Software converts PC to CNC

Software converts PC to CNC

A lot has been said and written recently about “open-architecture” and “PC-based” controls. Just about everybody says they have it these days, though the definitions of “it” seem to be as numerous as the vendors. A new company, however, may be as close as it gets. CNC Software and Systems, Inc. (Wells, Maine) has introduced software that turns a standard off-the-shelf PC into a fully functioning CNC.

The whole thing got started at the Eastec trade show in the Spring of 1993, where Tom Glynn of Inductive Components and Rob Caron of Caron Engineering were sharing a booth to display their respective, and complimentary, capabilities. They had built a small CNC mill, using a personal computer for the control. It seemed an interesting way for Inductive Components to display the flexibility of the PC-based motion control boards they sell, and for Caron Engineering to show off some of their software and integration expertise. The display proved even more interesting than they planned, so much that they got a flood of inquiries about their “PC control system.”

And so they decided to form a company to make one for real market applications, which is how CNC Software and Systems was born. By the end of 1994, the company had already released a two-axis version of their software for lathes, and they are now in the process of introducing a three-axis version, appropriate for mills and machining centers.

The software currently runs on standard 486 PCs running Microsoft Windows, and future versions will likely be ported up to Windows NT and Windows 95 operating systems. But to make it actually control a machine tool, you’ll need a motion control card that plugs into the PC motherboard. Some applications will also require a PLC, depending on the complexity of the I/O. CNC Software and Systems can provide all the components if necessary, or integrators can secure their own.

Users may wonder why it makes sense to go the PC route when dedicated CNC controls are readily available, and offer proven performance. The answer, says Rob Caron, has to do with the general benefits of open architecture, the very same benefits we already reap on our desktop computers. First of all is the friendly Windows user interface. Out of the box, the software is designed to behave very much like CNC units to which the majority of CNC users are already accustomed. But Windows places a great deal of screen configurability in the hands of the user, so it can easily be altered to suit personal preferences.

Any system screens can be displayed in windows in the size and position of the operator’s choosing so that, for instance, axis position, tool offsets, and G-code program can be displayed simultaneously. Moreover, even the machine buttons and switches can be integrated into the display, accessible either by mouse or a touch-screen monitor.

Because the control is a standard PC, it becomes possible to integrate the CNC functionality with other applications. For example, by adding a video card and mounting a relatively inexpensive camera on the machine tool, you can have real-time video monitoring of the machining process. That would be useful, say, on large VTL boring operations where the operator’s view is obstructed, or on initial touch-off probing operations on the far side of a workpiece. Moreover, it’s a small matter to run the point data directly into any common spreadsheet or SPC package. That software could be running locally, on the control PC itself. Or it could be tied into a network, permitting remote process monitoring. And there’s no special requirements for the network; Windows for Workgroups will do, which applies to part program downloading as well.

There’s also a training angle. Because the CNC software will run on just about any PC (even the one this story is being written on), new users can train. in an office, or at home. And machine tools can spend more time making parts.

The control will integrate with most existing motors and drives, with the appropriate motion control card, which will help keep down the cost of a retrofit project. Overall, a retrofit of a three-axis machining center, for example, would cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $15,000 – $2500 for the control software, $2200 for the servo control board, $2,000 for a capable PC, $500 to $1500 for a PLC, and roughly $5,000 for the integration. Some users may prefer a more expensive industrial PC, or a touch-screen monitor (about a $900 option), but Mr. Caron says that a simple enclosure with a heat exchanger generally will protect a standard PC just fine.

The vendor has essentially three routes to bring their product to market, selling to machine tool builders, to serve users via regional retrofitters and rebuilders or direct to users – and they are actively pursuing all options. Demo disks of the software are available (call 800-338-6398). Or it can be accessed through the company’s electronic bulletin board (207-646-9867). You’ll have to answer a few questions first, but then you can download the demo to your own PC.

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