Mastercam x Toolhive Launches at IMTS 2026

The missing link between CAM programming and the shop floor

Manufacturers have invested heavily in optimizing programming, machining, and production workflows. Yet one critical area continues to create bottlenecks across machine shops of all sizes: tooling management. 

Programming teams need accurate tooling information. Setup personnel need to know the right tools are available. Machinists need confidence that the tool assemblies specified in the CAM program match what’s ready on the shop floor. Too often, that information lives in spreadsheets, disconnected systems, or the minds of a few experienced employees. 

That is where the partnership between Mastercam and ToolHive comes in. 

Together, Mastercam and ToolHive help connect tooling data, assemblies, and production readiness in a single workflow, enabling manufacturers to spend less time searching for information and more time making parts. 

From Tool Data to Finished Part 

Every successful machining operation starts with accurate tooling information. 

A programmer can create the perfect toolpath, but if the required tooling is not available, properly assembled, or accurately documented, production delays can quickly follow. The result is wasted setup time, unexpected interruptions, and reduced shop efficiency. 

Mastercam and ToolHive now work together to close that gap. 

ToolHive serves as a cloud-based tool management platform that organizes tooling data, assemblies, and tool libraries in one centralized location. By connecting that information to the programming process, manufacturers gain greater visibility into their tooling ecosystem before a job ever reaches the machine. 

The result is a more connected workflow where tooling information, programming decisions, and production readiness are aligned from the start.

What Is ToolHive?

ToolHive is a cloud-based tool management platform built specifically for machine shops and manufacturers. 

Designed to be easy to implement and simple to use, ToolHive provides a centralized location for managing: 

• Tool libraries 

• Tool assemblies 

• Manufacturer tooling data 

• Tool availability information 

• Work order management 

• Shared tooling knowledge across teams 

Instead of relying on spreadsheets or institutional knowledge, manufacturers gain a single source of truth for tooling information that can be accessed by programmers, toolroom personnel, setup technicians, and machinists. 

In short, everyone works from the same data.

Eliminating Tooling Chaos

For many shops, tooling management has evolved organically over time. 

One spreadsheet tracks inventory. Another tracks assemblies. Programming information is stored separately. Critical knowledge often resides with a handful of experienced employees. 

This approach can work until a tool cannot be located, an assembly is incorrect, or a programmer discovers too late that the required tooling is not available. 

ToolHive helps eliminate these challenges by centralizing tooling information in a cloud-based platform that is accessible across the organization. 

With a shared source of truth, teams can quickly find tooling information, maintain consistency, and reduce the communication gaps that often slow production. 

Connecting Programming to Production

One of the most valuable aspects of the Mastercam and ToolHive partnership is the connection between tooling management and CAM programming. 

Programmers can access organized tooling data and assemblies as part of their workflow, helping reduce manual data entry while improving consistency across jobs. 

Benefits include: 

• Centralized tool library management 

• Access to manufacturer tooling data and assemblies 

• Reduced manual entry of tooling information 

• Improved consistency between programming and setup 

• Greater confidence in tooling decisions 

• Saving valuable time on daily tasks 

By bringing verified tooling data closer to the programming process, shops can reduce errors and improve efficiency from programming through production.

Reducing Setup Time Before It Becomes Downtime

Setup delays are often symptoms of tooling visibility issues. 

Questions like the below can consume valuable production time. 

• Do we already have the required tool? 

• Is the assembly available? 

• Where is the tool located? 

• Is everything ready before the job reaches the machine? 

ToolHive helps provide answers before machining begins by improving visibility into available tooling and assemblies. 

When teams can identify tooling requirements earlier in the process, setup becomes more predictable, machines spend less time waiting, and jobs move through production more efficiently. 

Simply put, the right tool, with the right data, is available when it is needed. 

Built for Modern Machine Shops

Unlike large enterprise tool management systems that may require extensive implementation and IT resources, ToolHive was designed with small and medium-sized manufacturers in mind. 

The cloud-based platform delivers a fast-to-deploy solution that helps shops improve tooling organization without the complexity often associated with enterprise-level systems. 

For manufacturers looking for a lightweight, cloud-first approach to tooling management, ToolHive provides an accessible path to better visibility and collaboration. 

Better Collaboration Across the Shop

Tooling information impacts more than just programmers. 

Success depends on collaboration between: 

• Programming teams 

• Toolroom personnel 

• Setup technicians 

• Machinists 

• Manufacturing leadership 

When each group works from different information sources, inefficiencies emerge. 

ToolHive helps connect the office and the shop floor through shared tooling data, allowing everyone involved in production to work from the same accurate information. 

The result is improved communication, fewer surprises, and smoother job execution. 

Experience Mastercam + ToolHive at IMTS

Visitors to IMTS will have the opportunity to see firsthand how Mastercam and ToolHive work together to simplify tooling management and improve manufacturing workflows. 

Live demonstrations will showcase how manufacturers can: 

• Organize and manage complete tool libraries in the cloud 

• Access manufacturer tooling data and assemblies 

• Import tooling directly into Mastercam 

• Improve setup readiness 

• Increase shop floor efficiency 

• Connect programming and production teams through a shared source of truth 

It is a practical example of how better tooling data can lead to better manufacturing outcomes.

The Missing Link Between CAM and the Shop Floor

Manufacturers are constantly looking for new ways to improve productivity, reduce setup time, and keep production moving. Often, the biggest opportunities are not found on the machine itself but in the information that supports it. 

Mastercam and ToolHive help bridge the gap between programming and production by connecting tooling data, assemblies, and availability in a single workflow. 

The result is a more organized, connected, and efficient manufacturing operation.

Your tooling. Organized. Connected. Ready.