By: Flexxbotics February 2021
Flexx CNC Interface Release
Flexxbotics launches Flexx CNC Interface to empower machinists
to fully automate their CNC’s with Universal Robots.
The Flexx CNC Interface is a standardized middleware and URCap designed to make a Universal Robot easily communicate with multiple CNC machines. The Flexx CNC comes out of the box ready to interface with your CNC eliminating the complex and timely integration effort needed for creating a CNC interface. The standardized middleware and software allows you to use a singular Flexx CNC kit with our library of supported CNC controllers.
Why is a Cobot to CNC Interface needed? Well to truly run a robot on a CNC machine lights out you need to create an interface between your robot and your CNC. An interface gives you the ability to automate all aspects of running a CNC including:
Load G-Code
Cycle Start /
End Detection
Write Macros
Peripherals
(Door, Vise, Chuck)
Creating this type of interface in-house can be complex, time consuming and costly especially if you need to interface to multiple CNC controllers in your shop. On top of that, funneling your operators into the intuitive Universal Robot Polyscope user interface allows for a much cleaner experience when programming your cobot for machine tending applications.
The Flexx CNC pairs well with the Flexx Reference, a software/hardware 6-degree cobot offset tool, to make any Universal Robot efficiently move from one CNC machine to another. The tools combined together provide a more holistic redeployment process for the lightweight Universal Robot.