Our company operates in the tooling industry. We are milling quite a lot in hardened steel. We are going to invest in a new 5-axis high speed milling machine. We are going to machine very small parts with small tools, and also machine parts with very high surface finish. We are going to upgrade to a new cam-software at the same time.

It looks like we are going to choose between HyperMill and Powermill. Maybe also SolidCam could be an alternative. Mastercam etc. are not alternatives anymore.

Can you users of HyperMill and Powermill post your thougths about the strengths and weakness of these softwares:
- which one is more easier and more userfriendly to use?
- 3 axis capabilitys
- 5 axis capabilitys
- toolpaths for hard machining
- other things to take into concideration....

I hope we get a discussion going around this....