SPRING Technologies unveils NCSIMUL Machine 9

The realistic, immersive, high-performance NC simulation experience

For more details: http://www.springplm.com/contenu.php?ID=460 

Its new generation machining simulation module lays the foundations of its “NCEXPERIENCE” strategy

On January 24 2013, SPRING Technologies, vendor of solutions that optimize the use of complex NC machines, officially announces the worldwide launch of the brand new version of NCSIMUL Machine 9, its flagship software for machine simulation, taking the user experience of NC simulation to even higher ground. More realistic, more integrated and smarter, SPRING’s ‟NCEXPERIENCE“ will set the benchmark for ‟Smart Machining“, a milestone on the road to a production environment in which manufacturers will be able to achieve perfect real-time synchronization of their physical and virtual machining cycles.

EXECUTIVE TESTIMONY:

Olivier Bellaton, General Manager of SPRING Technologies, says: “This is much more than just a new version of NCSIMUL. It’s a new-generation solution that truly ushers in the smart factory. We have called it the “NCEXPERIENCE‟, because, with NCSIMUL Machine 9, companies using our portfolio of solutions will be getting end-to-end control of their machining process, integrating the creation of cutting tool libraries, optimized cutting conditions, simulation and optimized NC programs, plus the ability to publish the manufacturing data needed by operators in the workshop. Through our process and application-oriented models we automate the creation and distribution of technical content that can now be accessed by an operator right next to the machine, with guaranteed real-time updates of all the necessary information (machining instructions, tool lists, etc).”

With NCSIMUL Machine 9, our customers will be stepping into an NC simulation environment that is more realistic, intuitive, integrated and hands-on, with extended functionalities dedicated to multitask and multi-axis machining centers.

Philippe Solignac, Corporate Marketing Director adds: “NCSIMUL Machine 9 goes much further than the simulation solutions currently on the market. It offers users a unique experience, based on state-of-the-art technological standards, in terms of both ergonomics and ultra-mobility. Realistic simulation, integrating all machine, tool, and material parameters, quickly becomes a day-to-day part of a manufacturer’s lifestyle. Corporate-wide deployment makes it available and accessible at all times, from a CAM workstation right through to the NC operator next to the machine on the shop floor, or even to anyone using a touch-sensitive tablet anywhere in the company. In fact, at our last User Club conference, we showed users that ultra-mobile operators were already for real!”

NCSIMUL Machine 9 has been developed to interconnect with other software packages that are a vital part of the production panoply, notably MRP (Material Resource Planning) and MES (Manufacturing Execution Systems).

Gilles Battier, CEO of SPRING Technologies, explains: “This is a big step forward in the development of solutions integrating embedded intelligence dedicated to applications in the production and manufacturing environment. The NCSIMUL SOLUTIONS portfolio pulls together areas that were until now considered irreconcilable. This is because they capitalize know-how, delivering efficient, sustainable production to customers who can now match their manufacturing to the economic challenges facing their business. They can now adapt their processes while at the same time balancing capacity, efficiency, productivity and asset deployment. This will deliver significant competitive advantage in today’s market place. By effectively associating cutting-edge technology with democratic access to tools, we offer our customers new perspectives for innovation in the global machining process, guaranteeing differentiation and significant competitive advantage in today’s industrial arena.”

THE MAIN INNOVATIONS IN NCSIMUL MACHINE 9

Optimal use of new standards for ergonomics and hardware capability = realistic, ultra-mobile 3D simulation.

Key points

1. Simplified ergonomics – for faster, more democratic access to NC simulation.
2. Enhanced user experience – for faster adoption and more robust interaction with the NC machine. 
3. Increased performance – equals more productivity and faster ROI
4. New Capabilities – making generative, dynamic NC programming even more interactive.
5. Tighter integration – for a leaner digital process (integrated tool libraries and cutting conditions, new CAM interfaces (e.g. Catia V6)).

IN DETAIL…

1. STREAMLINED ERGONOMICS. SPRING Technologies is a Microsoft-certified ‟Gold“ partner. NCSIMUL Machine 9 is the result of a close partnership between Microsoft, Intel and SPRING, with major ergonomic enhancements embodied in the user interface:

• The interface, based on ribbon technology navigation, enables users to work more efficiently. Tasks are now accessed via tabs, each of which has groups that break down into tasks and sub-tasks. The control buttons in each group execute a command or display a command menu. Implemented on touch screens, ribbon navigation greatly facilitates ultra-mobility. 
• All windows can be customized and masked dynamically. 
• More intuitive, context-sensitive icons. A rapid access bar for greater productivity.

2. ENHANCED USER EXPERIENCE with an enriched 3D view:

• Flexible project management – project-based job management, tree organization, project/article/sub-article, jobs copied between projects, simplified search mechanism, job templates, and more. 
• In Windows 8 PRO, a “tile” type application can be used to group jobs around ‟hubs“, bringing together all the available jobs and facilitating one-click access. 

3. FOURFOLD PERFORMANCE BENEFIT can be achieved for increased productivity and more NCSIMUL Machine 9 user comfort, the result of a partnership and Intel - SOFTWARE Partner certification:

• The solution makes full use of Intel’s multi-core processors and multithreading. Collision detection and material removal calculations are performed simultaneously. 
• Algorithms have been revised and optimized to support ISO decoding, probing, material removal with tools in 3D, optimized cutting conditions, etc. 
• +200 enhancements requested by customers have been implemented in NCSIMUL Machine 

4. EXTENDED NC SIMULATION ABILITIES:

• Interactive NC programming (MDI Module) for assisted, automated program editing. 
• Generative programming: Automatic G code generation based on 3D motion inputs using the 3D interface 
• Dynamic NC programming: dynamic preview of any code modification, dynamic collision detection 
• 3D functional dimensioning module – specifically dedicated to sub-contractors. With this option 3D dimensions can be added to work pieces to create a document describing the list of dimensions that need checking at each machining stage. A step forward towards the paperless workshop. 

5. REINFORCED CAD/CAM INTEGRATION as a result of strong partnerships developed by SPRING Technologies with the leading CAM players and NC machine makers.

The last word goes to Gilles Battier: “NCSIMUL Machine 9 is the cornerstone of the NCSIMUL SOLUTIONS portfolio. NCSIMUL DNC, for the management and traceability of machining programs is the second major innovation we are announcing today. We are convinced that our positioning, totally dedicated to the production market, based on leading-edge technology, addresses the needs of our customers who are, above all, looking for a robust digital production process that is interactive, comprehensive, integrated and instrumented. ‟Smart manufacturing“ is no longer an idea for the future. SPRING brings it to the mainstream market today, delivering the new revolution: smart factories make smart industries“.

For more details: http://www.springplm.com/contenu.php?ID=460