ModuleWorks has announced the availability of its SmartRoughing technology as an add-in for Autodesk Fusion®. The add-in provides direct access to physics-based roughing within the Fusion 3-axis workflow, enabling cutting conditions to be optimized automatically rather than manually tuned.
SmartRoughing is a physics-based 3-axis roughing solution designed to reduce manual optimization and guesswork in CNC programming. By analyzing part geometry together with machining physics and tooling data, SmartRoughing optimizes toolpaths for maximal material removal rates while maintaining balanced chip loads and stable cutting conditions. This helps CAM programmers achieve faster cycle times without overloading the machine and cutting tools.
The SmartRoughing add-in combines ModuleWorks toolpath technology with a physics engine developed by Manufacturing Automation Laboratories Inc. (MAL) and lab-tested tooling data and expertise from Kennametal Inc. The system predicts cutting forces, accounts for real spindle power and torque limits, and automatically varies cutting parameters across the toolpath rather than relying on a single conservative setup.
The technology is designed to reduce the need for trial-and-error optimization and help CAM programmers of all experience levels to safely run machines closer to their productive limits. In testing across a range of materials and machine tools, SmartRoughing demonstrated cycle time reductions of 20 – 61% compared to conventional adaptive roughing.1
Dr. Yavuz Murtezaoglu, Founder and CEO of ModuleWorks said: “We’re proud to see SmartRoughing available in one of the industry’s leading CAM solutions. By allowing users to predict machining behavior before a program reaches the machine, the add-in helps reduce risk, shorten setup time and improve repeatability. These capabilities are becoming increasingly important as manufacturers face tighter margins and ongoing skilled labor shortages.”
“Autodesk Fusion is built to help customers move quickly from concept through execution.” said Alexander Freund, Autodesk Director of Product, Autodesk Manufacturing. “Our partner ecosystem plays a critical role in advancing these workflows, supported by APIs and an integrated App Store that allows add-ins like ModuleWorks SmartRoughing to deliver production-ready workflows directly within Fusion. This allows customers to adopt powerful technology that integrates seamlessly into their existing workflows.”
Dr. Christoph Gey, Vice President of Metal Cutting Technology at Kennametal said: “Kennametal and ModuleWorks have been aligned from the beginning by a shared commitment to innovation. As customer expectations continue to evolve, Kennametal remains focused on delivering high-performance, leading-edge technologies and digital machining solutions that are both powerful and easy to use. That approach strongly complements ModuleWorks’ mission to accelerate how customers turn ideas into reality.”
The SmartRoughing add-in is available for download from the Autodesk App Store and can be installed directly into Autodesk Fusion. A time-limited free trial is available. Documentation and training videos can be found on the ModuleWorks website.
About ModuleWorks
ModuleWorks is at the forefront of digital manufacturing software, playing a key role in enabling the efficient production of increasingly complex parts in an environmentally sustainable way. As a strategic partner to leading CAD/CAM vendors, CNC control makers, machine tool builders and cutting tool manufacturers, ModuleWorks develops software that powers solutions throughout the manufacturing industry which contributes to 16% of global GDP worth $16 trillion per year.
Founded in 2003, ModuleWorks has grown to over 200 developers and already invested 2000 person-years of software development in toolpath and simulation technologies that form the core of manufacturing processes. In the CAD/CAM area alone, ModuleWorks has a market share of 90%, enhancing the performance and quality of over 500,000 installed seats of CAD/CAM and CNC software worldwide. With a comprehensive portfolio of cutting-edge software components and the capacity to address emerging and niche technologies like AI, cloud, automation, additive, robotics and digital dentistry, ModuleWorks is committed to shaping the future of digital manufacturing with its partners, empowering the industry to Get There Faster.
About Kennametal
With over 85 years as an industrial technology leader, Kennametal Inc. delivers productivity to customers through materials science, tooling and wear-resistant solutions. Customers across aerospace and defense, earthworks, energy, general engineering and transportation turn to Kennametal to help them manufacture with precision and efficiency. Every day approximately 8,100 employees are helping customers in nearly 100 countries stay competitive. Kennametal generated nearly $2 billion in revenues in fiscal 2025. Learn more at www.kennametal.com.
Follow @Kennametal: Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube.
About MAL Inc.
MAL Manufacturing Automation Laboratories, Inc. (MAL Inc.) was founded in 1996 by Professor Yusuf Altintas, a professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of British Columbia. MAL Inc. creates virtual machining and optimization solutions that embed in-house scientific theory, paired with a modern user interface design. This combination of science and software allows customers to virtually machine parts, then change the process as needed. Machining is optimized without ever having to operate machinery, cut material, scrap parts, break tools, crash spindle bearings or suffer machine downtime.
For more information about MAL Inc, please visit: https://www.malinc.com/
1 Full test details and results are available from ModuleWorks. ↩