verification software

[joshuataylor]

What verification software are you guys using? With PTC moving away from Vericut we may consider other options, posted gcode simulation is a requirement, and ease of use with creo of course. Thanks

Josh

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[rlysy]

Hi Josh,

our customer is using VERICUT together with CREO, for simulating of posted G-CODEs.

This software is expensive but it is reliable.

Customer is able to simulate 3+2 axis and 4 and 5-axis continuous machining.

Customer is satisfied with VERICUT.

Rostislav

[SteveLucas]

we switched to NCSIMUL here for the posted gcode  simulation. In NCSIMUL the gcode verification and editing is very simple to use. The interface to Creo is ok. You have to export your manufacturing model and gcode file to NCSIMUL. I thought that it was going to be a problem with export but after using it for a couple of days you don't even think about it.

The best thing is NCSIMUL is really fast when it comes to the simulation.

Overall very happy with it.

[NickMihelich]

How stable is NC simul?  are there very many app crashes? 

[SteveLucas]

Nick,

I don't think I have ever crashed NCSIMUL other than the dumb stuff I have caught in my programs where I have the wrong coordinate system selected or things of that nature. Seems pretty stable to me. We just have 3 axis machines here at this time so it's pretty basic programs that I run. Not really basic but very tight tolerance programs for plastic injection molds.  NCSIMUL will work on 3 +2 and 4 and 5 axis machines.

[NickMihelich]

good to know just sent a quote request

[SteveLucas]

Nick,

It's a little pricey, but I am dealing with 1 machine where the spindle replacement is around 25K if you crash it. so having the peace of mind knowing your program is good when you send it to the machine is worth every penny spent.

[NickMihelich]

I'm in a similar situation if it saves us from crashing the machine or gouging any parts it will pay for itself quickly.

[KenFarley]

I'm still using NC Check, the built-in. It's not the greatest, but generally tells me if the program is working alright. One big disadvantage is it doesn't seem to care if you rapid traverse right through the part. It shows you how it's cutting, but doesn't give any explicit indication that you've been naughty. The external program I used to use, NC-Verify, would halt simulation and give a message about rapid cutting.

There are other ideosyncrasies to NC Check, but I can't recall them off the top of my head.

[SteveLucas]

Ken,

the big thing I don't care for with NC Check / ModuleWorks or even the old Built in Vericut is you are only checking the NCL file not the posted program that goes to the machine. I routinely do 10 to 15 programs in a day so doing "dry runs" of programs is out of the question so I like to check the actual gcode going to the machines.

[KenFarley]

Steve,

You're dead on right about that. Another immense benefit of having an "external" program to check things with is that we have years and years of old programs that occasionally need to be run to redress active surfaces of tooling, etc. I used to be able to read them into the verification program just to be sure I wasn't going to be getting any horrible surprises. Like the aforementioned rapid cuts, or someone not programming to accommodate clamping, etc.

[joshuataylor]

Right now we are using full vericut and I don't want to give up g-code simulation, am concerned about support going forward. The slow graphics regeneration is a pain, and there have been times where tooling or fixtures won't come into vericut correctly and vericut support was no real help. To be fair to cgtech (vericut) they have spent hours on the phone trying to resolve problems, and it does accurately simulate code.