CNC machinery are one of the prime developments made in the sector of manufacturing. These machines have allowed companies to rapidly create products of intricate designs with a precision of as low as ±0.00127mm.
Moreover, since these machines are becoming affordable with each passing day, they are becoming quite standard in machining workshops. The market for the CNC machines is expected to continue its path of growth and reach a market value of USD 117.14 billion by the end of 2027. That’s a CAGR of more than 7 percent that showcases the essential role of CNC manufacturing in creating complex components and parts.
As the name suggests, the majority of the tasks in computer numerical control machines are performed via computers. Codes are entered into computers that trigger tools to move and rotate in different axes to chip the surface of the workpiece and obtain the required part.
However, by garnering the features of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), machine workshops and even large-scale factories can use their CNC machinery beyond their standard capabilities.
How will CNC and IIoT Perform and Behave Collectively?
While at a lower level the implementation of IoT enables the use of CNC machine monitoring solutions, on a larger scale IIoT creates machine-to-machine interaction that results in automated operations and less manual intervention.
Sensors embedded on CNC machines measure different parameters and share them to a platform from where the condition and functioning of the machines can be effectively supervised. Moreover, CNC machines can read the data gathered from sensors to automatically replace tools, change the degree of freedom, or perform any other action.
Here are some benefits that a company can enjoy from this promising conglomeration of CNC and IIoT.
1) Scheduling Maintenance:
IIoT allows operators and machine handlers to conveniently interact with their CNC machines in many ways through smartphones or tablets. From IoT based CNC machine monitoring, they can, therefore, track the condition of machines at all times from a distance.
This remote and real-time monitoring helps the person-in-charge of the machines to schedules a CNC for inspection or repairs. Alternatively, they can also configure their CNC machines to send alerts or notifications to operators whenever machines deem themselves due for tuning or maintenance. In other words, the machine will raise red flags about complications such as a rise in temperature, increased vibrations, or tool damage.
2) Machine Uptime Monitoring:
Capabilities of IoT based CNC solutions are not only limited to remote monitoring and scheduled maintenance for CNC machines. By using IoT systems and leveraging its real-time alert feature, factories can now reduce their machine downtime and increase overall equipment effectiveness. Alerts shared by machines can be used to take proactive measures and sudden breakdown of tools or any other component of a CNC machine.
We provided an exact same solution to one of our clients by configuring our IoT energy monitoring solution for their CNC machines. Before the implementation, the client was having trouble with the subsequent breakdown of their machines. Our IoT solution helped them to gain a clear insight into the running hours of their CNC machines, which in turn gave them an accurate idea of how they were utilizing their production time. (Click here to know more)
Similarly, a machine uptime monitoring solution can be used for a series of CNC machines to not only improve their functioning but also to improve machine to machine synchronization in an industrial establishment and achieve operational excellence.
3) Improved Worker Safety:
For a larger implementation, the technology of IIoT can also be used to reduce manual efforts, or in other words, remove the potential of workers’ injury from the equation of a factory’s operation.
This is where machine-to-machine synchronization and interaction come into the picture. The mutual communication between machines will result in a better understanding between different electromechanical devices, which in turn will lead to automatically-driven and less labor-dependent operations in a factory.
Many companies are already working towards the development of smart robots and machines that can perform pre-programmed tasks and respond to the ongoing needs of CNC machines to reduce the burden of standard operation from the manual workforce. These robots can execute specialized and delicate work such as to open & close chuck of a CNC machine or change the tool whenever its sharpness decreases.
Other than decreasing injuries in the workshop, this will also help in reducing material wastage and improving the efficiency of CNC machines, which in turn will result in increased production of accurate components in less time duration.
CONCLUSION:
CNC machines are electromechanical devices that can manipulate tools on a varying number of axis with high precision to create a part as per instruction put in via a computer program. They run faster than any other manually-operated machine and can hence produce more objects with high precision from any design.
Even though the CNC machines are themselves capable of uplifting a machine to new heights, by using the technology of the Industrial Internet of Things, the capabilities of a company can be increased even further. CNC machine monitoring solution is a perfect example that shows the capability of IoT based CNC solutions.
Biz4Intellia is an end to end IoT solution providing companies that help factories and workshops to integrate their CNC machines with IoT solutions. Request a demo today to see how you can use IoT in your factory setting.
