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ShopBot Blog

ShopBot Accessory: ShopBot Handheld Keypad (KRS BumpBar)

KRS Bump Bar accessory show being held in someone's hand. Tall, skinny unit qith blue frame and 20 programmable square buttons on the surface

The ShopBot Handheld Keypad KRS BumpBar, is a versatile tool for production shops and hobbyists alike. It is a 20-button customizable keypad that can be easily programmed so that each button executes a command or series of ShopBot commands.

Have you ever found yourself running between the tool and the control computer when trying to move to a specific location for zeroing? The BumpBar allows you to control the tool without standing at the computer; it comes pre-programmed with buttons that allow you to manually move the tool, set fixed move distances, and zero an axis. See the video below to see it in action.

The KRS BumpBar can also be used to streamline production in high throughput environments. Cut files can be assigned to specific buttons, along with common commands such as C3 (3 axis zero routine) and ZZ (zero z axis). By combining tool control into a simple push button interface, the keypad reduces complexity and the risk of operator error.

Here at ShopBot headquarters in Durham, NC, we use ShopBots to make many of the components that go into ShopBots. We use KRS BumpBars on these production tools to help our manufacturing staff work efficiently. For example, all the structural components for a Handibot (our portable CNC tool) are cut on a ShopBot Desktop that has a BumpBar connected with a button for each cut file. The operator just mounts the jig corresponding to the cut he wants to run and presses the corresponding button on the BumpBar.

close-up of the KRS Bump Bar with hand-written replacement commands on 4 out of the 20 button positions.

The keypad is highly customizable, with an easy-to-use programming interface that allows each button to be assigned up to 20 key commands at once. The default configuration is shown below.

Illustration of the KRS Bump Bar commands. Multi-colored squares with text describing what each button can control.

For more information, please contact ShopBot at 919-680-4800 and ask for Production Support, or email ProductionSupport@shopbottools.com.

To purchase the KRS Bump Bar and explore all other ShopBot accessories, visit the ShopBot Online Store!