If you’re curious, like me, about what software tools are being widely used in manufacturing, Okuma has given us a peek at the most popular machine tool apps in their app store.
And number one on their list is… (spoilers)
…their MTConnect adapter. No surprise there. For any sort of effective equipment monitoring, you need an easy way to access the equipment’s state. Thanks to the MTConnect standard, for the past 10+ years we’ve been able to do this using commonplace and open web technologies.
And the rest of the list?
Keep in mind that most of these apps are meant to utilize THINC, which is Okuma’s platform for interacting with Okuma P-control CNCs. Two of the other “apps” on their top 10 list are actually utilities that allow you to check the capabilities of your Okuma machine tool, and control when the other THINC apps start up.
Other apps on the list are helpers for the operator.
Do you configure your cutting operations using common variables? There’s an app that simplifies the process of setting these variables.
Another app sends email or SMS messages when the machine is at alarm. Yet another will pop up a message on the screen when the CNC hits an M00 that includes a comment in parentheses.
At the bottom of this list? The Scheduled Maintenance app, which reminds you when certain maintenance tasks are due.
As someone who began his career in preventive maintenance, it’s nice to see that enough people care about routine upkeep to put this application in the top ten… though I do wonder how often these reminders are simply put off until later.
Check out the list of Okuma’s most downloaded apps for 2018 here.