3 benefits of new digital machine shop at IMTS 2024

3D printing manufacturing insights

Integrated software and services help with machine shop digitalization, helping machine builders and end users, as Siemens showed at IMTS 2024.

Application explained: An electric dune buggy transmission case was simulated, 3D printed and finished with CNC machine tools, demonstrating engineering, manufacturing design integration.

Machine tool CNC portfolio and digitalization software technologies are key to “empowering the digital machine shop,” at IMTS 2024, as demonstrated at the Siemens booth (see four images, two videos). Siemens made its North American market introduction for its Machinum (Figure 1) package of software and services, integrating machine tool controls, digitalization software and machine shop services.

Figure 1: At IMTS 2024, Siemens introduced its Machinum package of software and services to the North American market, advancing machine shop digitalization by integrating machine tool controls, digitalization software and machine shop services. Courtesy: Siemens

The digital native Siemens Sinumerik One control platform (Figure 2) for machining applications, helped support the “speed, agility and endurance,” aimed at the machine shop on its path to digitalization.

The improved integration of machine tool hardware, software and services from Siemens aims to:

• Help manufacturers optimize production processes.

• Provide agility for quick adaptation to changing customer requirements and calculated uptime needs.

• Enable digitally proven endurance to maximize the productivity of the entire machine shop or production department.

Figure 2: The digital native Siemens Sinumerik One control platform (Figure 2) for machining applications, helped support the “speed, agility and endurance,” aimed at the machine shop on its path to digitalization, as shown at the Siemens booth at IMTS 2024. Courtesy: Mark T. Hoske, Control Engineering, WTWH Media

Software and services for machine shop digitalization

Siemens Digital Industries offers automation and digitalization. Digitalization of computer numerical control (CNC) and connecting software (video 1) improves machine shop speed, agility along with monitoring and maintenance (endurance, using a sports analogy).

1. Speed: Siemens adaptive feedrate control reduces cycle times, while maintaining a stable machining process. This results from instantaneous and continuous analysis of the current cutting conditions on a machine tool in real time, automatically optimizing the feedrate.

2. Agility: Through strategic digitalization and software that seamlessly integrates the machine tool CNC systems and a shop’s internal communications, Siemens Machinum can significantly boost the agility of a machine shop or production department to accommodate changes in design, quantity output and machining characteristics, based on customer input and overall production and workflow landscape characteristics.

3. Endurance: A heightened level of maintenance capability includes leading “edge” machine monitoring to anticipates potential issues before they escalate. This results in reduced cost and substantially less downtime on machines, due to unplanned maintenance. This feature is especially useful for linked and sequential production lines, the company said.

Software and services benefits for machine builders

Siemens Machinum helps machine builders, and Siemens integrated digital twin technology allows more streamlined off-machine programming and machining simulation in an office environment. This approach facilitates faster prep time, more accurate design specs on the final machine, faster component acquisition near the build time and a reduction in costly downtime, due to last-minute design changes, as those are anticipated, simulated and resolved, in a virtual world. Machinum integrates existing Siemens digitalization software, such as Create MyVirtual Machine, Run MyVirtual Machine, Adaptive Control and Monitoring (ACM), Analyze MyWorkpiece and Manage MyMachines.

As part of empowering the digital machine shop, Siemens displayed digital threads, from blueprint to finished part, digital twin to simulation, part production, and integration of these processes into the digital factory for job shops and production departments (Figure 3), with Siemens hardware automation and digitalization software.

Figure 3: Training and workflow improves in an empowered digital machine shop, as Siemens showed at its IMTS 2024 booth. Siemens displayed digital threads, from blueprint to finished part, digital twin to simulation, part production, and integration of these processes into the digital factory for job shops and production departments, with Siemens hardware automation and digitalization software. Courtesy: Mark T. Hoske, Control Engineering, WTWH Media

Upgraded electric dune buggy transmission: Simulation, 3D printing, CNC

Advancing the successful rollout of the Siemens eRod “electric buggy” at IMTS 2022, [link https://www.controleng.com/articles/imts-machine-tool-hardware-software-efficiency-integration-tools/]Siemens showed end-to-end production of a gear housing (Figure 4). The transmission gear housing is manufactured through additive/subtractive machining processes followed by CNC machining of a design modified for machinability. At each stage of part development, including machining, displays showed visitors the digital manufacturing process. Siemens NX CAM software enables use of 3D models, data and processes to seamlessly connect planning and shopfloor operations. Siemens Sinumerik One, the digital-native CNC, permits a digital twin of the machine tool and its full operation in production. The tools have streamlined machine shop operations, along with automotive, aerospace, off-highway, medical part and consumer durable production facilities worldwide.

Figure 4: Advancing the successful rollout of the eRod “electric buggy” at IMTS 2022, Siemens showed end-to-end design and production of a gear housing (Figure 4), aimed to improve design and production. Courtesy: Mark T. Hoske, Control Engineering, WTWH Media

Engineering, manufacturing design integration

Aimed at developing the ecosystem for the machine tool builder and end-user, the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio integrates engineering and manufacturing for customers of any size in any industry.

Digitalization solutions shorten the machine tool builder’s time-to-market through digital twin technology, where all machine design and operational kinematics are simulated before the machine being built. This development enables substantial savings for machine builders and end-users in the design, building, commissioning, during startup and training phases of machine implementation.

Siemens Sinumerik One helps accelerate machine tool industry digital transformation. The new CNC control platform works with software to create the machine controller and the associated digital twin from one engineering system so contributes to hardware and software integration (video 2). Thanks to its seamless interaction between the virtual and real worlds, including high-performance PLC, drive and motor hardware, the new CNC platforms adds productivity, performance and digitalization capabilities. “It is the future-proof machine controller in the increasingly digital world of manufacturing,” Siemens said.

With Create MyVirtual Machine and Run MyVirtual Machine, Sinumerik One is provided with software to create the universal concept of the digital twin, powerful hardware and integrated IT security, making it a forward-looking CNC.

Using Mcenter, the open and modular platform for efficient shopfloors, end-users can seamlessly link all their machine tools and network with company’s IT landscape.

Using software innovations such as Create MyVirtual Machine, Run MyVirtual Machine, Run MyRobot, Manage MyMachines and others, the manufacturing floor can be simulated and managed by the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio.

MCenter allows the shopfloor to be integrated seamlessly with the company’s IT network landscape.

Shopfloor manufacturing performance can be greatly increased through the Siemens Machinum portfolio, the company said.

All CNC machining operations can be monitored and adjusted in real time, through the various and customizable software platforms in the Siemens portfolio. More about controllers and software follows.

Compact, mid-range CNC runs virtual NC programs

The Sinumerik 828D controller [link https://www.controleng.com/articles/sinumerik-828d-cnc-by-siemens/]is designed for the compact and mid-range machine tool market. Its new Panel Processing Unit (PPU) PPU271.5, PPU270.5, PPU290.5 and PPU272.5 panel processing units and the newly re-designed Machine Control Panel (MCP) operating concept offer a wide range of functions and options that increase the productivity, sustainability and efficiency of manufacturing processes.

Run MyVirtual Machine is available for Sinumerik 828D, Sinumerik One. The new PPUs allow Sinumerik 828D to be upgraded to software version 5.24, paving the way for Sinumerik Run MyVirtual Machine. As with Sinumerik One, the digital native CNC, Run MyVirtual Machine allows NC programs to be created, validated and optimized using the digital twin of the CNC machine without interrupting production. This reduces the setup time on the real machine by up to 20% and minimizes production risks. In addition, the working area of the machine, clamping, tool and material removal can be visualized in detail in every phase of the NC program. Potential collisions can therefore be recognized and eliminated in advance. Training new employees with Run MyVirtual Machine also saves machine time and minimizes the risk of damage due to incorrect operation or programming errors.

CNC software and services platform introduced in the U.S.

The Siemens Machinum portfolio is made up of three pillars: Smart Machine, Smart Shopfloor and Smart Virtual Machine. Smart Machine offers lower programming and material costs, higher quality machine uptime and overall faster machining by using machine data for real-time, in-process quality control. Smart Shopfloor provides customers with lower material, operational and programming costs, along with higher utilization, through more efficient preparation and pre-production resource management. Smart Virtual Machine offers lower programming costs, and higher quality and utilization for better machine engineering with the integration of digital twin and closed-loop engineering. Each pillar enhances performance, allowing users to increase speed, agility and endurance of their operations. Within the Smart Virtual Machine pillar, companies can use digital twin to enable dependable virtual machining processes, accelerating the run-in of new parts and reducing costly downtime. The Machinum portfolio features Adaptive Control and Monitoring (ACM) which allows users to reduce their machining times by up to 15% and extend the life of their cutting tools, leading to greater manufacturing productivity.

How software integration decreases digitalization complexities

The integrated “digital thread” between Siemens NX software suite of CAD and CAM products and Siemens Sinumerik control technology for additive / subtractive manufacturing by using Siemens Create MyVirtual Machine and Run MyVirtual Machine digital twin technology. Additive machine builders and users gain the ability to digitalize the machine build (including software systems, post processors, part programs, HMIs and edge devices), as well as machine commissioning, and manufacturing process in a virtual world, before the actual machine build or first part production begins.

With the adoption of large-scale additive technologies such as DED (Laser-Wire), WAAM, Cold Spray, Material Extrusion (FFF), and Composites Manufacturing (ATL / AFP) among others, the industrial world is beginning to see the value of 3D printing. Machine users are starting to transition from R&D / prototyping to end use manufacturing production in aerospace, automotive, oil-and-gas, heavy equipment, space, military, energy production, electronics manufacturing, construction and other industries.

A digital thread for each machine allows CAM toolpaths, generated by NX , to interface seamlessly with the virtual controller and run time code, with 3D machine kinematics, code execution, machine parameterization, visualization of material deposition and removal and other “real world” characteristics for the machine builder and end-user to assess upfront.

In a manufacturing example, a work cell is equipped with a Sinumerik controlled 6-axis robot using additive, subtractive and probing end-effectors. The part, hood of a vehicle, was designed in NX CAD using advanced tools for part optimization while tested virtually in Simcenter 3D. Within the same platform, the mold design was generated from the final hood design. The toolpaths and post-processed NC code for additive, subtractive and on-machine probing operations were created in NX CAM. Launching the simulation environment brings up the digital twin of the Sinumerik controller, allowing CNC machine data, PLC logic and user cycles to play into the machine and 3D material simulation. This digital thread allows the programmer and machine operator to optimize toolpaths, prevent collisions and robot singularities and analyze machine movements before the build. The resulting additive pre-form was machined down to required tolerances and probed for the quality inspection report.

Siemens Sinumerik controls, additive and subtractive operations, robotic movements and end-effector process control are commanded from one controller. Combining CNC technology and robot arms opens a new realm of possibilities that were not possible with regular robot controllers.

Synergy between Siemens’s NX software and Sinumerik hardware improves part program time estimates and machine movements. The flexibility of NX to simulate hybrid scenarios combines with the Sinumerik virtual controller providing a view of the machine’s characteristics and the production process. This helps material acquisition, construction time, production scheduling, labor costs and other business needs.

CONSIDER THIS

How can increased digitalization streamline and improve your production processes and product quality?

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Learn more about control systems from Control Engineering: https://www.controleng.com/control-systems/

IMTS 2024 Siemens booth at https://usa.siemens.com/imts.

Siemens Machinum portfolio at https://usa.siemens.com/machinum.

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