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A brief introduction to the basics of this machine tool method, its concepts and recent developments in the technology

By Preben Hansen, President, Heimatec Inc., Prospect Heights, IL

Live tooling, as the name implies, is specifically driven by the CNC control and the turret of various spindle and powered sub-spindle configurations on CNC lathes to perform various operations while the workpiece remains in orientation to the main spindle.   These devices, whether BMT or VDI, are also called driven tools, as opposed to the static tools used during turning operations and are usually customized for the particular machine tool builder’s turret assembly.

+135º/-30 universal style adjustable tool might be the ideal solution for families of parts

Most often, live tooling is offered in standard straight and 90º configurations with a wide variety of tool output clamping systems, including collet chuck, arbor, Weldon, capto, whistle notch, hydraulic, HSK, CAT, ABS and a variety of custom or proprietary systems developed by the many suppliers to the industry.

As your jobs change or volume increases or you encounter specific challenges in machining very large parts with deep pockets or very small intricate parts, for example, and the need arises for new machinery, a common error is made by accepting the standard tooling packages provided by the builder.  This is most definitely not a criticism of the standard packages from builders, but this article is meant to give you a set of parameters to consider when evaluating the tooling and toolholding devices to use in your shop or production department.   Simply stated, you need to do as much evaluation of your process, when determining the proper tooling to be used, as you did when you evaluated the various machines available for purchase.

This examination can range from the simple (external vs. internal coolant, for example) to the sublime (adjustable or extended tooling configurations) to the truly exotic, an example of which will end this article.

Tool life is the product of cutting intensity, materials processed, machine stability and, of course, piece parts produced. Two seemingly identical job shops can have vastly different tooling needs because one is automotive and one is medical, or one specializes in the one-offs and low-volume work, while the other has a greater occurrence of longer run jobs. The totality of your operation determines the best tooling for the machines being purchased.

Example of a very large, deep pocket tool that initially seemed too expensive, until the tests proved otherwise

Bearing construction and the resulting spindle concentricity drive the life of any tool and you might find that just a 10-15% greater investment in a better design can yield both longer lasting cutters and consistently superior finish on your products. Of course, the stability and rigidity of the machine tool base are also critical factors, especially on large or deep pocket workpieces, where the distance from the tool base to the cutter tip is greater. Bevel and spur gears that are hardened, ground and lapped in sets are best for smooth transition and minimal runout. Roller bearings are consistently superior to spindle bearings in live tooling applications, so look for a combination system to get the highest precision possible. Also look for an internal vs. external collet nut, so the tool seats more deeply in the tool, as superior rigidity will result.

Internal clamping nut seats the tool more deeply

Likewise, coolant high pressure might be desirable. Look for 2000 psi in 90º and 1000 psi minimum in straight tools.

You need to ask another question, namely, is the turret RPM sufficient to handle the work to be done? It’s possible a speed increaser on the tool would be helpful. Would it be beneficial to move secondary operations to your lathe? Gear hobbing can be accomplished or producing squares or flats through the use of polygon machining.

Standard live tooling most often is best suited to production work, where the finish, tolerances and cutter life are critical, while quick-change systems may be better suited to the shop producing families of products and other instances where the tool presetting offline is a key factor in keeping the shop at maximum productivity.

This opens the discussion of long-term flexibility and it’s the most often overlooked consideration in buying live tooling. What work do you have in the shop, what work will be coming in the future and the overall economies of a changeable adapter system on your tooling may be considerations not often made when the focus is centered on the machine being purchased. Dedicated tools for large families of product may be desirable, but consider a changeable adapter system and talk to your supplier before making that determination. Likewise, if the future work you’re bidding involves more families of product, think ahead when buying the initial tooling on the machine.

If standard ER tooling is suitable for the work, there are many good suppliers but do consider the construction aspects noted above. For a quick-change or changeable adapter system, there are fewer suppliers in the market, so seek them out and be sure they can supply the product styles you need for all your lathe brands. Adjustable angle head systems can be costly but very worthwhile, owing to the stability and rigidity of their construction, when producing families of parts with only slight differences in the dimensions.

Now, one of the exotic examples promised earlier…it evidences the value of having test runs done on alternative tool styles…

Internal clamping nut seats the tool more deeply

One company was doing a cross-milling application on an AL6063 sheave, using an ER40 output tool on a Eurotech lathe, running 10 ipm at 4000 rpm. They were making three passes, with a cycle time of 262 seconds and getting a chatter finish on 20,000 pieces per year. The annual cost of the machining was over $130,000. By using an improved adapter tool design with ER32AX output and the same parameters, they were able to produce the part in a single pass with a smooth finish and cycle time of just 172 seconds. Over the course of the year, this turned into a savings of $45,000, approximately 20x the cost of the tool. The bottom line is the bottom line, as the accountants tell us.

In the end, you may not need a +135º/-30 universal adjustable tool or a multi-spindle live holder or even a quick-change adapter system, but do consider all the options. Talk to your machine builder and several tool suppliers, plus the most important people in this equation, your shop personnel, as their input is invaluable.

For further information and literature, or to arrange a demo on this new line, please contact:

Preben Hansen, President
HEIMATEC INC.
16 E. Piper Lane Suite 129
Prospect Heights, IL 60070
Phone: 847-749-0633
Fax: 847-749-2445
Email: info@heimatecinc.com
Website: www.heimatecinc.com

Connect with Heimatec Inc:

Straight and angle head styles available for all popular machine tools; now offered on all tools in company’s current line

Heimatec, a world leader in live tools, angle and multi-spindle drill heads, today announces immediate availability of its newest development, a coolant-thru feature on all the company’s current line items.

Coolant-thru technology is often the answer for faster, cleaner cutting on larger and deeper parts, where the chips and excess heat build-up are significant challenges. Heimatec now offers high-pressure coolant-thru designs up to 1000 psi on straight and 2000 psi on angle head tools.

Company president Preben Hansen comments, “Production drilling should almost always be done with internal coolant tools and this development means we’ll be able to satisfy more customer needs in that area.”

A full range of styles and pressures is available immediately, according to the company.

Heimatec literature is offered, fully detailing all products available, both with and without this coolant-thru feature.

For further information and literature, or to arrange a demo on this new line, please contact:

Preben Hansen, President
HEIMATEC INC.
16 E. Piper Lane Suite 129
Prospect Heights, IL 60070
Phone: 847-749-0633
Fax: 847-749-2445
Email: info@heimatecinc.com
Website: www.heimatecinc.com

Connect with Heimatec Inc:

Fond du Lac, Wisconsin tooling supplier and metal stamper uses press and diework relationship with Heim to further develop its business, enter new markets and prosper

Deep draw gear cover entirely produced by Ultratech, ready to assemble at Amarillo Gear

Covers for Corvette brake assemblies made by Brembo

Ultratech Tool & Design Inc. (Fond du Lac, Wisconsin) began as a tool shop in 1990 (happy 25^th anniversary!), serving the small engine manufacturing sector, Over the course of the past seven to ten years, the company has been supplying stampings from its 32-ton to 600-ton presses, with products ranging from simple washers to complex automotive and aerospace components.  As President Bill Melang notes, “We took the tooling expertise we had from the start and built the business around it.  This approach gave us the ability to see our customers’ challenges from the inside and help them find better solutions for their own production.” Major manufacturers in industries such as automotive, consumer goods, electrical products and aerospace populate the ranks of Ultratech’s North American customer base.

GM Sierra dust shields

All jobs begin here with the tool design.  Ultratech uses Solidworks and Logopress software to produce its designs, then interacts with its customers in that fluid exchange of ideas, engineering suggestions and production fine tuning that creates the finished product.  That product is made entirely in-house at Ultratech on the latest CNC machines and CMM test equipment.   Melang comments, “We try our best to stay ahead of the competition with our machine tools and design protocols, using the best technology available in the market.”  Sensor selection on the dies, for example, is performed in the shop’s sensor lab, where simulation of the die-in-press scenario translates to a tool that is less likely to crash, plus Ultratech produces dies with complex in-die tapping and nut/stud insertion capabilities, as well as lamination dies.

Welding operations

Out on the production floor, another key reason for the shop’s success stands at the center of the operation.  Back in 2002, according to Melang, the company formed a working relationship with The Heim Group (Chicago, Illinois), buying their first Heim press.  Today, there is an 80-ton Heim OBS with 5000 lb. feed line, plus a 500-ton Heim Maxi-Stamper with 10,000 lb. feed and a 600-ton Heim Maxi-Stamper with 20,000 lb. feed.  Complementing this equipment is a full resistance welding, heat treating and assembly cell operation.   Ultratech also supplies its customers a range of finishing and part coating options to facilitate ready-to-assemble requirements.

PEM riveting operations

Describing the partnership his company enjoys with Heim, Bill Melang observes, “Back in 2002, we bought our first Heim press.  It was an older machine and Heim helped us with a rebuild.  Since that time, we’ve developed a value-adding relationship with Heim, as they’ve provided us considerable assistance with press utilization and maintenance advice, while I think we’ve also been helpful to them with die design ideas.”

Heim President Katie Heim further comments, “Our relationship with Ultratech has benefited both our companies, over the years.  As our industry knows, the die dictates the press and we’ve worked closely with Bill and his team, as this particular customer’s knowledge of die design and performance characteristics in the press has created a real synergy with our engineers, who bring decades of press design and die handling mechanics to the task.  The fact that Ultratech also has some of the nicest people in the industry, starting with Bill, is the icing on the cake, so to speak,” Katie remarks.

Galvanized stakes for hold downs on a satellite receiver

This American-made press builder, Katie notes, is quite often asked for a turnkey system of press, die and coil handling equipment, including complex die and part handling mechanisms, in a single package.  She observes, “The knowledge we’ve shared with and acquired from Ultratech has made us both stronger players in the market today.”   She added that the decline in the workforce numbers and equipment manufacturers based in America has created the need for companies such as Heim to be more pro-active in the turnkey area, as customers today seek this assistance on a much more frequent basis than previously occurred.

Heim 80-ton stamping press at Ultratech

Katie Heim is third generation owner of the business, which has built presses in Chicago for nearly 70 years and today boasts over 55,000 machines in the global stamping market.

Heim produces presses to 1000 tons and also supplies coil handling, part transfer mechanisms and complete die systems in turnkey packages for customers worldwide.

Ultratech is an ISO 9001:2008 certified supplier and is currently advancing to the TS automotive specification that will enhance the company’s involvement as a supplier to that industry.   The shop employs 25 people, including the next generation, as Bill Melang’s son is in the business and has recently completed a plant expansion of 30,000 square feet.

Lastly, Bill Melang mentioned the assistance he’s received from Jack Best and Tony Mase at Heim.  “There isn’t a single question we’ve thrown their way that went unanswered.  They do what they say they’ll do and that gives us great confidence in their abilities to handle our very fast-paced variety of needs for presses and support engineering.”

For more information on this story, please contact:

Bill Melang, President
ULTRATECH TOOL & DESIGN INC.
1210 Scott Street
Fond du Lac, WI 54936-0548
Phone: 920-922-0257
www.ultratechtooldesign.com
bmelang@ultratechtooldesign.com

OR

Katie Heim, President
THE HEIM GROUP
6360 W. 73^rd St.
Chicago, IL 60638
Phone: 08-496-7400
www.theheimgroup.com
katie@theheimgroup.com

AIT uses Siemens highly integrated solutions platform, with SIMATIC Safety PLC, Sinamics drives and Simotion motion control over the PROFINET network, to go above & beyond to improve performance & productivity for Boeing’s Dreamliner fuselage assembly process

Advanced Integration Technology (AIT) is a 20-year-old supplier of turnkey industrial automation systems for the aerospace industry.  The company’s strength centers on the design and build of complex, fully integrated manufacturing, tooling and assembly systems for commercial and military aircraft, produced by the world’s leading suppliers, including Boeing, Bombardier, EADS, British Aerospace, Lockheed Martin, Spirit AeroSystems, Vought and others.  Its reputation as an established partner to these companies is well known, despite its relative corporate youth.  AIT operates six locations in the U.S., Canada, Sweden and Spain to serve its growing customer base.

All actions in each section are controlled and monitored by Siemens SIMOTION motion controllers, SINAMICS drives, failsafe CPU, safety devices and distributed I/O, working either independently or in concert, as the production requires

On a recent project involving production of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, AIT designed and built all final body assembly systems needed to join the major fuselage components, plus a moving production line.  Key elements in this design included the motion control system, servo drive platforms, failsafe CPUs and all distributed I/O, with the entire system communicating over a Profinet network.  In addition, the integration of comprehensive safety technology was incorporated into the standard automation on these systems.

As a prime contractor on the 787, AIT had responsibility for the final assembly and body join functions, charged with delivering a fully automated positioning and joining system.  In the end, two complete assembly systems and one positioning system were provided.  The three main sections of the fuselage are joined, with 14 positioners mounted to transport structures that move either independently or interlocked and indexed to the factory floor for stability.  Real-time positioning measurement data are logged with an integrated indoor GPS.  AIT designed the alignment and positioning systems to allow rolling them under the aircraft dollies after the sections were brought into the Boeing factory, radically reducing auxiliary equipment needs, materials handling requirements and additional positioning steps in the overall process.

Onsite at Boeing, the 14 positioning system components were moved into their respective locations near the cradle dollies and engaged to lift and move the aircraft sections.  Once the system was rigidly joined, a measurement system onboard located the airplane sections.  This information was fed to the AIT system’s software application.  From those data points, the system could then calculate how much each section (nose, tail, left and right wings) needed to move to ensure an exact fit to the adjoining section.  This precise alignment ensured a smooth and more rapid build of each aircraft’s fuselage.

In commenting on the particulars of this system’s requirements for his company, Ed Chalupa, president of AIT, explains, “We looked for a supplier with an off-the-shelf selection of automation and motion control solutions, who could offer us global support.  Our goal here was to align ourselves with a leading automation technology supplier and to utilize all current software, integrated safety and control technology advancements.  Both Boeing and AIT were keenly sensitive to lifecycle security issues in this critical area of the project.”  He further noted that it was vital the chosen supplier be able to provide comprehensive application engineering support, training on both the products and software, plus prototype and demo equipment for AIT’s use with its customer and internally, with ongoing technical support agreements, covering both the products and software updates.

After an extensive review of several global contenders, the selection was made for Siemens control system components.

Click to view -> schematic shows the independent but interconnected nature of the control platforms for each section.  The Siemens SCALANCE wireless technology is used for system switching.

Section 47 (aft fuselage) of 787 in AITs FBJ

The basic scheme of the motion control system implemented here comprises a Simotion D motion controller, Siemens HMI on a Windows-based PC, a SIMATIC S7 Safety PLC and fail-safe/standard I/O modules, all running on a Profinet network.  This basic architecture was then multiplied by the number of control nodes for each specific operational system in the overall production line being designed by AIT.  Each unit is capable of working independently of the others in the line.  Or, with the addition of relatively few Profinet cables and mode selctions on each unit, the final body join assembly tool is able to run as a single entity.  When running together in this latter configuration, the safety devices are likewise working coherently, providing proper response levels to all E-stop events on the line.  Each unit motion controller receives commands to perform uniform group movements with the tool as a whole via network communications from the HMI.

Specifically, the Siemens Simotion D motion controller used here controls all axis movements to accurately position and align parts.  Because AIT delivers a turnkey and dedicated system, customers have no need for further internal customization of the controller hardware or HMI panels.

Position 2 full FBJ tool

AIT designed the overall layout of the control architecture, programmed the Simotion system with the Simatic S7 PLC, distributed I/O and integrated safety, plus provided support on the Boeing internal structure and lifecycle support requirements.

The integrated safety concept on this overall system was based upon three core principles:  increasingly layered safety architectures, greater degrees of integration between the control and safety systems, plus more use of networking, especially Industrial Ethernet and currently available motion technologies.

In operational sequence, these safety principles manifest themselves in the form of physical barriers and mechanical means such as walls, gates, door interlocks and light curtains, all designed to separate personnel from danger.  Meanwhile, the control systems, including programmable safety relays and safety PLCs, monitor operating conditions within established parameters.  Finally, safety shutdown systems such as automatic shutdown via safety PLC or manual shutdown via E-stops, offer the final protections.

FBJ showing wing trivet for wing join

Siemens engineered a safety protocol that simplified the complexity often encountered in the integration of control and safety systems.  This was achieved by reducing the issues related to different programming languages and procedures, installation and configuration requirements, maintenance procedures and human error factors.  The result for AIT and its customer Boeing was lower total cost of ownership (TCO), owing to the substantial reduction in engineering, hardware, training and spare parts needed.

With integrated safety and control, the project has a single system for standard and safe automation, with one bus and one engineering system for both standard and safety technology, which further reduces cost.  As a collateral benefit, the software solutions allow easier replication of series machines.   Likewise, faster troubleshooting and extensive diagnostics onboard reduce downtimes on the floor, with faster restart after issue resolution.  Functionally, too, this safety integration in the control system allows uniform user interfaces and data libraries, plus a reduction in the variety of control cabinets needed for the various applications.

PROFIsafe®, the first communication safety-profile meeting the IEC 61508 safety requirements, is the backbone of all fail-safe communication.  PROFIsafe® facilitates the transmission of both standard and safety-related data on a single bus cable, using either Ethernet or fieldbus protocol.   With advanced PLC and Industrial Ethernet networking technologies combined, the system safety for AIT and its customer became a production asset that protects the workers from harm and also ensures maximum availability and uptime.   Reductions in initial capital expense and field operating expense were also realized.

Final assembly of first 787

According to AIT engineering, SIMATIC Safety PLC brought the highest possible integration of safety and ease of designing a complex system into the automation scenario for this project.

In the field, the final assembly and body join automated assembly systems, plus positioning system provided to Boeing, are utilized to join Section 41 (forward fuselage), Sections 47/48 (aft fuselage) and Section 12 (left and right side wings) to the mid-fuselage of the 787 Dreamliner aircraft.  Two major sub-assemblies, namely the forward/aft body positioners and left/right wing positioners, are further split for transport into left- and right-hand minor sub-assemblies.

Motion Control, advanced PLC systems and industrial Ethernet networking technologies have enabled machine safety to become a production asset that not only protects workers from harm but also ensures maximum availability and uptime.

Machine Safety gives a competitive edge that goes to producers with highly integrated operations that are faster, more flexible and more responsive to changing market demands and opportunities, as AIT has shown in Boeing’s Dreamliner fuselage assembly process.

AIT designs and manufactures custom tooling and assembly equipment used to fabricate and assemble major commercial and military aircraft.  As part of its total value proposition, AIT houses over 600,000 square feet for engineering, precision metal fabrication, machining and assembly of its production systems.  The company’s equipment is typically used for assembly as well as machining of all the current aircraft structure materials, including aluminum, aluminum alloys, titanium, carbon fiber, Invar and many specialty alloys and composite substrates. 

For further information on this story, please contact:

ADVANCED INTEGRATION TECHNOLOGY (AIT)
2805 E. Plano Pkwy.
Suite 100
Plano, TX 75074
Phone:  972-423-8354
Fax:  972-423-8469
Web:  www.aint.com
Email:  ait@aint.com
Attention:  Ed Chalupa, President or Susan Hardaway, Marketing Mgr.

OR

SIEMENS INDUSTRY, INC.
MOTION CONTROL
PRODUCTION MACHINE BUSINESS
390 Kent Avenue
Elk Grove Village, IL 60007
Phone: 847-640-1595
Fax: 847-437-0784
Web:  www.usa.siemens.com/simotion
Email:  SiemensMTBUMarCom.sea@siemens.com
Attention:  John Meyer, Manager, Marketing Communications

Follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/siemens.dt.us or Twitter: www.twitter.com/siemens_dt_us

—

Siemens Industry Sector is the world’s leading supplier of innovative and environmentally friendly products, solutions and services for industrial customers. With end-to-end automation technology and industrial software, solid vertical-market expertise, and technology-based services, the sector enhances its customers’ productivity, efficiency and flexibility. With a global workforce of more than 100,000 employees, the Industry Sector comprises the Industry Automation, Drive Technologies and Customer Services Divisions as well as the Metals Technologies Business Unit. For more information, visit http://www.usa.siemens.com/industry.

The Siemens Drive Technologies Division is the world’s leading supplier of products, systems, applications, solutions and services for the entire drive train, with electrical and mechanical components. Drive Technologies serves all vertical markets in the production and process industries as well as the infrastructure/energy segment. With its products and solutions, the division enables its customers to achieve productivity, energy efficiency and reliability. For more information, visit http://www.usa.siemens.com/drivetechnologies.

Major Tool & Machine, Inc. retrofitted two of their machining centers in 2010 changing to a CNC technology platform that was completely new to the company. Ten more such large-scale retrofits have followed, bringing increased enthusiasm, momentum and productivity.

Major Tool & Machine has been on track to retrofit over a dozen of its giant milling and turning machines within just two years, all supported by a new Siemens CNC platform. MTM’s management says the process has been an empowering experience for the company.

CNC upgrade enhances performance and precision

Major Tool & Machine (MTM) is a large job shop, producing precision milled and turned hardware throughout the company’s 500,000 square foot Indiana facility. Performance is essential, because MTM contracts with aerospace, energy, nuclear and defense companies on many mission-critical, one-off projects. Owner and CEO Steve Weyreter will tell you openly, MTM is more competitive by way of a significant CNC technology change, starting with an aggressive retrofit strategy.

Günther Zimmermann, CNC Controls Engineer at MTM, says the company’s retrofit program and the decision to change to the Siemens SINUMERIK CNC platform have brought a new enthusiasm and momentum to the company. Over the last two years the change has also brought significant time and cost reductions, especially in the areas of programming, maintenance engineering, and machine operations.

“The initial goal in early 2010 was to retrofit two Cincinnati U5 Gantry machines,” Zimmermann recounts. “We evaluated two CNC technology platforms and after considerable analysis our CEO Steve Weyreter announced that Siemens would best support the company’s future.”

The decision to reduce costs by moving to a single CNC platform was the least difficult decision for the company to make, Zimmermann explains. The larger challenge for MTM was the integration of a new CNC technology platform that was new to the company.

Bill Henderson, MTM’s manager of large machining and maintenance, agrees that the decision to change to a Siemens CNC platform integrated with advanced part and tool probing was critical, because the shop manages constant changeovers from one complex job to the next, making setup times a critical time/cost constraint for the company. Another big advantage is the increased flexibility by only having to train machinists and maintenance personnel on one type of control.

Henderson went on to say “the decision to change to a new control has signaled higher expectations for the company, along with new challenges for those who program, operate and maintain the company’s big machines.

Naturally, there’s a resistance to change,” Henderson says. “People are comfortable with what they normally run, but after our discussions with the people on the plant floor, they understood the overall objective. Our retrofit program is not finished, yet it’s already showing tremendous benefits.”

An advantage MTM gained by its retrofit strategy has been the ability to interchange heads and rotary tables from machine to machine. Easy-to- use head storage and tool management programming provided by the Siemens CNC platform support the new interchange capability.

Retrofitter Doug Huber says having Siemens as a new CNC technology partner has made a difference for Major Tool & Machine, but it’s also been an evolutionary uplift for his own retrofitting company, Indiana Automation.

“Indiana Automation has increasingly retrofit using Siemens controls in recent years, Huber explains. “On a retrofit, we always try to exceed what the original machine could do, and that’s just kind of inherent when you put on a Siemens 840D. Major Tool’s first retrofits were the Cincinnati U5 machines, a bridge model and two gantry models. These are five-axis machines and five-axis is the 840D’s forte. The processing power of the control is so much better, that it just whips through the blocks faster. So right off, cycle time is a major performance enhancement.”

Huber says something else happened this time. As his firm finished retrofitting the first three giant machines with Siemens five-axis controls, drives and motors, the reaction within the company was not just that the machines were now predictably more efficient, but that they performed as very different machines. A new advantage is the ability to interchange machining heads from machine-to-machine, and all driven by the Siemens CNC platform.

Central to MTM’s retrofit program has been the Siemens SINUMERIK 840D sl control, which features the SINUMERIK Operate interface. The highly intuitive interface enables both programmers and operators to easily capitalize on the broad capabilities of the control.

“On many of the U5 machines, the axes come off with the heads,” Huber explains, “and we rebuilt these machines to accept any one of three different heads. That’s one of Major Tool’s key strategies. They insist on having flexible machine capabilities, so that they can run all kinds of different parts. They have straight heads for serious metal cutting, contour heads for five-axis work and finesse work. They have 90-degree heads for more flexibility than a straight head, but it’s also not as fragile as the contour head. And they wanted to interchange all of these heads to automatically go pick up a head out of the shuttle and, on the fly, reconfigure the axes and the zero positions. To do this, the compensation tables all had to be updated. Everything needed to be done with the macro program so that each head came on ready to run.”

The interchangeable head strategy was a challenge, Huber says, because the machines were not originally capable of sharing heads. But with support from Siemens, the strategy has worked, including the ability to interchange rotary tables as well as heads. “Each head or rotary table has a configuration file that has all the settings and compensations and travels with it from machine to machine. So now when you mount that head the control just runs the configuration file that goes with it and its all set up for you. We also incorporated Siemens Tool Management for each machine’s 60-pocket tool chain. We used the feature on these machines to manage all the different tooling MTM uses, both in the automatic tool changer as well as the ones manually loaded.”

Huber says, “MTM’s ability to smoothly transition to more advanced CNC is largely due to the HMI’s ease of use. The Operate interface is a huge help to us and to Major Tool. The HMI helps make better parts. And it didn’t take very long for the operators to fall in love with it.”

Programming as easy as 1-2-3: Using the SINUMERIK Operate interface, a machinist can turn on coolant flow by 1) pressing Cycle Stop to stop the machine, 2) Coolant On, and 3) Restart.

“I had never used a Siemens control before,” admits MTM machinist Mike Burthay. “I have extensive knowledge of G-code and CNC controls and I would say the Siemens 840D sl with the Operate interface is the easiest one I’ve ever run. It’s user friendly, that’s exactly the words for it.”

Burthay reports several ways in which the Siemens SINUMERIK Operate interface has made his life easier. “There’s not as much G-code,” he says. “The control does it all for you as long as you put in the parameters as to size, length, width. Then once you’re in Job Mode, there’s a screen where you can tool change or jog the machine around to certain positions, or turn the spindle on, turn the coolant on, anything that traditionally required G-code. So now you can push a cycle stop button to pause the machine, enter a change such as turning coolant on, then restart the program.

“Another function I love is Block Search, which allows me to start or restart right in the middle of a program. Say you’re finishing a pocket and you have to run the tool two or three times to get a tight tolerance, I can enter in a line number and hit Block Search, the control picks up every line before that, restarts the spindle and everything for you.”

Burthay says the Siemens control also enables him to program parts right on the machine whenever necessary, using a simple yet robust program called ShopMill. “I can go into ShopMill, type in some parameters and it will kick out that G-code program for me automatically. Say I want to drill a hole two inches deep. I open ShopMill, pick my tool, tell it the depth and these steps are all interactive on the screen. It even shows me 3D motion images of the tool path, confirms the drill going down as expected into the part. So I hit go and it puts a drill cycle into the program for me.”

Programmed for collaborative growth

Lead Programmer, Tim Hayden, has from the beginning conducted all processor setups for the newly retrofitted machines. Hayden says integrating the Siemens CNC platform has been an empowering experience he had not expected, given the fact that he had never before set up a post processor to run a Siemens control, nor had he ever before operated a Siemens control.

“Now, when I look at the Siemens control, I think man, it would have been so much better to have had it all along,” Hayden says, “because the other control I’ve been using is just a lot more cryptic. The Siemens control with the SINUMERIK Operate interface is more powerful for writing macros and the language seems modern, whereas the other control seems like it is still based on an old FORTRAN type language.”

Work offsets for compound angles can be scaled and rotated using the Frames function of the Siemens SINUMERIK Operate interface. Many advanced machining operations can be managed simply, without the use of time-intensive manual G-code programming.

Hayden points to the Frames coordinate and offset programming function of the Siemens interface as an example of improved programming convenience.

“We do a lot of work on compound angles,” Hayden explains, “and with the Siemens Frames function, you can scale and rotate your coordinate system on the control, just plug it in with your work offsets. Whereas, on the other control you will see a G54 request, you’ve got to enter G-code. You can’t just plug it into your work offsets like you can with the Siemens control.”

Hayden says the SINUMERIK Operate interface brings greater programming flexibility. The HMI enables him to enter G-code using a comparatively more advanced manual data entry (MDI) function; however the HMI has all but eliminated the need for G-code entry by way of its intuitive design and evolved capabilities.

Another example of such HMI evolution is in the area of data management.

“When we post a program, we no longer have to use a G-code based MDI,” Hayden explains. “We no longer need to type in T= and enter a nine digit number and then enter M6 to make a tool change. With the Operate HMI, you pick your tool off a screen and hit cycle start. It’s just as easy to program going to a position. Instead of doing things the old way by typing G0X0Y0Z0 into the MDI, you open the Operate interface, click position, then click how you want to wrap it and then you just type the numbers into those fields. So it’s a lot more user friendly.”

Hayden says the Siemens CNC platform has supported greater collaboration at MTM between him and the machinists, and this is helping the company find ways to increase performance and efficiency. He agrees with his coworkers’ assessments that shorter setup times and greater operator freedom are making a significant difference.

“One of our production bottlenecks has been programming,” Hayden says. “The machinists that run our machines are professionals, they’re not button pushers, and with the SINUMERIK Operate interface, we can now rely on them to control and program certain parts right on their machines, while we programmers work on the more complex projects.”

“Siemens was the best fit for all of us,” Hayden concludes. “Siemens CNC is set up as an open control, and with that kind of flexibility, it seems anything is possible.”

For more information on Siemens SINUMERIK CNC, visit www.usa.siemens.com/cnc.

For specific product information and inquiries, call (800) 879-8079 ext. Marketing Communications or send an e-mail to: SiemensMTBUMarCom.industry@siemens.com.

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Siemens Industry Sector is the world’s leading supplier of innovative and environmentally friendly products, solutions and services for industrial customers. With end-to-end automation technology and industrial software, solid vertical-market expertise, and technology-based services, the sector enhances its customers’ productivity, efficiency and flexibility. With a global workforce of more than 100,000 employees, the Industry Sector comprises the Industry Automation, Drive Technologies and Customer Services Divisions as well as the Metals Technologies Business Unit. For more information, visit http://www.usa.siemens.com/industry.

The Siemens Drive Technologies Division is the world’s leading supplier of products, systems, applications, solutions and services for the entire drive train, with electrical and mechanical components. Drive Technologies serves all vertical markets in the production and process industries as well as the infrastructure/energy segment. With its products and solutions, the division enables its customers to achieve productivity, energy efficiency and reliability. For more information, visit http://www.usa.siemens.com/drivetechnologies.