New machine tool technologies for CNC users that enable the creation of relevant digital twins have been created for the Siemens Xcelerator platform via a partnership among Siemens, DMG Mori (a manufacturer of high-precision machine tools) and Renishaw (a supplier of measurement and process control technologies).
One aspect of this partnership is the expansion of DMG Mori’s end-to-end digital twin for machine tool machining on the Siemens Xcelerator Marketplace. Specific technologies for the creation of digital twins of the control system, machine and workpiece are now available. These technologies make it possible to optimize machining processes long before a real machine is put into operation. Based on the digital native CNC Sinumerik One, this portfolio of technologies includes a tailored digital twin for the user, regardless of the users’ CAM applications. For example, machine operators on the shop floor can purchase a digital twin package that allows them to create a simple NC program on a PC and carry out a collision check without using the machine. A CAM user can create sophisticated parts in a CAD environment and perform a quick initial validation of the program.
The DMG Mori digital twin for machine tool machining helps to avoid programming errors that cause rejects and damage to the actual machine. It can ramp production up to 40% faster, significantly reducing the energy consumption of the real machine. Even new processes can be set up digitally while the machine is in operation. It also helps to reduce unproductive machine times, such as test machining, by as much as 75% because the testing and running of programs is transferred from the actual machine to the virtual world.
The Siemens Xcelerator offering from Renishaw is designed for measuring and monitoring the condition of tools and is available from DMG Mori. This technology is based on a high-precision laser system for tool measurement from Renishaw and the edge-based analysis software Analyze MyWorkpiece/Monitor from Siemens. The condition monitoring system enables the automatic validation of tool wear and the timely automatic replacement of worn tools. It also ensures that the manufacturing process is traceable via the use of data evaluation. This tool inspection system uses optical scanning to reduce manual intervention and disruptions within the manufacturing process. The technology’s data-driven analysis approach ensures the traceability of the manufacturing process, which closes the loop in terms of quality assurance and production planning.
