Leading CNC Builders Will Begin Shipping Gibbs V5.1

Out in Moorpark, CA, Gibbs and Associates Inc feels that it has raised the bar for shopfloor programming with the announcement that GE Fanuc, America Excel, Cincinnati Machine, Fadal Engineering, and Vickers, among others will begin shipping Gibbs SFP version 5.1. Gibbs is the developer of GibbsCAM, Virtual Gibbs, and GibbsSFP software.

Gibbs SFP v5.1 increases the capabilities of Gibbs SFP for both new and existing users. Included is support in many worldwide languages and provision of binary compatibility with Virtual Gibbs, the production, off-line GibbsCAM system.

According to Gibbs, users with older versions have the ability to upgrade to Gibbs SFP v5.1. It includes a number of enhancements: the ability to apply dimensioning and annotation at the shopfloor; capability to machine complex open wall pockets; material-only toolpath calculation for multiple pocket island/multi-height island; and dynamic view rotation. CAD-assist functions like macro-shapes, gears, cams, splines, and offsets are also offered.

Next step with Gibbs partners

GE Fanuc's shipment marks the next step in the relationship between GE Fanuc and Gibbs announced at Westec 1999. GE Fanuc CNC controls, when combined with Gibbs SFP, cover a wide range of shopfloor programming requirements. "Our release adds more versatility and programming power than other solutions, and we believe this software will become the industry standard in Shop Floor Programming," says John Turner, manager of CNC open systems for GE Fanuc.

Gibbs SFP v5.1 is made available from Fadal Engineering through a new higher level of partnership between Fadal and Gibbs, according to Don Haselton, VP-sales and marketing. "This new release continues to build on our past successful partnership with Gibbs initiated in 1992 bundling GibbsSFP with the 32MP control."

At Cincinnati Machine, Jim Spearman says: "We are extremely excited to have these new upgrade capabilities for our customers. The upgrade will be very valuable for both our existing A2100 customers as well as new customers."

Len Wedig of Vickers adds: "Gibbs SFP v5.1 for the A2100 provides the enhanced capabilities that many of our existing customers have been looking for such as Cincinnati Machine."

Programming versatility

While ease-of-use has always been a top developmental priority for Gibbs in its SFP software, depth of functionality and programming versatility are also key ingredients in developing a successful Shop Floor Programming tool. In that way customers have a solution both for infrequent users as well as power users, the company explains. This allows a company to program and edit a variety of machine and control types in the same user-friendly interface from a wide range of different CNC control and machine tool vendors with the maximum level of versatility, power and ease of use.

The GibbsCAM product line, which includes both the integrated off-line CAM system and GibbsSFP, offers options for fully integrated manufacturing modeling capabilities and NC programming that include entry-level 2D, 2.5D, 3D wireframe, surface modeling, and solid modeling creation and import capabilities.

Gibbs and Associates, 323 Science Drive, Moorpark, CA 93021; phone: 805-523-0004