New Release - CLC SketchPad for KipwareCYC® - Cycletime Estimating Software

We are pleased to announce another NEW release for Kipware® ... this one is for our KipwareCYC® - Machining CycleTime Estimating Software.

One of the inputs required when estimating machining cycletime ... is what is referred to as "length of cut". The distance the tool will travel while in the cut. Onviously, this is required along with the cutting feedrate to determine the time it takes the tool to remove the material.

KipwareCYC® has always included an application we call the Cut Length Calculator or CLC. CLC uses a variety of conversational, fill-in-the-blank forms for standard type operations ... pocket milling, drilling, turning, grooving, threading, etc. ... which allow the user to determine length of cut by simply describing the operation. Simple inputs like depth of cut, length and width, diameters, tool diameters, etc. are entered and CLC will auto-calculate the length of cut.

This has always worked well for standard type operations ... but non-standard type operations ... contouring, part profiling, etc. ... still contained a bit of guesstimating to determine the length of cut. It's a fine line between getting the information you require ... and overkill. But we think that we have created a great solution that is accurate ... fast ... and easy-to-use. The CLC SketchPad.

We have taken our proven-in-the-trenches SketchPad from our Kipware® conversational software ... with the patent-pending Machinist Mode ... and adapted it for use in determining length of cut. Basically ... users can import a DXF file ... select a graphical tool representation from the user defined Tool Library ... and then simply move the tool ( mouse ) around the part creating a toolpath they envision would be used for that machining operation. CLC SketchPad will record all the positions automatically and will then auto-calculate the length of cut. Results will be displayed ... and can then be copied to the clipboard and pasted into the KipwareCYC® form in the appropriate field.

You can view a complete presentation video on our YouTube Channel ( KTSoftware ) ... by clicking the link below.

If you are not a KipwareCYC® user ... does your estimating software provide you with a field for length of cut ... or with innovative and accurate tools to assist in it's calculation?

If you are a current KipwareCYC® user ... UPGRADING to the NEW CLC with the CLC SketchPad will add new accuracy and improve your cycletime estimating. Upgrade pricing can be found here ... in the Kentech Inc. OnLine Store.

Kenney Skonieczny - President
Kentech Inc.

Reason #5 - TOP 10 Reasons - WHY KIPWARE®? - Real World Estimating

#5 In our Series of the TOP 10 Reasons ... WHY KIPWARE® is :
Real World Estimating

Let's face the facts ... quoting and estimating is the LIFEBLOOD of your business. Period. End of story.

If the jobs don't come in ... or if they come in and your shop is losing money on them ... the shop is on the road to ruin. Sorry ... it's the fact.

Having lived and cut our teeth on the shop floor and in the real world ... we developed KipwareCYC® and KipwareQTE® to insure that shops using them not only win work ... but win profitable work. And since 1990 ... shops of all sizes have profited from our design, our development and our experience built into KipwareCYC® and KipwareQTE®.

KipwareCYC® was born from the experiences of creating machine justifications while working as an Applications Engineer for a major Japanese machine tool builder. Companies came to us and wanted to know the age old question ... How long is it going to take to machine our parts on your machine? Based on the cycletime estimates I created ... they would either purchase the machine or walk away. If they purchased the machine ... life only got tougher. Now we had to make that cycletime stick ... in the real world. Just like shops do in the real world every day. That experience is built into KipwareCYC® ... and it has been more than proven-in-the-trenches over the years.

As a Manufacturing Engineer in a high production, large volume machine shop ... I had to insure that the cost estimates I presented to our clients were realistic and accurate. An error of even a small amount of say $.25 ... over 10,000 parts ... meant a loss of $2,5000. No small chunk of change ...as I'm sure you know. That's why KipwareQTE® includes things that most cost estimating software don't even think of ... like perishable tooling as one example. Sure you need to drill 25 holes in each part ... is anyone including the cost of the drills when estimating? Real world features and experience like this are built into KipwareQTE®.

If your thinking about your quoting and estimating process ... and all the MRP and ERP talk has got you seeing $$$ signs and "features" you know you'll never use ... we invite you to give KipwareCYC® and KipwareQTE® a look. And as you look ... I'm gonna bet you will find yourself more than once saying, "Boy that makes sense."

That's KipwareCYC® and KipwareQTE® - Quoting and Estimating for the REAL WORLD.

Kenney Skonieczny - President
Kentech Inc.

Reason #8 - TOP 10 Reasons - WHY KIPWARE®? - Great Support

#8 In our Series of the TOP 10 Reasons ... WHY KIPWARE® is :
Great Support !!

Since 1986 when Kentech Inc. was incorporated ... we have always prided ourselves on our relationships and support of our customers.

When Kentech Inc. was first started ... we provided CNC machine repair and support services to primarily the New England area. We always realized that if a clients CNC equipment was down ... their ability to make money and feed their business was seriously compromised and we needed to react quickly and effectively. We always put our customers needs first ... before our own and before even our own personal needs ... and the result was a constantly growing customer base and business success.

As we went down the road and transitioned into CNC / machine shop software ... we have always carried the CUSTOMER FIRST attitude with us. Let's be clear here ... Kentech Inc. is not a "side business" ... we do not create software just to see if we can do it ... this is not a hobby business !! Call our office and you can talk with a REAL PERSON !! Have a software support issue ... you will be handled within minutes by a REAL PERSON !! There are a lot of people out there that write software ... they are not software developers ... and give it away for free or practically free. WHY? Because they don't want to support it !! Basically because they wrote it to see if they can do it ... then decided "Hey maybe I can make some money off this." 

That's not Kentech and that's not how we operate. Kentech Inc. is a full time business ... it's our livelihood ... we make our living with our applications and our reputation !! What does that mean for you? Here are a couple of examples :

1. Emails : During our normal business hours ... emails and support tickets are normally answered within 15 minutes. After hours ... normally within an hour. Overnight hours ... within 8 hours.
2. Phone Calls : Kentech Inc. is a full time business ... it's not a hobby. Call our office during normal business hours and you can talk with a REAL PERSON !! Call after hours and leave a message ... your call will be returned within an hour or if during overnight hours ... promptly at the start of the next day's business.
3. Nights / Weekends / Holidays : We monitor all phone and emails during all after hours ... and that includes nights, weekends and holidays. Your after hours call or email will be answered within an hour or if during overnight hours ... promptly at the start of the next day's business.
4. Website Chat Bar : During our normal business hours, visitors to any of our websites will find a CHAT BAR available where users can interact with a live person and get answers to their questions immediately. This is a great feature for sales questions or support issues. Just log onto www.KentechInc.com ... www.MachineShopSoftware.com ... wwww.Kipware.com ... or www.KentechInc.net ... and CHAT AWAY !!
5. News and User Group : Take a look at the Kipware® News and User Group here. Not many posts ... not many issues. Response time ... impressive.
6. Video Training : When a client has a question ... or we release a new feature / title ... we provide in-depth video training. Our feeling is that video training is lightyears ahead of printed material. Easier and faster to create ... videos allow us to quickly respond to client requests and questions with a medium that provides the best and most complete information.
7. Contact Options : As outlined above ... our clients have many options and resources for answers and information ... because we are a full time business with a full time commitment to our clients and our products.

Need a Real Life Example of our Great Support?

Read a Real Story HERE

If you are looking for CNC / machine shop software ... I would ask you to think about two things :

1. What is the background and experience behind that products development. Not only regarding the software coding side ... but regarding the "real world" experience backing up the design philosophy and features of the product.
2. What kind of an organization ... or lack thereof ... is behind that product. Their commitment to the product ... to the support of the product ... and to the continued development of the product.

The businesses of our clients depend on our software ... and we don't take that lightly. That is the though foremost in our minds each and every day.

Kenneth Skonieczny - President
Kentech Inc.

KipwareQTE® & KipwareCYC® Additional Upgrade Info

We are pleased to announce some great UPGRADES to our KipwareQTE® and KipwareCYC® estimating packages. We have recently added new PRINTING and USER DEFINED SETTINGS options to both packages. Some details :

KipwareQTE® :

• New printing options give users the ability to further customize the outputs available within the software such as Length & Width of the printer output ... customize the output from an 8 1/2 x 11 to whatever size output desired. This feature is available for both QUOTE FORMS and INVOICES.
• Users can now select the desired PRINTER for output from their available system printers ... output is no longer forced to the default system printer.
  
• NOTES that appear at the bottom of the QUOTE FORM ... such as "Quotation valid for 30 days" ... can now be customized by the user. (4) NOTES are available as output and can be designed and crafted by the user.

KipwareCYC® :

• Users can now select the desired PRINTER for output from their available system printers ... output is no longer forced to the default system printer.
  
• Enhanced functionality in the VIEW OPERATIONS area have been added. The VIEW OPERATIONS area allows users to re-order and delete machining sequences.

At Kentech Inc., we are committed to always listening to user inputs and comments, and will continually enhance our software to make certain that we maintain our "real world" functionality. Because we are a small company, we have the ability to move quickly and can include new requested features at a rapid pace. If you have any suggestions or comments about anything "kentech", please feel free to forward them to our sales team at Sales@KentechInc.com.

Thanks to all for your support and software interest.
Kenney Skonieczny