Future Outlook for Intelligent CNC Systems for Non-standard Automation Equipment
Under the background of Automation Equipment Industry 4.0 and "Internet plus", the future development and competition of CNC systems have undergone a new reform. More competition in China will focus on how to use the advantages of the Internet to expand the computing power of CNC systems indefinitely, and through the understanding of emerging business models such as the sharing economy, it will become an important trend in the future to reasonably create functions suitable for it.
1. Intelligent requirements for CNC systems
The demand for intelligent CNC machine tools
From the perspective of manufacturing technology itself, the intelligence of CNC systems is carried out in four aspects as shown in Figure 4: operation intelligence, non-standard machining automation, maintenance intelligence, and management intelligence.
During the machining process, the machine tool utilizes various sensors and real-time monitoring and compensation technology to further improve its performance. Japanese companies such as Mazak and Okuma have provided many advanced technologies in the field of intelligence, such as spindle vibration suppression and intelligent collision prevention. Shenyang Machine Tool i5 CNC provides feature-based programming and graphical diagnosis functions.
2. Cloud based CNC system
On the basis of cloud computing, the University of Stuttgart in Germany proposed the "globally localized" cloud based CNC system, as shown in Figure 5. From the figure, it can be seen that the human-machine interface, CNC core, and PLC of traditional CNC systems have been moved to the cloud, while only the servo drive and security control of the machine tools are retained locally. Communication modules, middleware, and Ethernet interfaces are added to the cloud to communicate with the local CNC system through routers. In this way, there is a "Digital Twin" for each machine tool in the cloud, which allows for configuration, optimization, and maintenance of the machine tool, greatly facilitating its use. Implement the so-called Controller as a Service (CaaS).
The concept of cloud based numerical control system
Digital twin refers to the digital image of a specific physical object, including design specifications and engineering models that describe its geometry, materials, components, and behavior, as well as production and operational data unique to the entity it represents. It becomes an inseparable "companion" and is the latest and accurate real-time image of the physical object's properties and states, including shape, position, state, and motion. The digital twin of machine tools can exist simultaneously in multiple information domains, with multiple 'incarnations', and plays a role in scheme demonstration, structural and functional verification, and performance parameter optimization during the product design phase; Participate in completing layout planning, system optimization simulation, and other tasks during the planning phase of building the factory; During the operation phase, the processing status is judged and predicted to achieve intelligent control and preventive maintenance of the machine tool, until the end of product scrapping, and even after that.
3. Internet CNC system and its ecosystem
Under the condition of the Internet, the CNC system must become a transparent intelligent terminal capable of generating data, making the manufacturing process and its whole life cycle "data transparent". Through the "transparency" of intelligent terminals, the manufacturing process can be made transparent, not only facilitating the processing of parts, but also generating real-time data that serves management, finance, production, and sales. This enables resource integration and information interconnection in a series of production and management processes, including equipment, production planning, design, manufacturing, supply chain, human resources, finance, sales, and inventory.
A machine tool ecosystem has been established around the leading i5 intelligent machine tool in the world. Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of data generation and application of i5 intelligent machine tool. Through the "transparent" i5 intelligent system, i5 intelligent machine tool can be online in real time, providing accurate data basis for the above management process and becoming the foundation of new manufacturing industry.
Data Generation and Application of i5 Intelligent Machine Tool
Internet application framework of intelligent machine tools based on iSESOL
ISESOL (i-Smart Engineering&Services Online) is a cloud manufacturing platform developed by a company under Shenyang Machine Tool. For example, the cloud production capacity sharing platform allows users to publicly display idle production capacity on the iSESOL production capacity platform. Users with production capacity needs can quickly obtain manufacturing capacity without purchasing equipment. In this way, the production capacity provider can use idle production capacity to earn profits, and the production capacity demander can obtain manufacturing capacity at a lower cost. Both parties can maximize their benefits through sharing. Undoubtedly, this mode will become an important form of Internet plus in manufacturing industry.
The above figure shows the Internet application framework of intelligent machine tools based on iSESOL platform. All i5 smart devices can access the iSESOL network through the iPort protocol, while non i5 devices (such as OPC UA terminals or MTConnect terminals) can access the iSESOL network through the iPort gateway. Cloud based APP applications such as ERP, MES, and remote kanban achieve unified access to remote devices through iSESOL aggregated real-time data and access interfaces. ISESOL provides a data dictionary mapping for different devices to unify the access methods for different devices. Cloud apps can subscribe to various events and data information through standard service or parameter naming, achieving unified device access. End users can install APP through different terminals to realize various Internet applications for devices. The collaborative ecosystem for production capacity established on this platform has currently connected thousands of machine tools, with around 2500 machines currently connected online on a daily basis.
The intelligence and networking of machine tool numerical control systems are the trend. Based on the CPS concept, the development of intelligent numerical control systems is guided, and the intelligence of numerical control machine tools is achieved from the perspective of the entire system through networks and platforms.
The development of intelligence is a gradual process, and currently there are different understandings of intelligence, and there is no universally applicable solution. The innovation and actual implementation of the business model of CNC machine tools must rely on the intelligence and networking of the CNC system. The future CNC system will increasingly infiltrate the influence of the Internet into the manufacturing sector. Through the accumulation, transmission and mining of data, more and more intelligent manufacturing capabilities will be born. Transparency and sharing will bring about earth shaking changes in the manufacturing industry.
