Sinumerik Operate offers efficient machine tool operation
Safety Integrated plus is designed for faster engineering and commissioning
Siemens has released new hardware and software solutions for its integrated Sinumerik portfolio. The offering comprises integrated industrial software and automation technology designed to enable machine tool manufacturers to leverage the full productivity potential of the digital factory.
"The end-to-end digitalization approach taken by Siemens encompasses not only hardware, but also software across the entire value chain from design to machine tool application, enabling our customers from the machine tool industry to achieve a boost to their productivity. The combination of advancing digitalization and innovative automation technology provides the key to creating a sustainable competitive edge," explained Head of Machine Tool Systems Uwe Armin Ruttkamp.
Improved Productivity with Sinumerik Version 4.8
With its new Sinumerik CNC software release 4.8, Siemens is making a range of new functions available to improve the speed, precision and safety of machine tools. Benefits of version 4.8 include facility for compensating unwanted axis nodding movements and protection against machine, tool and workpiece collisions. Nodding compensation (NoCo) is used to compensate for dynamic position deviations in one or more linear machine axes caused by acceleration processes. These position deviations are caused by what is known as mechanical compliance within the machine. NoCo compensates for the dominant position deviation by initiating a corrective movement in the relevant machine axis, enabling improved machining quality simultaneously with higher jerk and acceleration values. NoCo can be used in conjunction with any technology, such as milling, multitasking, tapping, laser machining or water jet machining. NoCo is available in two variants: Eco and Advanced. The Eco variant is designed for dominant acceleration effects in which the compensation axis is combined with one influencing variable. Where there are several influencing variables that require several compensation axes, the Advanced variant is the option of choice.
The new Sinumerik software release 4.8 also comes with an advanced collision protection: Collision Avoidance Eco and Collision Avoidance Advanced. The Eco version enables simple, reliable machine protection by preventing collisions of the machine body with its own components within the work area. To achieve this effect in real-time, the assemblies that need protection are calculated as simple geometric bodies. This collision monitoring system is available in all three operating modes: JOG, MDA and Automatic. The protected areas can be simply and efficiently engineered and visualized as a 3-D image at the control interface. The Advanced variant includes full machine, tool and workpiece protection. The software provided by the Sinumerik product partner ModuleWorks runs via an interface integrated on an external PC, and works together with the Sinumerik CNC in real-time to ensure that the machine, tool and workpiece can be continuously monitored and are dynamically protected during the stock removal process. The workpiece and tool data required is made available to the system during set-up. Collision Avoidance provides a permanent, high level of safety during operation.
Efficient Operation with New Sinumerik Operating Concepts
The Sinumerik Operate user interface has been further developed to enable even more easily manageable and intuitive operation of machine tools. This gives machine tool builders the opportunity to develop their own individual design in keeping with their corporate identity, lending machine tools a contemporary, distinctive look. The technical basis for these innovations is provided by a cohesive line of widescreen monitors called Sinumerik blackline plus, which come in a 16:8 format. Their design eliminates the use of any separate buttons, which have been replaced by a touch-sensitive monitor with the capability of showing and hiding a side screen. Functions formerly operated by separate buttons can be positioned on the screen, if required.
The new side screen can be used to show axis loads, alarms or tooling information. Machine tool builders can additionally extend the side screen to include their own content. The new panels are available in sizes of 15-, 19-, 22- and 24".
In the basic version MCP 398C, the add-on machine control panels are identical for all the available panel sizes, but depending upon the size, they can be extended with additional modules for different functions such as buttons or slider controls. The new operating units come in the form of thin client, monitor or PC. The TOP variant is available as a panel for Windows PCs or as an embedded solution without PC. The Simatic WinCC from Siemens provides machine builders with a convenient, adaptable, basic configuration, complete with intuitively-structured software tools, which allows the user interface to be configured simply by means of drag-and-drop. This allows machine builders to simply implement their own operating concepts and supplement them with machine-specific functions.
Faster Engineering and Commissioning with Safety Integrated Plus
Siemens offers a new version of its Safety Integrated (SI) function for Sinumerik 840D sI in the form of its Safety Integrated plus - software for integrated control solutions. Previously, completely separate programs had to be written for the NC Kernel (NCK) and PLC. Now, this will only be necessary for the PLC.
This failsafe program can be generated quickly using the PLC software Step 7, which is integrated as standard in the Siemens TIA Portal. There are a large number of certified failsafe modules available for users in the TIA Portal for this purpose that can be integrated directly into the Safety program. Using the new version Safety Integrated plus, which can be operated interactively with all of the Sinumerik 840D sI NCUs currently available, engineering times can be reduced by up to 50%.
The Sinumerik Operate graphical user interface makes for convenient commissioning using graphical screens made available by Safety Integrated plus, which enable tangibly simpler parameterization of safety functions. This allows commissioning to be sped up by as much as 20%. Siemens offers Safety Integrated plus as a supplement to the established Safety Integrated software and does not recommend a changeover to the new software for already established machines, since the two solutions offer the same high level of safety.
For more information contact:
John Meyer
Siemens Industry, Inc.
390 Kent Avenue
Elk Grove Village, IL 60007
847-640-1595
cnc.us@siemens.com
www.usa.siemens.com/cnc