New software continues to make the job of processors and toolmakers markedly easier, as illustrated by the exhibitor list of computer-based companies at NPE 2000.
New versions of software programs released this year affected all aspects of plastics manufacturing and tooling traditionally done by more-manual methods. That includes forecasting, machining, inspection, training and all varieties of parts processing.
Below is a listing of some of the software-based companies exhibiting at NPE and some of their featured products.
CGI (Booth E11837): Mold inspection software for processing point clouds and conversion into parts-inspection reports.
CNC Software Inc. (Booth E13305): Mastercam version 8 software for tool programming and milling operations, with new features including enhanced surface and solids machining.
Compuplast International Inc. (Booth N8740): Release of new version of Flow 2000 suite of computer-assisted-engineering tools for extrusion and latest software products for thermoforming and blow molding.
Delta Computer Systems Inc. (Booth E14528): New injection, reaction injection and parison molding servo-motion controllers for field-bus communications.
DP Technology Corp. (Booth E14630): Esprit 2000 Windows interface for computer numerically controlled machine programmers, automatically creating tool paths from any solids model.
DTR Software International (Booth E12017): Business-to-business module to provide order status and delivery on a Web browser.
FullMetrics Inc. (Booth E11722): Production & process management system enhancements for Web-based reports, on-demand machine training, bar-code labeling and lot tracking.
IQMS Inc. (Booth S319): Version 3.0 software, including executive information system, forecasting, instant system messaging and Web-enabled, self-service customer information.
Manufacturing Information Solutions (Booth E12332): Introduction of Polymer Extrusion Professional, a software package giving profile, pipe and sheet extruders a set of tools to control orders, processes and data collection.
Mascon (Booth E13518): AIMS Web-enabled customer relations management system for processors, and newest release of AIMS enterprise resource planning system with updated features.
M-Base Engineering+Software GmbH/Madison Group (Booth E13609): New version of CAMPUS global plastics database that runs on the Internet and intranet and includes thousands of grades from more than 50 resin firms in the CAMPUS consortium. Featuring an extension of film grades and thermoplastic elastomers and inclusion of chemical resistance data. The Web MCBase is centralized on one server, making it easier to maintain.
Moldflow Corp. (Booth S731): New versions of Moldflow Plastics Xpert, generating the optimal injection molding process starting point, and Plastics Insight, an integrated suite of CAE analysis software.
Polymer Diagnostics Inc. (Booth S2419): Specialized technology in virtual-reality software and testing, predictive modeling and digital optical microscopes.
RJG Inc. (Booth N5729): eDart plantwide monitoring and analysis system, Molding Assistant trouble-shooting software and piezoelectric line of cavity pressure transducers. Also, charge amplifier, enclosed in an aluminum housing mounted to a mold and used to convert signals from piezoelectric sensors to voltage-level signals.
Sand Hill Systems Inc. (Booth E13431): A suite of business-to-business electronic commerce applications that reduce order entry and procurement costs.
Sonic & Thermal Technologies Inc. (Booth N9354): New Thermasoft-TCS software for heat-staking equipment, enabling the user to remotely control, monitor and report process parameters and status.
Surfware Inc. (Booth E14225): New SurfCam 2000 CAD/CAM software system.
Syscon-PlantStar (Booth S783): New features and enhancements for production and processing monitoring systems designed to solve manufacturing problems.