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. At elumatec, where we have in-house software specialists, I’ve seen the very best examples of what software can achieve. And software does vary. Some of it is fairly basic, offering little more than a way to set up and control the machining centre’s basic operations. If you’re looking at software, I urge you to go beyond that bare minimum. The benefits will be worth it. The benefits of CNC software Let’s look first at some of the basic benefits. I’m calling them basic, but their contribution can be significant.
Firstly, CNC software should permit programming
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