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Manufacturing News April 2013

Floppy Drive Emulators and Serial Port Accessories

A Shop Floor Automations ad about services for Floppy Drive Emulators and Serial Port Accessories. See our Ads here Southwest Manufacturing News and here Midwest Manufacturing News

More about our Hardware Solutions:

Do you have a small shop? A large shop? Regardless of your number of machines, or types of controls, SFA has you covered with a complete hardware connectivity suite. Don’t shop around & waste time trying to find the lowest prices – using our 18 years of experience & full support (onsite & digital) will pay for itself with working solutions.

We make our own cables & regularly test hundreds of models of controls with our equipment to confirm what works with wired, wireless, USB, & floppy disk drives for CNCs to eliminate downtime.

Introducing, our Connect Series!

Ethernet Connect – Link via Ethernet to your CNCs, wired & wirelessly
Wireless Connect – Go Wireless to any CNC, use Wireless Access Points, & additional wireless solutions
Serial Connect – USB to Serial, RS232 Serial Cables, RS232 Adapters, Testers, Fanuc cables, & more
USB Connect – Add USB to any CNC, plus Mazak or Switchbox USB solutions
Floppy Connect –  Off-the-shelf Floppy Emulators will replace floppy disks with USB media
Multi Connect – One device to do it all for DNC & Machine Monitoring
Tape Reader Connect – Behind the Tape Reader (BTR) users will want these solutions
Accessories – Antennas, Bar Code Readers, & exclusive SFA gear, like our G-code Shirt

Follow the various social media channels of Shop Floor Automations via the resource page here.

Call & speak to our team at Toll Free (877) 611-5825. We aim to understand your needs & deliver the best solutions for them. Let us tell you about the thousands of customers we have served – you have no obligation to make a purchase!

Add Ethernet to Any CNC

RS232 to Ethernet for Any CNC Machine

Do you need an RS232 to Ethernet interface? Any CNC controls with RS232 ports can easily be upgraded to the LAN Connect device. Machine tool files can be sent from CNC memory to the device.

Achieve USB stick to CNC memory actions, or drip-feeding (DNC) from the USB. Flexible CNC communication firmware is built into the unit so you can connect to just about any machine tool control.

The device contains all the necessary hardware to integrate a universal display onto a CNC machine tool pendant. The controller is DIN rail mountable inside the pendant or can be reverse-mounted on the display.

A small capacity USB drive is included from Shop Floor Automations. You can upgrade to any size or brand desired to support larger NC programs or storage capacity.

The LAN Connect eliminates having to use DNC software. It also removes the struggles of RS232 cabling.

The device is assigned an IP address and connects to any standard Ethernet cable from the corporate network. Load files from the USB at the machine via a Microsoft Windows Operating System or FTP software.

You can select the file to transfer to the machine using the LCD display. Run at a maximum baud rate by connecting the device to the CNC controller. This also prevents the operator from having to run back and forth from PC to machine to begin machine operation.

The benefits of this device has been said to reduce the cost of adding DNC Software required to communicate to machines. Ease of implementation and connection to the machine can be accomplished with IT Departments whom normally resist interfacing with CNC machines using serial cabling.

The cost to add Ethernet functionality to any machine from the machine tool builder can be very expensive. This third party upgrade is a minimal cost in comparison.

The LAN Connect device works with any CNC control on the market with a serial port. Some compatible brands are Haas, Fadal, Mazak, Hurco, Yasnac, Cincinnati, Bridgeport, Mitsubishi, Mori Seiki, Siemens, Okuma, and more.

For more information, contact our sales department by calling (877) 611-5825 

USB Emulator Replaces Floppy Disk Drive

Floppy Emulator YouTube

USB Emulator Replaces Floppy Disk Drive

Update, as of 2016 – the FD Connect is now known as the Floppy Emulator from the Floppy Connect line.

Shop Floor Automations has introduced its new FD Connect solution, which will eliminate floppy disk media and drives on the manufacturing floor.

Floppy disks are easily damaged in the shop environment due to dirt, oil and grime and are becoming impossible to replace. The FD Connect solution eliminates the need for floppy disks making it an ideal program and data storage solution for industrial equipment and machine tools.

The device is a simple plug in a thumb drive that allows easy transfer of files to the Floppy Connect. Users simply remove the existing drive and the FD Connect plugs directly into the ribbon and power cables of the old drive. It is compatibility with 720K or 1.44MB systems.

For more information, contact our sales department at (877) 611-5825. Read more below.

Read more

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CASH For Clunkers

An old blue car, also known as a "clunker" due to its age, being serviced.Discount to Replace Old Systems

Do you have an outdated, unsupported DNC System from a software company who has been out of business or not updated their product since Window NT or 2000? Now is the time to consider a software upgrade with our trade-up program.

New technology with a good support system is how to stay ahead in this industry. Don’t let your shop floor fall behind. We can help!

For orders placed in 2011, we will provide up to 25% of credit towards the purchase of a new system from Shop Floor Automations.

Give us a call now (877) 611-5825 Toll Free!
• Upgrade from switchboxes
• Support for Windows 7, Vista, Server 2008• Wireless or Wired System
• Simple upgrade path

More about Shop Floor Automations:

Many of our clients know us as the DNC Communications and Data Collection / Machine Monitoring experts and we look forward to helping your company in these areas and with our new product solutions.

The founders of SFA have many years of experience providing effective solutions to manufacturers large and small from coast to coast. Their expertise in designing and implementing DNC and Shop Floor Networks allows them to take the best hardware and software products to the next level. That level is a fully implemented, turnkey solution tailored specifically for a customer’s requirements and environments.

Shop Floor Automations is appropriately positioned to provide our customers with a complete technology environment. Customers are not looking for products so much as they are seeking solutions to their business problems. Our total solution approach for manufacturing customers provides hardware and software packages, installation and support services, and expert consultation where required. Our principal goal is to help customers save time and make money.

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Onsite Services Special

Onsite Services Special

Looking to improve communication to your CNC machines? We are offering onsite services to fine-tune your existing DNC system. We constantly have special discounts for our services.

Add cabling to a new machine, troubleshoot, move the system to a more reliable PC, or provide onsite training and consulting. We will make sure everything is set up properly and that your shop floor workers are trained before we take one step out of your shop and label the job as “done.”

We also have remote assistant services available, if you don’t have the time or current resources to bring one of our friendly techs to your shop. We have many references, via our Customer Testimonials page. We also have many customer success stories you can watch on YouTube. Call us toll free at (877) 611-5825 if you are ready to go!

What some customers have to say about Shop Floor Automations:

Your team did an excellent job getting us out of a jam with recent damage to our Extreme DNC PC which got zapped by lightning. Within minutes after its arrival, only about 14 hours after my phone call to your tech named Guy, my guys had it working to load programs into our CNC machines. -Matt Slay, Jordan Machine Co.

I am very happy with the software and it is having a positive impact on our productivity. Shop Floor Automations had been somebody that we worked with really before we acquired it 13 years ago. We had Predator and some of the software you supplied. Recently, we added the Scytec DataXchange stuff a few years ago, and you guys are just good problem solvers for us! There was minimal startup cost and it requires little software management on the user end. Significant increases in machine utilization, better information flow between engineering guys and programming guys, quality guys, shop floor guys, and us as owners! Knowing what’s happening on the shop floor. I would recommend you, and I have – we’re big proponents of the software and you have been a really good resource for us. We’re happy to use cloud-based solutions like Scytec DataXchange! -Jerry Halley, Tech Manufacturing LLC

Our Predator DNC system is running so well, that after over 2 years, I have moved the keyboard and monitor off my desk and into a corner. It requires no maintenance and provides us with a trouble-free system. – Mark Chambers, Tech Manufacturing

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Add Ethernet to your CNC

A CNC machine and USB Connect Pendant Display with an ethernet symbol overlaid on top. Ethernet functionality to any CNC machine

The LAN Connect Controller adds Ethernet functionality to any CNC machine tool with serial capability. Send programs files from a LAN server to CNCs through the regular and Remote models. 

Drip-feed (DNC) large files from the data server that do not fit in the memory of the CNC. Control and manage which files are available to operators on the shop floor from CNC programming stations or Engineering department.

Works with Microsoft’s Windows Explorer. Because setup is easy, connect to virtually any CNC control on the market. This device will help you add Ethernet to your CNC.

Call us toll free at (877) 611-5825 to learn more. More info on our Ethernet Connect solutions:

Your CNC machines have RS232 ports & SFA can connect them to your network. With our Wired CNC Connect, Wireless CNC Connect & LAN Connect, you have many options available. Leverage your current IT infrastructure on the shop floor & replace the long RS232 runs of older style hubs. Take advantage of your company’s wireless network & get rid of cables all together!

The benefit to using Ethernet is that it allows multiple PCs to be able to access machines on the shop floor. Ethernet can go longer distances, which keeps the RS232 connection short, & that means more reliable DNC communication. Wireless CNC Connect devices stay mounted to the machine – confirm you have a dependable wireless signal, move your CNC machine, & it is always connected to the DNC system.

Corporate networks expand beyond front offices & engineering departments on a daily basis. Network backbones are found on 80 percent of manufacturing shop floors.

If you are looking for a wired Ethernet Connect solution, we have this option available in 1, 2, 4, 8, and 16 surge protected ports. We also have Wireless Connect solutions, if you are interested in getting rid of wires.

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Add Wireless to your CNC

Wireless CNC DataAdd Wireless to CNC machines

Through Wireless Connect solutions, add wireless to CNC machines with SFA’s industrial grade wireless devices with quick installation to connect to your CNC machines. Consumer level devices, like DLink or Netgear products, cannot withstand the manufacturing environment. Our products allow you to connect your RS232-based machines to your existing wireless network & we can even help if you lack an existing wireless network!

Costs of stringing cable will vanish. Machines with overhead cranes, traveling gantries, or those simply too far to cable are efficiently & reliably networked. Want to move your CNC machines? No need to change cables or reconfigure software. Best of all, nearly any CNC machine can be connected using wireless! Any PC with a WiFi compliant network card on this wireless network can be configured to access the wider PC network.

The Wireless CNC Adapter acts as an interface between any CNC control with an available RS232 or Ethernet port. The machine tool control can send from CNC memory to the Adapter, Adapter to CNC memory or drip-feed (DNC) from the Wireless CNC Adapter.

The extended antenna allows for the unit to mounted internally or externally on the machine and powered by various power sources. The Wireless CNC Adapter is available as 1 or 2 port and comes with a lifetime warranty and includes a serial cable for the specific machine.

The advantage of using the device delivers high-speed communication to the CNC controller while using 802.11B/G wireless technology. The unit supports various encryption standards and has a web-based interface for quick programming. Add Wireless to your CNC. Call (877) 611-5825 for more info!