Here is a place where users of NOVUM CNC simulators can share their ideas and ask questions.
At my company we have been using these types of CNC simulators since 2004. We have got 4 simulators for milling machines (3 horizontal machines and 1 gantry machine).
These are designed and developed for our specific demands, including the construction of the kinematic models of our machine tools, and are capable of controlling different angle heads, turning heads (D'Andrea-type), processing sub-programs,macros and so on...
I worked with a lot of machining heads, with at least 80 different heads. Because they worked in tight spaces, collision testing was vital. There were no real collisions on the machine tools.
I think companies prefer to buy CAM programs, even if they are much more expensive because they are also able to do simulations and companies no longer spend money on simulators.
I have been involved with NC programming for about 35 years, the last 25 years as a CNC programmer. My company typically produces single and small series, we produce large parts, sometimes longer than 10 meters, very complex, very expensive, often worth more than 100,000 euros, mainly turbine and generator parts, strict accuracy and deadline requirements. Before 2005, before buying the first simulators, we had problems with high error costs, since then we have almost never had such problems.
We make limited use of programming systems (CAM), such as EXAPT for programming lathes. Our machine tools work with Sinumerik 840 controls, which offer a high level of programming convenience. We use control cycles for programming and always check NC programs with Novum simulators before commissioning.