ENCY Software

“outstanding performance”

Pros

Right away ENCY feels packed with capability for advanced five axis milling and surfacing. Operations generate very fast and the toolpaths come out clean, refined and high quality. Because the interface is responsive and calculations finish quickly, more time goes into actual programming and less into waiting around. One feature I keep coming back to is the control over efficient transitions between operations especially when the rotational axis changes. On production work, that can save seconds or even minutes on every single part. Their proprietary 3D engine is also on another level, outperforming some of the biggest names in the industry with sharp visuals and extremely fast graphics updates. Coming from a software development background, the open APIs are a huge plus since they are free to use and let us connect our CRM system with an external tooling catalog system. Feature based milling has been a real game changer too, particularly for hole operations. It lets us program threaded and multi step holes in seconds and do it consistently which helps us keep improving the process over time without losing lessons learned. Building our own machine simulation kit together with the post processor was surprisingly uncomplicated and they even include a free integrated development environment. That alone avoids the massive extra cost of paying tens of thousands of euros for simulation kits and post processors. On top of that their support team has been extremely helpful whenever we needed help sorting out details.

Cons

The integrated CAD is useful and at this stage it still does not replace a full standalone CAD package. I would also like to see a stronger feeds and speeds library that takes the workpiece material into account although we currently handle that through external integration until ENCY adds it natively which I was told is already in progress. Another limitation is the lack of true component constraints so for more complex setups I still rely on my CAD software to position everything correctly first and then import the part files into ENCY already aligned.

“Fast simulation”

Pros

I like how quickly the toolpaths are calculated so testing a setup is fast and you get a complete preview of the robot kinematics during simulation. The axis mapping is also very useful for dialing in different motion variables. Another big plus is the freedom to swap parts and workpieces anywhere in the operation hierarchy and use auxiliary geometry when you need more precise control. MachineMaker makes it possible to configure just about any machine combination you can think of and the open post processor gives plenty of room to experiment. And whenever something blocks progress, sending a support request is always an option.

Cons

The interface could use some refinement and it would be nice to have configurable hotkeys for common routines so there's less need to rely on the mouse all the time.

“Offline programming boosts productivity”

Pros

A great thing is that it lets you handle detailed, efficient programming without having the robot connected online which helps cut downtime and improve overall productivity.

Cons

Its pricing is still on the high side for small businesses. It would be helpful to offer a subscription based lite version so smaller companies can learn the software and grow with it.