the details inside.

• Software
• Automation
• View From My Shop
• CAD/CAM

Programming can be a bottleneck that eats the time of skilled shopfloor employees. Simpler parts can still have features that are time-consuming to enter, and more complex parts can take weeks to program and verify. Aviation shop MSP Manufacturing knew this challenge well, but a chance encounter at the Farnborough Air Show brought it in contact with AI software company CloudNC. After running a test part in CloudNC’s AI-powered CAM software CAM Assist, the shop found it cut over half the programming time and adopted the software. It hasn’t looked back.

During my visit to MSP Manufacturing earlier this year, I spoke with Johnny Goode, MSP’s president, about how the shop uses the software. In the video and accompanying transcript below, you’ll find out what the shop sees as the strengths and current limitations of the software, and how it has been able to leverage CAM Assist’s strengths to win jobs.

Transcript:

Evan Doran, Senior Associate Editor, Modern Machine Shop: Automation allows shops to do more, faster. This has long been the case in part tending, and has recently taken off in data entry.

But what about programming?

Today we're following up on how one job shop is using AI to cut its programming times and win jobs. We recently visited MSP Manufacturing’s facility in Bloomington, Indiana, discussing some of the strategies the shop has used to strengthen its position. But one of these strategies stood out for its rarity: The shop's use of AI programming software.

MSP first encountered CloudNC, the developer of AI-powered programming software CAM Assist, at the 2024 Farnborough Air Show, where the two companies had booths next to one another. After hearing CloudNC’s sales pitch, MSP president Johnny Goode was interested in a test run of the software and so tasked his lead programmer with timing himself versus the software.

Johnny Goode, CEO and President, MSP Manufacturing: I had Jason program a part before the meeting where we did the download and got a time on his. I think it was between an hour and two hours to program this part. And then he brought it in and we ran it on there and—our Wi-Fi wasn't the greatest that day either, but it took I think about 15 minutes to do to program that part.

Now, Jason, I think, spent an additional seven to 10 minutes kind of cleaning it up, you know, removing some of the tool paths, adding some of the other stuff. But even when you factor that in, you know, you're looking at 22 minutes compared to two hours.

Evan Doran: After this test, the shop adopted the software and integrated it into its workflow.

Johnny Goode: I think it's one of the fastest softwares to integrate, than any of the other ones we've integrated.

I would say the biggest thing, if you don't have, like, a tool library or you're not using a default one, that might be the biggest integration, but we've always used kind of the default Mastercam tool list. And we just implemented that same thing into CAM Assist and it worked.

Evan Doran: Once MSP imported its tooling library into the software, it began generating tool paths using these tools for new parts. Though the exact amount of adjustment necessary varies, and CloudNC is still building out compatibility beyond three-axis milling and 3+2-axis milling, CAM Assist is often able to cut over half of MSP’s programming time.

Johnny Goode: I'd say it's that's probably about 70% on the low end. You can use it to kind of ballpark your estimates too. If you run the sim through there and you’re like okay, now I know it's — and it may be without removing toolpaths and stuff that may even be on the high side. So now you're building a little bit more margin or safety net in there.

Evan Doran: CAM Assist also provides sample feeds and speeds for projects, which Goode says approach the same level of accuracy as the generated tool paths.

Johnny Goode: I think generally they run the part through with the suggested feeds and speeds, tool paths and stuff, and then they're modifying it on a case-by-case basis. So sometimes the speeds and feeds are really close to what we actually run at, sometimes they're not. So, I'd say it's different by job and by also piece of equipment.

Evan Doran: As Goode mentioned, even the initial outputs of CAM Assist have greatly sped the pace of MSP’s quoting and the reduction in programming time only becomes more significant as the initial programming time increases. For mission-critical parts, MSP’s increased agility from the software can position it to win jobs even when bidding higher than the competition.

Johnny Goode: We were able to take on some mission-critical defense projects that, the sheer programming time would have probably taken weeks to get done, and we were able to have the part back from outside processing in the time that it probably would have cost to program it.

And we, you know, had super aggressive lead dates. I think we quoted it at two to three weeks for a complete part, and our nearest competitor quoted 12 weeks. And well, our price kind of was a lot higher than theirs because it's such an aggressive time. And with it being so mission-critical, price is not the biggest thing. They wanted a lead time and a quality part and CAM Assist and our processes and our knowledge of our programming staff made us execute this very effectively.

Evan Doran: Essentially, Goode says, the technology does not replace programmers, but rather it sets them up so that every adjustment they need to make is a valuable one.

Johnny Goode: I think it just, it accelerates you from like, let's say you're running a 20-lap race. It almost takes you to that 19th lap race where you can just sprint one lap instead of having to run 20 laps.

Evan Doran: For more information about the cutting edge of manufacturing technology, be sure to subscribe to the Modern Machine Shop YouTube channel or visit us at mmsonline.com.