A Company Ahead Of Its Time
For more than 70 years, ZOLLER has been dedicated to innovations that deliver time and cost efficiencies in the manufacturing sector.
In the UK it is the only company focused solely on supplying tool presetting and inspection equipment, making it unique in its ability to offer impartial, unrivaled know-how and support.
So forward-thinking is its approach to a user’s needs, ZOLLER recognised the opportunities that computer technology held for the manufacturing industry back in 1977 and, in that year, opened an in-house software department to help harness its potential.
In the 40 years since it has achieved some fantastic results, putting its customers in pole position for Industry 4.0 before it was even dreamt up as a concept.
Here’s how it did it…
- 1977 – early software development testing was performed on a Commodore computer, resulting in the first ZOLLER tool management programme.
- 1981-85 – tool management solution ‘Tool Brain’ was introduced at the second EMO show in Hannover, Germany, and its successor ‘Super Brain’ at the next EMO in 1985.
- 1992 – patented software solutions ‘AWV’ and ‘Multivision’ by ZOLLER were the first image processing and tool-measuring systems in the world. User independent, fully automatic and micron-precise even at that time, the programmes laid the groundwork for the unparalleled »pilot« software of today.
- 1998 – »toolmanager« was unveiled, a stand-alone tool management solution that impressed users with features like a graphic user interface and direct database connection to ZOLLER presetters.
- 1999 – AWV was replaced by »saturn«, which automatically recognised all available cutting edge geometries. Measuring ranges were adjusted and manual input and typos avoided.
- 2006 – saturn pilot 3.0 image-processing technology was introduced. It was an immediate hit due to its intuitive operation, reliability and almost unlimited possibilities for tool presetting and measuring.
- 2007 – ZOLLER elephant technology set the standard for simplicity, giving even untrained personnel the ability to measure standard tools.
- 2011 – pomSoft arrived, a software solution specially designed for measuring tasks in production processes. The software was based entirely on »pilot«, but adapted to machines for process-oriented measuring (pom). The introduction of TMS Tool Management Solutions, available in bronze, silver or gold packages, also set a new standard.
- 2013 – pilot 2 mT came to the market as the first operating technology with touch functionality and a customisable interface.
- 2016 – ZOLLER’s new machine series, including pilotStarter and pilot 1.0, was introduced, specially tailored to the needs of entry-level users in professional tool presetting and measuring.
Adjustments, expansions and new developments are always at the forefront of ZOLLER’s thinking when it comes to software solutions.
In an industry that never stands still, ZOLLER delivers technology that will move with you.