Write CNC stalls

[Marcel Thibodeau]

Hi Guys, just putting this out there for some general feedback.

Our write CNC has been stalling(crashing) on almost every job lately. Our batches are generally about 20 - 30 sheets and typically all white melamine with maybe 2 sheets of some veneered pieces. We are running a CS-43 with windows XP. I haven't done any real upgrades to the cpu except a solid state hard drive a few years back. Its become almost normal to go though the write CNC process twice(and this includes putting in all the off-alls again so our labels are correct) sometimes even three times.

What do you guys think is this an OS thing, should I upgrade from XP to something else, if so, what? Once we get up and running its golden, but sometimes it takes hours before we get a job to write.

Thanks

[Jeremy Schiffer]

Same here... our CS41 had some problems, replaced hard drive with solid state, still slow as molasses. Not unusual to take 1-2 hours to nest a job, which meant that if something needed to be changed, or offfall added, it was a MAJOR pain. We debated about upgrading the controller, but that's a major expense, and in a few years you'll be back in the same boat. Instead we got the THM desktop software. Then, the CNC basically becomes a "dumb terminal". Definitely the way to go if you have an old sluggish machine.

[Forrest Chapman]

What Jeremy said. I'm still running Windows 2k and slow nesting its one of the reasons we asked Thermwood to make a desktop version. The other reason is you can nest and write code from anywhere and or while your machine is running. Its well worth the money!

Forrest

[Marcel Thibodeau]

So how does this work with the desktop version, I nest the job on my office PC and then just load that file onto the CNC? How about adding offalls and such?

[Clint Buechlein]

Marcel,

The desktop version is essentially the THM control for your office computer. In the long and short, you do everything on the office computer you would at the machine, right up to the point of pressing Cycle Start. Once you create the CNC code, you go to the machine, go to File and Open (or use function keys if that's what you have), load the code, and press Cycle Start.

The database information is all stored on your office computer so recuts and off fall work as usual. Bar code scanner should still work if you need to scan off fall or a recut.

The biggest concern you should be aware of is that they are not in a constant connection. If you change tooling in the machine you need to update on your office computer as well (and vice versa). The desktop version will be of the latest version of THM, so if you are on old software it will not match, but the code created by Control Nesting can be set up to work with older software versions.

If you would like a quote on pricing, you can email Pat in Software Sales pndauby@thermwood.com.

-Clint-