Enrich your CAM process with NCSIMUL CAM, the CNC programming breakthrough within the NCSIMUL SOLUTIONS platform

Cambridge, July 23, 2015 -- SPRING Technologies, vendor of software that optimizes the use of NC Machines, announces the Canadian launch of NCSIMUL CAM at CMTS – the Canadian Manufacturing Technology Show – September 28 – October 1 in Mississauga, Ontario. SPRING is demonstrating its suite of software products in booth 1630. The company’s new product delivers agile and native CNC programming to streamline the current serial and iterative CAM process and provides unparalleled flexibility on the shop floor.

Fully integrated in the new unified NCSIMUL SOLUTIONS V10 platform (including NCSIMUL MACHINE, NCSIMUL Tool, and NCSIMUL DNC), it embodies SPRING Technologies’ response to today’s issues in CNC machine programming: rethinking the traditional serial method of tool path creation, part/machine simulation , post-processing, , G-code verification and simulation that can  generate errors. Today, the tedious investigative work as to where the errors occurred is placed in the hands of the NC programmer. By streamlining the conventional CNC programming process, and offering native CNC code (G-code) programming capability,  NCSIMUL CAM not only eliminates errors while reducing programming time but enables CNC programmers to generate CNC programs made for the part as opposed to the traditional method of programming the part for the machine.  

Thanks to “ hybrid programming” unique capability, NCSIMUL CAM allows to work on existing G-Code based programs as well as CAM data inputs and enables CNC programmers to redesign a new manufacturing process in few clicks. Coupled with “on-the-fly” native CNC code generation capability, self-verifying and self-optimizing, NCSIMUL CAM allows to reprogram a new target CNC machine in one click, whatever the CNC machine complexity is.

According to the company, the primary benefits will be significant cost savings and optimal use of CNC machines because of the post-processing free and flexible programming capabilities. “With NCSIMUL CAM, manufacturing companies are now in position to build their own CAM 4.0 process, making their way to Industrie 4.0 level, slashing programming time and costs while boosting assets utilization like never before.,” said Philippe Solignac, corporate marketing director for SPRING Technologies. The product had its worldwide introduction at the Paris Air Show in June.

NCSIMUL CAM Product Overview

NCSIMUL CAM directly generates verified and optimized CNC programs, while factoring in the physical resources available on the shop floor, including tools, cutting conditions, kinematics and machine controllers.

With this new solution, CAM data (APT neutral file / CL-data) and existing CNC programs can be used easily to generate a valid new CNC program in just a few clicks for another machine using different kinematics and controller. This will enable manufacturers to quickly adapt their existing programs to new resources when retrofitting a machine, buying a new one or when a machining process is repurposed. With a conventional CAM process (CAM-Post-Processor-Machining Simulation), this task could take hours, even days. With NCSIMUL CAM, these times are slashed to minutes.

Likewise, if the target machine initially planned for the CAM program is no longer available for maintenance reasons or is already being used to meet production, it will take just one click with NCSIMUL CAM to switch programming to another machine – whatever its complexity (3X to 5X, 5X to 4X…), the type of kinematics (tilting head to table-on-table for instance) or the type of controller (FANUC, Siemens, Heidenhain…).

Thanks to the integration of NCSIMUL Tool database, NCSIMUL CAM provides a direct access to 3D tool data and cutting conditions and automatically reconfigures the tool magazine.

This will provide manufacturers with the level of flexibility they need to achieve rapid switching of scheduled production from one CNC machine to another, making their production means fully flexible and agile.

5  key features of NCSIMUL CAM

• “Hybrid” programming, taking the pain out of legacy re-use ,
• Error-free programming in native NC code, for an all-in-one solution,
• No more external post-processor, streamlining the CAM process,
• One-click re-programming, for complete flexibility,
• Dynamic management of intermediary rough stocks for unrivalled programming comfort

Details

Hybrid programming

• SPRING Technologies calls its approach to programming “hybrid” because, for the first time, the software can generate a program from heterogeneous input data: either from text data in neutral CAD format (APT/CLdata), text files in G-code format (including Fanuc, Siemens, Heidenhain, and Num), or native 3D CAD format. The three sources can also be combined, offering unique flexibility.
• By reusing existing APT/CL-data or G-code files, users can modify or enrich recycled programs or even optimize a machining process by a simple copy/paste.
• The toolpaths obtained by importing APT/CL-data or G-code files can be partially or completely replaced by tool paths calculated in NCSIMUL CAM.

Error-free programming in native NC code

• Because the language used in CAM is not that of the NC machine, it is rare that users take advantage of changes that can be made to G-code programs on the machine itself (e.g. setting corrections). In fact, corrections have to be made as far as possible upstream if they are to be re-used in a conventional CAM process. With NCSIMUL CAM, a machining sequence is directly matched to CNC language instructions. If these are changed, the correction is reflected in the NCSIMUL CAM project.
• The machining life of the part and all the resources used are tracked in a single file, with the different machining phases and traceable corrections.

No more external post-processor

• In NCSIMUL CAM, everything is calculated internally in native CNC format based on the machine and the NC controller logic: optimal linking paths¸ gradients, polar mode, spatial correction, etc. This delivers solutions to the problems inherent in developing and debugging programs for specific post-processors.
• NCSIMUL CAM cuts out the need for external post-processors, replacing them with an integrated NC processor that generates a program with minimum user customization (program header format, for example).

One-click CNC Machine re-programming

• With NCSIMUL CAM you can change the target machine in one click in order to generate a new G-code program automatically on the fly. The software itself takes care of factoring in the kinematics, the NC controller format and the machine origins.
• The cutting tools in the magazine are also re-configured to be compatible with the new machine and the cutting conditions qualified in the tool base.
• Links between machining sequences are also automatically and optimally recalculated to yield shortest distances and avoid collisions between the different elements in the positioning, tools and machine axes. This means that the new target machine can be brought into play without any tweaking or reprogramming in the original CAM software environment.
• Thus, if the machine for which the part was originally programmed is no longer available (e.g. as a result of failure or for maintenance reasons, is already in use, or because of a production peak…), you can tell NCSIMUL CAM which alternative machine to use so that it can instantly generate a new validated and optimized program. This will give you complete flexibility in your use of production tools.

Dynamic management of intermediary rough stocks

• Life made easier for CNC programmers who can use a new function to view the ongoing state of the machined rough stock at any time with the proven NCSIMUL MACHINE material removal simulation software. This evaluates the zones that still have to be machined to produce the final part, even in 5-axis continuous machining.