Motion
Controls - MintNC
The
MintNC software provides machine builders with an extremely rapid and
flexible solution for creating contouring and profiling machinery and
automation. MintNC provides a PC-based environment that will import
information in industry-standard CAD formats including G-code, HPGL and
DXF, and generate the required real-time motion commands. Included are
tools for creating application-specific user interfaces, using standard
programming environments such as Visual Basic or C. For example, users can
easily create custom man-machine interface that present graphical displays
of geometry combined with program listings and simple machine controls
such as jog and home buttons.
MintNC may be used in a variety of modes depending on the process
requirements. It can provide an automatic CAD-to-production system for
one-off tasks such as rapid prototyping for instance. Equally, it could be
used as a front-end to create solutions for repetitive tasks, such as the
cutting of vehicle air bags. Here, users can import CAD files, integrate
the geometry with the speed and control data, and export the data as a
motion script suitable for downloading to a Mint motion controller.
The standard interfaces built into MintNC, including ActiveX
compatibility, allow developers to integrate systems readily with other
specialist hardware. An example might be cameras and image processing
libraries. Data from a subsystem like this could be used to generate
geometric information to drive the motion hardware, facilitating the
automation of a wide range of further applications - especially those
where products are made in single or low quantities, and production tasks
must be adapted to suit the item being processed.
Real-time motion control hardware support is provided by means of the
NextMove motion controller range operating over either the PCI or USB bus,
and matched drives and servo motors. Mint-compatible motion controllers
provide PLC-style I/O resources - providing a comprehensive set of the
components required to configure and assemble machine control systems.
Among the applications for MintNC are laser and water jet profilers,
routers, grinders and tangential knife cutters, together with a wide range
of related specialized production tasks such as welding, imaging, and
inspection.
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