E -M ANUFACTURING

(Steve Krar, Consultant – Kelmar Associates)

Making machine tools into “smart partners”

FREEDOM ON THE FACTORY FLOOR

In today’s extremely competitive world, manufacturers using machine tools need to improve their productivity by taking advantage of any new automation-technology available. Every metalworking manufacturer must look for ways to reduce machining time, optimize labor efficiency, and reach higher levels of quality. Until now, automation technologies have been the key to minimizing costs, and maintaining consistent quality. Now the question is, can the advances of the process control world and the networked office be applied to the shop floor? In other words, how can the automation be automated?

INTERNETWORKING STANDARD

Most machine tools remain largely closed islands of automation. Plant machinery must be networked into an enterprise-wide information system. Presently, this lack of connectivity represents a huge constraint as far as productivity is concerned. The goal is to create an InterNetworking standard, that makes every machine tool a piece (node) on the corporate network, to identify, monitor, and optimize production throughput on the factory floor, Fig. 10-7-1. Then, every machine tool becomes a vital part of management’s information system, and is integrated into the enterprise-wide profit process. The point of production is then linked directly to the supply chain and the demand chain. This integration between management planning, purchasing, production, operations, sales, and service is currently missing the direct link to the machine tool.

Fig. 10-7-1 An analysis of root problems in manufacturing. (e-Manufacturing Networks, Inc.)

CONNECTING MACHINE TOOLS

Connecting machine tools on the shop floor into an overall plant nervous system will release (unleash) the information from each machine and allow management to increase profitability. This dynamic infrastructure extends information, related to production beyond the factory floor. Machine tools become servers of information in real time, feeding their information to other functions within the corporation anywhere in the world.

The goal is to create an “inter-networking” standard, making all machine tools a node on the corporate network

Largely due to proprietary applications, CNCs do not communicate well with each other, or the management

Until now, the missing element has been the universal bridge between Industrial Automation and the Information Technology sector. Manufacturers need a network that integrates all points of production into a secure, browser based, information system. Better information, such as event monitoring, tool diagnostics, and productivity information from the bottom up, can now be enabled by a nearby open architecture. Unfortunately, largely because of proprietary applications, Computerized Numerical Controls do not communicate well with each other, or with management; they are primarily receivers of part program data. To address this problem, many manufacturers have introduced the open architectureCNC platform. Different machine tool systems can then be configured (arranged) into a contiguous, enterprise-wide management information system, Fig. 10-7-2.

Fig. 10-7-2 A comparison of conventional manufacturing and e-Manufacturing.