NFA Digital Magazine September 2024

CNC Software: The Transformative Tool

Software now pervades our lives in so many ways that much of it has become invisible. We ask Alexa to play our favourite tunes, follow satnavs, and edit photos on our mobiles – all without thinking about the software that makes it possible. But it’s worth pausing to think about software because it has transformed how we live and how we work. And in the manufacturing sector, software is driving improvements in everything from precision to productivity. With machining centres, it’s often the physical engineering that has our focus. We’re fascinated by the way a multi-axis machine is put together, how the moving parts pivot and slide. We can hear and feel the smooth, finely balanced mechanisms working in harmony. If you have any interest at all in engineering it’s hard not to be impressed. But a CNC machine without its programming is just a collection of cutting, drilling and routing

equipment. It’s not the electricity that brings it to life. It’s the software. Unleash the power of great engineering CNC machining software is more than a tool for controlling the production of a profile component. It’s the key to efficiency. It ensures precision. It boosts capability. It helps manufacturers adapt and it supports collaboration. It can connect workplaces and allow volume manufacturing specialists to produce custom models without upsetting their carefully planned work schedules. CNC software isn’t one standard ‘do-anything’ product. It’s customisable, designed to meet the specific needs of particular sectors or individual businesses, and when the fit is right, software is transformative.

It is possible that I’m biased in software’s favour.

Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator