NCSIMUL 4CAM : Streamline your CNC programming and make your shop floor more flexible than ever

Enrich your existing CAM process with NCSIMUL 4CAM, a new product within the NCSIMUL SOLUTIONS Platform

SPRING Technologies, vendor of software that optimizes the use of NC Machines, announces the worldwide launch of NCSIMUL 4CAM. This new product delivers agile CNC programming to streamline the current 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: removing the typical organizational method of tool path generation (CAM), post-processing, G-code verification and simulation and streamlining the conventional CNC programming process.

According to the company, the primary benefits will be significant cost savings and optimal use of CNC machine because of the flexible programming capability. "This is a major new step forward for the company's product strategy and in the manufacturing industry," said Philippe Solignac, corporate marketing director for SPRING Technologies.

The company will demonstrate the new product at the Paris Air Show, stand E71, Hall 2B.

NCSIMUL 4CAM Product Overview

NCSIMUL 4CAM 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 4CAM, 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 4CAM 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 4CAM 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 4CAM

• "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 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 4CAM.

One-click programming of a Fanuc 4X machine table and a 5X tilting head machine

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 4CAM, a machining sequence is directly matched to CNC language instructions. If these are changed, the correction is reflected in the NCSIMUL 4CAM 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 4CAM, 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 4CAM 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 re-programming

• With NCSIMUL 4CAM 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 4CAM 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.
• Intermediary rough stocks can be saved in the NCSIMUL 4CAM project and then viewed later very quickly, for example by a CNC operator. These rough stocks can also be exported in closed STEP format and then easily imported into the user's CAD software format.