SPRING Technologies extends its portfolio with NCSIMUL DNC

This new module enables a complete NC programs life cycle management and real time machine status monitoring.

SPRING Technologies, software vendor optimizing the use of complex NC machines, announces the launch of NCSIMUL DNC, a module that communicates with all types of Numerical Control machines and monitors their status in real time. 

With NCSIMUL DNC it is easier than ever for process engineers and workshop operators to manage and control their NC deployments. The new module delivers complete management capability for NC machining programs with full traceability of events impacting a program’s life cycle, including versions, status, and certification. All types of NC links, including RS232 serial, Ethernet, NFS, Samba, FTP, and Mazak are supplied standards. The outcome is that operators can be sure they are machining with the right program at the right time.

NCSIMUL DNC also returns machine status, either manually from the NC console or automatically. It delivers native support for OPC, the international interoperability standard for industrial automation. This means that a machine’s status can be reported in real time with details of output, failures, downtime, setups, etc. This data can be used to generate activity reports in table or graph form to enable specific situations to be analyzed and more efficient production planning. Status reporting also enables the execution of quality scenarios and more sophisticated supervision processes. Interfaced with an ERP or Production Management package providing links to work/planned orders, the module provides feedback on productivity rates (OEE, ORR, EIRR) in a single click.

A component of the NCSIMUL SOLUTIONS portfolio from SPRING Technologies, NCSIMUL DNC is seamlessly integrated with the other modules: NCSIMUL Machine (machining simulation), NCSIMUL Tool (cutting tool management) and NCSIMUL Publisher (technical content publishing). For example, once a program has been simulated and checked, NCSIMUL DNC can authorize direct transfer to the NC machine. The 3D film produced by the simulation (np3 file) can be stored and associated with a program in NCSIMUL DNC. An operator in the workshop who wants more insight into the program scheduled to run on the machine can use NCSIMUL Player to preview the operation on a PC or any touch screen devices. Another advantage for a company equipped with NCSIMUL Tool is that operators can load the cutting tool on to the machines automatically at the same time as the tool gauges and the associated NC program. The tool sheets, and machining job sheets and self-inspection documents generated by the other NCSIMUL SOLUTIONS modules can also be associated with the NC programs in NCSIMUL DNC.

Olivier BELLATON, General Manager, explains: “SPRING Technologies aims to make the day-to-day workshop experience more comfortable and productive. We cut out the errors that arise out of manual operations. Operators are free to devote more time to tasks that generate added value. Our main focus is on delivering solutions that are really easy to use and contribute to the smart factory.”

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 

SPRING Technologies opens new horizons with its “Smart Solutions” philosophy and “NCEXPERIENCE”

Smarter, more instrumented, more integrated…

The groundwork for innovation in the NCSIMUL SOLUTIONS portfolio

SPRING Technologies, soft vendor optimizing the use of complex NC machines, officially announces the implementation of its strategy based on the new NCSIMUL SOLUTIONS portfolio supporting end-to-end manufacturing processes for NC machines and its smart solutions philosophy: more integrated, smarter, more instrumented, pushing users’ experience to higher ground, not only with NC simulation tools but also in the way companies manage their NC machines and their global manufacturing process. This vision releases innovation in production processes for discrete part manufacturers who, from now on, will be able to adapt their production cycles to the fluctuations of the economic environment, and ultimately achieve perfect real-time synchronization of their physical and virtual machining cycles. SPRING lays down a milestone along the road to the smart factory of the future. Called the “NCEXPERIENCE”, the combination of smart solutions and an enriched user experience will enable SPRING Technologies customers to get 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. This enables manufacturers to set up a robust, real-time digital production process that is complete, reliable, and fits the context of their business needs. VISION, VALUE PROPOSITION and A NEW PORTFOLIO OF SOLUTIONS Since 1980, the mission of SPRING Technologies has always been to offer its customers efficient, reliable tools to help them manage their NC tools. From developing and delivering its very first post-processors, to its groundbreaking digital workshop, via the checking of machining operations and 3D simulation of NC machine tools, the company has always been one step ahead of the market, basing its product development strategy on a value proposition: help customers win the battle of competitiveness. Today it is laying the cornerstone for a new era of ‟Smart Machining“: NCSIMUL Machine 9, its integrated realistic machining simulation module that is faster, more immersive and smarter. Philippe Solignac, Corporate Marketing Director, looks at back at the story so far: “In the last few years, we have been working in partnership with our customers to fine-tune our NC simulation tools. The result is an extension of our range of dovetailed solutions to offer comprehensive coverage of all the processes in the production environment. By integrating the latest developments in hardware and software technology from Microsoft and Intel – ultra-mobility and calculation power – into real-time DNC and realistic virtual 3D simulation, we are now in an ideal position to step into a new era of technology. NCSIMUL SOLUTIONS addresses the needs of businesses in the 21st century.

Details of the NCSIMUL SOLUTIONS portfolio Olivier Bellaton, General Manager, explains: “Our value proposition today, addressing the development of the industrial environment, is to deliver smart, process-oriented solutions that enable our customers to squeeze every drop of performance from their NC machine tools, in real time and for the duration. The logic remains the same: to help our customers to become more competitive. Our leitmotiv is about safeguarding their investment, improving productivity and helping to increase profit by continuously innovating in their production processes and getting full control of their NC machine. Customer relations have always been absolutely central to SPRING’s corporate culture and remain our prime focus today.” Gilles Battier, CEO, has the last word: “We know that tomorrow… By 2020 at the latest, embedded intelligence will prevail in just about any product or service. Intelligence will be everywhere: from car tires to spectacles. Everything will integrate augmented reality functions that interact totally and in real time, between the physical world and its virtual equivalent enriched with contextual information. This means that manufacturing will have to be smarter too, capable of turning out these new generation products. We are ready to meet the challenge and have everything we need to win. An innovative portfolio based on state-of-the-art technology, thorough knowledge of our market, and the expertise of our teams, going back 30 years.”

Spring Sales Team is ready for 2013

Spring Sales Team welcomes 2013 and is ready for all challenges ahead.

Richard Childress Racing Puts CNC Machining On Fast Track With NC Simulation

Affordable NCSIMUL cuts hours from first piece production cycle

Richard Childress Racing (RCR), one of the predominant names in NASCAR Sprint CUP racing, knows a little bit about the value of getting on track and up to speed quickly. It is part of the organization’s culture. So when its machine shop, where custom parts are manufactured for RCR race cars, was losing four to eight hours of machine cycle on critical “first piece” parts, it was a detriment to that culture of speed.

Rick Grimes, Manufacturing Manager for RCR, said, "We have to turn parts quickly in this business. We are a week-to-week operation. Our shop is frequently asked to program a part from scratch and get it out to the machine, then get the parts made and out to the track before the next race. Naturally, we are eager to do whatever it takes to reduce the time between creating the model and having the completed first piece in our hands."

Ironically, to speed things up the shop was in the habit of slowing processes down to avoid potential crashes that could scrap a part and miss a deadline. Tedious hours were spent at the CNC machine controllers, meticulously stepping through first piece part programs, one line at a time, to avoid a potential cutting tool crash.

Of course, the obvious solution was to use some sort of process simulation package. RCR's PTC Pro/Engineer software came with a basic simulation utility that allowed the programmer to view movement of the tool around the part. However, it did not simulate the path of the tool and holder in relation to the machine itself or the vices and fixtures set up on the machine’s table. During product research, the programming team found highly sophisticated software available to do this, but also discovered that those complex packages can cost far more than the CNC machine itself. In addition, learning to use this high-end, complicated simulation software was a time-consuming proposition. This was not an option for an organization that must turn new part design and production around in less than a week.

Giant Step

First piece manufacturing took a giant step forward at RCR in 2010 when its CAD software reseller, 3HTI, suggested that they take a look at a new simulation software package called NCSIMUL, developed by Spring Technologies, a French company that had just established a North American subsidiary organization headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts. NCSIMUL is an affordable yet comprehensive software solution for simulating, verifying, optimizing, and reviewing CNC machining programs. It can be used in conjunction with CAD/CAM software. In the case of RCR, it was PTC Pro/Engineer.

Clifton Kiziah, Manufacturing Engineer at RCR, was assigned the task of learning and implementing the software.   Training sessions were divided into small, digestible modules that he was able to fit into his hectic schedule. Total time spent in training took less than two days and these hours were spread out over several weeks.

He was then ready to apply the software, which is designed to improve CAM generated CNC manufacturing programs in three ways: First, the software analyzes the CAM program itself, so that coding errors in the program can be corrected before the postprocessor generates G-Code that is sent to the machine. Second, the software analyzes the G-Code itself to see how the program performs in relation to the part, the machine setup, and the machine itself. Errors are flagged so that the user can correct the code and eliminate any potential crashes. Third, the software verifies the part geometry against the model, based on the toolpaths themselves and a kinemetric model of the specific machine tool that the part is to be cut on.

Grimes said machine model and machine-specific license for NCSMUL was part of the purchase price. He said that ensuring that the NCSMUL's machine- specific features operated flawlessly was a team effort between RCR, machine tool builder Okuma, and Spring Technologies.

Lost Time Recaptured

Kiziah said that performing a complete simulation with NCSIMUL takes about 15 minutes. All of this happens at the PC computer desktop, so that no machining time is lost while the next CNC manufacturing program is being analyzed. Grimes said that his shop might be called upon to manufacture unique first piece parts several times a week. Before the company installed NCSIMUL, many hours of machining time were lost while painstakingly slogging through the code. This lost time has now been recaptured.

For example, RCR was called upon to machine a heavily revised Oil Cooler Valve Body for the Inline Oil Filter Assembly, a critical part of a race engine’s oiling system.  RCR had machined the original Revision A part several years earlier, but, Revision B had extensive changes to it.  The Valve Body part runs on the 4-axis Okuma MA-500HB Horizontal Machining center because of its complexity.  There are two operations with multiple B-axis rotations.

RCR faced some challenges with this new revision.  Due to the extreme complexity of the part, some surfaces had to be partially machined in the first operation and then completed in the second operation.  “Before NCSIMUL, we had no way to program and simulate the second operation using the stock that remained from the first op” said Kiziah.  NCSIMUL allowed RCR to accurately know how much stock remained for removal in the second operation.  RCR was even able to export the Op 1 remaining stock from NCSIMUL for use in Pro/Engineer.  Once the second operation was programmed and posted, both operations were simulated together in NCSIMUL.  This was done to verify that all surfaces of the part had been properly finished without any program errors or collisions between tooling and fixturing.  In the past, without NCSIMUL, RCR would have had to blindly proof the program out on the machine. If some surfaces didn’t clean up, the operator and machine would have had to wait around until the programmer re-worked the program. This would in turn waste several hours of machine time.  Without NCSIMUL, the original Rev. A 1^st piece part took 8 hours to proof out.  This time around, with the power of NCSIMUL, the Rev. B 1^st piece part was proofed in only 4 hours.

Similar savings are accumulating throughout the week, saving time, reducing costs, and making RCR even more competitive at the track.

For more information on NCSIMUL go to: www.NCSIMUL.com

For more information on RCR go to: www.rcrracing.com

For more information on 3HTI go to: www.3hti.com

SPRING wishes everyone Happy Holidays and a Great Happy New Year 2013

CUST 2012: delivering the state of the art and major innovations for users of NCSIMUL

 

Drawing over 130 user representatives, the 2012 edition demonstrated

the growing interest in SPRING Technologies solutions

SPRING Technologies, vendor of solutions to enhance production processes, announces that its latest User Club conference, CUST 2012, held on November 9 in Frankfurt and November 20 in Paris, was an outstanding success for SPRING Technologies and its customers, beating expectations with over 130 attendees. In the world of machining, this annual gathering of the NCSIMUL SOLUTIONS user community has become a marquee event, providing an opportunity for SPRING Technologies and its customers to get together to exchange ideas, news and experience.

Each year, customers volunteer to present first-hand accounts of how they are using the solutions in the SPRING Technologies portfolio, and explain, with figures, the benefits and ROI they are drawing from their applications.

In France, CUST was honored to be invited by SAFRAN Group and was supported for event logistics by the ASTECH technology cluster.

KEY FIGURES:

·        2 events: Paris and Frankfurt

·        Over 130 representatives, +75 companies of all sizes, from SME to major groups

·        6 thematic workshops focusing on the main modules in the NCSIMUL SOLUTIONS offering

·        A global satisfaction rating of over 16/20*

·        100% of attendees said they would come back or be willing to come back next year

*figures taken from the analysis of attendee satisfaction questionnaires at CUST 2012.                                                                          

HIGHLIGHTS: SPRING Technologies presented its vision of the process/value chain, from CAD/CAM to the Workshop, and explained how its NCSIMUL SOLUTIONS offering fitted into this process. The company demonstrated its technological leadership and consolidated its position as a major developer and vendor, specializing in processes for the Workshop.

“We made a number of announcements, previewing the technologies that we’ll be releasing in 2013,” explains Olivier Bellaton, General Manager of SPRING Technologies, “notably, the upcoming version of NCSIMUL, NCSIMUL Machine 9, whose cutting-edge technology has been demonstrated on the new Intel PC Ultrabook running in the Windows 8 Pro environment, a development that reflects our close partnerships with Microsoft and Intel. NCSIMUL Machine 9 makes optimal use of today’s standards in ergonomics and hardware capability, delivering an even more comfortable user experience. We’ll be releasing full details in January 2013 at our annual press conference.”

Process-oriented workshops focused on themes that are central to manufacturing expertise. This included key state-of-the-art manufacturing processes such as machining simulation, cutting tool management, cutting optimization, post-processors, technical content publication and real-time monitoring of CNC machine status.

“These process-oriented sessions help users to clearly identify the benefits delivered by the solutions in our portfolio, dedicated to their business areas, and reveal the added value from our synergistic solutions. This synergy is what makes our offering unique on today’s market”, adds Philippe Solignac, Corporate Marketing Director of SPRING Technologies.

The last word goes to Gilles Battier, CEO, SPRING Technologies: “CUST has been designed for our customers and they are the people who make it what it is. This year again, the event was a huge success. We are proud that over 130 people came to our sessions in France and Germany.

We develop innovative and reliable technology that is an asset for manufacturers all over the world, in any sector of industry. Our mission is to offer our customers “smart” solutions that are Instrumented, Intelligent, Interconnected, and process-oriented to enable them to make the best possible use of their CNC machines in real time and for the duration. In a word, our aim is to help them maximize their productivity and safety in the workshop.”