M ACHINE D IAGNOSTICS O NLINE

(Steve Krar, Consultant – Kelmar Associates)

LEVERAGE THE INTERNET FOR REAL-TIME DATA COLLECTION, PROCESS ANALYSIS, AND MACHINE TOOL DIAGNOSTICS.

The Internet is changing the entire world of business, including manufacturing. While remote diagnostics and maintenance capabilities for machine-tool customers have been available for years, recent advances in Internet-based monitoring systems using Web technology are making interactive technical support even more widespread. Performing Internet machine and process diagnostics is just the beginning. Once manufacturers and machine tool builders gain access to the information locked inside a machine tool and combine it with the power of the Internet, opportunities for new businesses will extend throughout the world, Fig. 10-6-1. Even in the nuts-andbolts world of manufacturing and machine tool building, companies will have opportunities for developing new products, Internet service organizations, new after-market products, and business-to-business services; it just takes the right CNC.

Fig. 10-6-1 Information from a machine tool, combined with the power of the Internet, can provide business opportunities throughout the world. (McGraw-Hill Book Co.)

GOAL

• To provide U.S. industry with the measurement methods, standards, models, data analysis tools, error compensation, and closed-loop machining methodologies. This is required to monitor, assess, describe, control, and improve the performance of machining systems used for discrete-part manufacturing.

• To provide leadership in the development of machine tool performance evaluation standards, including harmonization between national and international standards.

CUSTOMER NEEDS

To compete effectively in global markets, U.S. industry needs to manufacture high-precision products consistently and at competitive costs. This requires a high degree of control over manufacturing processes, including machines, tooling, and inspection systems used in manufacturing. The future of manufacturing lies in the usage of flexible machine tools operated in a closed-loop environment to always deliver the correct product. In such an environment, characterization and modeling of performance of these machine tools and supporting equipment are essential.

BETTER BRAINS FOR METAL CUTTING

Anyone under the impression that industrial production is a primitive survivor in the age of infotech should see one of the most impressive new manufacturing software technologies at work. GE Fanuc’s Motion software was developed to support the Factory Web product strategy for Internet-ready products. GE Fanuc supplies factory automation software and services that increase manufacturing flexibility and enable agile manufacturing. One of the pioneers in the CNC market, GE Fanuc has been recognized for its visionary approach to the computer numerical control (CNC) industry in the creation of unbundled software Open Architecture CNC that is packaged and marketed exclusively as software. In an industry dominated by hardware/software proprietary CNC solutions, many CNCmachine tool manufacturers are now supplying Open ArchitectureCNC software that can be controlled without motion control cards, proprietary hardware, or embedded firmware.

Open Architecture CNC software reduces machine tool control costs and extends the productive life of machine tools. It is a new way to diagnose the operation of CNC machine tools. The software is unique in several ways:

• An Open Architecture system replaces hard-wired proprietary controls that differ from one type of CNC machine to another, with PC-run software that can control any machine.

• It extends the life of old CNC machines and puts machine tools on the Internet or corporate Intranets, allowing a company with multi-city manufacturing operations to run its machines as a network.

CNC equipment includes machining centers, lathes, boring mills, and a multitude of other complex devices that machine a wide variety of parts. CNC machines can be very complex, sometimes performing many different machining operations at the same time while automatically changing worn-out cutting tools and loading workholding pallets.

An overwhelming 95% of CNC machine tools in the world are controlled by proprietary electronic boxes supplied by the manufacturers and widely referred to as hardware controls. They consist of old-fashioned programmable-logic controllers (PLCs), that are difficult to program, and costly motion-control cards . In a world moving toward networking, nearly all the worlds’ three million CNC machines are stand-alone islands in the Internet revolution.

Open Architecture CNC eliminates the maze of wires in the back of CNC machines. On a single CD-ROM, the software can replace hard-wired controls, and runs on a PC with a Microsoft NT operating system. Even if there are times a machine needs a separate developer’s kit, Open ArchitectureCNC is less costly than the alternatives. Unlike hardware controls, it can be updated via the Internet. This universal soft motion control frees users from dependence on proprietary hardware and provides real-time collection and distribution of machine data across a network.