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Manufacturing has moved on from simple cutting tools. Your customers expect you to create high-quality tools from top-end materials, with little room for error. It’s now about the end-to-end process, from sourcing the best materials to providing the best customer experience, and it relies on networked machines and devices. As expectations for cutting tools have changed, so has the equipment you use to stay competitive. The types of CNC machines you use can make or break your position in your toolmaking niche.

Future factories need software as much as hardware

You may have heard of toasters that know when we’re running out of bread, or devices that know they need servicing before we do. They are the cheap thrills of the Internet of Things (IoT). But your factory can also benefit substantially from the Internet of Things, whether it’s predicting when a machine needs to be serviced, monitoring its performance or noticing when stock levels are low. (And, maybe, adding a USB-connected sandwich press to the lunchroom.)

That’s where software becomes key. Smart factories that want the benefits of the IoT rely on connectivity. Machines must have access to software that connects them to an internal network, where every part of the system is able to interact. You might even connect them to a wider network, using information from customer and supplier networks to create more streamlined processes.

Software can have an impact in other ways, too. Our latest product introduced new features to cutting tools, allowing for more complex cutting tool geometries. Some industries have different requirements. For example, aerospace and power generation use hard and soft materials requiring different geometries of cutters for machining them. We have introduced new geometries in software to manufacture special cutters for those processes.

The right software is also a vital component in having different types of CNC machines “talk” to each other. In the past, machines using different protocols, or from different manufacturers, might not have been able to interact with systems inside the factory. Software on the machines allows them to send data to a central location, where it can be distributed in a form every machine – and person – can understand.

Some types of CNC machines can come with you on the journey

 We’ve found that around 95% of machines in use today are 10 years old or less. That’s good news for your factory – often they are still capable of moving to the latest software and adding on accessories that can be used in automation. For example, you might be able to retrofit:

• Laser measurement
• Network connectivity
• Electrical controls
• Operating systems
• Automated processes and libraries

Retrofits mean you can avoid replacing your machines wholesale. Updating them one-by-one will allow you to keep your factory running with minimal downtime and cost so your customer engagement is not disrupted.

Functionality is always improving and expanding. CNC machines aren’t phones – you won’t be installing cutters or grinders that can fit in your pocket or fold up – but a machine of the same size will do more than it does now. The types of CNC machines you were installing fifteen years ago are being replaced by better, faster and more comprehensive models. For example, CNC milling machines have moved from four-axis to six-axis and have added spiralling to their capability. As the machines improve so do their cutting processes and productivity, becoming faster, more precise, and easier to monitor.

Take it one step at a time. Refit or replace machines that will give you the quickest wins, updating your factory’s capability quickly and cost-effectively.

Closed-loop manufacturing is coming – with or without you

Looking to the future is vital. Don’t upgrade or replace your CNC machines without considering what business advantages you are trying to achieve. In your smart factory, you’ll be competing not only on range and precision, but also in terms of specialization, customer experience and time to market. CNC machines that make it easier to build to order will allow you to carry less stock, lower upfront costs and reduce inefficiencies. Market-leading smart factories need to know exactly what their customers need and that’s exactly what newer machines will provide.

And then there’s complete business transformation. Over the next 5-10 years, tool manufacturers will be using their technology to completely eliminate waste – and they’re planning for it already. This ‘closed-loop’ approach to manufacturing means only ordering and using exactly what you need. Nothing will be sent to landfill or left on the factory floor. It’s a world which will be better for the environment, better for customers, and better for your bottom line.

There are many options for bringing your CNC machines into the future. Whether you retrofit software and accessories, or replace your machines with the latest models, you’re investing in a future that’s efficient, connected and more profitable.

Protolabs have launched Design for Manufacturability analysis for 3D printed parts, offering peace of mind to manufacturers across Europe.

It is a significant advancement to the 3D printing offering as it provides added assurance that a part is suitable for manufacturing before committing to production, all entirely online in a matter of seconds.

Protolabs have been supporting customers using the process for CNC and Injection Moulding offerings, and the development brings those benefits of speed and reassurance to the 3D Printing service.  

Andrea Landoni, Protolabs EMEA’s 3D Printing Product Manager, commented: “Additive manufacturing is a brilliant technology, allowing engineers to produce complex parts that were previously too difficult to achieve.

“Whilst the technology offers great flexibility, there are a few limitations that engineers must be aware of and the Design for Manufacturability (DFM) analysis provides that guidance in seconds. The system will instantly highlight all the issues to the user, whether they are critical, such as parts that are too large to be produced, or non-critical, like dimensions that are close to certain thresholds like wall thickness and may not form completely. 

We understand the importance of speed, but ensuring that parts are correct, high quality, and delivered rapidly is critical. Instant analysis means you can have all the advantages of additive manufacturing with even more certainty without sacrificing speed.

Design for Manufacturability processes eliminate lost time incidents for most common issues, preventing engineers from proceeding with their order only to discover there has been an issue hours later. Whilst the vast majority of problems are solved, there are circumstances where the user may still require further support. 

Landoni continued: “Protolabs understand that specific projects require technical consultancy to solve complex issues. In these circumstances, our Application Engineers are still on hand to overcome these challenges and accelerate the process.  

“The Design for Manufacturability analysis supports our Application Engineers by reducing the number of projects they need to get involved in, allowing them to interact with more customers who require their support even faster. “

Mitsubishi Electric Automation introduces iQ Care Remote4U for CNC customers.

Mitsubishi Electric Corporation recently introduced its iQ Care Remote4U Service. The service provides a way for the company’s CNC customers to get their machine tools up-and-running.

iQ Care Remote4U

With this new remote solution, operations may run more smoothly with reduced hindrance from unnecessary, drawn-out downtime. The iQ Care Remote4U platform has been designed to offer a birds-eye view of production that can be accessed and utilized remotely.

Mitsubishi’s remote maintenance solution allows its field service engineers to simultaneously analyze a customer’s CNC machine parameters and alarm history in real-time while troubleshooting errors or issues stopping its proper functioning. 

The service enables the confirmation of system faults or signs of any faults and can estimate machining time in real-time through its Remote Diagnosis Function. 

A mobile terminal, such as a computer, can make use of this. Rapid support through remote diagnosis is made possible through a connection from a terminal installed in a service center to a customer’s machine.

The iQ Care Remote4U service utilizes the Dashboard Function to collect, compile, and perform central management and operating/cost information from many units. This helps customers improve their production processes and reduce operating costs through visualization-based analysis.

In a recent news release, Services Product Manager at Mitsubishi Electric Automation, Adam Gatza, commented, “iQ Care Remote4U gives our customers and engineers a platform to view problems simultaneously giving both parties more confidence in diagnosing the problem in a shorter timeframe and start putting together an action plan on how to fix it.” 

Additional Control Solutions

Mitsubishi has various other CNC machining solutions available to its customers. This includes high-speed/high accuracy machining functions (tool center point control, high-speed, and high accuracy control).

It also includes compensation functions (rotation sensor error compensation, tolerance control, workpiece installation error compensation), IoT functions (MES interface, solution for intelligence), and others.

Mitsubishi’s Direct Robot Control Function 

This function enables robot-friendly CNC control. Users can control and automate Mitsubishi and KUKA robots using G-code by themselves. The Direct Robot Control Function also provides users with a uniform coordinate system for robots and machine tools. 

Additionally, Mitsubishi offers its CNC M800/M80 Series manufacturing execution system (MES) interface function, enabling CNC machining information and machine tool operation status to be sent to MES. 

Mitsubishi hopes this new iQCare Remote system will help users with their CNC operations. 

The natural progression for keeping up with the increasingly speedy and digitally-oriented markets is automation, or rather CNC automation. Customers expect products faster than ever before, with unprecedented levels of quality and reliability. What’s more, the supply chain is rife with challenges, which means pushing up a production timeline is almost always beneficial — when it’s possible to do so.

However, implementing sophisticated CNC equipment and machines, to achieve automation, is not just expensive, it’s also time-consuming. You can’t just swap everything in one go and hope it works. Worse yet, when new equipment is implemented, trialing and configuration periods are absolutely necessary to ensure optimal output and performance. The question then becomes, what is the best time to introduce CNC automation into your existing operation?

Are you truly ready for automation?

Many fall into the trap of thinking that automation can be applied to any and every process. While technically true, those processes need to be well-grounded, steadily maintained, and appropriately designed. In other words, you need a full understanding of the average output, performance, and specifically, what should be automated. That takes research, time, and thorough testing.

With CNC automation, especially, you could be looking at inconsistent results if the system has not been properly vetted — you must consider product design, quality assurance, maintenance, and beyond. Moreover, employees must understand their roles, and receive the proper training wherever applicable.

It takes a considerable amount of buy-in, and if you’re not truly prepared to invest, you’re not likely to see significant results. So, take a moment to consider your operation, what processes you’d like automated, and whether or not you — and your team — are truly ready.

What tools will you need?

Converting to CNC automation, in full, is going to require new hardware, new software, and possibly even new peripherals — for example, you may have to modify your facility to meet the needs of your new equipment. There may be opportunities to utilize existing equipment by installing various devices and sensors on the legacy hardware, but that’s not always going to be the case.

It’s entirely possible to achieve world-class CNC machining and manufacturing operations without handling the tasks in-house (outsourcing) and without acquiring the equipment yourself, which is costly. You can put in orders for the components, parts, or pieces that you need to have created, and leave the logistics to an expert team. Some providers even run a two-shift operation to turn projects around much faster, as they have more time to work and respond to manufacturing matters. Whereas your team may not have the labor, supplies, or equipment to aptly finish the project.

It’s important then to consider whether or not you have the tools, and equipment, available to automate your operation. If you don’t, how long will it be until you can reasonably acquire the said equipment? Do you have the funds and resources? It may be more beneficial to partner up with a CNC machining provider who can handle the work in the interim, at the least, or who is willing to handle the work long-term.

Are you in control?

Before you can deploy advanced automation, you need to be in full control of your environment. What’s more, you need a great deal of data and information about the operation, your equipment, your performance, and beyond. Do you have the resources, for instance, to measure the conditions of your cutting tools before a project begins? Do you know if your CNC equipment can handle specific materials? Can you change out those tools or components if tolerances are not being met? Often, modern CNC machines are able to perform multiple actions. How easy is it to leverage their alternate uses, and can you automate the process to remove certain burdens?

These are merely a few questions that relate to a traditional CNC operation, but also, they’ll be relevant in an automated one. These tasks are still necessary, but the equipment and hardware at your disposal should help handle the work more efficiently, and more accurately. When CNC automation hardware is deployed you must retain that control, and ultimately, gain more through the insights gathered thanks to the newly data-oriented hardware. But most importantly, you should have the opportunity to make decisions, and react, in real-time.

Automate or hyper-automate?

Another element to consider is how much of your operation you’ll be automating and bringing online. Are there individual tasks, with a smaller scope, that would benefit? Instead, are you planning to hyper-automate, like 28% of the manufacturing industry?

Hyper-automation focuses on optimizing all stages of a process or operation, as opposed to a single aspect. It’s also a much more expansive overhaul and an incredible undertaking, even if you have processes that are already automated. The benefits, however, can be exponential and well worth the investment and include boons like higher production speed, greater precision, improved capacities, and much more.

It is possible to achieve hyper-automation by rolling out improvements at the same large scale, but with a slower timeline, as in rolling out processes one by one. There’s nothing wrong with starting small and working your way up.

Computer Number Control or CNC machines allow users to create a part or equipment out of a block of metal or plastic by continuously removing pieces of metal in a pre-determined manner. It is also known as a subtractive manufacturing process. 

Gone are the days when a person oversaw and performed every task associated with manufacturing machine parts. With CNC machines, software that has already been programmed with the required design can govern the movement of the tools. The program can cover different types of machinery and can also cover a wide range of tools.

Data Transfer Methods That a CNC User Must Know

The data stored in the CNC machine gains significant importance as it is the data that lets users complete the project. If you repeatedly make the same design, storing the program in a safe external device becomes even more important.

Data transfer is a process that takes place regularly in the life of a CNC user. While a CNC user might employ various methods for data transfer, they can either be classified based on the type of data being transferred or the method of data transfer employed.

Methods Depending on the Data Being Transferred

A CNC machine uses programs that tell the machine where to use a tool, how to use and how far to drill, etc. All of this information is important and should be stored properly.

CNC System Data

Every CNC machine has data about its system functionalities. This data will change from one machine manufacturer to another significantly. There may even be small changes between the system data for machines made by the same manufacturer.

Certain parameters, such as backlash, pitch error compensation, etc., are machine-specific. Every CNC user must back up this data in external storage space. Doing so ensures that it is easier to get the CNC machine up and running in the unfortunate incident of a machine failure.  

Fixture Offsets

A CNC machine of any kind, be it a CNC turning center or a CNC lathe, needs to have well-defined zero assignment values. These values help the machine move the required parts to the appropriate position to chipping away from the raw block.

Every time a job is run on the CNC machine, it is important to use the same fixture offset values, especially if the same part is being manufactured repeatedly.

G10 commands are an excellent way to set the fixture offset values correctly before running the CNC program. These commands are typically present at the start of the CNC program. 

You can transfer the fixture offset settings into a CNC program file and run the file every time you initialize the machine.  

Tool Offsets

Tool offsets are also G10 commands similar to the fixture offsets. The tool offsets help the machine identify the center of the tool so that the machine runs along the intended programmed line.

The tool offsets depend on the length and the diameter of the tool. Therefore, if the tools are changed, the tool offsets need to be reset to match the new tools. 

Transferring the tool offset data from the machine is often done to confirm that all the offsets are set properly and that there aren’t any unwanted variations.

Modes Employed for Transfering the Data

Depending on the CNC machine and its features, there are various ways of transferring the data to and from the CNC machine. While punched tape and floppy disks used to be the go-to methods for data transfer, they are now replaced by standard V24, RS232, or RS485 serial interfaces.  

A wired connection to a storage device or another computer is also often used for data transfer. Newer CNC machines can also use a wireless connection to transfer data.

If the CNC machine has a small memory that is inadequate for storing the program, the program is stored in a computer connected to the CNC machine. The program is then transferred in smaller blocks to the CNC machine. This process is also known as Distributed Numeric Control.

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