Wow, it didn’t take long to get over 500 responses, so this must be an area of interest. In this post, I will present the market share results for the different controls and compare and contrast these with our 2016 results so we can get an idea of what the market trends are. I will follow it up in a future installment that talks about customer satisfaction and some of the pros and cons of the various controls.
- Centroid CNC Engraving Software. With our CNC engraving option you can engrave Letters, Numbers, Symbols and Logos. This conversational engraving software runs right on the control computer (or on your desktop PC) and makes it very easy for you to quickly create and place part numbers, logos, company names etc.on your parts.
- Allin1DC, Oak, Red Oak Mill and Lathe CNC12 software for use with the Centroid Allin1DC, Oak, Red Oak, MPU11 CNC control boards (NOT ACORN).
- In addition to the Digitizing cycles, CENTROID CNC Digitizing packages include other useful CNC software options such as: Probing cycles, Coordinate System Rotation, and Unlimited File Size. These powerful tools can be used in conjunction with the digitzing process, part setup or any G-code or Conversational program.
High End vs Low End Controls
As in 2016, the majority of respondents are using CNC Machines with higher end controls:
CENTROID CNC controls,CNC Milling Machines,CNC Lathes,CNC Routers,5 Axis CNC Cylinder Head Porting Machines,CNC Retrofits. Digitizing, Automatic Tool Changers, Probes, CNC Rotary Tables, Conversational Programming, Auto Tool Measurement. Centroid CNC Control Board Comparison DIY Acorn CNC Control.
Low End Market Share
If we break down the relative share of the Low End CNC Controls, here is what we see:
If I compare that to our 2016 numbers, here are the trends I see:
- Mach 3 has gained a bit of share versus PathPilot / LinuxCNC.
- Mach 4 is hanging in there to slightly lower. Not sure what that means given it is the future of Mach 3.
- Everything else has fallen down the list.
I read that last part as there are a lot more choices in the low end world than there were a year ago. It has fragmented the market quite a lot. Inevitably, this leads to a shake out and helps consolidate the position of the market leaders (Mach3 and LinuxCNC), but it takes a while for the shakeout to occur.
High End CNC Control Market Share
Here are the High End Control numbers:
Controls with more than 1% market share…
Those are just the controls with more than 1% market share–more than 5 responses on the survey.
There are two few responses for the other controls to make a statistically significant comparison, but there were some 27 additional controls called out. The world of CNC Controls is nothing if not diverse!
If I compare these results versus 2016’s survey, here’s what we can see for trends:
- Fanuc keeps the top position, though their share has declined slightly from 21.5% to 17.99%
- Haas moved up quite a lot, from 3rd place 9% share to 2nd place 15.55%.
- Siemens, by contrast, moved down from 2nd place 11% to 4th place 5.18%.
- Centroid is another notable climber, moving from 14th place up to 5th.
- The next tier down with players like Mazak, Heidenhain, Mitsubishi, Okuma, Prototrak, Fadal, and Fagor are relatively unchanged.
Conclusion
It’s always iffy to put to much stock in relative market moves. We may survey next year and find the places have changed again.
Some of these motions reflect real competitive movement and some is just noise.
What’s clear is that Fanuc and Haas are way ahead of everyone else at the High End while Mach 3 and PathPilot / LinucCNC rule the Low End.
For the next installment, I dig into the results on customer satisfaction for the different controls.
[ CNC Control: Customer Satisfaction ]
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Centroid CNC control sales, service, training and support
Centroid CNC Software Options
Pricing, packages, and policies are subject to change at any time. The pricing which follows is from Centroid's price sheet dated November 10, 2014.
Currently available control software options are:
| Intercon (A, L) | Coordinate System Rotation |
| Cutter Compensation (A, L) | 4th Axis (*) |
| Drilling Cycles (A, L) | DXF Import |
| Compression Tapping (*) | Engraving Software |
| Rigid Tapping | Probing Package |
| Multiple Work Coordinate Systems (WCS) | Digitizing |
| Subprograms and Macros (*) | Tool Touch Off (Automatic Tool Measurement) |
| Scaling and Mirroring | Automatic Tool Changer Support |
| Unlimited File Size | MPG Handwheel |
| Laser Ballscrew Compensation | M0 Jogging |
Items marked (A) are part of Package A, which is included with nearly every mill control. Items marked (L) are part of Package L, which is included with nearly every lathe control. See Packages below for more about package bundles. Items marked (*) are included standard with Linux-based software v2.68 or newer, but are/were extra-cost options with earlier software versions.
Intercon (A, L)
P/N 10729
Centroid's conversational programming software, allows you to create CNC programs using a friendly fill-in-the-blanks interface.
Cutter Compensation (A, L)
P/N 10851
Includes G41 and G42, for tool diameter compensation (on mills) or tool nose radius compensation (on lathes).
Drilling Cycles (A, L)
P/N 10526
Includes G73, G81, G82, G83, G85, and G89 drilling and boring cycles.
Also includes G76 fine boring cycle, but that cycle is only usable on a machine with spindle orientation capability (generally an ATC mill or machining center).
Compression Tapping
P/N 10620, $195
included free with CNC10 v2.68 or newer
Includes G74 and G84 tapping cycles, for use with a tension/compression (floating) tap holder. These cycles reverse the spindle at the bottom of the hole, but do not rigidly slave the Z axis feed to the spindle rotation.
You need to have programmable spindle speed control in order to use compression tapping. You do not need a spindle encoder.
You do not need the Compression Tapping cycles in order to tap with a self-reversing tap head (e.g. TapMatic or Procunier). With a self-reversing head you use the G85 boring cycle. G85 is part of the Drilling Cycles option, and is included in Package A.
Rigid Tapping
P/N 10810, $550
Includes G74 and G84 tapping cycles, for use with a rigid tap holder. These cycles reverse the spindle at the bottom of the hole, and also rigidly slave Z axis feed to spindle rotation.
In order to use Rigid Tapping, you need a machine with spindle encoder feedback (typically an ATC mill or machining center, or nearly any lathe).
If you must have Rigid Tapping on a knee mill or small bed mill, Elrod Machine now offers a Rigid Tapping adapter which supports a spindle rotation encoder on top of the spindle, under the air power drawbar.
Extended Work Coordinate Systems (WCS)
P/N 10600, $305
Includes extended G54 and E codes for additional part zero locations (a total of 18 independent fixture locations).
Since version 2.68, released in March 2010, the first six coordinate systems (G54-G59), plus G52 for coordinate shift, G53 for positioning in machine coordinates, and G29 and G30 for additional reference return point moves, are included standard with all new controls and with software updates to existing controls.
Regardless of software version or date, you do not need the Work Coordinate Systems option to use G54 (WCS #1) and G28 (return point #1).
Subprograms and Macros
P/N 10610, $995
included free with CNC10 v2.68 or newer
Includes M98 and G65 codes for G code subprogram calls; variables and arithmetic; conditionals (IF/THEN); branching (GOTO); and user prompts (INPUT).
Click here for some examples of what you can do with subprograms and macros.
You do not need the Subprograms and Macros option in order to use Intercon's Subroutines (Repeat, Mirror, Rotate, Depth Repeat). Intercon expands those operations out into long-hand G codes.
Scaling and Mirroring
P/N 10625, $220
Includes G50 and G51, for axis scaling and mirroring in G codes.
Unlimited File Size
P/N 10630, $550
Provides the ability to run CNC programs larger than 4MB. Generally, this is needed for large 3D programs, and is not needed for 2½D job shop work.
You do not need this option to store many megabytes worth of G code programs on your control; only to run a job larger than 4MB.
Prior to software version 2.68, released in March 2010, the standard file size limit was 1MB.
Prior to CNC7 version 8.11, released in January 2003, the standard file size limit was 640K.
Laser Ballscrew Compensation
per dealer
Also known as leadscrew compensation, ballscrew mapping, nonlinear pitch error compensation, etc., this option allows you to compensate for small errors in axis travel by measuring the error at each point (usually with a laser) and building an error map for each direction of each axis.
Centroid does not currently charge for this software option, so the only cost is from your dealer or technician for supplying it and helping you set it up.
Ballscrew compensation is most useful on machines with good repeatability but less-good accuracy: i.e. when any given move reliably goes to the same place (perhaps within 0.0002'), but when that place is not quite correct (perhaps out by 0.001' or more).
Centroid Cnc Machines
If the repeatability error is comparable to or larger than the accuracy error, then using ballscrew compensation will not help.
Coordinate System Rotation
P/N 10850, $220
Also known as fixture compensation, this option allows you to compensate for out-of-square vises or fixtures by measuring and storing a rotation angle for each part location.
If you also have the Probing package, then rotation angles can be measured and set automatically using the touch probe.
You do not need the Coordinate System Rotation option in order to use the G68/G69 part rotation G codes. Those codes are standard.
4th Axis
P/N 10360, included free
Allows you to use a fourth CNC axis. Prior to March 2010 this was an extra-cost option, though in general it was included whenever you bought a four-axis or five-axis control, or bought a rotary fourth axis add-on package.
Click here for Centroid's page describing some of their available rotary table packages.
DXF Import
P/N 10814, $305
Extends Mill Intercon to allow reading 2D DXF geometry (from a CAD drawing) into the conversational programming. You can then use features of the drawing to generate pockets, 2D contours, drill locations, etc..
Also includes a feature to convert a DXF drawing directly to engraving G codes, without going through Intercon.
This feature is not yet available for Lathe controls.
Engraving Software
P/N 10740, $500
Conversational-style CAM software for generating text and graphic engraving programs.
With Linux-based controls through software version 2.38, the engraving software is offline, running under Windows on a laptop or desktop computer.
On Linux based controls with software version 2.60 or newer, and on older DOS-based controls, the engraving software runs on the control itself.
DP4 Probing Package
P/N 10405, $1,590
Includes DP4 touch probe plus software cycles for 2D feature location, measurement and part setup; also includes the Coordinate System Rotation software.
Digitizing
P/N 10770, $3,350
Requires 10405 Probing Package
Adds 3D surface digitizing cycles. Click here for more information.
The Digitizing package also includes the options for Unlimited File Size (10630) and Scaling and Mirroring (10625).
TT1 Tool Touch Off (Automatic Tool Measurement)
P/N 10220, $725
Includes TT1 tool detector plus cycles for automatically measuring tool height offsets, and for setting Z axis part zero using the TT1.
Automatic Tool Changer Support
P/N 10660, $280
Provides software and PLC program support for sending requested tool number and carousel position information to the PLC.
This option is built into all ATC controls, and so is generally not purchased as a separate option.
This is a software option, to provide the necessary tools to support an automatic tool changer. It does not include any tool changer hardware. It also does not include any custom PLC programming, which is almost always required to support any particular tool changer.
If you are interested in pricing a control retrofit for a machine with an automatic tool changer, or are interested in adding a tool changer to an existing machine, contact me directly for a quote.
Centroid Acorn Software Download
MPG Handwheel
For CPU10 systems P/N 10808, $495
For MPU11 systems P/N 11069, $495
Includes a 100-step electronic handwheel in a handheld pendant, for expanded axis jogging control.
This handwheel is used on current and recent (2002 and newer) controls: those with a 28-pin Amphenol port on the side of the console. If you have an older control with an 8-pin Amphenol connector on the console, or the earlier T-shaped M39 or T39 pendant, then you need a converter box to adapt the new handwheel to the old control. The converter box is an additional $220.
There is no software option or unlock for the MPG handwheel: you just plug it in. You can, therefore, move one handwheel among several controls as long as they use the same type of interface.
M0 Jogging
$220
This software option allows you to manually jog the machine with the jog buttons and/or MPG handwheel in the middle of a program, whenever the program is paused at an M0 code and waiting for CYCLE START.
This is usually used in specialty applications where manual adjustment or alignment are required in the middle of a cycle.
Packages
Package A is included with nearly every mill control.
Package L is included with nearly every lathe control.
Package A (Basic Mill)
Included with mill control
Includes:
- Drilling Cycles
- Cutter Compensation
- Intercon
- Compression Tapping Cycles
- Multi-Range Spindle
- Spindle S Function
Package L (Basic Lathe)
Included with lathe control
Includes:
Centroid Acorn Cnc12
- Drilling Cycles
- Cutter Compensation
- Intercon
- Compression Tapping Cycles
- Multi-Range Spindle
- Spindle S Function
Toolroom Package
P/N 10772, $2,315
Includes:
- DP4 Probing Package (10405)
- TT1 Tool Touch Off kit (10220)
- Extended Work Coordinate Systems (10600)
Free Centroid Cnc Software
Copyright © 2015 Marc Leonard
Last updated 26-Mar-2015 MBL