Newsletter September 2023
Vacation is over? Here are the latest updates from “KELLER”.
With the end of summer break in most federal states (teachers from Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg might already be checking their email inboxes), we warmly welcome you back from the summer hiatus. Our newsletter is here to bring you up to speed after the vacation period:
We’re excited to announce that the latest version, SYMplus™ 65, is now available. This update brings a variety of improvements and enhanced features, including:
- Simulators according to PAL2020: numerous enhancements and expansions.
- Turning: No more worries in the 2nd quadrant with the right-hand cutting tool. We’ve fixed this issue, making roughing easy now.
- More flexibility for your milling experience: Additional post-processors support tool preselection.
- Customize SYMplus™ to your needs: Explore the new possibilities for creating individual operation step macros with contours.
Learn more about the new features and optimizations:
Click here >
How to update the software:
Click here >
If you missed our webinar “PAL2020: Changes in the Machinist Examination” or want a refresher, we have great news for you. A recording of this webinar is now available on our YouTube channel (complimentary!). Gain insights into past IHK exams, upcoming changes, handling the current PAL coding, and discover how SYMplus™ can prepare your students for ‘fill in the blanks’ tasks. Please note that the Webinar is currently only available in GERMAN. If you would like to have it in English, let us know and we will find a solution.
Here are the links to the webinar:
Our new video series on YouTube delivers knowledge in less than 1 minute – hence the name “INSTANT CNC”. Quickly and concisely, you’ll get the essential information to quench your thirst for knowledge.
Currently, the series comprises a selection of exercises from the “A collection of exercises on CNC technology Milling according to the PAL2020” by CHRISTIANI. Additional videos, including exercises from the turning booklet, will follow soon.
The structure of these short clips is consistent: First, the drawing is displayed, followed by the 3D simulation using SYMplus™. During the simulation, you’ll receive information about each step of the exercise.
To the playlist „INSTANT CNC“ >
Don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel to not miss any new videos. It’s free for you and would greatly support us. Thank you in advance.
Have a nice day and best regards.
– Your KELLER.Software Team
Much more from KELLER.Software …
SYMplus™ workbooks:
Ideal for PAL exam preparation as well as for normal lessons: The SYMplus™ workbooks (Turning and Milling). The workbooks are organised according to topics and levels of difficulty and offer optimal learning material:
- CNC entry
- DIN basics
- Control-specific technical training
- CAD/CAM
It also includes numerous exercises for successful training and further education.
Next Appointments in the KELLER.Academy:
Driven tools, level swivel and reform PAL2020
- 12.-13. October 2023
- 07.-08. December 2023
Basics of graphical programming (CAD/CAM) with SYMplus™
- 26.-27. October 2023
Basic DIN/PAL programming with SYMplus™
- 23.-24. November 2023
Exam preparation PAL
- 90.-10. November 2023
To subscribe to our monthly newsletter, please use the form below. Thank you.
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Our experts are at your disposal. We look forward to your inquiry!

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Newsletter June 2023
Unlocking New Horizons: Explore the PAL2020 Webinar Recording and IHK Exam Innovations
If you have missed our webinars on the topic of “PAL2020: What’s changing in the cutting machine operator exam” or would like to review the content again at your leisure, then we have great news for you. As of now, the webinar recording is available to everyone free of charge!
Please note: Webinar Recording is currently available only in German language.
The Webinar covered the following topics:
- Changes in past IHK exams
- Innovations that are coming in the future and how they will be incorporated into the exam
- How to transfer old programs to the changed coding
- How your students can prepare for the fill in the blank tasks
- “Debriefing” of the final exams for cutting machine operators in May
How can you get the webinar recording?
Type https://pal.cnc-keller.de into your browser and register yourself on the page, and we will send you the link to the recording via email.
Since the beginning of the year, we have hosted this webinar once or twice a month. With a total of 18 events, we received a great response. A participation rate of 80% is something we’re very pleased about.
Your KELLER.Software team wishes you a relaxing vacation, sunny days and/or just a nice summer time!
– Your KELLER.Software Team
Much more from KELLER.Software …
Next Appointments in the KELLER.Academy:
Driven tools, level swivel and reform PAL2020
- 13.-14. July 2023
- 24.-25. August 2023
Basics of graphical programming (CAD/CAM) with SYMplus™
- 27.-28. July 2023
- 07.-08. September 2023
Basic DIN/PAL programming with SYMplus™
- 10.-11. August 2023
- 21.-22. September 2023
To subscribe to our monthly newsletter, please use the form below. Thank you.
Do you have any questions?
Our experts are at your disposal. We look forward to your inquiry!

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Newsletter March 2023
PAL2020: How to rewrite old PAL programs.
With the reform of the PAL norms in 2020, quite a few changes came our way. G17 is now G15, G86 and G88 remain, but many new or modified cycle addresses have been added, and so on and so forth.
However, we found out through interesting exchanges with the participants in our new webinar series, “PAL2020: What’s Changing in Machinists’ Exams,” that the PAL2020 commands feel like deciphering hieroglyphics.
But since we’re not all likely to be Indiana Jones, we’d like to give you a little overview of the changes in this newsletter – To decipher the hieroglyphics, so to speak.
Here you can find a table with the comparison “PAL2008/PAL2012” and “PAL2020” (status spring 2023):
To the comparison: “PAL2008/2012 ↔ PAL2020” >
Well, now you can understand the hieroglyphs a bit better, but you still have a lot of programs that run with the old PAL standard, or more precisely, don’t run anymore. What about that?
One trick that is so easy and old that you might not even think of it is the search-and-replace function in SYMplus™. You can use it to rewrite anything that can be replaced one-to-one, like G17 with G15. And this is how you proceed:
1.
Open the program, which you have programmed in an older PAL coding, in the mode “PAL2020”. You will then get the message, “The NC program is faulty!” This is exactly what we want to change, so just click it away with “F10”. In your editor, the last block that does not correspond to the coding according to PAL2020 will now be marked. Here in our example, the exercise program “LAGER3” from the workbook “Plane Swing”, is the line “N65 G17 CR180 AR90”.
2.
Press the “F1” key to select “Search/Replace” and enter “G17” in the “Search for” field and “G15” in the “Replace with” field:
Then click “Replace All” to replace “G17” with “G15” throughout the document. Finally, apply this edit by pressing the “F10” key.
3.
Next, in our example, the line “N45 G48 G40 R10 Z0” is marked as incorrect, because after PAL2020 the commands for tangential approach and departure have also changed:
Replace them according to the same principle: “G48 G40 R” becomes “G40 G46 RR”. And then “G41 G45 D” = “G41 G45 DL”.
And already you have done quite a lot of work without having to trudge through the lines piece by piece.
Everything else (like changing cycle addresses) is explained on our support page:
http://cnc-keller.yoursupport.de/cnc.en/entries/000605/rewrite-old-pal-programs-for-pal2020
Have a nice day and best regards.
– Your KELLER.Software Team
Much more from KELLER.Software …
Reach your learning goal quickly and efficiently: it’s not easy to successfully pass the IHK final exam for machinist turning or machinist milling.
To support you in this endeavor, we have developed SYMplus™, a special PAL software. Here, the focus is on practical exercises to achieve the greatest possible learning success.
Learn more >
Next Appointments in the KELLER.Academy:
Basics of graphical programming (CAD/CAM) with SYMplus™
- 13.-14. April 2023
- 25.-26. June 2023
Exam preparation PAL
- 20.-21. April 2023
Basic DIN/PAL programming with SYMplus™
- 11.-12. May 2023
- 29.-30. June 2023
Driven tools, level swivel and reform PAL2020
- 25.-26. May 2023
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Comparison of old PAL programs and PAL2020
Complete table with a comparison of “PAL2008/PAL2012” and “PAL2020” (status spring 2023):
PAL2008/PAL2012 | PAL2020 | Meaning | Where is it found? |
G41 G45 D | G41 G45 DL | Linear tangential approach | Milling and Turning with driven tools |
G42 G45 D | G42 G45 DL | Linear tangential approach | Milling and Turning with driven tools |
G40 G46 D | G40 G45 DL | Linear tangential departure | Milling and Turning with driven tools |
G41 G47 R | G41 G46 RR | Tangential approach on a quarter circle | Milling and Turning with driven tools |
G42 G47 R | G42 G46 RR | Tangential approach on a quarter circle | Milling and Turning with driven tools |
G48 G40 R | G40 G46 RR | Tangential departure on a quarter circle | Milling and Turning with driven toolsn |
G17 | G15 | Svivelling and Resetting the machining level | Milling Level selection |
G17 | G15 G17 IP3 | Level selection face end with virtual Y axis | Turning with driven tools |
G17 C | G15 G17 IP0 | Level selection face end with polar coordinates | Turning with driven tools |
G17 Y C | G15 G17 IP5 CM | Level selection face end with real Y axis | Turning with driven tools |
G18 | G15 G18 TURN | Level selection for Turning | Drehen mit angetr. Werkzeugen |
G19 X | G15 G19 IP1 DM | Level selection surface area with virtual Y axis | Turning with driven tools |
G19 C | G15 G19 IP0 | Level selection surface area with polar coordinates | Turning with driven tools |
G19 Y X | G15 G19 IP5 DM | Level selection chord area with real Y Axis | Turning with driven tools |
G86 | M1 ; G86 | Radial recessing cycle | Turning, not automatically “translatable”, therefore commented out here with M1 ;. The cycle must then be reprogrammed. |
G88 | M1 ; G88 | Axial recessing cycle | Turning, not automatically “translatable”, therefore commented out here with M1 ;. The cycle must then be reprogrammed. |
Other changes do not necessarily require the revision of existing programs, but may have an impact in the simulation:
PAL2008/PAL2012 | PAL2020 | Meaning | Where is it found? |
G0 X Y Z | G0 X Y G0 Z |
Positioning logic for G0 and G10 omitted | Milling |
T S F M13 | T M6 S F M13 |
Tool change with M6 In SYMplus™, however, T still triggers the change directly, M6 remains optional |
Milling |
Do you have any questions?
Our experts are at your disposal. We look forward to your inquiry!

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Newsletter December 2022
6 steps to an organised Postprocessor list.
SYMplus™ provides a list of around 50 Postprocessors. In reality, you will hardly ever need all of them. Mostly you work with one or a few. So selecting the right postprocessor can prove to be a nuisance with such a large list. Here is a tip that can help you organise those Postprocessors efficiently: Create a second folder for postprocessor parameter sets, and copy the postprocessors you currently need into this folder. That’s it.
Here it goes:
Step 1: Open the “Work plan” operating mode (alternatively also “PAL simulator” or “Simulator”).
Step 2: Select “F1 File” > “F5 Management” > “F4 Postprocessor Parameter”.
Step 3: Mark the file(s) relevant to you and …
Click here to read the full version of the Practical Tip >
SYMplus™ Update 63 is now available to all customers with plusCARE™ and includes new features as well as great improvements.
Scale the font size in the editor of the simulators to 200% by default (e.g. for the beamer image of the teacher’s computer)
When creating PAL gap-filling tasks, store individual instructions for each gap in the text
Receive the new simulators for the SINUMERIK 808D control system
The exchange of revolver stations and individual allowance presettings for roughing, facing and grooving in turning operation was never so easy
In addition, many detailed improvements in the simulators for PAL2020, SIEMENS 810D/840D and HEIDENHAIN allow for more effective work. The use of mobile licenses and the sources for the creation of individual macro work steps (by customer order) have also been improved. Other sample programs have been revised according to PAL2020 (for new installation as part of the user data).
More information about Update >
Lastly, we want to pause and look back at the past year.
It was great to see that many events and meetings took place this year. It started with the BETT UK education fair in London in March and ended with the BZI Remscheid open day last month.
The fact that face-to-face meetings were more feasible again than in the past two years was also evident at the KELLER.Academy: close to 40 guests came to the Academy courses this year (in comparison: there were less than twenty in 2021). In addition, the KELLER.Academy celebrated its fifth anniversary and held (virtual) training courses in Pakistan and Mexico, both of which are far away. In September, we published the new “SYMplus™ license via the Internet”, with which you now only need one KELLER ID to let several users work with SYMplus™. And in October, a new edition of the workbooks was also published.
Look out for more new improvements next year!
Missed new developments? Check out our website at KELLER.News for all the important information including newsletters, announcements and more.
KELLER.News >
The KELLER.Software team wishes you a pleasant Advent season and relaxing holidays.
– Your KELLER.Software Team
Much more from KELLER.Software …
Next Appointments:
12. – 13. January 2023: Basic graphic programming (CAD/CAM) with SYMplus™
26. – 27. January 2023: Basic DIN/PAL programming with SYMplus™
New on YouTube: With the PAL2020 reform, some commands in the PAL encoding have been changed. As a result, programs written according to PAL2008 or PAL 2012 no longer run and lead to error messages. With this practical tip, you can easily rewrite your programs.
Watch now on YouTube >
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Do you have any questions?
Our experts are at your disposal. We look forward to your inquiry!

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PRACTICAL TIP – How to organise Postprocessors
December 2022
SYMplus™ provides a list of around 50 Postprocessors. In reality, you will hardly ever need all of them. Mostly you work with one or a few. So selecting the right postprocessor can prove to be a nuisance with such a large list. Here is a tip that can help you organise those Postprocessors efficiently: Create a second folder for postprocessor parameter sets, and copy the postprocessors you currently need into this folder. That’s it.
Here it goes:
Step 1:
Open the “Work plan” operating mode (alternatively also “PAL simulator” or “Simulator”).
Step 2:
Select “F1 File” > “F5 Management” > “F4 Postprocessor Parameter”.
Step 3:
Mark the file(s) relevant to you and add them to your personal selection list with “F5 Add”. The selected files are then each marked with a black triangle/arrow.
Step 4:
Then select “F2 Copy” and choose the destination folder from the list. Confirm your selection with “F10”. If you don’t have a folder yet, create one by clicking “F2 Add …” or ‘link’ to an already existing one. In our example, the new folder is called “MY_PPs” and is a subfolder of the default folder “PARAM-SA”.
Step 5:
Finally, enter the name under which the folder should appear in the “SYMplus™ File Management” in the future (for example: “My Post Processors”) and confirm with 2x “F10”.
Now you can select your newly created folder from the folder list. Click on “F10” to open the folder. Subsequently, you can exit the parameter set management with “Esc” or “F10”.
We hope we could help you with this tip. For more practical tips, visit KELLER.News on our website or the KELLER YouTube channel.
You will find more tips in the upcoming newsletters.
You have questions? Contact our experts using the contact form below.
Do you have any questions?
Our experts are at your disposal. We look forward to your inquiry!

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Newsletter November 2022
The VR workshop: Playful access to the CNC world.
What if you could learn in a “real” CNC workshop instead of learning theory in a classroom? What if you could practice there on lathes or milling machines without the fear of making a mistake? This is the possibility offered with the VR workshop from KELLER.Software.
With this modern and playful learning method, the necessary learning content is intuitively internalized. Thanks to the two VR controllers, you can now move through the “virtual workshop”, you grasp objects, press buttons and make machines work. And the VR glasses are like a new pair of eyes.
Do you want to dive into the virtual world yourself? On November 4 and 5, 2022, we will be at the BZI Remscheid open day with our VR glasses. We would be happy to give you a glimpse of the Virtual World. Of course, we will also be available to answer any questions you may have on the topics of training, further education and vocational orientation.
We wish you a beautiful day ahead
– Your KELLER.Software Team
Much more from KELLER.Software …
Next Appointment:
08. – 09. December 2022: Driven tools, level swivel and reform PAL2020
New on YouTube: Practical tip “From PAL Programming to chips“. The phrase “From PAL programming to chips” refers to the fact that with SYMplus™ you can not only learn the theory, but you can also build a bridge to practical application.
To subscribe to our monthly newsletter, please use the form below. Thank you.
Do you have any questions?
Our experts are at your disposal. We look forward to your inquiry!

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Newsletter October 2022
New edition workbooks for PAL2020.
In 2 months it will be Christmas, but before we settle down comfortably on the sofa with cookies, we still have a PAL exam coming up.
To help you prepare for the exam in the best possible way, we have updated the SYMplus™ workbooks to include the PAL2020 commands and made a few other important corrections as well. The new edition with PAL2020 is now available for purchase from us. By the way, even without an exam, the workbooks are a great learning tool to learn the CNC basics with SYMplus™.
What are SYMplus™ workbooks?
Methodically interlocked with SYMplus™, the SYMplus™ workbooks are the ideal teaching material for the introduction to CNC, basic training according to DIN, preparation for the PAL exam as well as control-specific technical training and CAD/CAM. The workbooks are structured according to topics and contain tasks with increasing levels of difficulty. The workbooks are also available digitally on request.
These workbooks are available for purchase:
- SYMplus™ Turning workbook
- SYMplus™ Milling workbook
If you want to know in detail what contents can be found in the respective workbooks, take a look at the reading samples:
Workbook Samples >
Another great offer for the PAL exam preparation: The “PAL exam preparation” course from November 10 – 11, 2022 at the KELLER.Academy. For 1.5 days, it’s all about the complete PAL coding in turning and milling and we’ll go through the pitfalls of the gap check together.
Registration and further information about the courses >
We wish you a beautiful day ahead
– Your KELLER.Software Team
Much more from KELLER.Software …
Next Appointments:
10. – 11. November 2022: Exam preparation PAL
24. – 25. November 2022: Basics of DIN/PAL programming with SYMplus™
On the YouTube channel of KELLER.Software you can watch the CNC software in action on the playlist “SYMplus™ in practice”.
To subscribe to our monthly newsletter, please use the form below. Thank you.
Do you have any questions?
Our experts are at your disposal. We look forward to your inquiry!

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Newsletter September 2022
1 KELLER-ID = x Users.
No more time-consuming setups. No more of this unnecessary administrative act. Easily create one license for each technology and multiple users can work with the same KELLER ID at the same time. From now on, this is possible online with the new version of the SYMplus™ license.
Before: Each individual user had to be registered with a unique KELLER ID in the customer portal of the KELLER Cloud.
Today: You can easily start SYMplus™ for many users at the same time via a single KELLER-ID and a password. This password can be changed by the admin (teacher) at any time.
This is especially convenient for schools. When the course/school year is over, you can just change the password once and only the students who are part of the current course/class will be able to work with the software.
The “old” variant (standard variant) is of course also still possible and can be requested by you as usual.
What is a SYMplus™ Online license anyway?
The Online License allows you to start the software without a USB key, in contrast to the conventional license. Just enter the password and off you go. All you need is a permanent internet connection ( the license is accessed via this connection).
Is this exactly what you need? Then contact us now to purchase a license >
Practical Tip: Rewrite old PAL programs for the PAL2020
With the PAL2020 reform, some of the commands in the PAL coding were changed. The commands were changed so that programs written after PAL2008 or PAL 2012 will no longer run and lead to any error messages in the newer PAL2020 simulators (or PAL2020 C/Y or PAL2020 3+2). This means that you have to rewrite the program blocks almost completely – and that takes time.
A faster way to do this is to use the “Find/Replace“ trick! To learn more about this Tip of the Month, please click here.
We wish you a beautiful day ahead
– Your KELLER.Software Team
Much more from KELLER.Software …
Next Appointments:
13. – 14. October 2022: Driven tools, level swivel and reform PAL2020
27. – 28. October 2022: Basic graphic programming (CAD/CAM) with SYMplus™
KELLER.Software’s SYMplus™ workbooks ensure that you are well prepared for the new school year. Request workbooks now >
To subscribe to our monthly newsletter, please use the form below. Thank you.
Do you have any questions?
Our experts are at your disposal. We look forward to your inquiry!

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Newsletter August 2022
Digital learning with KELLER.Software.
Classical learning is constantly evolving. “Digital learning” moved more and more into everyday life. This process was sped up in the last 2 years mainly due to the Covid Pandemic. For this reason we started our new project “E-Learning” in March 2022.
Over a period of 3 months, we learned what a custom-fit learning path means and what a learner persona is. We got busy with learning platforms and new (digital) learning formats. And we dealt with some previously unknown topics such as writing scripts and shooting videos. The focus was always on the benefit of the learner.
At the moment we are in the first test phase of our “E-learning”. And in the course of this we just have to say thank you to our great customers. Thank you for taking the time to test the “E-learning” platform. Your feedback is very valuable to us.
What’s the next step? After the test phase, the feedback will of course flow into further development. After that, we will test again.
On the subject of learning, the new school year starts this month in North Rhine-Westphalia, whereas the vacations are just beginning in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. The KELLER.Software team wishes you a successful school year and a great vacation.
For the next school year: How about some SYMplus™ workbooks? Organized by topics and with increasing difficulty, the workbooks with many different exercises are the ideal teaching material for the introduction to CNC, for basic education according to DIN as well as for the preparation for the PAL exam. Or also for control-specific technical training and CAD/CAM.
Request SYMplus™ workbooks here > https://cnc-keller.com/symplus-support/workbooks/
We wish you a beautiful day ahead
– Your KELLER.Software Team
Much more from KELLER.Software …
Next Appointments:
08. – 09. September 2022: Basic graphic programming (CAD/CAM) with SYMplus™
22. – 23. September 2022: Basic DIN/PAL programming with SYMplus™
Further Information > https://cnc-keller.com/keller-academy/
KELLER.Software’s SYMplus™ workbooks ensure that you are well prepared for the new school year. Request workbooks now > https://cnc-keller.com/symplus-support/workbooks/
To subscribe to our monthly newsletter, please use the form below. Thank you.
Do you have any questions?
Our experts are at your disposal. We look forward to your inquiry!
