Now is the time in the return to improvement!

Many of us have faced an extraordinary time lately, and in our return, we also face the tasks of productivity and quality improvement that really need to be implemented.

Here in MARPOSS Monitoring Solutions GmbH, we have the solutions available to achieve savings. Whether it is for Machine Protection, Machine Monitoring or Tool and Process Monitoring, our products give an extraordinary ability in achieving your goals of saving.

All our standalone products have simple digital I/O connections to machine controls to allow for easy connection and operation. Not as a necessity, but all the standalone products can be viewed graphically by a Windows™ operating system. This would be for viewing the signal level or for setting the user defined limits.

The use of Artis products has a wonderful and great benefit in the improvement of costs:

• In events of collisions, it is not the immediate collision that causes the damage, it’s the continuation of the machine movement; its job is to achieve the programmed position. Products in Machine Protection detects this initial point and halts the progression of movement, saving breakages and unplanned machine downtime.

 

• In ensuring productivity levels are met, it is important to maintain the production equipment availability thru maintenance activities. Normal process is to perform tasks based on a timed rota system. Utilising products from Machine Monitoring, the status condition of machine elements, based on installed sensor positions, gives the ability to track on-going health. Only when a machine element is failing and a warning given, does it mean that maintenance activities should begin. By using several limits, these provide an early warning system for points of deterioration rather than a failure; so that replacement parts can be ordered, delivered and that production planning can be amended for a scheduled downtime. This reduces the value of maintenance stock having to be held and the correct resources allocated to the activities that require attention.

 

• For normal machining operations, there is nothing worse than having a dimensional failure that is not detected. Tool breakages can quickly become an issue if not captured. Subsequent tooling, either still within the machine or next processes can become damaged on top of initial breakage. Errors within the part quality can also affect assembly operations, or even premature failure of part when in the hands of the customer or end user. With products from Tool and Process Monitoring, these escapement points are mitigated as tool breakages are detected, and either subsequent tools or processes are protected. The process of “no fault forward” is maintained, which is specifically advantageous for those processes that are fully automated, with operation to operation (transfer lines) or multiple machines that are operated by a single person. The use of this products can reduce the cost of quality to a total machining operation, as the normal quality frequency can be extended to treat for natural dimensional progression. It also mitigates the need for the end of line checks, those checks which are put in place to protect customers from non-conforming material, along with sorting and segregation of machined stock when issues are found.

 

• Tool and Process Monitoring products can also aid in the reduction of costs for tooling or processing cycle times. As the machining process now has a tangible signal relating to the process, speed and feed changes relating to process improvements can be visually witnessed from the onset, have they improved, or made the process more unstable than before. Normally this is assessed by a long-term review of the tool life achieved, quality indices (those measurements that must be taken to prove quality capabilities) and parts produced over a time period. Now that the process is visualised, any changes can be quantified with ease.

 

• Tool change frequencies can also be considered for improvement when using Artis products. The signal pertaining to wear can be visualised and appropriate limits set to indicate when a tool is worn. Currently the standardised approach to tool changes are based upon several trials from Process Engineering, and a with a safety factor included (to consider unknown material changes), a quantity of parts to be produced is set within the machine control.  When the tool life has reached zero quantity, the tool life has expired, and the operator is informed that the tool needs replacing.  By use of the Wear function of Artis products, the life can be set dependant on the actual cutting condition of the tool. This removes the need of the safety factor that has been previously set.  Knowing the real condition of the tool can lead to increased number of workpieces produced by the tool, or even increasing the overall life of those tools that require re-grinding, only a small portion of worn condition needs removing.

Dependant on your requirements, the level of equipment can be set, but can always be expanded into a greater holistic approach in monitoring the complete machine. The greater the benefit of the tools available from MARPOSS Monitoring Solutions, the easier savings in costs can be achieved.

Your local Marposs contact is easily approachable for discussions and assistance with your tasks of improvements.