Open Source softwares and Surfboard Shaping Machines

This is a topic that can be a double edged sword.  Open source is a great way to develop software for some applications.  The idea is to have a group of developers lending their individual expertise to a particular project/software  that will be distributed for free to the masses..

The idea is not new and while teamwork is always a great way to accomplish our goals I have to take a few moments and list some of the issues relying on open source software in a cnc Business environment..

 Lets call it what it is..

1.  Open source software is really geared toward the hobbyist user.. These users have little to no real expectations as the software is free. They also have very little production needs or time frame requirements. This is the perfect user for an open source style software. I like to believe these types really do not need the assistance of CNC equipment.

2. This means that the user himself is most likely responsible for building his or her own CNC machine which will be used for his own personal use. In this case it works. Again no real expectations, low barrier of entry and no responsibility.  This does not mean this individual cannot find some amount of success using open source software.

3. The integrator:  This is a small company that produces a product or machine to sell on the open market based on open source software.. Why you ask? Well its free!  It relinquishes the responsibility of the machine builder when things go wrong.  It also opens up the machine owner to a host of risk in my opinion.

Such as:

1. No real time support
2. constant bug fixes do to multiple coders working free lance
3. Never ending version issues
4. No real way to consistently manage customers using different versions
5. Hardware vs software integration issues
6. Longer more difficult setup times
7. No true stable environment
8. Potential nightmares
9. Lost revenues

This goes on and on you get my point. I hope.

In a nut shell with my 12 years of experience dealing with CNC surfboard machines these issues boil down to who you are as a individual, what type of business you want to have, how serious you are about your business and if you will try to cut corners relying on a freeware.

So either...:

1. You use an open source software relying on multiple coders who are not getting paid to perform or will ever be held accountable where and when the shit hits the fan.  Think about it you pay thousands of dollars for a machine and then leave the brains of your operation to a separate group who really has no interest in your business aspirations.

2. You find a software that has been developed by machine builders, professional software developers that get paid to support a specific software created for a specific purpose. This paid for software comes with guaranteed support, stable delivery and maintenance. This option looks at paying customers and will upgrade based on their real world business needs all the while ensuring it is bug free and if so they move like lightning to correct any mistakes.

In my honest opinion anyone looking to buy a machine needs to really understand what they are buying. The devils in the details and unless you are the hobby type attempting to build your own machine I would stay clear of the open source option.

Look at any serious systems builder and you will find they either use a premium 3rd party software with support or they have coded their own refusing to leave their company's destiny in the hands of non paid  developers that could have any agenda..

Precision Shaper has used open source software.  Actually we have a copy of a very popular os available software and through testing and trials really could never feel right putting any of our machine customers at risk. It was frustrating enough navigating in the design to G-code module, and the tool paths in our opinion pretty generic and archaic.   Our customers have real expectations, they demand support and appreciate how we look out for their business and their best interest. There is nothing wrong with Open source software.. I just would not recommend making a large monetary investment on a machine and trying to run a legitimate business based on it..

This is why we created PSD-3D surf design software. The most affordable and well supported CAD/CAM Surf software available. It runs not only our machine but any 3 axis cnc surfboard machine.

Sorry its not free but very quickly you will learn its worth every cent.. ;)

Mike