Software & Digital Solutions

For shop managers considering "lights out machining," Bob Warfield of CNCCookbook.com offers a host of tips to help ensure your success. Watch the 15th episode of the CNC Chef, a collaboration between Bob Warfield of the CNCCookbook.com and Cutting Tool Engineering.

Metrologic Group and Creaform have entered into a partnership in which Creaform integrates Metrologic Group's software suite with its new CUBE-R 3D automated dimensional inspection solution. This laser scanning, all-in-one solution features Metrologic Group's advanced 3D measurement programming and inspection software packages, Silma and Metrolog X4 i-Robot, and combines efficiency and reliability of robotization in an automated industrial measuring cell.

Mastercam is known for precision NC programming, but it also delivers a suite of shop-tested design tools aimed at getting parts on and off the machine as quickly as possible. Powerful modeling tools include not only 3D surfacing and solids, but hole-filling, direct editing without a solids history and geometry repair.

I once worked in the cubicle next to Mike, the shop's estimating guy. He sat there all day using an electronic pen to trace the outlines of parts on paper drawings. He painstakingly determined the length of each journal, the depth of each hole and the number of cubic inches contained in each milled pocket before feeding that information into the company's estimating software.

The most fundamental elements of any metalcutting process, cutting tools are by their nature consumable. They wear until they are no longer effective. A traditional approach to metalcutting tool management employs wear analysis alone, focused on manipulating tool materials, geometries and application parameters to improve part output and tool life in a selected operation.

When Nippon Bearing Co. Ltd. started developing its EXRAIL roller guide, it wanted to strengthen its overall line. The result, according to the company, has 1.5 times the rigidity of a conventional roller guide.

Spindles must run at the correct speeds and feeds to minimize wear, which is why an effective spindle program should consider the specific operational information for individual spindles.

VIMANA launches new functionalities to be included as part of VIMANA Elevate - Enterprise Edition Software. Currently, VIMANA's analytics software leverages prebuilt templates and standardized KPIs providing customers with a turn-key, easy, and fast way to implement real-time performance dashboards and historical reporting for deep insights and problem solving.

MVTec Software GmbH presents new machine vision features with its latest release, HALCON 18.05. With this new version the deep learning inference, i.e., the use of a pretrained Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), is now running on CPUs for the first time.

Manufacturers are continually looking to improve workflows. To assist them in reducing the time to assemble products and worker errors, Cemtrex, Inc. offers Workbench XR, an augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) software application developed for the manufacturing industry. The Farmingdale, N.Y., company plans to release a beta version this summer.

Mastercam 2018 Mill offers expanded machining flexibility and an increased emphasis on speed and automation. 2D high-speed toolpaths, 3D enhancements and multiaxis features combine with dozens of additional new enhancements in a package intended to improve shop floor productivity.

Macola Software released Macola 10.7, the latest version of its leading enterprise resource planning (ERP) and business management software. Macola 10.7 enhances the way customers extend and customize their ERP investment, expands the Macola ecosystem with new third-party APIs, and doubles down on user experience.