How “Suite” It Is

Productivity tools are all around us. It seems that everything available to us in the world these days is supposed to make our lives easier. From our smart phones to cars that drive themselves, the world is full of these gadgets. In manufacturing, anything that can make our lives easier is a welcome addition for most people.

All On One Screen

Enter OSP suite, the latest productivity tool in the Okuma line-up. While machine tool apps are nothing new to the functionality of the OSP, the new OSP suite is a fully integrated version of the apps that we are all used to having right at our fingertips. Suite allows us to take a P300 CNC control with a 19” monitor, shrink the OSP run screen to 15” and tile applications around the perimeter with three different display options available to suit everyone’s taste. This gives the operator full visibility of the CNC operating screen as well as his or her favorite productivity apps tiled around the outside.

Customize to Operator Preferences

Suite can be tailored to three different user profiles, allowing each operator to customize the applications to their liking. Suite allows three apps per operation mode display and three different configurations per operating mode, giving the user up to nine apps and nine widgets per operation mode screen with the touch of a button. This flexibility allows the operator to monitor a multitude of things like load monitor, MacMan data, cycle time, tool data, a white board for hand written messages and many more.

Lots of On-Board Functionalities

Suite also includes a sophisticated on-board Maintenance Monitor application as well as a full list of complete OSP manuals from the machine manual CD. The Job Data app allows the operator to see part drawings, fixture drawings, 3D PDF’s and more to keep track of any information related to the current job being worked on. The ECO suite option has a Power Monitor app to show the power consumption for your machine tool, so you can keep a good handle on keeping those power bills lower. Operators also have access to a Tech Calculator to help with quick speed and feed calculations as well as a Remote Desktop function allowing workers to look at the machine tools desktop when not on the shop floor.

Nearly Unlimited Possibilities

There will always be the people that argue that OSP suite doesn’t help the machine tool make chips any faster, and those people are absolutely correct. Suite doesn’t make chips any faster than a machine without it, but what it does do is give the operator nearly unlimited possibilities on the things they can monitor while never venturing from the run screen. All of the functions that took up valuable real estate on your run screen before like the part counter and load monitor can now be seen while never having to cover any of the run screen again.

OSP suite is a productivity tool that delivers a nearly endless array of app options at your fingertips while your machine tool continues to make chips. This is yet another productivity enhancement from the Okuma OSP control. Ask your local distributor about the current Okuma machine models that come with OSP suite.

Chris Davala is Applications Engineer, Okuma America Corporation.