AUTOMATION & INDUSTRY 4.0 AUTOMATING FOR PRODUCTIVITY
physical movements – the production
planning and execution while also managing
the production resources like tools and their
off-sets, raw materials, xtures and so on.
“It enables the production to react to
changes with resilience, enjoy full
transparency in reporting and guidance for
operators to always work on the right things
at the right time. Production manager is
much more in control and having easier days
when constant re ghting is gone.”
He notes another aspect is the full
integration of processes around metal
cutting, such as nishing, measuring,
washing, marking or heat treatment and even
stand-alone machine tools where no physical
automation is possible or desired.
Nyman concludes: “In short, ‘productivity
beyond machine tending’ is about total
process optimisation calling for intelligent
automation solutions that make people,
machines and processes to be integrated
around automated production plan with one
end goal: timely ow of customer orders with
high resource utilisation and minimal WIP.
That’s true ef ciency as we see it.”
A new version 7.5 of Fastems
manufacturing management software
(MMS) has been launched and includes
extended capabilities
Fastems updates digital products
Fastems has updated its digital manufacturing (DM) products that
bring manufacturing into the virtual world. The DM products, Virtual
FMS and Virtual AMC, have previously required a local installation
with a cell controller.
Now, it is possible to have the products as cloud-based solutions
enabling a faster ramp-up and an affordable virtual playground for
training and experiencing Fastems’ automation systems, such
as pallet and workpiece handling solutions, digitally. All the DM
products operate on top of the Fastems MMS.
MMS is the heart of Fastems automation solutions. In addition
to Virtual FMS and Virtual AMC, there is Virtual MMS, which is the
simplest option of DM. The difference between the DM products is
that the Virtual FMS and Virtual AMC also have highly detailed realtime
3D-models, which are driven by the MMS.
The model acts as the manufacturing hardware of the system,
visually demonstrating manufacturing operations and movement. It
also enables operators to use their virtual manufacturing system as
an immersive virtual reality experience.
When acquiring the virtual playground with the visual components
model, users can now choose whether to have either a local or
cloud-based installation. With the new cloud-based option, the
ramp-up is faster and the starting fee is lower than with the local
installation.
It is also easier to run updates to the cloud-based solution and it
can be used in various locations once operators have the PC for the
3D visualisation by the visual components.
Educational institutions and industrial organizations can now
acquire virtual training, demonstration, and showcase environments
with lower investment costs. The virtual playground can be created
rst with the Virtual MMS, which is automatically in the cloud and
later extended with the visual components option making it more
affordable and easier to start with.
NEW RELEASES OF GTS
Back in September. Fastems also introduced new releases of its
gantry tool storage (GTS) system and added new MMS features -
designed to signi cantly increase manufacturing ef ciency, enhance
ergonomics and improve overall user experience.
When applied within a Fastems FMS, the company says the GTS
system and MMS “can achieve machine utilisation levels above 95
per cent”.
In the GTS system, pick-and-place and traveling gantry robots
provide access to centralised storage of up to 4,000 cutting tools
and perform just-in-time tool delivery to individual machines. MMS
software commands automatic cutting tool changes based on
speci c NC program scheduling requirements and real-time cutting
tool life status.
The GTS system enables cutting tools to be shared among
multiple machines, minimising redundancy and eliminating the need
to reserve a cutting tool for a single machine. This generates cutting
tool cost savings and minimises operator interaction with cutting
tool changes, reducing labour expense and eliminating tooling
loading errors.
Cutting tool sharing also permits reduction in the size of machine
tool magazines. When implementing the GTS system, Fastems says
the new modular design results in “shorter delivery, installation, and
commissioning times, as well as hardware cost advantages”.
Improvements to MMS software, include a more ergonomic
interface and improved user experience, faster cutting tool
information search functions, improved view of NC programs, and
upgraded response in the case of unexpected machine stoppages.
Overall, Fastems explains that its cutting tool management
products “facilitate cutting tool set-ups in advance, eliminate scrap
and machine crashes due to cutting tool loading errors, enable
cutting tool sharing and lights-out machining, and consolidate cutting
tool setup activities”.
Advantages are realised in both initial investment and in ongoing
return on investment and cutting tool automation equipment and
software can be installed in phases, with each stage growing in
capability and functionality.
Trends toward low-volume, high-mix production scenarios, plus
a growing use of dif cult to machine materials, has increased
the number and variety of cutting tools required to maximise
productivity.
28 January 2021 | www.machinery.co.uk | MachineryMagazine | @MachineryTweets
/www.machinery.co.uk