New version of PC based probing software for machining centres

2 August 2011

Available autumn 2011, Productivity+™ is a unique software solution for the integration of measurement and process control functionality into CNC machining programs. Providing significant advantages over traditional methods, Productivity+ eliminates the requirement for the manual addition of probing cycles into G-code, instead using ‘point and click' feature selection from imported solid models within an interface immediately familiar to existing CAM users.

Already the most powerful tool available for using on-machine measurement to control manufacturing processes, Productivity+ version 1.90 builds further on existing functionality and flexibility, including more features for Constructed Statements, enhanced multi-axis capability, improved reporting capability, and more Custom Macro functionality.

The constructed statements functionality within Productivity+ which allows ‘virtual' features to be created from existing measurement data, is complemented by the addition of a new constructed line element. Together these constructed statements (point, circle, plane and line), are suited complex job set-up operations.

Multi-axis capability and support for machine specific commands such as Fanuc G68.2 and Siemens CYCLE800 has been also extended in version 1.90, providing programming support for knuckle-jointed (nutating) table and 5-axis head/table machine configurations, as well as standard 3-axis machines and multi-axis machines with table/table configurations.

The powerful Productivity+ reporting functionality, which incorporates details such as feature name, type, and an optional in/out of tolerance check, has also been improved to allow reports to be produced in a consistent format for all supported controller models, simplifying analysis and comparison when using external software packages.

For users looking to create and add bespoke solutions into Productivity+ routines, version 1.90 enhances custom macro functionality, now allowing results to be used to perform machine update operations.

All of these new features build on the ability of Productivity+ to allow users to combine probing and machining, so that features can be automatically checked without the need for an external PC. An integrated logic builder enables measurements to be used as the input to process control decisions, allowing work co-ordinates, tool geometry, machine variables and rotation updates to be set automatically.

All images and text - copyright Renishaw

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