The Best customizable user interface
OEMs and Retrofitters can now standardize on one controller kit from one company. With
one single product they can configure the machine and the operator's interface as
simplistic or as feature rich as their customers want. They will also have a choice to
offer feature upgrades without selling them a new controller. All they would have to do is
e-mail a new CBK backup file to enable new features, change the screen or add new G and M
codes.
Think of the benefits you can offer your customer if they have an older machine and
want the new controller to run their older G code programs the same way. What if you build
new machines and you want to offer the customer a choice of interfaces to compete, match
and beat what your competition is offering. You could fully customize your own operator
interface or choose from several standard controller interfaces. You can run as a Fanuc in
the morning and an Allen-Bradley in the afternoon. The controller is able to understand
the G and M codes of either program and run it, and the user interface will appear to
simulate your favorite control. There are several default screens to select from and get
you going. The end user can restore a backup file and make it similar, for example, to an Allen-Bradley,
Bridgeport, Cincinnati Milacron or Hardinge. The G and M codes are in definable tables allowing the system integrator to initially set up his own list of G and M codes.
The Best range of choices and prices
- Seven ready-to-go control enclosures to select from.
- A complete ready-to-go, low-cost hand-held controller.
- Hardware & Software sold Al-la-carte
The Best dual processor hardware
The hardware is tested and proven with over 200,000 motion cards shipped to date. 62.5
microsecond servo update times result in cutting feedrate velocities of up to 122,000 IPM
which is far greater than today's servo motor technology. With our auxiliary digital I/O
cards you can detect a change of state at rates of 10,000 times a second. Dual processors
allow multiple events and multiple positioning motions to happen simultaneously. 3D
profiles can be cutting while the tool is changing or a servo motor positions a rotary
table. The extra processor on the motion card is not only the best way to close the servo
loop with the motors, it is also the fastest method known to date to produce the fastest
block-to-block cutting speeds. Since a single computer CPU is already doing so much
processing to react to digital I/O events, user interactions, graphic and position display
updates, G code processing, ball screw error compensation, tool compensation, in-position
and on-target checking, it is common sense that it would be better to have another
processor to handle the tight closing of the servo loop with the motors. We all have to
admit to the extra safety a dual processor offers if the computer pauses, fails or locks
up. Every PC-based controller that wants to control a servo motor needs a motion card to
work with the computer of some sort – bar none -- be it a non-intelligent
digital-to-analog card without a dual processor to a full DSP-based intelligent motion
card with a dual processor that will close the servo loop automatically and independently
of the CPU. There are 8 major motion card manufacturers in the United States with over 100
professional installers and resellers for these motion cards in every state in America.
Propriety is not an issue.
The Best most sophisticated math algorithms
New 3D or 5-axis tool compensation G codes at the machine tool with gouge protection,
3D offset parallel to 3D profile, 5-axis tool compensation with gouge protection and 3D
part rotation with fixture tilting compensation at the machine itself. The operator can
change the tool diameter on the tool parameter screen and away he goes without programming
changes.
The Best user configurable canned cycles
New included specialized G codes: G61 and G64 Buffered Look Ahead Spline Mode, G65 Mill
Out Rectangular Pocket, G66 Mill Out Circular Pocket, G67 Fly Cut Pattern, G68 Mill Out
Rectangular Pocket with Fillets, G120 Mill Outside Square, G121 Mill Outside Circle or
Island, G122 Mill Out Counter Bore, G123 Mill Outside Ellipse Pocket, G124 Mill Inside
Ellipse Pocket, G125 Mill Outside Slot, G126 Mill Inside Slot, G130 3D Tool Comp with
Gouge Protection, G131 3D Offset Parallel to 3D Profile, G135 5-Axis Tool Comp with Gouge
Protection, G140 3D Part Rotation and Plane Tilting, G141 Scale Factor for the X Axis
Only, G142 Scale Factor for the Y Axis Only, G143 Scale Factor for the Z Axis Only, G160
3D Cylinder, G162 3D Sphere, G163 3D Ramped Plane, G181 Bolt Hole Drill, G182 Bolt Hole
Dwell, G183 Bolt Hole Peck, G184 Bolt Hole Tap and G185 Bolt Hole Bore. For Lathes: G110
Lathe Face Groove, G111 Lathe OD Groove, G112 Lathe ID Groove, G113 Lathe OD Thread, G114
Lathe ID Thread, G115 Lathe Rough Face and G116 Lathe Rough Turn.
You may even place math equations within the G code program by enclosing them within
braces.
The Best automatic feedrate control
The control can now cut at a maximum programmed feedrate and the controller will make
decisions in real time to dynamically adjust the feedrate based on cutting conditions such
as the torque or load on the spindle. How many operators at this moment are standing by
their machines, watching, with their hands on the feedrate knob, adjusting feeds and
speeds using their own judgement? If a need arises to react quickly to changes of events
which would alter the velocity or motion direction, CamSoft is the only way to go. If you
are using a plasma torch, water jet or EDM, you may want to react to an analog voltage
that senses the flame, water pressure or spark. If you run into a tough piece of material
and the spark voltage gets too high, you may want to slow down, shut off or back up. Even
when the G code program says move from X0 to X10, we can make all kinds of variances
within that single move thus reacting in real time to either slow down or speed up. In
other cases, we can even change its direction based on data acquisition we are getting in
real time.
The Best and most complete real time diagnostics
A whirlwind of self-diagnostic features include: axis motor tests, spindle test,
digital I/O states, basic servo tuning, analog voltage and position displays, watch
windows and remote viewing abilities via a modem with CamSoft directly. Hardware items or
even logic can be debugged and modified remotely. Standard control features allow you to
communicate with other machines or other CAD/CAM systems. You can press a button on the
screen to call for technical help using a modem with a phone number burned into the
software. How many service people can prevent needlessly flying around the country on
missions to solve technical support problems like these?
The Best way to prove out your machine "virtually"
In logic simulation mode the integrator can run a machine on a desktop computer to
prove out all the logic to make sure it all works before the actual machine is
disconnected. Since we do not use PLCs, such things as digital I/O events, timed
sequential events and logic flows can be tested off line to make sure the machine is
functioning properly. If a tool changer routine has a dozen things to do in a timely
sequence of events, you can watch the limit switches trigger and motors position in slow
motion to catch and solve problems. When you are all done, you can run a G code program
through the control on your desktop and watch the tool animation cut the block of material
out of a high-resolution solid model on the screen.
The Best new idea and trend since the NC was invented
We have the ability for the 3D CAD/CAM system and PC-Based Machine Tool Controller to
share the same database in memory. The part can be directly cut from the graphics on the
CAD/CAM screen without the need for post processors or G code files to be written. You can
pass graphic picture files of your parts rather than G and M codes. In this mode you can
take any picture of a tool path on the screen, whether it was imported by another CAD/CAM
system or drawn by you with our CAD/CAM system, and initiate a cycle start. The picture on
the screen drives the machine rather than any interpretation of codes or G code programs.
The controller shares the same DLLs and ActiveX components with the CAD/CAM system. You
can be designing your next part on the screen while the machine is cutting the current
part and when you are all done drawing your new part, just press cycle start.
The Best real time mechanical error compensation
In our software backlash compensation is not corrected when it detects an error. Rather,
the axes are mapped by the system integrator and the control knows in advance how much backlash
is on each axis or how many worn spots are on each ball screw. When the job is loaded into memory,
we calculate where to move and calculate the position corrections ahead of time before you press cycle start.
The idea is to eliminate position errors rather than allow a mistake and correct it. We even have routines
that allow the software to calibrate and map your axes instead of using a Laser Interferometer and also finds the amount of backlash.
The Best and most handiest time saver you ever use
Have you ever had a fixture that did not lay flat and you wished you would not have to
fool with re-positioning it? This would not apply to all applications but we have a way to
touch off of three points on the fixture to let the controller know the amount the fixture
is tilting in a 3D plane. We then skew the program and translate the positions to that
plane in 3D. You could also use this feature to rotate the part around any axis in 3D.
The Best way to add extra safety to your application
Set up fixture, vise, clamp and chuck crash barriers. These barriers are software
settable limits for use by each tool number. If the tool or axes reach or passes this
barrier, motion automatically stops.
The Best and most accurate high-speed precision threads
High-speed precision rigid tapping and lathe threading mode with decelerated stop and
reverse allows you to rapid to position with forward and reverse coordinated spindle
rotation and feed rate control in real time with settable acceleration and deceleration
rates for the fastest tapping and threading your machine can handle.
The Best way to backup and restart after an interruption
Interruptible cut-in-progress feature will stop motion and present the operator with
three options to either continue, backup or abort. This feature is useful if your tool
breaks, spindle loads up, water pressure drops, flame goes out or wire snaps. The user can
then back track along the profile past the point last cut and replace the tool or restart
the water or flame and simply press cycle start to continue.
The Best way to switch operator interfaces and feature access
Swap configurations on the fly with regards to working directories, user preferences,
visible buttons, feature access, tolerances, metric/inch, etc., just by selecting, for
example, a customer name or project name as a key. This allows the manager/operator to
easily isolate customer specs, simplify or limit access to features, display information,
enable visible buttons and access jobs to run for each machine operator by using the
customer name as a reference for all changes.
The CNC industry's logical next step
The Best idea since the CNC was invented
One of the most innovative ideas we had was to marry CAD/CAM graphics with servo or stepper motor motion control. It is the logical next step in CNC machining industry. Graphics to motion, Picture to part. This way no G-Code or Post processor problems exist. Any picture on the screen made from any CAD system can control the machine. If you can view the tool path you want to cut, we will turn the graphics directly into servo motor motion.
Buy 1 get 100 free
The Best method to keep your old programs alive
This is of course a slogan, but perhaps a wish come true for many CNC machine tool vendors and shops. CamSoft controllers can be set up to understand and read many different G and M code formats. We are not your traditional PC based controller asking the end user to edit or re-write their programs to conform to our control. Instead we conform to you. Many sales have been made on the single premise that you do not have to throw away your existing programs that ran perfectly fine on the old machine when you do a retrofit. Several different operator interfaces , I/O logic and G and M code formats and be restored in less the 10 seconds by the end user. We make it possible to run your existing programs without editing or re-writing them.
