Caron Engineering Software Connects Machining Environment

Photo Credit: Caron Engineering

Caron Engineering’s new software solution is designed to simplify programming of custom manufacturing applications. MiConnect, a flexible and customizable application builder specifically designed for the CNC manufacturing environment, enables Caron’s integration specialists to  develop specialized manufacturing applications without the need for custom coding.

From a simple operation of parsing a single piece of data to handling all inter-device communication across a fully automated cell, MiConnect can easily be configured for the desired process and flow. The graphical programming of the software makes it easy to tailor applications and adapt to changing requirements. And, with the continually growing inventory of pre-built drivers (CNCs, robots, barcode scanners, I/O, Modbus, files, SQL, Rest API and so on) and numerous building blocks of operations, it enables Caron integration specialists to seamlessly customize any application for the customer.

MiConnect Technology powers solutions such as direct interfacing for automation systems to communicate with the CNC control, extracting required information from the CNC, inputting external devices (such as RFID, barcode or files), reading and writing system parameters, parsing and extracting data, controlling human process interaction, minimizing operator decisionmaking and adding systemized securities. The software enables users to verify that operators have successfully loaded the correct tooling or to export probe data from a part program. Additionally, operator interaction can be completely removed from a production cell to have it run lights out.

Once designed and implemented by Caron integration specialists, the technology enables manufacturers to control their processes by directing the user through the proper operational steps and enabling them to extract any necessary data from the CNC. The inherent audit log records every step, action and data exchange, which is logged with a date and time stamp. This data is available locally or via MTConnect and is valuable for quality control and process verification. The intelligible human-machine interface is designed to guide the user through any required steps and confirm successful completion before advancing to the next step of the manufacturing process. Screens can be added to show messages and confirmations to better assist the operator through the interaction.

“MiConnect Technology was developed to streamline processes for an advanced manufacturing environment. The variety of CNC machines, automation systems and useful data is unique to each manufacturer’s operations. Prior to MiConnect, programming these devices to communicate and extracting unique datasets, or guiding and verifying operator processes required excessive coding time and customization. Furthermore, if the programs ever needed to be adjusted, it relied on the original programmer to make these corrections. In an ever-growing age of automation, MiConnect is the essential tool kit to build custom applications in a fraction of the time,” says Rob Caron, PE, president of Caron Engineering.

Caron Engineering has a large network of qualified integration specialists to help build these custom solutions for their customers.