Vulcan assimilation

[Anonymous]

Hi all
I`m looking at subscribing to Cadmep, CadEst and Camduct and using these with our current Vulcan machines, plasma, waterjet and coil line.
2 main questions I have:
Is the installation process possible while leaving vulcan on the machinery;
and will both types of software work well together or is it too clunky?

Any and all help is appreciated,
thanks

[Anonymous]

So the machines are running the Windows based Vulcan software?  If so, yes...you can keep that software.  But take note....

Unless you had CAMduct when you bought the machines and made that a requirement, the Vulcan software likely won't work "as is".

You'll want to check first just in case but you can buy a "file download" option from Trimble for the controls. I believe it's about $3k a license when I last did this a couple years ago.

With that option enabled, you can change modes on the controller so instead of downloading from the main Vulcan database/server, it'll read the NC files CAMduct produces.

The guys is the shop will likely not prefer this because the Vulcan system has some nice features allowing them to rerun a single part all from the control. CAMduct has a "single part recut" option but you need to do it from a CAMduct station and regenerate a new NC file for loading.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the response Darren.

No these machines have never run on Camduct before, and I don`t want them too either.

I want to keep Vulcan on the machines. 

My main aim is to subscribe to Estmep for estimating and then transfer that data to the factory office for label printing, then fabrication, negating the need for programming.

I hope that's possible...?

[Anonymous]

In a Vulcan shop, there's typically a few parts...

1) Central Vulcan Database

2) Vulcan input station

...and possibly a 3rd, a machine running a Vulcan software based controller.

A machine can also be using a machine builder control (lockformer, D6, Hypertherm Phoenix, Burny Phantom, etc.)

If you're running the Vulcan Controller software on the machine, it can only read directly from the Vulcan database directly. 

The Vulcan input system will not typically import MAJ's from EST or CADmep. In those cases, most folks implement CAMduct for the input station, and add the "File Download" option to the Vulvan controllers so they can read the NC files produced from CAMduct instead of talking to the Vulcan database.

This replaces the Vulcan input station and database w/CAMduct but retains the Vulcan Controller software on the machines.

Trimble does have an Add-In for CADmep that converts to Vulcan...

http://mepsolutions.trimble.com/CADmep-Integration-Download-File_LP-CADmep-Download.html

This would allow you to export what would typically be in an MAJ to run it through the Vulcan database and input station.

I'm not sure if you could hack the Add-In to work w/ESTmep or not, it's the same API. I'm also not sure how well the Add-In works, when I last tried it a couple years ago, it wasn't reliable enough to consider as a production option so we moved to CAMduct for that shop and they went between Vulcan and CAMduct for a couple years during the transition.

[Anonymous]

Thanks Darren

Our machines have VS Controllers.

Vulcan does have an option in the license page to select File download which I`ve been told allows you to import files from outside Vulcan.

Is this what you`re referring to as the Add-in, and the link you provided?

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Thanks Darren

Our machines have VS Controllers.

Vulcan does have an option in the license page to select File download which I`ve been told allows you to import files from outside Vulcan.

Is this what you`re referring to as the Add-in, and the link you provided?

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The "File Download" option is for the machine controller. It allows the Vulcan controller to read NC files from disk which were produced by CAMduct or any other CAM software. Typically, a Vulcan controller would read directly from a central Vulcan database to get information from a Vulcan based input station.  With the File Doanload option, you would process your ductwork in the shop with CAMduct.

The "Add-In" I"m referencing, is an AutoCAD Add-In that would take items drawn with CADmep, and convert them into a format Vulcan (now called FabShop) can read. In this case, you would be using Vulcan/FabShop to process the ductwork.

The Add-In seem much more robust and functional now than it did the last time I tried it.