CNC Machine Tools - Evolution - Industry 4.0

https://engtechgroup.com/cnc-machines-evolution/

https://www.marposs.com/eng/application/machine-tool-retrofit

2021

Clea is SECO’s suite solution for the remote management of  devices and machines

Clea is SECO’s suite solution for the remote management of  devices, of data generated in the field, and its aggregation in the cloud to support business analytics. With Clea, you will have everything you need to enable your custom IoT solution: dedicated hardware, connectivity, a platform, telemetry, data management, analytics, and consulting.

A Case - Challenge

A manufacturer of industrial machinery for woodworking and the processing of other materials had the initial requirement to reduce warranty costs  for CNC machines, computer controlled machining tools which are able to process materials without a manual operator.

What SECO did

SECO enabled the equipment of CNC machines with ad-hoc smart sensors and gateways, connecting them to EDGEHOG Device Manager to allow production cycle data analysis, remote control and update – with OTA updates – and predictive maintenance through dedicated algorithm. Connectivity was enhanced by equipping the machines with a global SIM card, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connection and geo-localization microservice.

Results achieved

Making the customers’ machinery smart and connected allowed for offering a better user experience with  the possibility of remote assistance with annual subscription. From a production standpoint, there was an increase in the quality of the pieces produced, while reducing production waste of 30%. The supply chain was provided with a better support, allowing cost (10%) and lead time (40%) reduction of the spare parts.

https://www.seco.com/en/case-studies/industrial-automation/smart-connected-cnc-machine

Mazak - Smart Machine Tool Developments

Mazak

The Global Leader in Machine Tools - Turning centers, Machining centers, Multi-tasking, Hybrid multi-tasking, Laser processing,

CNC technology, Automation and IoT solutions.

SMART Manufacturing Thanks to Smooth Technology

Today manufacturers everywhere face many challenges - constantly striving to reduce production costs, increasing the use of automation, a growing shortage of skilled employees among many others. "The Mazak iSMART FactoryTM" technology can be used to meet manufacturers' demands to establish production plants using the IoT. By utilizing advanced Mazak machine tools together with software, we can effectively support your goal of realizing data-driven manufacturing for higher productivity.

https://english.mazak.jp/machines/technology/factory-network/ismart-factory/

Mazak SmartBox?

Mazak SmartBox is a revolutionary launch platform for easy and highly secure entrance into the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). It is a scalable solution that connects your manufacturing equipment to your factory network and allows the free flow of information to your management systems via MTConnect® for Overall Equipment Efficiency (O.E.E.).

Mazak offers the smartbox in various configurations/kits based on the scenarios and challenges in which the units will be used. The device physically mounts to the side of machines without having to integrate into a machine’s electrical cabinet.  One Mazak SmartBox may connect several machine tools along with other associated manufacturing equipment, depending on the application.

THE BENEFITS OF USING Mazak SmartBox?

Mazak SmartBox  is designed to be a launch platform for anything IIoT. It:

Secures the machine from the network

Secures the network from the machine

Enables Edge/Fog computing and analytics

Uses MTConnect as standard supported protocol

Enables easy monitoring of equipment status and utilization

https://www.mazakusa.com/machines/technology/digital-solutions/mazak-smartbox/

Mazak Smartbox Implementation Case Study

The SmartBox is one of many innovative components in Mazak’s dynamic iSMART Factory concept, which enables complete digital integration of advanced manufacturing cells and systems to achieve free-flow data sharing in terms of process control and analytics.

The iSMART Factory concept also incorporates Mazak SMOOTH TECHNOLOGY, a complete process-performance technology platform that includes the various levels of the new Mazak MAZATROL Smooth CNC as well as advanced machine hardware and servo systems. SMOOTH TECHNOLOGY represents a key first step towards digital factory integration.

MACHINES AND OTHER EQUIPMENT

65 machines, paint test stands, and other devices are connected through MTConnect at the Kentucky Mazak factory. In the initial complete installation of a machine-monitoring system encompasses SmartBoxes, six horizontal machining centers (HMCs) in an automated flexible manufacturing system, three other HMCs in a similar automated system, and six large bridge-type milling machines.

A series of 60-inch display monitors presents real-time utilization data in the test section of the plant and cycles through a series of KPI reports that are viewable for short periods of time using MERLIN. The Cisco switch enables network isolation, which creates a higher level of cybersecurity for enhanced 

machine monitoring and analytics. The majority of reports focus on a specific machine, and display performance-based gauges and readouts. Other reports compare all connected machines according to a variety of critical metrics, such as uptime and stoppages by category.

For the first time, for Mazak, top management, as well as everyone across the company’s shop floor, has access to the same actionable reports and/or monitored data through mobile devices. Shop floor employees now have easy-to-interpret, visual report formats that give them at-a-glance information 

about how machine tool conditions are influencing efficiency. Bar graphs that summarize activity across several machines simultaneously inform supervisors and managers of trends useful for decision making and long-term planning, such as when additional operator training may be needed.

The company is now fully aware of program stops, feed holds, spindle overrides, tool changes, and other reasons why a machine is idle. By analyzing collected data, Mazak personnel are able to identify and easily fix such downtime-related inefficiencies to improve overall utilization. Another new advantage is that individuals, such as equipment suppliers, can log on to Mazak’s network and have access to only those machines Mazak permits through SmartBox technology

PROJECT RESULTS

Almost as soon as   reports  were produced on its plant floor, the company experienced a six-percent increase in utilization. Without any other actions taken, these immediate gains resulted from operators simply being aware of how their time management affected machine utilization. To date, efforts to 

reduce downtime — as based on factory-floor report data — have yielded a more than double-digit percentage improvement in machine utilization for the monitored machines. As a result of this windfall machine capacity, Mazak reduced operator overtime by 100 hours per month and brought 400 hours 

per month of previously outsourced work back in house.

Source: Complete Digital Factory Integration and the IIoT by Mazak- A Cisco Report

https://www.cisco.com/c/dam/en_us/solutions/industries/docs/manufacturing/smart-box.pdf

THE NUTS & BOLTS OF INDUSTRY 4.0 - MAZAK

Published: 06/07/2018

The reality of Industry 4.0 data analytics for a Mazak customer, detailing the needs and some of the benefits of easily applied system components suitable for SMEs

https://www.machinery.co.uk/machinery-features/the-nuts-bolts-of-industry-4-0-mazak

https://www.mazakusa.com/news-events/blog/artificial-intelligence-makes-spindle-health-monitoring-a-reality/

Implementation of a machine tool retrofit system

https://www.tib-op.org/ojs/index.php/th-wildau-ensp/article/view/19/10

https://www.bosch.com/stories/industry-4-0-retrofit-project/

2020

Strategic Retrofitting: Older Machines Get an IIoT Update

Affordable alternatives can help upgrade legacy equipment.

W. David Stephenson

MAR 10, 2020

https://www.industryweek.com/technology-and-iiot/article/21125857/strategic-retrofitting-older-machines-get-an-iiot-update

Low-Cost Automation: Retrofitting Old Machines

https://www.industrialautomationindia.in/articleitm/358/Low-Cost-Automation:-Retrofitting-Old-Machines-/articles

3/23/2020 

The Anatomy of a CNC Machine IoT Solution

https://www.productionmachining.com/blog/post/the-anatomy-of-a-cnc-machine-iot-solution

https://smartech.gatech.edu/bitstream/handle/1853/62850/NGUYEN-THESIS-2020.pdf

http://www.rae.ca/wp-content/uploads/industry_guide_sensor_technology_solutions_for_the_machine_tool_industry_en_im0018543.pdf

CASE STUDY

Retrofit Enables Threefold Increase in Capacity

Henshaw replaces legacy CNC system with programmable numeric control (PNC) to improve machining cell performance and flexibility

https://www.rockwellautomation.com/en-in/company/news/case-studies/retrofit-enables-threefold-increase-in-capacity.html

2018

https://www.sme.org/technologies/articles/2018/october/industry-4.0-and-cadcam-software-five-questions/

Machine tool retrofit to increase productivity, user convenience and safety

"PCU Retrofit for Sinumerik 840D" service offered for machine tools with a Sinumerik 840D pl controller

PCU-based (Panel Control Unit) controller updated

After a short retrofitting time, equipment is ready again for immediate use

https://press.siemens.com/global/en/pressrelease/machine-tool-retrofit-increase-productivity-user-convenience-and-safety

2017

https://www.americanmachinist.com/enterprise-data/5-ways-machine-tools-are-impacted-industry-40

IoT enabled CNC Milling Machine
IIT Madras B.Tech project 2017
https://www.tkbala.com/iotcnc

6/14/2017

Data-Driven Manufacturing: Retrofit Your Machines

The Fraunhofer Institute has developed a retrofit solution to upgrade production systems with network capability, enabling users of older machines to reap the benefits of data-driven manufacturing.

https://www.mmsonline.com/articles/data-driven-manufacturing-retrofit-your-machines

CNC Machine Sensors

2014
https://www.techna-tool.com/blog/importance-of-cnc-tool-sensors-in-modern-day-cnc-machines/

About CNC Machines

http://home.iitk.ac.in/~nsinha/CNC.pdf

Ud 8.10.2021

Pub 11.8.2021