Contact us today:
(847) 934-4500
tdaro@bernardandcompany.com
Contact us today:
(847) 934-4500
tdaro@bernardandcompany.com
The Scalance MUM856-1 – the first industrial 5G router from Siemens – is now available for the U.S. market. The device connects local industrial applications to public 5G and 4G (LTE) mobile wireless networks. The router can be used to remotely monitor and service plants, machines, control elements and other industrial devices via a public 5G network flexibly and with high data transmission rates. Demand for this type of solution is growing in all industries. The device also integrates into private 5G networks. The Scalance MUM856-1 supports future-oriented applications such as mobile robots in manufacturing, autonomous vehicles in logistics or augmented reality applications for service technicians. Featuring a robust IP65 housing, this Siemens router can also be used outside the control cabinet, for example, under harsh conditions in production or in outdoor facilities in the water industry.
To ensure the powerful connection of Ethernet-based subnetworks and automation devices, the Scalance MUM856-1 supports Release 16 of the 5G standard. This device offers high bandwidths of up to 1000 Mbps for the downlink and up to 500 Mbps for the uplink providing high throughput for data-intensive applications such as remote implementation of firmware updates. Thanks to IPv6 support, the device can also be implemented in modern communication networks. Best-in-class security functions are included to monitor data traffic and protect against unauthorized access in, for example, an integrated firewall as well as authentication of communication devices and encryption of data transmission via VPN.
Where there is no available 5G network, the device switches automatically to 4G networks. The first release version of this new Siemens router has support for U.S. Mobile Network operators as well as the CBRS spectrum; other versions with different licenses are currently in development. With the SINEMA Remote Connect management platform for VPN connections, users can securely access remote plants or machines easily – even if they are integrated in other networks. The software also offers easy management and auto-configuration of the devices.
Successful use of prototypes for private 5G networks
Along with connectivity to public networks, Scalance MUM856-1 also supports integration into private 5G campus networks. Siemens is testing this use case in its own Automotive Showroom and Test Center in a prototype of a standalone 5G test network, which is based on Siemens components. The 5G infrastructure used here comprises a 5G core, a distributed unit and several radio units. Siemens has also built another prototype of a private 5G infrastructure in its plants in Amberg and Karlsruhe, Germany. In these systems, Siemens is relying exclusively on its own independently developed products and solutions, which will be available in the U.S. market in the future. Today, Siemens has private 5G systems running in a customer digital experience center known as MxD in Chicago.
Background info
In today’s industrial landscape in addition to the need for local wireless connectivity, there is an increasing demand for secure remote access to machines and plants. In these cases, communication is usually over long distances. Public mobile networks can be used to access devices that are located at a considerable distance.
Service technicians can connect to the machines they need to service via the mobile network while traveling, making public 5G networks an important element of remote access and remote servicing solutions. The public networks can be used to provide users with very high bandwidths in urban areas with small radio cells and high frequencies.
In rural areas, radio cells need to cover a large area, which is why lower frequencies are used. Particularly at the edges of radio cells such as LTE, there are often significant losses in terms of both the bandwidth and stability of the communication connection. “For companies requiring reliable service in remote areas, such as in water stations or electric power sub-stations, there is a need for solutions with stable bandwidth transmission for remote servicing or video transmission,” explains Joel Green, Business Development Manager for Wireless and Remote Networks at Siemens Digital Industries. “With innovative 5G communications technologies, considerably more bandwidth with greater reliability is available at the edges of radio cells, while the average data rate for users within a radio cell increases.”
Siemens Digital Industries (DI) is an innovation leader in automation and digitalization. Closely collaborating with partners and customers, DI drives the digital transformation in the process and discrete industries. With its Digital Enterprise portfolio, DI provides companies of all sizes with an end-to-end set of products, solutions and services to integrate and digitalize the entire value chain. Optimized for the specific needs of each industry, DI’s unique portfolio supports customers to achieve greater productivity and flexibility. DI is constantly adding innovations to its portfolio to integrate cutting-edge future technologies. Siemens Digital Industries has its global headquarters in Nuremberg, Germany, and has around 75,000 employees internationally.
Siemens Corporation is a U.S. subsidiary of Siemens AG, a global powerhouse focusing on the areas of power generation and distribution, intelligent infrastructure for buildings and distributed energy systems, and automation and digitalization in the process and manufacturing industries. Through the separately managed company Siemens Mobility, a leading supplier of smart mobility solutions for rail and road transport, Siemens is shaping Siemens USA reported revenue of $23.7 billion, including $5.0 billion in exports, and employs approximately 50,000 people throughout all 50 states and Puerto Rico.
The Siemens Machine Tool Business sadly announces the death of Randy Pearson, 70, on May 21, 2024 in Reno, Nevada, following a long battle with lung cancer. Randy had recently retired after more than 20 years with Siemens, where he served as dealer support manager … and much more.
Randy Pearson, 1954-2024
As Motion Control group VP Rajas Sukthankar notes, “When I think of Randy, I think of my good fortune in life to work with an individual that cared as passionately and deeply about his work as I do. I first met Randy when he was hired as an application engineer at Hyundai Machine Tools in 1995. Our association went back over two decades. I had the chance to work with him as both a customer and a valued Siemens employee. As a skilled machinist himself, Randy trained and educated a generation of new machinists in his career. I treasure the time I spent working with Randy and will miss his infectious laugh and energy.”
Randy’s associate in machine tool training at Siemens, Chris Pollack, recalls, “I was always amazed how he remembered everyone’s name. Walking around a trade show with Randy was like being with the mayor of the town. Everyone knew him and, more importantly, he knew everyone. He was always there to help others and he surely helped me a lot in my career.”
Marion Kica, executive assistant at the Siemens Machine Tool headquarters in Elk Grove Village, IL adds, “He always brightened my day with his humor and good cheer, plus he was there to handle all the engineering questions callers would have. He was a kind, supportive friend who took his responsibilities very seriously but could still find humor in life’s ups and downs.”
John Meyer, head of marketing communications for the motion control group, was a close associate of Randy’s throughout all his years at Siemens. He notes, “As a marketer, when I came to Siemens, I had a challenge to learn about machine tools and manufacturing technologies such as CNC. I wasn’t an engineer, so Randy took me under his wing to teach me what I needed to know to be successful in my career. It became a technical education over 20+ years and I’m very thankful for the knowledge Randy instilled in me.”
During his long career in the machine tool industry, Randy served as an applications engineer or sales manager at such leading companies as Bridgeport, Toyoda, ROMI, Kitamura and Hyundai, as well as machine tool dealer Iverson & Company.
Always willing to share the talents he possessed, Randy authored regular CNC expert advice columns that appeared in several machine tool magazines, over the years. He brought a wealth of technical expertise in CNC technology along with his hands-on practical experience as a machinist, when giving his help to the industry.
A native of Chicago, Randy and his wife Susan, whom he met when they both worked at Bridgeport, were married 34 years and had two children.
Following in his dad’s footsteps, Randy’s son Jeremy has now been with DMG machine tools for 10 years.
After his retirement from Siemens, Randy and Susan decided to “go west” and landed in Reno.
A memorial service for Randy Pearson will be held at 11 AM Central on July 13 at United Methodist Church in Roselle, IL. Donations can be made to the American Cancer Society at www.cancer.org or the American Lung Association at www.lung.org.
Bringing together a number of its hardware automation, digitalization software and services, Siemens will present the new path towards digitalization for machine tool users and machine builders
At the upcoming IMTS 2024 in Chicago, September 9–14, Siemens will present its extensive machine tool CNC portfolio and digitalization software technology, highlighted by the digital native SINUMERIK ONE control platform for machining applications. Also, using a sports theme of “Speed, Agility and Endurance,” aimed at the machine shop on its path to digitalization, Siemens will introduce MACHINUM to the North American market. MACHINUM brings together machine tool controls, digitalization software and machine shop services from Siemens to help manufacturers optimize their production processes, to provide agility for quick adaptation to changing customer requirements and calculated uptime needs, plus enable digitally proven endurance to maximize the productivity of the entire machine shop or production department.
Detailing the elements of MACHINUM:
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.
Agility
Through strategic digitalization and software that seamlessly integrates the machine tool CNC systems and a shop’s internal communications, MACHINUM can significantly boost the agility of a machine shop or production department to accommodate changes in design, quantity output and even machining characteristics, based upon customer input and overall production and workflow landscape characteristics.
Endurance
Continuing the sports theme, over the long “run”, MACHINUM enables a heightened level of maintenance capability with leading “edge” machine monitoring that 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.
MACHINUM also offers substantial benefits to machine builders, as 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, all in a virtual world. MACHINUM also represents the integration of existing Siemens digitalization software such as Create MyVirtual Machine, Run MyVirtual Machine, Adaptive Control and Monitoring (ACM), Analyze MyWorkpiece and Manage MyMachines.
Under the theme “Empowering the Digital Machine Shop”, Siemens will display its digital threads, from blueprint to finished part, digital twin to simulation, part production, as well as the total integration of these processes into the digital factory for job shops and production departments, all brought to life by Siemens hardware automation and digitalization software.
eRod Continues Its Path
Building off the successful rollout of its eRod “electric buggy” at IMTS 2022, Siemens will further demonstrate the end-to-end production of the aluminum wheel rim and gear housing for this electric vehicle on display in the booth. The wheel rim is made by traditional 5-axis and multi-technology machining (mill-turn, turn-mill) and the gear housing is manufactured through additive/subtractive machining processes. At every stage of each part’s development, including machining, displays will take visitors through the digital manufacturing process. From the popular Siemens NX CAM software, which enables the use of 3D models, data and processes to seamlessly connect planning and shopfloor operations, to the powerful SINUMERIK ONE, the digital-native CNC that permits a digital twin of the machine tool and its full operation in production, Siemens has streamlined machine shop operations as well as leading automotive, aerospace, off-highway, medical part and myriad consumer durable production facilities worldwide.
Additional highlights of the Siemens booth will include:
Aimed at developing a complete eco-system for the machine tool builder and end-user, the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio brings together the breadth of engineering and manufacturing to provide the optimum solution for customers of any size in any industry.
Digitalization solutions will shorten the machine tool builder’s time-to-market through Digital Twin technology, where all machine design and operational kinematics are simulated prior to the machine being built. This development enables substantial savings for the builder and end-user alike — not only in the design, building and commissioning, but also during the startup and training phases of machine implementation.
With SINUMERIK ONE, Siemens is accelerating the digital transformation of the machine tool industry. The new CNC control platform works with software to create the machine controller and the associated digital twin from a single engineering system and thus contributes to the total integration of hardware and software. Thanks to its seamless interaction between the virtual and real worlds, including high-performance PLC, drive and motor hardware, SINUMERIK ONE is setting new standards in terms of productivity, performance and digitalization. It is the future-proof machine controller in the increasingly digital world of manufacturing.
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.
Finally, a fun highlight at this year’s show, Siemens will hold a golf putting contest and raffle two putters twice daily during IMTS 2024. The putter heads will be machined utilizing Siemens CNC hardware automation and digitalization software and feature custom engraving.
For more information about Siemens at IMTS 2024, please visit: https://usa.siemens.com/imts
For more information about the new MACHINUM portfolio, please visit: https://usa.siemens.com/machinum
Siemens Digital Industries (DI) is an innovation leader in automation and digitalization. Closely collaborating with partners and customers, DI drives the digital transformation in the process and discrete industries. With its Digital Enterprise portfolio, DI provides companies of all sizes with an end-to-end set of products, solutions and services to integrate and digitalize the entire value chain. Optimized for the specific needs of each industry, DI’s unique portfolio supports customers to achieve greater productivity and flexibility. DI is constantly adding innovations to its portfolio to integrate cutting-edge future technologies. Siemens Digital Industries has its global headquarters in Nuremberg, Germany, and has around 75,000 employees internationally.
Siemens Corporation is a U.S. subsidiary of Siemens AG, a global powerhouse focusing on the areas of power generation and distribution, intelligent infrastructure for buildings and distributed energy systems, and automation and digitalization in the process and manufacturing industries. Through the separately managed company Siemens Mobility, a leading supplier of smart mobility solutions for rail and road transport, Siemens is shaping the world market for passenger and freight services. Due to its majority stakes in the publicly listed companies Siemens Healthineers AG and Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy, Siemens is also a world-leading supplier of medical technology and digital healthcare services as well as environmentally friendly solutions for onshore and offshore wind power generation. For more than 160 years, the company has innovated and invented technologies to support American industry spanning manufacturing, energy, healthcare and infrastructure. In fiscal 2018, Siemens USA reported revenue of $23.7 billion, including $5.0 billion in exports, and employs approximately 50,000 people throughout all 50 states and Puerto Rico.
Production facilities are increasingly the targets of cyberattacks. Industrial companies are therefore required to identify and close potential vulnerabilities in their systems. To address the need to identify cybersecurity vulnerabilities on the shop floor as quickly as possible, Siemens has launched a new cybersecurity software-as-a-service.
The cloud-based SINEC Security Guard offers automated vulnerability mapping and security management optimized for industrial operators in OT environments. The software can automatically assign known cybersecurity vulnerabilities to the production assets of industrial companies. This allows industrial operators and automation experts who don’t have dedicated cybersecurity expertise to identify cybersecurity risks among their OT assets on the shop floor and receive a risk- based threat analysis. The software then recommends and prioritizes mitigation measures. Defined mitigation measures can also be planned and tracked by the tool’s integrated task management. SINEC Security Guard is offered as cybersecurity software-as-a-service (“SaaS”), is hosted by Siemens and will be available for purchase in July, 2024 on the Siemens Xcelerator Marketplace and on the Siemens Digital Exchange.
Increasing protection by reducing manual effort
“With SINEC Security Guard, customers can focus their resources on the most urgent and relevant vulnerabilities, while having full risk transparency in their factory. It is unique because it takes the specific situation of the customer’s operational environment into consideration while providing a single pane of glass for security- relevant information in the OT area,” says Dirk Didascalou, CTO of Siemens Digital Industries. “When developing the SINEC Security Guard, we drew on our extensive experience with cybersecurity in our own factories.”
Today, industrial operators are tasked with continuously safeguarding their production assets on the shop floor. They need to analyze vendor security advisories, manually match them to the asset inventory of their factory and prioritize mitigation measures. Because this process is time-consuming and error-prone using the existing tools, factories are running the risk of missing critical vulnerabilities in their assets or producing false-positives. This can lead to incorrectly configured plant components and inadequately allocated resources. With the SINEC Security Guard, industrial operators can tackle these challenges without needing in-depth cybersecurity knowledge.
Attack detection at scale with Microsoft Sentinel
For a comprehensive view of IT and OT cybersecurity, SINEC Security Guard will also offer a connection to Microsoft Sentinel, Microsoft’s Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) solution for proactive threat detection, investigation and response. Once connected, SINEC Security Guard can send alerts for security events including attacks to Sentinel, enabling a security analyst to incorporate SINEC Security Guard insights and conclusions in investigations and responses with Microsoft Sentinel powered Security Operations Centers.
“As information technology and operational technology systems continue to converge, a holistic cybersecurity architecture is key to protecting IT and OT
capabilities alike. By combining our domain knowledge, Siemens and Microsoft make it easier for industrial operators to efficiently detect and address cybersecurity threats at scale,” says Ulrich Homann, Corporate Vice President, Cloud + AI at Microsoft.
SINEC Security Guard also supports the manual upload of existing asset information for asset inventory. Siemens recommends, however, that industrial operators use the Industrial Asset Hub, the Siemens cloud-based Asset Management solution, to enable continuous automated asset inventory management.
Functionalities also include signature-based network intrusion and attack detection via the SINEC Security Guard Sensor, an Industrial Edge app, which gives users live information about their industrial network. The SINEC Security Guard Sensor App is available at the Siemens Industrial Edge Marketplace.
The initial release of SINEC Security Guard only supports Siemens OT assets but third-party device support is planned in the future. SINEC Security Guard will expand the existing Siemens software portfolio for OT network security consisting of SINEC Security Inspector and SINEC Security Monitor.
SINEC Security Guard is a cloud-based cybersecurity software that provides full risk transparency and cybersecurity management of OT assets.
Further details on the new SINEC Security Guard can be found at: www.usa.siemens.com/sinec-security-guard
Siemens Digital Industries (DI) is an innovation leader in automation and digitalization. Closely collaborating with partners and customers, DI drives the digital transformation in the process and discrete industries. With its Digital Enterprise portfolio, DI provides companies of all sizes with an end-to-end set of products, solutions and services to integrate and digitalize the entire value chain. Optimized for the specific needs of each industry, DI’s unique portfolio supports customers to achieve greater productivity and flexibility. DI is constantly adding innovations to its portfolio to integrate cutting-edge future technologies. Siemens Digital Industries has its global headquarters in Nuremberg, Germany, and has around 75,000 employees internationally.
Siemens Corporation is a U.S. subsidiary of Siemens AG, a global powerhouse focusing on the areas of power generation and distribution, intelligent infrastructure for buildings and distributed energy systems, and automation and digitalization in the process and manufacturing industries. Through the separately managed company Siemens Mobility, a leading supplier of smart mobility solutions for rail and road transport, Siemens is shaping the world market for passenger and freight services. Due to its majority stakes in the publicly listed companies Siemens Healthineers AG and Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy, Siemens is also a world-leading supplier of medical technology and digital healthcare services as well as environmentally friendly solutions for onshore and offshore wind power generation. For more than 160 years, the company has innovated and invented technologies to support American industry spanning manufacturing, energy, healthcare and infrastructure. In fiscal 2018, Siemens USA reported revenue of $23.7 billion, including $5.0 billion in exports, and employs approximately 50,000 people throughout all 50 states and Puerto Rico.
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Advanced, real-time, cyber-attack response limits the impact within milliseconds at machine speed, isolates and quarantines the infected production equipment to facilitate faster resumption of normal operations
Following years of technical development and operational implementation design, Siemens introduces SIBERprotect for protection of critical infrastructure and OT systems at various industrial concerns, including power plants, water treatment facilities, all types of discrete manufacturing enterprises, military depots, data centers and control stations. SIBERprotect brings the SOAR (Security, Orchestration, Automation, Response) concept to cyber-physical systems with an OT-friendly and OT-managed methodology.
SIBERprotect can respond to and dramatically limit the impact of a cyber attack within milliseconds, resulting in the identification of the infected production equipment groups or plant networks and enabling full visibility and a fast initial response at the automation system level. This quick response leads to much easier remediation and resumption of normal operations, usually in less than a day.
Working in conjunction with Siemens SCALANCE S industrial security appliances, SIBERprotect can securely place OT into a safe, isolated condition, after determining the credible identification of a cyber-attack through best-in-class threat detection technology, including Intrusion Detection Systems, Next Generation Firewalls, Endpoint Solutions, Threat/Risk Intelligence and other attack or intrusion detection platforms, often enhanced with AI and machine learning capabilities. SIBERprotect then initiates a rule-based notification, network isolation and equipment management sequence to protect the selected equipment, as well as other desired response actions. Rapid assessment and remediation can then be performed, vastly limiting the risk of additional malware contamination. Work cells and equipment clusters can continue operation, while SIBERprotect prevents recontamination during remediation.
SIBERprotect further provides detailed situational awareness, alerting operators to the exact nature of the threat, where it was detected in the network and a criticality level. This level of immediately available detail allows the response engine to simultaneously execute emergency measures to alleviate predetermined worst-case scenarios. Unlike a conventional system that merely sends messages to an SOC (Security Operations Center), the SIBERprotect system is linked directly to network firewalls, automation hardware and a prioritized system of alarms to facilitate isolation of equipment and jumpstart the cyber incident response. After a thorough introduction to SIBERprotect, many automation engineers label it a cyber safety system or Cyber-SIS.
Other key features of SIBERprotect include the ability to automatically activate emergency backup equipment, interface with legacy technology such as Ethernet hubs, recover one segment or “restore all” functionality, isolate from the site IT network to prevent attack and provide all the benefits of a truly industrial solution.
As Chuck Tommey, a digital connectivity executive with Siemens, explains, “SIBERprotect represents the reimagining of how to do SOAR, that is, Security, Orchestration, Automation and Response, where an alert was typically sent to an SOC, then reviewed by a security analyst and addressed 30 minutes to hours after initial detection. Meanwhile, a virus could spread throughout a line or the entire plant. What Siemens is doing with SIBERprotect is sending the alerts directly to a PLC for instant action, based upon a predetermined priority of status and threat levels.” Tommey notes that the PLC parses the messages for its criticality level and instantly responds. (See the video below for a demonstration.)
SIBERprotect is part of the overall “Defense In Depth” suite offered by Siemens in compliance with IEC 62443, the international standard for industrial cybersecurity.
To find out more information about SIBERprotect, please visit:
usa.siemens.com/industrial-cybersecurity
To watch an informative video and review the specifications, please visit:
Siemens Digital Industries (DI) is an innovation leader in automation and digitalization. Closely collaborating with partners and customers, DI drives the digital transformation in the process and discrete industries. With its Digital Enterprise portfolio, DI provides companies of all sizes with an end-to-end set of products, solutions and services to integrate and digitalize the entire value chain. Optimized for the specific needs of each industry, DI’s unique portfolio supports customers to achieve greater productivity and flexibility. DI is constantly adding innovations to its portfolio to integrate cutting-edge future technologies. Siemens Digital Industries has its global headquarters in Nuremberg, Germany, and has around 75,000 employees internationally.
Siemens Corporation is a U.S. subsidiary of Siemens AG, a global powerhouse focusing on the areas of power generation and distribution, intelligent infrastructure for buildings and distributed energy systems, and automation and digitalization in the process and manufacturing industries. Through the separately managed company Siemens Mobility, a leading supplier of smart mobility solutions for rail and road transport, Siemens is shaping the world market for passenger and freight services. Due to its majority stakes in the publicly listed companies Siemens Healthineers AG and Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy, Siemens is also a world-leading supplier of medical technology and digital healthcare services as well as environmentally friendly solutions for onshore and offshore wind power generation. For more than 160 years, the company has innovated and invented technologies to support American industry spanning manufacturing, energy, healthcare and infrastructure. In fiscal 2018, Siemens USA reported revenue of $23.7 billion, including $5.0 billion in exports, and employs approximately 50,000 people throughout all 50 states and Puerto Rico.
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With SINAMICS G220, Siemens is launching a new high-performance drive to join the SINAMICS drives family and recently introduced it to the North American market. SINAMICS G220 is an innovative multi-purpose adjustable speed drive with built-in Clean Power technology, which reduces harmonics by up to 97% without the need for an AC line reactor or DC choke. SINAMICS G220 is significantly more efficient in terms of space utilization and operation. SINAMICS G220 makes the system engineering and its integration into a production or processing machine much easier.
SINAMICS G220 is also the first drive to join the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio, the Siemens-wide business platform for digital transformation. SINAMICS G220 drives are an integral part of the TIA Portal and feature a digital twin in Startdrive, the drives commissioning tool from Siemens. This allows the behavior of the drive to be tested and optimized before the hardware is available.
When it comes to integrated safety, SINAMICS G220 reaches the next level by meeting hardware based SIL 3 functional safety requirements. Thanks to its built-in media and S2 system redundancy, maximum system availability is guaranteed and the continuity of critical processes are maintained.
SINAMICS G220 ensures the improved sustainability of processes through robust, safe, secure and efficient design and operation. This new drive contributes to a sustainable future along its entire lifecycle from design to delivery thanks to the carbon neutral production sites and paperless delivery system. This new drive is suitable for all industries, but especially food-and-beverage, pharmaceutical, chemical, oil-and-gas, marine, automotive and tire manufacturing.
The new SINAMICS G220 drives are the first drives in the SINAMICS family to join the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio, the open digital business platform that enables machine builders and machine users to accelerate their digital transformation.
With the SINAMICS S210 next generation servo-drive system, comprising a digitally native drive with wide range of corresponding motors and gearboxes, Siemens brings a new level of high-dynamic, motion control in mid-range operation to stand-alone and multi-axis machines, recently introduced to the North American manufacturing industry.
This next generation servo-drive system introduces a new level of safety and security to discontinuous motion control in the mid-range segment, as well as moving, processing and positioning functions on a wide assortment of packaging, printing, labeling, pick-and-place, stacking, assembly, chip sorting and filling machines, with a special emphasis on food-and-beverage and pharmaceutical applications, owing to the availability of stainless-steel motor and planetary gearbox options.
SINAMICS S210 offers DC link coupling on 3-phase units for increased power efficiency on multi-axis applications. Corresponding SIMOTICS highly efficient synchronous motors feature high-resolution 22- or 26-bit absolute encoders, single or multi-turn. One-cable connectivity is standard and all motors and feature IP64, IP65, IP67 or IP69X protection. Easier setup and selection are assured with the integrated EMC filter and braking resistor.
For the engineering of SINAMICS S210, machine builders and machine users can utilize
the embedded web-server or Startdrive integrated with the Siemens TIA Portal. Easy implementation of the SINAMICS S210 servo-drive system for global use is provided by universal standards and certification compliance.
SINAMICS DriveSim model integrates into simulation software to allow machine builders to create a digital twin of the drive and motor in a project’s planning phase to ensure highest efficiency and performance of the equipment in use. In the field, the S210 is capable of communicating status through Edge or cloud-based data capturing for continuous monitoring and data analytics. Using the Siemens Analyze MyDrives application, machine users can monitor key conditions for advanced anomaly detection. Seamless transfer of data from the drive to the machine controller, Edge device and the cloud are maintained for truly digital native operation from planning through operations.
In the area of cybersecurity, SINAMICS S210 comes standard with integrated security for network connectivity, providing enhanced communication, integrity and authenticity checks
to protect against tampering, plus the drives offer User Management and Access Control (UMAC) within TIA Portal.
These new servo-drives are paired with the popular Siemens SIMATIC S7-1500 PLC or ET200 SP open controller and various SIMOTICS servomotor and planetary gearbox designs. Increased engineering efficiencies are gained with integration into the TIA Portal and TIA Selection Tool for optimized system selection and programming.
With Safety Integrated onboard, the SINAMICS S210 servo-drive system offers machine users up to SIL3 level of protection across an extended range of safety integrated functions including safe stopping and safe limited speed or direction. Integrated into the Startdrive advanced software, the menu-guided safety acceptance testing assures proper operation and safety validation.
The new SINAMICS S210 next generation servo-drive system is ready for digitalization and brings an enhanced level of safety and security to stand-alone or multi-axis machines for use in various manufacturing industries.
Siemens Digital Industries (DI) is an innovation leader in automation and digitalization. Closely collaborating with partners and customers, DI drives the digital transformation in the process and discrete industries. With its Digital Enterprise portfolio, DI provides companies of all sizes with an end-to-end set of products, solutions and services to integrate and digitalize the entire value chain. Optimized for the specific needs of each industry, DI’s unique portfolio supports customers to achieve greater productivity and flexibility. DI is constantly adding innovations to its portfolio to integrate cutting-edge future technologies. Siemens Digital Industries has its global headquarters in Nuremberg, Germany, and has around 75,000 employees internationally.
Siemens Corporation is a U.S. subsidiary of Siemens AG, a technology company focused on industry, infrastructure, transport, and healthcare. From more resource-efficient factories, resilient supply chains, and smarter buildings and grids, to cleaner and more comfortable transportation as well as advanced healthcare, the company creates technology with purpose adding real value for customers. By combining the real and the digital worlds, Siemens empowers its customers to transform their industries and markets, helping them to transform the everyday for billions of people. Siemens also owns a majority stake in the publicly listed company Siemens Healthineers, a globally leading medical technology provider shaping the future of healthcare. In addition, Siemens holds a minority stake in Siemens Energy, a global leader in the transmission and generation of electrical power. In fiscal 2022, which ended on September 30, 2022, Siemens Group USA generated revenue of $18.6 billion and employs approximately 45,000 people serving customers in all 50 states and Puerto Rico.
Global distributor Wesco and Siemens team up with local integrator to enable major Tennessee tire manufacturer achieve consistent tension, save money
As Chad Garner, a Nashville-based application engineer with distributor Wesco, relates, “We were presented with a significant challenge by one of our great customers, a tire manufacturer in the area. They needed to upgrade their multiple wire drawing machines for tire cord production in the plant.”
Garner goes on to explain in detail. “They were faced with very specific challenges. The machines needed to hold a very tight and consistent tension to meet the wire specifications. The company was using a ‘black box’ solution that had been custom-developed for them by a small local company that was no longer in business. The black box, in this case, originally allowed the user to dial in the tension on the wire without making any adjustments to the drive parameters. However, the system was now only able to hold +/- 500 grams of tension on the line, even after the customer had tested nine different control schemes to find a solution. Ideally, their goal was to replace the black boxes with off-the-shelf products, but their current drive and control supplier was not able to help satisfactorily. Wesco, in tandem with a local integrator and Siemens, was able to devise a solution, using standard Siemens components for the first line.”
The full solution to this challenge comprised a SIMATIC S7-1500 PLC plus remote I/O racks, SCALANCE wireless switches, SIMATIC HMI panels and, the heart of the solution, the SINAMICS S120 drive system, running 30 axes of motion control, plus various servo motors and other control products. All these components were supplied as a total solution to the integrator and the tire cord manufacturer by Wesco.
Thanks to the success on the first machine, three more wire drawing lines at the facility were upgraded with the Siemens solution, with more planned for future installation. A total of 120 axes of motion run by the SINAMICS S120 drives are currently in operation. The key to success here was the tight tension control programmed into the S120 drive control unit.
Chad Garner of Wesco further observes, “A major financial aspect of this project was the amount of money invested in the controls cabinet on each machine. The legacy PLC and Ethernet cards, if purchased from the previous supplier, would have cost approximately $30,000 and we were able to supply our better solution for about one-third that amount. This was not only a significant reduction in cost from the previous solution, but it also resulted in component reduction, as we were able to combine functions in fewer parts. The Siemens solution offered the customer integrated Ethernet on the PLC, so there was a reduction in expensive hardware, also achieving a smaller footprint in the plant.”
Matt Wagner, a Drives and Motion Consultant on the Siemens team, comments, “By replacing the old black box solution for tension control on these wire drawing machines at the tire manufacturer, our team, working in tandem with Wesco and the local integrator, was able to achieve all the required wire draw specs and do it with off-the-shelf solutions from the Siemens product lines. It’s exciting when we can exceed the goals of the customer, retrofit a substantial part of the manufacturing operation and save them a lot of money in the process. Can’t do much better,” he mused.
This industrial, true 6-axis continuous fiber-reinforced 3D printer enables tool-less rapid fabrication of aerospace-grade integrated composite structures.
Aerospace and defense design engineers and the complex components they develop require true manufacturing agility. Shepherding ideas from seeming impossibilities to sparks of inspiration to groundbreaking products that enable innovation can be both exhilarating and maddening. To iterate quickly and enable true collaboration, the fastest teams in engineering employ the Electroimpact SCRAM system powered by the Siemens SINUMERIK ONE CNC.
Helping to make the impossible possible, Electroimpact has integrated an in-situ out-of-autoclave thermoplastic Automated Fiber Placement (AFP) process, an advanced Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) 3D printing process, a Fused Granulate Fabrication (FGF) 3D printing process, and subtractive machining into a unified Scalable Composite Robotic Additive Manufacturing (SCRAM) system. SCRAM is an industrial, true 6-axis continuous fiber-reinforced 3D printer that enables the tool-less rapid fabrication of aerospace-grade integrated composite structures.
High-performance thermoplastics combined with a high percentage of continuous fiber reinforcement are used to produce parts with exceptional material properties previously unheard of in the world of additive manufacturing. The enhanced performance of the 6-axis system offers unmatched dexterity and flexibility, enabling shapes, accuracies and intricacies not possible otherwise.
This technology has no equal in the industry and is a unique offering available only from Electroimpact. The capabilities and processing speed of the SINUMERIK ONE control empower Electroimpact engineers to achieve these breakthroughs in additive manufacturing.
Most 3D printing processes are more accurately described as 2.5D printing. The material is deposited successively in
flat slices, which when stacked together form a 3D object. In contrast, the SCRAM process renders true 3D printing.
Layers of continuous fiber-reinforced thermoplastic capably take the shape of complex contours, including aerodynamic surfaces and ducts for fluid flow. As a 6-axis process, fiber orientation within each layer can be tailored to the specific application, providing optimal strength and appropriate stiffness distribution throughout the part, much like a conventional AFP system.
In addition to the continuous fiber-reinforced thermoplastic printing process and the FGF support tool printing process, SCRAM cells are also fitted with two FFF nozzles optimized for deposition of thermoplastic material reinforced with short or “chopped” fiber.
A proprietary laser heating system is incorporated, producing exceptionally strong bonds between layers. This process is ideal for situations in which layering continuous fiber is geometrically impossible or otherwise does not make sense. “It allows us to deposit the material exactly where it needs to be and only where it needs to be, achieving the highest possible strength and lowest weight,” says Ryan Bischoff, senior composite engineer at Electroimpact.
This is a true 3D printing process where the layers are not simply a stack of planes. Complex geometries such as variable density core and other internal structures can be printed directly onto continuous fiber-reinforced layers with widely varying curvature. If desired, additional continuous fiber-reinforced layers can then be deposited on top of the chopped fiber-reinforced core structure, forming an upper skin.
The system is an integration of several additive and subtractive processes, combined with Electroimpact’s patented accurate robot, a rotating build platform and a climate-controlled build chamber.
Electroimpact then supercharges everything with the SINUMERIK ONE control from Siemens. “SINUMERIK ONE allows us to run more complicated code much faster,” says Kylie Martineau, Electroimpact controls engineer.
“Electroimpact expanded from doing mostly drilling and fastening to additive manufacturing about 15 years ago,” Bischoff says. “That move and the advancements over the years led to the development of a system that we call a ‘factory in a cell.’ Instead of needing a whole assembly line, with each dedicated machine only performing a single function, it is one system, which can be printing ducts for jet engines one day and a wing component the next. It can be quickly changed and adapted according to needs.”
The SCRAM enables the tool-less rapid fabrication of aerospace-grade integrated composite structures. This factory in a cell gives builders the option to produce low-run parts that make all the difference in their designs.
This might be a carbon fiber element for Formula One racing or a part made from a revolutionary alloy that is destined for space. For short runs or small runs, nothing can compete with this technology. “Here is where the factory in a cell helps teams develop parts much more quickly than a traditional facility. You complete the whole process within the SCRAM system. It makes sense because these are not the kind of parts that are produced in the thousands,” Bischoff says.
“Our customers are doing extraordinary work, and we are right there alongside them,” he adds. “Your Electroimpact engineer is with you though the lifespan of the system for all questions and requests. We are here to help builders push boundaries. We service our equipment till the day it dies. Support is one of the things that Electroimpact does better than anyone else in the industry.”
With the SCRAM system, 3D printing replaces the need for the traditional complex tooling development typically used for automated carbon-fiber layup. This eliminates the inflated cost and time investments needed in traditional tooling and development; therefore, the SCRAM system allows for faster corrections and modifications.
Once the complex tooling is printed, the SINUMERIK ONE control facilitates rapid changes throughout the process. First, the SCRAM system changes to a multi-axis milling head that finishes the form to exacting specifications. Then the SCRAM system changes once again to the 6-axis carbon-fiber placement head and applies the intricate pattern of carbon fiber tape to the support material.
Bischoff explains that the tape is deposited quickly, establishing the form. Next, the support material additive is then completely dissolved away, leaving behind a component in the exact shape the manufacturer needs.
“The knowledge that we’re able to dissolve the tooling without creating graywater brings us great peace of mind,” Bischoff says.
The SCRAM system, with the power of SINUMERIK ONE, also enables iteration. “We are working to make an open system that will support the material choices and make the parts each customer needs. We are driven by customer demand,” Bischoff explains.
Electroimpact engineers appreciate the advanced features of this next-generation control platform.
“The faster processor times for both motion control and PLC, combined with new functionalities of the SINUMERIK ONE, further enable the incredible work Electroimpact is doing with the SCRAM system,” says Steve Czajkowski, engineering manager at Siemens.
Brian Cubie, account manager for Siemens, agrees. “Our system is the foundation on which they are building, and it is just incredible to experience,” he says. “I have been in robotics for many years, and to see what the engineers at Electroimpact are doing in terms of digitalizing the factory floor is exciting. They are always at the forefront. Electroimpact does a phenomenal job of taking our new SINUMERIK ONE control and adding encoders for feedback and run it though their own kinematics.”
SINUMERIK ONE is built for high-speed processing that enables the accuracy needed for specialized parts. It is ideally suited to the SCRAM’s groundbreaking ability to shift from 3D printing to finishing and continuous carbon-fiber placement, all from one control.
SINUMERIK ONE makes product development faster, more flexible, and more efficient.
Looking towards the future, the SINUMERIK ONE control platform will take the SCRAM into advanced digital twin technology. This will help teams engineer a fully functioning machine even before a real-life prototype exists and for teams to transfer tasks from the real world to the virtual environment. It will keep projects moving consistently to the work preparation phase. Having SINUMERIK ONE as a built-in tool will help reduce overhead costs for projects and support.
“There‘s a huge industry push to having a digital twin,” Martineau says. “I am extremely excited about supporting SCRAM in our customers’ endeavors moving forward. Each customer is pushing what is possible. They are reaching for ideas that are slightly out of the ordinary. With this true digital twin, instead of needing to travel for an on-site visit or asking for photos or video footage of their challenges, the PLC will allow simulation right inside the control.”
Just as customers can run the digital twin from their computer, Martineau will be able to operate the digital control of a customer’s SCRAM right from hers.
“We hear from customers when they’re striving for the next level, pushing the system to the max. Being able to jump in and see what’s happening is so valuable,” she says. “The digital twin capabilities of SINUMERIK ONE will enable us to work extremely close to our customers in the future, supporting their desires to push the envelope of product development. With digital twin technology this accurate, customers will benefit from knowing we can jump in anytime to seamlessly help troubleshoot.”
Siemens and Electroimpact have been partners for more than 10 years. The SCRAM previously included the SINUMERIK 840D sl, a precision CNC control highly favored by the aerospace industry. SINUMERIK ONE is faster and excels at more complex code. With the advancements of the SINUMERIK ONE control, the possibilities are endless.
“Electroimpact is always pushing the envelope,” says Brian McMinn, head of the Siemens Machine Tool Systems business. “Their approach is to always be at the very leading edge of manufacturing technology. We are glad to be a part of their team as SINUMERIK ONE has the power and speed to make it all possible.”
Expect to see further advancements from Electroimpact in the next few years that raise the bar even higher for complex aerospace design and development.
The SINUMERIK ONE control will continue to evolve and support the next wave of design and development in machine building.
For more information and to watch the video, visit: usa.siemens.com/ei-scram
Company increases focus on additive manufacturing research and development to help accelerate transformation of American manufacturing
Siemens, a global leader in technology for additive manufacturing (AM) is expanding focus on AM initiatives in the United States to help accelerate the transformation of the US AM industry through serial additive manufacturing.
“We are on the threshold of a new frontier in American industry, where the implementation of additive manufacturing will bring fundamental changes to the landscape, end-to-end, from product to machine to manufacturing. Siemens is very excited to be at the forefront of this process,” said Steve Vosmik, Head of Siemens Additive Manufacturing in the United States.
Siemens is focused on supporting the domestic AM machine builder community, so is bringing its world-class motion control, automation hardware, digitalization software and technology capabilities to assist machine builders. From its Charlotte Advanced Technology Collaboration Hub (CATCH), located in Charlotte, North Carolina, Siemens will act as an ecosystem platform for machine builders, machine users and additive design engineers alike.
“More than 100 machine builders from around the world are implementing Siemens automation solutions to industrialize their machines,” says Rajas Sukthankar, Vice-President, Motion Control, Siemens Industry, Inc. He continues, “Now it’s time to support even more customers and accelerate their transformation from single machines to series additive manufacturing factories. North America is heading in this direction.”
Siemens can assist AM job shops as well as Tier One production facilities with end-to-end solutions, including product design software, digital twin machine simulation and virtual execution of manufacturing methods, with full data feedback into the design protocol for necessary adjustments, prior to any machine building. “This comprehensive suite of software and motion control hardware offerings makes Siemens a viable partner at every step of the AM process”, according to Vosmik.
Siemens is adding technology to CATCH to incorporate metal binder jet technology through the purchase and installation of an ExOne/Desktop Metal Production System and Meltio Robotic System with the Siemens SINUMERIK RunMyRobot application onboard. SINUMEIK RunMyRobot controls the kinematic path of an industrial robot as it integrates with the CNC machine.
Siemens is also establishing an Additive Manufacturing Advisory Board of renowned industry leaders in AM, drawn from various industries and technical disciplines, to provide the company guidance, as it seeks to support the fast-growing needs of the AM market. “We are looking forward to engaging and collaborating with this talented group of industry experts as we move ahead together into this exciting new world of manufacturing in America,” concludes Vosmik.
Visit the Siemens Additive Manufacturing website to learn how Siemens is accelerating transformation in the manufacturing industry.
Siemens Digital Industries (DI) is an innovation leader in automation and digitalization. Closely collaborating with partners and customers, DI drives the digital transformation in the process and discrete industries. With its Digital Enterprise portfolio, DI provides companies of all sizes with an end-to-end set of products, solutions and services to integrate and digitalize the entire value chain. Optimized for the specific needs of each industry, DI’s unique portfolio supports customers to achieve greater productivity and flexibility. DI is constantly adding innovations to its portfolio to integrate cutting-edge future technologies. Siemens Digital Industries has its global headquarters in Nuremberg, Germany, and has around 75,000 employees internationally.
Siemens Corporation is a U.S. subsidiary of Siemens AG, a technology company focused on industry, infrastructure, transport, and healthcare. From more resource-efficient factories, resilient supply chains, and smarter buildings and grids, to cleaner and more comfortable transportation as well as advanced healthcare, the company creates technology with purpose adding real value for customers. By combining the real and the digital worlds, Siemens empowers its customers to transform their industries and markets, helping them to transform the everyday for billions of people. Siemens also owns a majority stake in the publicly listed company Siemens Healthineers, a globally leading medical technology provider shaping the future of healthcare. In addition, Siemens holds a minority stake in Siemens Energy, a global leader in the transmission and generation of electrical power. In fiscal 2022, which ended on September 30, 2022, Siemens Group USA generated revenue of $18.6 billion and employs approximately 45,000 people serving customers in all 50 states and Puerto Rico.
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