EXAPT ("EXtended Subset of APT") is a production oriented

programming language A programming language is a system of notation for writing computer programs. Most programming languages are text-based formal languages, but they may also be graphical. They are a kind of computer language. The description of a programming ...

to generate NC programs with control information for machining tools and enables to consider production-related issues of various machining processes. EXAPT has developed historically regarding industrial requirements. Through the years software solutions for the manufacturing industry were created which today form a broad scalable portfolio with future-oriented products and services. Today the tradename EXAPT is primarily understood as

CAD Computer-aided design (CAD) is the use of computers (or ) to aid in the creation, modification, analysis, or optimization of a design. This software is used to increase the productivity of the designer, improve the quality of design, improve co ...

/ CAM-System and production data und

tool management Tool management is needed in Manufacturing, metalworking so that the information regarding the tools on hand can be uniformly organized and integrated. The information is stored in a database and is registered and applied using tool management. T ...

Software Software is a set of computer programs and associated documentation and data. This is in contrast to hardware, from which the system is built and which actually performs the work. At the lowest programming level, executable code consists ...

of the German company EXAPT Systemtechnik GmbH based in Aachen.

General

EXAPT is a modularly built programming system for all NC machining operations as *

Drilling Drilling is a cutting process where a drill bit is spun to cut a hole of circular cross-section in solid materials. The drill bit is usually a rotary cutting tool, often multi-point. The bit is pressed against the work-piece and rotated at ra ...

Turning Turning is a machining process in which a cutting tool, typically a non-rotary tool bit, describes a helix toolpath by moving more or less linearly while the workpiece rotates. Usually the term "turning" is reserved for the generation of ...

* Milling * Turn-Milling *

Nibbling Blanking and piercing are shearing processes in which a punch and die are used to produce parts from coil or sheet stock. Blanking produces the outside features of the component, while piercing produces internal holes or shapes. The web is cre ...

* Flame-, Laser-, Plasma- and Water jet cutting * Wire eroding * Operations with

Industrial robot An industrial robot is a robot system used for manufacturing. Industrial robots are automated, programmable and capable of movement on three or more axes. Typical applications of robots include welding, painting, assembly, disassembly, pick a ...

s Due to the modular structure the main product groups EXAPTcam and EXAPTpdo are gradually expandable and permit individual software solutions for the manufacturing industry used individually and also in compound with an existing IT environment.

Functionality

EXAPTcam meets the requirements for NC planning especially for the cutting operations as turning, drilling and milling up to 5-axis simultaneous machining. Thereby new process technologies, tool and machine concepts are constantly involved. In the NC programming data from different sources as 3D CAD models, drawings or tables can flow in. The possibilities of NC programming reaches from the language-oriented to the feature-oriented NC programming. The integrated EXAPT knowledge database and intelligent and scalable automatisms support the user. The EXAPT NC planning also covers the generation of production information as clamping and tool plans, presetting data or time calculations. The realistic simulation possibilities of NC planning and NC control data provide with production reliability. EXAPTpdo (EXAPT ProductionsDataOrganization) provides a neutrally applicable technology platform for the information compound of the NC planning - to the shop floor. This applies to all NC production data which are necessary for the set-up of NC machines, for the provision, presetting and stocking of manufacturing resources and provided by EXAPTpdo in a central

database In computing, a database is an organized collection of data stored and accessed electronically. Small databases can be stored on a file system, while large databases are hosted on computer clusters or cloud storage. The design of databases sp ...

. Beside classical functions of the tool management system (TMS) as the management of cutting tools, measuring, testing and clamping devices the technology data management and tool lifecycle management (TLM) is also included. System-supported "where-used lists" help to handle the manufacturing resource cycle by secured requirement determination and requirement fulfillment. Unnecessary transports and unplanned dispositive adjustments are dropped, stocks are reduced, set-up times reduced and the throughput is increased. EXAPTpdo synchronizes involved systems within the

value chain A value chain is a progression of activities that a firm operating in a specific industry performs in order to deliver a valuable product (i.e., good and/or service) to the end customer. The concept comes through business management and was firs ...

. Stock systems, MES systems or ERP systems (e.g. from the purchasing or production areas) do not work in isolation from each other but they interact with each other. EXAPTpdo provides the base to Smart Factory, for more flexibility in production and a faster communication.

History

With the foundation of the EXAPT-Verein in 1967 as spin-off of the universities

Aachen Aachen ( ; ; Aachen dialect: ''Oche'' ; French and traditional English: Aix-la-Chapelle; or ''Aquisgranum''; nl, Aken ; Polish: Akwizgran) is, with around 249,000 inhabitants, the 13th-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia, and the 28th- ...

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

and

Stuttgart Stuttgart (; Swabian: ; ) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is located on the Neckar river in a fertile valley known as the ''Stuttgarter Kessel'' (Stuttgart Cauldron) and lies an hour from the ...

the further development „EXAPT (EXtended Subset of APT)“ of the programming language „ APT (Automatically Programmed Tool)“ was focused and so the first milestone for the EXAPT history was set. In the same year the system EXAPT 1 for drilling and simple milling tasks is available. 1969 the industrial application of EXAPT 2 for the programming of NC machines with 2-axis linear and path control begins. In the following year the development of the EXAPT modular system starts. 1972 BASIC-EXAPT is provided for the universal, homogeneous programming of all NC tasks. The support is made by the EXAPT applications consultancy. 1973 EXAPT 1.1 is provided for the programming of straight-cut and continuous-path controlled drilling and milling machines and machining centres. At the Hanover Fair (IHA 73) the interactive access to a mainframe via time-sharing terminal for the part program entry and correction is presented and starts the replacement of the

punch card A punched card (also punch card or punched-card) is a piece of stiff paper that holds digital data represented by the presence or absence of holes in predefined positions. Punched cards were once common in data processing applications or to di ...

. 1974 the possibilities for the use of process computers for the NC data transfer are levelled out. As a pioneer EXAPT offers the possibility of the result simulation when using plotters with display of tool paths and tool in assignment to the workpiece. In April 1975 the EXAPT NC Systemtechnik GmbH is founded with the aim, to enable the entry into the NC technique for small and medium-sized companies by a complete product and service program. In the following year the system portfolio is extended with further system modules and service programs and the provision of postprocessors. 1978 the development activities on the EXAPT module system started 1970 are completed. Using modern software techniques the different system parts BASIC-EXAPT, EXAPT 1, EXAPT 1.1 and EXAPT 2 are composed to a total system. System support and applications consultancy become a new working focus. From the beginning to the middle of the 1980s beside new portable software modules for CAD/CAM applications (e. g. CAPEX, NESTEX, CADEX, CADCPL) the first version of the EXAPT DNC system and extensions of the EXAPT NC programming system für the machining of sculptured surfaces are presented. 1988 EXAPT expands the software product range by systems for the tool data management (BMO) and production data management (FDO). In 1988 EXAPT trains more than 1.300 course participants including company-specific courses. 1992 the first version of the completely new product generation EXAPTplus is presented and the agency in Dresden is opened. 1993 the company name " EXAPT NC Systemtechnik GmbH“ is changed to „EXAPT Systemtechnik GmbH“.EXAPTplus is presented on PC under Windows NT at the EMO '93. The decentralization of the use of EXAPT systems expands the range of application considerably. In the following year EXAPT-DNC is executable under Windows on customary PC. Special hardware is not needed and so it can be used in compound with the database-supported EXAPT production data management system (FDO). 1995 EXAPTplus is also ready for complex application cases as machining of tubes at extrusion tools. EXAPT-CADI provides the transfer of 2D CAD data to EXAPTplus. With the new office Gießen the marketing is strengthened. In the following year the EXAPT NC editor is developed for the direct processing of NC control data with tool path display and visualization of the tools. In the course of the market entry of more comfortable 3D CAD systems for the solid modelling of components a detailed evaluation of current systems is made in 1997. It is decided to use SolidWorks as reference system for the solid oriented NC planning with EXAPT. 1998 the first solution for the transfer of geometry data between SolidWorks and EXAPTplus is generated. The EXAPT organization systems are (beside SQL) also executable under Oracle now. The use of client server solutions supports the data flow in the production. 1999 AFR functions are provided in connection with EXAPTsolid to support a workpiece modelling for NC. The millennium capability is ensured for all EXAPT systems. AFR is ground-breaking for the integration of third-party products. 2002 EXAPT-BMG is developed for the generation and visualization of tools with additional functions for the assembly from components. The acquisition of tools with its geometric and technological presentation offers extensive support of the NC planning with EXAPT systems. 2003 EXAPTpdo is available to optimize the process chains in production planning and production execution optimally regarding the increasing requirements of changing production conditions. 2004 are diverse system extensions made in EXAPTplus, EXAPTsolid, EXAPT NC editor, EXAPTpdo for the complete machining on turning/ milling centres with result reliability because of more extensive simulation based on realNC (Tecnomatix), for the use of new complex tool systems and for the compound use between ERP systems as SAP and intelligent CNC systems. In the following year EXAPTpdo is extended for the cross-order set-up optimization and provision of manufacturing re-sources especially for single and small series production with connection to purchase and physical portfolio management. 2006 the EXAPT systems are available in the extended use as information platform for the production, the time management and similar requirements. EXAPTsolid is extended for the feature-oriented milling operation and machine simulation. The NC programming of complex machine tools, e.g. three-turret-turning/milling centres is supported by EXAPT systems, as well as the use of multi-functional tools. 2007 a module for 3-5-axis simultaneous milling machining is presented.

References

{{Authority control Application software Computer-aided design software Computer-aided manufacturing software Planning Industrial machinery Programming languages