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.
Do you have any questions?
Our experts are at your disposal. We look forward to your inquiry!
This might also be of interest to you
Congratulations and hats off to our neighbours from Wuppertal, KNIPEX, and the Marbach Werkzeugbau GmbH from Heilbronn! They've successfully completed our intensive 'Basics DIN/PAL Programming with SYMplus™'…
#ThrowbackThursday! Embarking on a time warp to the 80s manufacturing realm! Here's a glimpse of a Maho MH 600 E from 1988. Back then, the epitome of cutting-edge technology, today it's an emblem of durability…
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!
This might also be of interest to you
New "INSTANT CNC" Video! We have once again simulated a challenging task using our SYMplus™ CNC software - this time, we're tackling Exercise 10 from the Christiani booklet "Collection of tasks on…
New "INSTANT CNC" Video! We have once again simulated a challenging task using our SYMplus™ CNC software - this time, we're tackling Exercise 9 from the Christiani booklet "Collection of tasks on…
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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Our experts are at your disposal. We look forward to your inquiry!
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Do you know about the KELLER Newsletter? Stay in the loop with regular updates (currently every three months) delivered straight to your email inbox – all completely free! To sign up, please drop…
#ThrowbackThursday! Traveling back to 1983: this is what a modernized metal technology classroom looked like in 1983. Discover more about our history on our website: https://cnc-keller.de/history/ …
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 >
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!
This might also be of interest to you
Postprocessor vs. Simulator: What's the Difference? Here is a short and concise explanation! (see photos) Still not quite clear? You can find the in-depth answer on our support page: http://cnc-keller.yoursupport.de/cnc.en/entries/000536/difference-between-postprocessor-and-simulator A…
Let's rewind to the year 1988! In this photo, you can find our founder and former CEO, Mr. Siegfried Keller, on the left. Standing beside him (the man with the striped tie) is Mr. Puschner, the former…
Newsletter March 2022
Innovations and the future of learning.
We have good news: The next SYMplus™ update will be available in the next few weeks for all customers with a plusCARE™ contract.
You can expect improvements to PAL2020, optimisations to the software performance and much more in Update 62 of your SYMplus™ CNC software. As soon as it is online, we will let you know immediately. Please keep an eye on our social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn), our website or the update notification in the software.
In this context, we would also like to point out that Update 61 was already available last week. However, this had a bug and so we reacted quickly and stopped it without further ado. Therefore, you don’t need to worry about this. With Update 62, this error has been fixed.
All new features and optimisations can always be found here on our website.
The Bett UK Education Exhibition is taking place in London this month (23 – 25 March). Mr. Reckermann, our head of sales and KELLER software expert, will be there to discuss with educators from all over the world how learning can be shaped in the future – and, of course, what KELLER.Software can contribute to it. We are already looking forward to these inspiring days and will report on our impressions from London in the next newsletter.
You can find more information about the fair here on our website.
Much more from KELLER.Software…
Next appointment:
21.-22. April 2022: Exam preparation PAL
More info > https://cnc-keller.com/keller-academy/
The practical tips from the monthly KELLER newsletter are also available in video form. Watch it at any time and free of charge on the KELLER.Software YouTube channel >
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLo0O792GpB41B8gt89rFWHJ6BFQWvB2wK
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!
This might also be of interest to you
New "INSTANT CNC" Video! We have once again simulated a challenging task using our SYMplus™ CNC software – this time, we're tackling Exercise 8 from the Christiani booklet "Collection of tasks on…
Last week, in a small yet highly motivated group at KELLER.Academy, we delved into the topic of 'Basic DIN/PAL programming with SYMplus™'. Both the participants from Kolping Bildung Dortmund and BBS…
Newsletter February 2022
Learn new things faster and more effectively
It is no secret that learning is increasingly taking place on the Internet.
Videos are particularly popular. Videos increase the clarity of a topic through their visual presentation and, because our brains remember images better than texts, help us retain information in our heads for longer.
That’s why we at KELLER.Software have been running a YouTube channel for a few years now, covering topics such as:
How does the machining of Grooves work?> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqqflAwVSeE
How to setup vocabulary tests and multiple choice tasks using SYMplus™ software?> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5FngKoU1Qo&t=4s
How to compare production strategies effortlessly with each other using SYMplus™ software?> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSeaABYL7wg&t=3s
There is something for everyone. No matter whether you are just taking your first steps as an apprentice or would like to further your education as an experienced person.
Click here to go to the KELLER.Software YouTube channel > https://www.youtube.com/c/CNCKELLERGmbH
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 learn more about this Tip of the Month, please click on the picture.
Much more from KELLER.Software…
Upcoming Training Sessions:
10.-11. Mar. 2022: Driven tools, plane swing and reform PAL2020
17.-18. Mar. 2022: Basics of graphic programming (CAD/CAM) with SYMplus™.
Further Information> https://cnc-keller.com/keller-academy/
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!
This might also be of interest to you
An absolutely awesome takeaway from our time at the KELLER.Academy last week: 'Reduction Nipples.' These little but highly practical components are experts at connecting different threads. And, of course,…
A new "INSTANT CNC" Video is here! We have once again simulated a challenging task using our SYMplus™ CNC software – this time, we're tackling Exercise 7 from the Christiani booklet "Collection…
Newsletter January 2022
Into the new year with good news.
KELLER.Software wishes you a Happy and Prosperous New Year 2022.
We at KELLER.Software, are also back from a week of company holidays, refreshed, relaxed and energized. We usually like to start our new year with good news. 2022 is also not different. The good news this year is that the free PAL student licenses that we offered to support students during the pandemic, to help them train from home, has been extended till 30.06.2022. Please note that you can only apply for these free licenses until 30.05.2022. We hope this small gesture from us helps support your students in their training.
In case you are a student/trainee in Germany and you haven’t applied for it yet, feel free to do it here > https://cnc-keller.de/symplus-erwerben/#simplus-fuer-zuhause
You probably already read on our social media channels that we are participating in the education exhibition in London, BETT UK 2022. Please note that the exhibition dates have been postponed from January to March 23 – 25, 2022 due to the current restrictions in London from the pandemic. Of course, this does not diminish our excitement. We are very much looking forward to spending three days immersed in inspiring content, networking and exchanging ideas with educators from all over the world.
More info on this can be found here: https://cnc-keller.com/aktuelles/bett-uk-2022-education-exhibition/
Once again KELLER.Software wishes you a successful 2022.
Much more from KELLER.Software…
Next appointments:
10.-11. Feb. 2022: Basics of graphical programming (CAD/CAM) with SYMplus™
24.-25. Feb. 2022: Basic DIN/PAL programming with SYMplus™
More info > https://cnc-keller.com/keller-academy/
Let us learn something new this new year. Head over to the KELLER.Software YouTube channel where you can learn all about SYMplus™ and watch other interesting CNC videos as well.
Stop by and leave a subscription to never miss any new videos > https://www.youtube.com/c/CNCKELLERGmbH
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!
This might also be of interest to you
To all trainees – whether you're in your first, second, or third year – we're sending you the best wishes as you kick off your journey into the new training year! By the way, have you come across…
Experiencing difficulties? Have questions about SYMplus™? Reach out to our dedicated KELLER-Support! Here is the link: http://cnc-keller.yoursupport.de/cnc.en/
Newsletter December 2021
Your 2021 with KELLER.Software.
The year 2021 was once again full of challenges, experiences and innovations. But before we wish each other “Merry Christmas and a good and successful year 2022”, December once again offers the opportunity to look back together into the last year:
And in December? The KELLER.Software team will be there for you as usual, so that you can get everything sorted before the end of the year.
Much more from KELLER.Software…
For more Information > https://www.mib-airserver.de
Next appointments:
In 2022, the doors of the KELLER.Academy will remain open for you. Keep an eye on our website for new schedules or contact us to book your next training.
More info > https://cnc-keller.com/keller-academy/
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!
This might also be of interest to you
The next “INSTANT CNC” Video is now available on KELLER-YouTube Channel. We have chosen another exercise (Exercise 6) from the Christiani booklet "Collection of CNC milling tasks according to PAL2020"…
Time travel to the year 1983! Our founder, Mr. Keller, was working as a vocational school teacher in metal technology at the "Gewerbliche Schule II der Stadt Wuppertal" (now "Berufskolleg Werther Brücke")…
Newsletter November 2021
Accessibility, Friendliness, Competence and Persistance.
Are you at a loss for ideas on how to solve your CNC related questions? Don’t worry! That is why we have an expert support team at your service.
And by that we do not mean an annoying hotline where you:
- spend what feels like hours on hold with a melody (which is guaranteed to give you an earworm), or
- you notice directly that the person has no knowledge of the subject at all.
Rather, this is about the support teams, like that of KELLER.Software, who really help you solve your problems.
Mr.Korthaus from the firm Feinwerkmechanik Marcus Röll in Wuppertal recently described KELLER support with the words: “Accessibility, friendliness, competence and persistance”. When he faced a technical problem because of the interface between the machine and the computer, “he was at a loss himself”, as he wrote in his review.
He went on to say: “In the course of solving the problem together, it had become clear that this problem was not easy to fix. And at this point I’m very grateful that KELLER support got involved and didn’t let go, so that we were in constant contact and were able to find a solution together.”
We would like to return our thanks to Mr. Korthaus at this point, who has confirmed to us with his kind review that we are not doing a bad job at all.
You can read the whole review from Mr. Korthaus here, as well as other interesting reviews from customers > https://cnc-keller.com/customers/
Do you also need help with a problem? Then pick up the phone (or the keyboard) and contact our KELLER support.
Much more from KELLER.Software…
Training more than 70 apprentices with different levels of knowledge is a big task. In the following 2 part video Mr.Herkert, the Head of Technical Training at the firm Knipex explains how KELLER Software has helped him through his challenges and why it is the preferred software at Knipex for almost 20 years.
Watch Part 1 now > https://cnc-keller.com/aktuelles/customer-review-knipex-part-1/
Watch Part 2 now > https://cnc-keller.com/aktuelles/customer-review-knipex-part-2/
Upcoming Training Sessions:
09.-10. Dez. 2021: Driven tools, level swivel and reform PAL2020
Further Information> https://cnc-keller.com/keller-academy/
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!
This might also be of interest to you
A new “INSTANT CNC” Video is now available for you on our YouTube Channel! In this latest video of this series, the 5th exercise from the Christiani booklet "A collection of exercises in CNC milling…
SYMplus™ with plusCARE™ – The unbeatable combination for your CNC production! But what is „plusCARE™“? Learn more from the photos:
Newsletter October 2021
Still in service then and now
Do you own any old CNC machines? Or do you know such models from the past? Well, even if neither is the case, this discovery at the Bergische University Wuppertal is interesting for all CNC professionals. There is a Boehringer VDT DUC 560 lathe from 1996.
And the best part: it works! This is achieved by using the former CNCplus control from KELLER, which makes the workpieces turn.
In the video below, Mr. Cavallaro, the workshop manager of the Physics Mechanical Workshop at the university, takes great pleasure in programming this 25 year old machine.
Watch now and let us know your thoughts > https://cnc-keller.com/aktuelles/boehringer-vdt-duc-560-lathe-built-in-1996/
We hope you liked the video. Do you have a similar story to share with us? What does your workstation look like? We would love to hear your thoughts. Feel free to email us your thoughts and ideas.
Practical Tip: Clever Cutting and Reclamping
The plan was quite simple. Cut a turned part to be machined on both sides from the bar and at the same time programme the second machining side. If the length of the blank is defined to such an extent that at the end, there is enough material to “cut” out of the protective zone for the chuck or the clamping jaws.
However, if you proceed as described, after the “cutting off” step it would result in the half-finished workpiece falling in the simulation as in reality the chip tray or a part catcher. Afterwards, the geometry is no longer available in the working plan for further machining.
But what is the solution then? The following practical tip gives you the answer:
To learn more about this Tip of the Month, please click on the picture below:
Much more from KELLER.Software…
Upcoming Training Sessions:
04.-05. Nov. 2021: Basics of DIN/PAL Programming with SYMplus™
11.-12. Nov. 2021: Exam preparation PAL
Further Information> https://cnc-keller.com/keller-academy/
Are you tired of reading? Then pay a visit to our CNC-related YouTube channel for a change. And subscribe to it so you don’t miss regular updates on other interesting CNC videos.
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!
This might also be of interest to you
Dear SYMplus™ users! The wait is over: Software Update 65 is now available! Simulators according to PAL2020: Numerous improvements and extensions. Turning: No more worries in the 2nd quadrant…
Let's take a trip down memory lane to the year 2001! Back then, many experienced skilled workers were only familiar with conventional machines, and the emergence of CNC technology raised concerns. But…