PC-DMIS NC - Metrology Software for CNC Machines 

PC-DMIS NC software products are advanced, in-process metrology systems for CNC machines.  They apply the technologies of PC-DMIS, the world’s leading CMM software package to the task of CNC inspection. They simplify the job of writing inspection routines for NC machines, but do not compromise on the sophisticated programming, measurement, evaluation and reporting tools of the baseline product. Wilcox Associates has invested millions of dollars and hundreds of man-years in understanding measurement and in applying that understanding to our software. Our NC products let our customers take full advantage of that investment.

 PC-DMIS NC software reduces scrap and rework.  In most shops, these are the two major sources of wasted time and lost money. Many times, they are the result of easy to fix problems. The trick lies in finding them.  PC-DMIS NC products give customers the tools to make this easy. By selectively measuring subgroups of features during setup and periodically during production, they can ferret out faults associated with things like programming errors, bad setups and excessive too wear. Minor mistakes and oversights no longer lead to major manufacturing disasters.

PC-DMIS NC software saves time.  The time spent setting up jobs and aligning parts and fixtures doesn’t add value to a manufacturing process. They’re both something that has to be done, but the less time spent on them the more time spent on actually making parts. PC-DMIS NC products let users do these tasks quickly with a minimum of fuss and bother. It simplifies the jobs of setup and alignment; it reduces the need for manual inspection and can eliminate the logistical nightmare of moving parts to and from off-line inspection equipment.

 PC-DMIS NC software monitors CNC performance.  Manufacturers need to know what their machines are doing both now and over time. It’s the most important information they can have. It alerts them to problems as they occur and helps them to spot disturbing trends before they affect quality. Our PC-DMIS NC products, with their built-in analytical capabilities, have the ability to quickly spot problems on a particular feature and immediately alert users in a variety of ways.

Plus, because PC-DMIS NC software products are part of the Enterprise Metrology Solutions (EMS) System, they give users access to software like DataPage/Real Time, our SPC package.  DataPage lets them statistically monitor the performance of their equipment.

PC-DMIS NC software solves difficult problems.  In day-to-day operations, manufacturers run into all sorts of problems related to their CNC operations. PC-DMIS NC products coupled with EMS give them access to a software system with the capabilities they need to work though their difficulties quickly and get on with the job of making parts. Doing things like measuring extremely large parts, qualifying raw castings and calculating complex alignments that were either extremely difficult or impossible to do previous now become straightforward programming tasks.

Currently, Wilcox Associates offers two versions of PC-DMIS NC software, PC-DMIS NCi, with the “i” standing for interactive, and PC-DMIS NC Server.  NC Server operates in batch mode.  It addresses the needs of customers who need sophisticated metrology tools for performing in-process evaluations but do not require direct interaction between the machine tool and the measurement software.  NCi, on the other hand, allows users to perform checks requiring both sophisticated metrology capabilities and direct, bi-directional communications between the measurement software and the machine tool’s controller.  To learn more read our white paper "Three Flavors of NC."