Out of Many, One

Those differences must nonetheless be based on a common technology to streamline the integration of the CNC on the machines under construction. Loetzner cites specifics from the project being referenced in this report. “We were looking at a fairly diverse group of machines being supplied to the customer,” he says. “Frankly, many of their operators were more comfortable with another CNC that is very popular in the American job shop community. However, when we were able to demonstrate the immediate advantages of the Siemens control to them, they accepted our recommendations.”

This value proposition hinged on the greater capability of the Sinumerik 840D to run different machine types, which translated into considerable savings on the training and commissioning side of the equation. Coupled with the remote monitoring and programming aspects of the Siemens control solution, the customer was convinced.

More than 75 percent of the EMAG machine tools at this particular customer are equipped with robotic devices that enable a lights-out manufacturing scenario, another instance where this particular remote monitoring application via Ethernet benefits both the machine tool builder and its customer alike.

“Remote monitoring of the machine tools can be done directly through the Sinumerik CNC in a one-to-one exchange between our customer and us,” explains Loetzner. “Alternatively, we can communicate with our control supplier and our customer in a three-way exchange of machine data and cycle information – all protected through a firewall for security and customer peace-of-mind. That’s important with all our major OEMs, of course.”

Loetzner cited one customer in the agricultural machine building market who has used the remote monitoring capability of the Sinumerik CNC on a wide variety of EMAG machines for over the last three years, with all data communicated through a single information network that is accessible by both EMAG and the control supplier. Significant reductions in downtime, service calls and troubleshooting identification time have been achieved and translated into documented savings for everyone.

As a further advantage to the machine tool builder, the space reduction of more than 20 percent in the control, compared to competitive brands, means a smaller footprint for the machine. This further improves the workspace productivity of the EMAG machine tools for their customer. This is especially important in brownfield applications, where a limited space is being utilized to maximize production for an OEM.

The physical space savings combine with other advantages of the control, according to Loetzner, that include, “reduced wiring and lower power consumption with the attendant lower operating temperatures, due to reduced ambient heat.”

At this particular customer, the EMAG machines are used to produce gears, gear blanks, shafts and splines for powertrain applications. Gear hobbing and synchronous support grinding are among the advanced machining technologies performed here. Heavy, hardened steels are the most often worked substrates.

The specific control used on these machines is the Sinumerik 840D, a distributed, scalable and open control for up to 31 axes of motion that incorporates the CNC HMI, PLC, closed loop control and communications functions into a single NC unit. Sinumerik Safety Integrated provides a comprehensive, yet efficiently packaged suite of personnel and machine protection functions, fully compliant with internationally-accepted standards.

Commenting on the competing brands of CNC often found in job shops worldwide, Loetzner noted that this particular communication architecture easily accepts input from such devices, owing to its ability to capture, standardize and transmit all data in a seamless manner through its legacy tracking. “This service is another example of a forward-thinking supplier responding to brownfield conditions in the marketplace,” he smiles.

Loetzner adds that, “. . . we’ve received great support from this supplier, both in Germany and in the U.S., for on-site service, application engineering, parts distribution, remote monitoring implementation and communications between our customers and us.”

EMAG LLC, 38800 Grand River Avenue, Farmington Hills, MI 48335, 248-477-7440, Fax:  248-477-7784,  info@emag.com, www.emag.com.

Siemens Industry, Inc., Drive Technologies, Motion Control Machine Tool Business, 390 Kent Avenue, Elk Grove Village, IL 60007, 847-640-1595, Fax: 847-437-0784, SiemensMTBUMarCom.sea@siemens.com, www.usa.siemens.com/cnc.