Rise of the Machine Tools

Industry 4.0: Where machines are equipped with self sufficient capabilities
“As per recent scenario, we are arriving at the level of industry 4.0 where the machines are equipped with self sufficient capabilities. Tools are installed with self intuitive decision making backed by Artificial Intelligence. We are leading towards the edge where the human effort will turn into mere just commands and rest will be taken care by smart, in fact intelligent machine tools. The human efforts are being extensively reduced by the robotics and new age technology IoT. The robotics technology won’t be considered any recent as we have been actively experimenting the same since eras. Though it seems like the efforts we put through is reflecting on the surface. On the other hand, ‘Internet of Things’ which can essentially referred as ‘Internet of Tools’ when it comes to our sector says,” Maulik Patel, Executive Director, Sahajanand Laser Technology Ltd.

Patel claims, “At our SLTL Research and Development unit, we have been actively experimenting to converge aforementioned technologies into our machines. As we as an organisation have firm faith in technological advancement and extend that advancement to the industry, to the globe. So far, we have been applied automation in many of our machines and the experiments are ongoing to make it adaptable with ‘IoT’.”

Need to map each critical and vital component
According to Vivek Nanivadekar, Executive Director, Fibro India Precision Products Pvt Ltd, “Before we apply IoT to any industrial product we need to map each critical and vital component`s characteristics which goes in to assembly of that product. This will become the input to the development of IoT of that product. The mapping of characteristic of the component will be a quite long drawn process. In FIBRO Germany, we have identified the rotary table for the IoT implementation. Nanivadekar informs, “For last more than a year we are in a process of mapping of the rise in temperature, its effect on wear and tear of the components and at the end its effect on the performance of the table leading to the total failure. So accordingly, the signals will be generated in advance to take the corrective action. The corrective action will depend upon the type of material, its physical parameters and the lead time required procuring the replacement.”

Robotics: The need of the hour
Nanivadekar opines, “Robotics is very common in auto sector, particularly in welding and assembly and material handling. But, as of now robotics is not much used in manufacturing of machine tools. But the users of machine tools do use the robotics for pick and place operation, synchronised with the machining cycle time. Robotics is the need of the hour as it can perform 24/7 without losing the efficiency and precision of the operation. So as a matter of fact, the robotics is not at all driving the machine tool industry.”

IOT enables integration of smart connected machines
Ram Grover, Managing Director, Elesa and Ganter India Pvt Ltd, says, “Rapid technological change is transforming the production of goods and services throughout much of the global economy. This transformation will accelerate exponentially, as we are still only in the early stages of the curve.”

Grover adds, “IOT enables integration of smart connected machines with the wider enterprise which facilitates more flexible, efficient and profitable production.”
Grover informs, “We understand and realise that machine tools industry can reap immense benefit from this provided the companies walk the innovation path.” “Machine tools will have to evolve around becoming enablers to the new age smart devices plus become smart themselves. Cohesive development between product engineers, designers, data scientists, embedded engineers will be essential then it has ever been.”

Rising demand for automated solutions
Sharing his viewpoint on how robotics is driving the machine tools segment, T.P Sridhar, CEO – Ace Designers Ltd, says, “In the recent years, due to rising man power costs and more so the non-availability of skilled man power the need for automated solutions has been strongly felt. While initially, the organisations opted for simple forms of automation like auto loading and unloading, we have seen a rising demand for more comprehensive automation requiring minimal human intervention. Machine tool builders are now offering automation solutions consisting of gantry systems, robotics and combinations of both.”

Sridhar opines, “It is generally felt that the robot ready machines are easier to offer than the gantry ready machines. Since robots are available with various load carrying capacities and reach, the possibility of handling multiple machines with single robot becomes practical and this reduces the automation cost per machine. Robots are also used for enabling additional operations like deburring, washing and interfacing with measurement devices in addition to machine loading function.”

Sridhar observes that the machine tool segment has realised the potential of robotics interface with their products and the machines are being made robot ready. The use of robot brings in the requirements of additional features on the machine like automatic door, configuring the cell to suit multiple machines, input and output flow configurations, safety features on the machines in addition to the safety of the man entering the cell.

IOT enables visibility and enterprise connectivity for machine tools
In case of how IoT is driving the machine tools segment, Sridhar comments, “IOT offers the promise of enabling visibility and enterprise connectivity for machine tools. Using this, new workflows may be created to drive vastly higher levels of productivity, uptime, serviceability and outcomes based models.”

Appropriate sensors and feedback systems can also connect experts anywhere in the field to diagnose, remedy and provide horizontal deployment of solutions across like situations, shrinking the service cycle. Moreover, Sridhar informs, “Using data from IOT, comprehensive range of preventive, predictive, prescriptive and cognitive maintenance options may be developed to improve predictability and performance of machines and user outcomes.”

An industrial IoT solution lies in improved decision making ability
“IoT (Internet of Things), Industrial 4.0 or smart manufacturing, the concept has taken the manufacturing world by storm. It is often being termed as the next industrial revolution, and rightly so, as it has the potential to fundamentally reconfigures the industry. The key advantage for manufacturers implementing Industrial IoT solution lies in improved decision making ability. Manufacturing equipment connected to a web-based network generates data, which upon analysis can aid manufacturers in making timely and effective choices,” says Ajay Gurjar, Dy. COO & Head (Sales & Marketing), Yaskawa India Pvt. Ltd, Robotic Division.

Gurjar adds, “Individually operating industrial devices such as robots at sites of manufacturing and other work, it is also possible to use a network to manage the devices as a system from a remote location in an effort to further raise productivity. The linking of industrial devices into a network is being pushed by the latest trends, the representative example of which is Industry 4.0, and Yaskawa is also working on the construction of systems that utilise networks.”

Robot IOT: Helps industry to get product information
Gurjar opines, “In the same content, robot being a key for flexible manufacturing system, robot IOT help industry to get product information, parts maintenance information, degrade and failure diagnosis which helps machine tool industry to provide less down time die to online monitoring and diagnosis.”