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	One of the main selling features of [our drill sharpener] is the OP7100 interface. Gary Varney, President

For nearly 30 years, Darex has been making precision cutting tool sharpeners for use in shops of all sizes, from leading manufacturers such as Ford, GM, and Boeing down to simple one-person sharpening services.

When the Oregon-based company decided to develop a new automated drill sharpener with touchscreen programming, president Gary Varney sent his engineering team shopping for a display interface that would be both cost effective and easy to use.

After evaluating several options, Darex chose Z·World's OP7100 Smart Screen to serve as the operator interface for the new XPS-16 Drill Sharpener. The Smart Screen's graphical keypad options, abundant memory, and "intelligent" LCD controller provide the flexibility and functionality required for almost any application. Meanwhile, the display's low price and integrated programming environment help save on production and development costs.

Keep It Simple
In building the XPS-16, which is designed to serve high-production machines, Darex sought to avoid the expense and complexity that characterize most other computer numerical control (CNC) sharpeners. "Before we began," says Varney, "we looked at our competitors' sharpeners and asked: 'Must cutting tool sharpeners be complicated? Why must affordability come at the expense of accuracy?'"

Employing Z·World's Smart Screen gives Darex a user-friendly operator interface that won't break the budget. "We were very much price-driven during development," says research and development manager Dennis Sobolik. "We looked at the per-unit cost and capabilities of the Smart Screen and felt like it was the best fit for our application, not only in terms of price but also in terms of the open architecture, the programming language, the number of I/O ports we could talk through, and the onboard storage capacity."

Darex was also swayed by the OP7100's ability to simplify the new sharpener's demanding tasks. "We wanted to be able to handle high-performance drills, which require a lot of different angles and geometries that we can't generate manually," says Varney. "So we needed to have control, and we wanted to make it simple."

One way Varney sought to make the XPS-16 easy to use was by minimizing text and using clear, unmistakable onscreen icons to convey commands. Because the XPS-16 is marketed and sold internationally, Darex wanted the touchscreen to be almost entirely picture driven. "The whole idea was to make a machine that would do complicated sharpening but would be simple for the operator to use," says Varney. "In order to do that, we had to become very graphical. The less text we have, the easier it is for the operator and the fewer translations we have to make."

"Max" Factor
The Smart Screen is designed to store a substantial number of images in Flash memory for immediate recall (the OP7100 features 2 x 256K Flash, one each for code and data/image storage). Darex has effectively maximized graphics storage on the OP7100, installing 120 images onboard.

Z·World's integrated Dynamic C® development software allows users to create their own images in familiar graphics applications. "All of our graphics are created in [Microsoft] Paintbrush and then converted to usable format via a simple utility in Dynamic C," says Jennifer Hanson, Darex's computer information systems and programming specialist.

Darex also utilizes the OP7100 to store files and settings and update code on the sharpener's own computer. "We really max out this LCD," says Hanson. "We connect the Smart Screen's RS-232 port to a PC Windows platform, and we download information such as user files and calibration settings for the sharpener to and from the LCD. We also update code for the sharpener by sticking the new code on the OP7100's second Flash--then we transfer it from the Flash to the sharpener."

When the operator boots up the XPS-16, the sharpener's computer will tell the OP7100 if it doesn't have good code, in which case the OP7100 automatically begins sending the sharpener new code. "We use a download manager [a sample program in Dynamic C] to automatically update the software in the LCD," says Hanson. "The user presses a button on the screen and transfers the new code from the PC to the sharpener with a software program written especially for the XPS. After transfer, the new code will automatically execute and the user is up and running again."

With touchscreen programming and one-touch set up, the XPS-16 requires very little user effort. Shop personnel simply insert the drill, select the point type from the graphics on the LCD, and push the start button. Less than a minute later, the drill is sharp and ready for work.

The Smart Screen's expandable memory--which supports up to 512K of SRAM --stores up to 30 special point configurations. "These configurations are defined by the user, and they can be saved as individual files and then stored and retrieved via the connection to a PC," says Hanson. "So the number of different sharpening routines is virtually limitless."

High Interest Rates
Initial sales and orders indicate the XPS-16 is generating a lot of interest among large manufacturers and the service industry, thanks in part to Z·World's smart touchscreen. "This is a brand-new technology--nobody else comes close to what we're doing with the XPS-16," says Varney. "And one of the main selling features of the product is the interface."

The Smart Screen's easy operation, combined with the sharpener's precision cutting ability, ensure fast, consistent results every time. "When customers select the XPS-16, they can be sure they're getting unmatched accuracy and flexibility--without the high price tag," says Varney.

Many already want to know if Darex is planning to develop other sharpening equipment with the same automated design features that distinguish the XPS-16. "Since we've come out with the inexpensive CNC drill sharpener, customers are asking us to look at applying the same technology to other types of sharpeners," says Sobolik. "We're certainly considering the possibilities, and with the early success of the XPS-16, it makes perfect sense to springboard off the same platform as much as possible."

For more information:
Darex Corporation
www.darex.com
800.547.0222

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