Tag Archives: g code programming

There’s a NEW MEANING for the Acronym CAD/CAM …

The success of Kipware® conversational CNC programming software … conversational CAM … has meant a new meaning has been given to the acronym CAD/CAM.

  • NO LONGER is creating a DRAWING the start point for CNC programming .
  • In fact, NO LONGER is the entire CNC programming process driven by a drawing.

Kipware® conversational has taken the concept of creating G code to another level. A level that includes ease-of-use … a level that invites everyone ( not just CAD/CAM users ) to creater and explore G code creation … a level where speed and increased efficiency is a standard when creating G code programs. And as a result … the new meaning for the acronym CAD/CAM has been crowned :

  • C = CANCEL
  • A = ALL
  • D = DRAWING
  • /
  • C = CONCENTRATE
  • A = ABSOLUTELY on
  • M = MACHINING

Join us in the fight to END CAD/CAM OVERKILL … and spend more time MAKING CHIPS … NOT DRAWINGS … with Kipware® conversational CNC programming software.

Kenney Skonieczny – President
Kentech Inc.

Convert Fanuc to Dynapath with KipwareXC®

Our KipwareXC® – G Code Conversion application has become an industry LEADER since it’s introduction in the ’80’s. We are now engaged in a new upgrade for KipwareXC® which involves our creation of specific CUSTOM PROFILES for specific G code conversions … and we are pleased to announce the initial release.

First … let me explain a little about the philosophy and design of KipwareXC® in case you are unfamiliar. KipwareXC® is what we refer to as a “soft coded” application … whereas our CNC XChange® conversion application is a “hard coded” application. In a hard coded app … all of the G code format conversion is built into the software with only a minor set of options defined by the user to handle non-industry-standard programming code … M codes for example. Hard coded apps are designed for specific G code format conversions … like say Fanuc to Okuma … and it’s all built into the source code. In a soft coded application like KipwareXC® … the user defines all of the what-to-convert-into-what using what we call a PROFILE. This gives the software unbelievable flexibility and power … but requires the user to set up the configuration in the PROFILE. Another powerful feature is that the user can create as many different PROFILES as required to handle many different format conversions … the number of conversion types is therefore unlimited.

Our new UPGRADE strategy is to create and define specific code conversion CUSTOM PROFILES and make them available to the public … but still maintain the ability to tweak the PROFILES as well as the ability to define new Profiles and enhance existing Profiles. It’s the best of both worlds.

1st CUSTOM PROFILE release :
Fanuc to Dynapath – Milling

Our first CUSTOM PROFILE … created per a user request … was for milling G code to convert between FANUC format to DYNAPATH event type format. Below is a video clip outlining the new PROFILE.

We are excited to introduce CUSTOM PROFILES and will be adding new PROFILES as we move forward and receive feedback and requests for from our users. If you have a need for CUSTOM PROFILE to enhance your shop floor machine compatibility … please contact Sales@KentechInc.com or call 508-754-1198 Ext 1.

Kenney Skonieczny – President
Kentech Inc.

Shop Floor CNC Programming – Complicated VS Simplistic

Shop floor CNC programming … the creation of material cutting programs / G code programs at the machine tool or on the shop floor … is the majority of CNC programming performed in REAL WORLD machine shops around the world, every day. Good chip makers creating their G code programs utilizing evrything from pen and paper to PC’s and tablets. It’s undeniable … and it’s the real world.

Unfortunately, most CNC software developers have never worked directly on a production or job shop floor … have no real world CNC machining experiences … and create software based on unrealistic … not real world … goals and expectations. The user interface and output too often reflect that lack of real world experience and the people on the floor are made to live with it.

How do we know? We worked on those shop floors for almost 30 years … we used and were held hostage by their software. When we started Kentech Inc. in 1986, our goal was to put a STOP TO IT !!! Over the last 30 years … thanks to THOUSANDS of programmers and machinists around the world … we are well on our way.

COMPLICATED – Too Much is Too Much

complex

On the complicated side of the scale … we have CAD/CAM. There is certainly no denying that CAD is a necessary tool for design … without it, we would never have built the world we have today. HOWEVER … not every workpiece to be machined requires a drawing nor a CAD application. And here is where the software developers got it wrong … blame their lack of shop floor experiences. In order to create a G code program … the user is forced to either have a CAD drawing or create a CAD drawing. Without a drawing … no machining code. And that’s just a BAD model.

How is Kipware® Conversational different ?

We designed our Kipware® conversational to be good at two ways of programming … without a drawing and with a drawing. For the simpler, everyday type workpieces, users can fire up the conversational, fill-in-the-blank forms … and quickly and easily create powerful G code programs in minutes. For those more complex contours and shapes … they can draw or import a drawing and create G code programs from their drawings still using a simpler, real world interface.

SIMPLISTIC – Don’t Even Bother !!

Dump the "wizards" and GO PRO with Kipware>

On the simplistic side of the scale … we have software designed and created by hobbyists whose only experiences are with hobby machining … which as any machinist knows is worlds away from production and shop floor programming. Overly simplistic designs … producing overly simplistic G code … with overly simplistic methods and processes that in reality, take programming from overly complicated to overly tedious and inefficient. Do you want to be a better hobbyist (“cnc’er”) or a better professional ?

How is Kipware® Conversational different ?

Having lived and worked cutting chips for a living … we were able to build simpler applications that pack a punch and include professional chip cutting output all done automatically based from our real world chip making experiences. We may be using a simpler interface and design as a cover … but we provide all the professional code output all automatically and all done under-the-hood inside the source code. While simplistic “wizards” and simplistic “conversational controls” give you simple but hold you back as a trade off … Kipware® conversational gives you simple and provides all the professional output you need all automatically.

From auto cutter compensation output … to long hand or canned cycle user configurable options … we built BEST PROGRAMMING PRACTICES into our software and output. While the “wizards” are still trying to learn what best programming practices even are !!

In addition … our cutting edge development gives the user powerful real world options like the ONLY conversational 3D machining options for milling … and the ONLY conversational Live Tool and Y Axis programming options for turning centers. That is taking simpler and …

bam

… KICKING IT UP A NOTCH !!

Kipware® Conversational

The Perfect Blend Between the SIMPLE and the COMPLEX

If you agree with the statements that not EVERY job requires a CAD/CAM program … and overly simplistic is NOT real world … we invite you to spend some of your valuable time exploring our Kipware® conversational software for MILLING and TURNING.  Don’t wait or struggle for another minute … do yourself and your shop efficiency a favor and join the THOUSANDS of programmers and machinist around the world who gave CAD/CAM the boot … and put the “wizards” back in the bottle where they belong.

Kenney Skonieczny – President
Kentech Inc.