Overview
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CNC-simulator – Real-time Collision Avoidance
The ModuleWorks Collision Avoidance System protects your machine tools from damage and failure in real time. While the machine is running, the Collision Avoidance System uses a digital twin of your machine tool to check the moves calculated by the CNC in real time to ensure collision-free machining. If a collision is detected on the digital twin, the real machine can be stopped before the actual collision occurs. This protects the machine during automatic operation as well as setup operation and manual operator intervention to dramatically reduce the risk of damage during the machining process.
Benefits
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The Collision Avoidance System improves machine tool availability during operation and prevents costly machine damage. In addition, process monitoring and operator support on the digital twin accelerate workpiece setup and increase machining productivity.
- Ensure availability and productivity by preventing machine breakdowns due to collisions.
- Reduce repair and material costs caused by damage to the machine, tools and fixtures.
- Increase productivity through enhanced process monitoring and fast workpiece setup.
Function
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During the normal operation of a machine tool, the CNC control calculates the axis positions in advance and builds up the so-called Look-Ahead buffer to ensure smooth execution of the programmed contour. The ModuleWorks Collision Avoidance System leverages this feature of the CNC control and feeds the calculated future positions to a digital twin of the machine. The digital twin uses the future positions to calculate the virtual material removal and check for collision-free operation between the machine geometries, tools, workpieces and fixtures. This occurs before the values calculated of the Look-Ahead buffer are transferred to the drives as target values, making it possible to trigger a machine stop on the contour by sending a stop signal from the Collision Avoidance System when a collision is detected on the digital twin. This protects the machine tool in automatic mode as well as in JOG and MDI mode.
The geometry data necessary for protecting the fixtures, workpieces and the entire tool can be conveniently entered via the specially designed user interface or efficiently imported from external data sources such as CAM systems, tool catalogs or even tool setting stations via common geometry file formats.
Integration
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The ModuleWorks Collision Avoidance System is for machine tool manufacturers who want to add value to their product portfolio by integrating the latest collision avoidance technology that optimizes the safety and productivity of their machine tools and their customers’ machining processes. The Collision Avoidance System is installed on an additional IPC, which is connected to the CNC control via a network interface.
It can be used with the following CNCs:
- SINUMERIK 840D sl
- SINUMERIK ONE
For fast time to market, ModuleWorks offers integration services for rapid system integration in customers’ machine tool series as part of a solution package that includes the Collision Avoidance System license. Alternatively, ModuleWorks offers training that enables machine tool manufacturers to independently integrate the Collision Avoidance System on new machine series.
The user interface of the Collision Avoidance System can be customized to match the corporate design of the machine tool manufacturer.
More information