Newly-developed software transforms CNC control

Citation

(2007), "Newly-developed software transforms CNC control", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 79 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat.2007.12779eab.003

Newly-developed software transforms CNC control

Newly-developed software transforms CNC control

Water Jet Sweden announce the introduction of a newly-developed software system which they claim transforms operational management via the CNC to higher levels never hitherto imagined to be possible. Called “Edgecut” it incorporates a host of features including: real-time 3D screen viewing, job management, built-in multipart capabilities, live updates of alarms and operational messages, all with direct feedback from the machine (Figure 3).

Figure 3 “Edgecut” incorporate a host of features including real-time 3D screen viewing, job management, built-in multipart capabilities, live update of alarms and operational messages, all with direct feedback from the machine

Leading edge know-how

“The Edgecut project could not have been a success” says Water Jet Sweden AB's Managing Director, Lennart Svensson, “without the leading edge know-how we have of the industry allied to the professional competence of our engineering team”. The result is an easy- to-use software program that operates on the widely-employed Windows environment.

How it works

Undoubtedly one of the most useful attributes of Edgecut is for the user to have real-time data presented graphically, “as it is happening” on the machine itself. Real-time 3D representation of a job and the ability to rotate, pan and move around at will, gives unprecedented freedom to the operator to know what is going on at any time. Alternatively the built-in automatic tool-following function can be left running, should the operator merely need to keep an eye on things while engaged on other tasks.

Many waterjet users have to run a succession of small batch tasks and even one-offs, for which purpose the ability to set up a simple outline program and then monitor it and add or amend instructions as the job progresses, will make their lives a lot easier. This is where Edgecut excels. The process taking place on the machine can be viewed remotely at all times and in real time, with changes to tool radius compensation just the press of a button away, with movements, feeds and tool alignment all clearly displayed.

Instant decisions

Each job in “Edgecut” effectively consists of a set of drawings, each drawing in turn might comprise of a number of parts.

The operator can decide every single detail of the job as it is displayed. On one of the screens available, full control over the cutting heads can be exercised, including when to turn them on and off, how the abrasive feeders should work, plus fine-tuning of the height sensors and much more.

Setting up

Each drawing can be set up for a multiplicity of parts to be profiled per sheet and then repeated as many times as required using individual settings for the zero points, distance between parts and so on.

It is delightfully easy to set up these zero points and there are direct access buttons for reading current axes positions and a crisp, clear, view of what is going on and what lies ahead, making it almost impossible for mistakes to occur.

Welcome addition

Edgecut is clearly going to be a welcome addition to the practical tools available to WJS machine operators now and in the future. It can now be specified for any new WJS machine and retrofitted on existing installations.

Details available from: Water Jet Sweden AB, Tel: +46 457 45 54 40, Fax: +46 457 192 01

E-mail: wateriet@waterjet.se, Web site: www.waterietsweden.eu