JOURNAL FOR CNC-TOTAL SOLUTIONS

information

No 55 - September 2014

04 Flexium+ CNC: spindle programming plus other new features and enhancements14 Purdue University: adopts NUM’s CNC technology for mechanical engineering courses18 Weingärtner Maschinenbau: Flexium power machine tools for mud motor component production20 Perndorfer Maschinenbau: precision CNC five-axis3Dwaterjetcuttingsystem22 ORT/MICO and Cadei:amajoradvancein thread rolling automation24 SOMAB and NUM: Flexium boosts performance offlagship‘Genymab’multi-function machining center26 Fiat Powertrain:majorCNCupgradeextends machine tool life at engine manufacturing plant30 KLENK:multi-userNUMROTOdatabasehelps speed production of specialist drills and milling tools 32 New NUMgear/Flexium+:solutionfullyauto- mates threaded wheel grinding 34 Bourn & Koch: migrate popular 25H – 400H series II gear hobbers to Flexium CNC37 Feng Chia University:NUMTaiwandonates CNCcontrollersworthmorethanNT$1.2million

DearReaders

ForNUM,activeparticipationinIMTSandotherglobaltradefairsprovidesus with a unique opportunity to pre-sent exciting new developments inCNC system hardware and software technology. This year’s highlightsinclude an extremely cost effectivetwo-channel CNC control system fordesigners of small and medium-sizedmachineswithuptofiveaxes,a scalable safety architecture which can easily be adapted for all kinds of machines, and new functions in closed loop software for complex ge-ometrytools.

Flexium+ 8, the youngest member of the Flexium / Flexium+ family, is cost-effectiveandextremelysimpletoinstall.WiththeCNCsystem,ma-chinery can be controlled that has up to 5 CNC axes and which requires ahighdegreeofflexibility.Thede-velopments,whichutilizetheopen-ness and flexibility of the system, arecarriedoutbytheNUMTechnol-ogy Centers (NTCs). It is also possi-

ble for machine manufacturers or evenend-userstodevelopspecialistfunctionalitythemselves,astheyareable to access the same functions as theNTCs.

NUMstrivestoinvestinresearchanddevelopment, not only to guaran-tee continuous market prominence for our customers through technol-ogy, but also to assist in the training

of juniorstaffmembers.Asyoucanread in this edition of NUMinforma-tion, students at the renowned Pur-dueUniversityintheUSAandatFengChiaUniversityinTaiwanareacquir-ing specialized knowledge of NUM CNCControlSystems.

WiththeaidofFlexiumandFlexium+, students and graduate scientists are now able to research CNC technol-ogyindepth.AllCNC,servodrive,I/OandPLC set-upandprogramming iscarried out with the help of a single software tool, which helps to reduce thelearningcurve,increaseproduc-tivityandjobsatisfaction,andfos-tercollaborativeendeavors.Thesys-temically open NUM CNC architecture

offers students numerous advan-tages and opens up undreamed-ofpossibilities.Withindustrystandardeditors and languages, such as HT-ML, JavaScript, Visual Basic, Delphi,C , C++ etc., custom-designed HMIs(human-machine interfaces) can becreated or altered very easily. The3Dgraphical simulationpossibilitieswith Flexium+ will significantly in-crease the flexibility of work and the option of implementing directly into CNC core code facilitates a deep un-derstandingofCNCtechnology.

Ihopeyouenjoyreadingthiseditionof NUMinformation and hope to meet youinpersonatIMTS.

PetervonRütiCEONUMGroup

“For NUM, active participation in global trade fairs provides us with a unique opportunity to demon-strate exciting new developments in CNC system

hardware and software technology.”(Peter von Rüti, CEO NUM Group)

ImprintPublisher NUMAG Battenhusstrasse16 CH-9053Teufen Phone+41713350411 Fax+41713333587 sales.ch@num.com www.num.com

Editors & Layout Marco Martinaglia DimitrySchneider

NUMinformationispublishedapproximatelytwiceayearinEnglish,German,French,ItalianandChinese.

©CopyrightbyNUMAG ©Coverpicture:NUM/NOSEDesignReuseallowedonlywithreference;pleasesupplyspecimencopy.

Editorial

PetervonRüti,CEONUMGroup

Pages2|3

NUMEventCalendar2014

Even

ts

NUM ̀s global trade fair presence

In order to be closer to our customers in the future, we are expanding our global trade fair program. During 2014, NUM is taking part in a total of 13 international specialist trade fairs from North America to Asia. Participation in more new exhibitions is also planned for 2015.

NUM attaches considerable importance to meeting cus-tomersintheirhomemarkets.Oneofthehighlightsof2014willcertainlybeparticipationintheIMTSinChicago,(September8to 13), the largestspecialist tradefair formanufacturing technology inNorthAmerica,wherewewill be exhibiting for the first time with our Flexium+6/Flexium+8displaystand.ShortlyaftertheIMTS,wewillbemakingourfirstappearanceatAsiaMetalinGuang-zhou.Here is the full listof trade fairs that feature inNUM’s2014exhibitionprogram:

Feb.2014 CCMT,Shanghai,ChinaMarch2014 Grindtec,Augsburg,GermanyMarch2014 Industrie,Paris,FranceApril2014 SIMTOS,Seoul,SouthKoreaMay2014 SIAMS,Moutier,SwitzerlandMay2014 SPSIPCDrives,Parma,ItalyJune2014 BIEMH,Bilbao,SpainJune2014 CIMES,Beijing,ChinaSept.2014 IMTS,Chicago,USASept.2014 AsiaMetal,Guangzhou,ChinaSept.2014 BI-MU,Milan,ItalyNov.2014 EMAF,Porto,PortugalNov.2014 SPSIPCDrives,Nuremberg,Germany

IMTSSeptember8-13,inChicago,USABooth5135,EastBuilding

BI-MU September30-October4,inMilan,ItalyBoothG35,hall11

EMAFNovember19-22,inPorto,Portugal

AsiaMetalSeptember15-17,inGuangzhou,ChinaBoothN12,hall2.1

SPS PIC Drives November25-27,inNuremberg,GermanyBooth3-668,hall3

AsummaryofnewfeaturesinFlexium+

This article summarizes some of thenew features of our latest Flexium+ CNC platform. Building on the out-standing success of Flexium, which has an installed base of well over10,000worldwide,Flexium+advanc-esCNCcontroltoanentirelynewlevel.It incorporates new high performance firmware, software and hardware, while retaining all the power, flexi-bilityanduser-friendlinessforwhichNUMproductsarerenowned.

AkeyaspectofFlexium+ is the plat-form’s scalability – machine tool manufacturers can apply the same CNC architecture across a broad range of applications, regardless of size and complexity. A choice of threeCNC kernels allows cost-effective,performance-optimized solutions tobe created for diverse applications.The largestCNCkernel,Flexium+68,cancontrolup to32drives. Innova-tivespindlemanagementallowsany

Flexium+

Spindleprogrammingandothernewfeatures

WhydoesthenewFlexiumrangeadditiondeservea+ ?

connecteddevice to be an axis or aspindle – and control allocation can be changed on the fly. This simpli-fies spindle/C axis commutation and providesanexcellent foundationformulti-spindle applications such aslarge transfermachines. Logical ad-dressing helps to keep programming simple – an example is included later inthisarticle.

Flexium+ also features a modular, system-wide safety architecture. AsafetyPLC,usingdistributedsafetyI/Omodules and the safe motion moni-toringfacilitiesofournewNUMDriveXservodrives,overseesallcriticalsys-tem operations. Machine designerscan implement high integrity safety functions with very few additionalcomponents – and by using our new single-cable servomotorswith thesedrives as described later, they canalsoreducecablingcostsandimprovemachinereliability.NUMDriveXservo

drivesalsooffernew tandemappli-cation options to help simplify the designofveryhightorqueaxes.

TheFlexium+ HMI is now designed to beeveneasier touseand takes fulladvantage of new peripherals suchas the large landscape format touch panel described in this article. Newgraphical FXCAM software helpsma-chineoperatorstohandle‘shopfloorprogramming’, while the power-ful Flexium+ 3D simulator uses theNC code being processed by the CNC interpolator to provide a true pic-ture ofmachine operation. The fol-lowing pages include details about thesimulator’ssupportforadvanced5-axis machining, and show how aCNC oscilloscope function can be used to further improve online visualiza-tionaccuracy.

Perhaps it is because of the new features that it provides?Like its famous and successful predecessor, Flexium+ exists in three configurations: Flexium+ 6, Flexium+ 8 and Flexium+68.EachhasthesameaxesandoptionsstructuresasitsFlexiumcounterpart,butpushestheperformanceboundariesevenfurther.Notvisibleatfirstglancebutoftheutmostimportanceisthecompletelyreengineeredfirm-ware.Thisprovidestheopportunitytocreatenewcontrolmethodstoaccommodatethelatestdevelopmentsinthemachinetoolindustry.Someofthesefeaturesarealreadyavailable.Forexample,thenewtandemdriveconfigura-tions,whichincludeawindingduplicationfunctionforusewithextremelypowerfulspindlemotors.OtherfeatureslikeVolumetricErrorCompensation(VEComp)arealsoready–andtherearemanymoretocome.Thenewfirmwarealsohelpstosurpassexistingspeedandtravellimits.Itisnowpossibletoimagineaxistravelof1kmwithsub-nanointerpolation–atdoubletheoriginalmaximumspeedandwithevenmorepreciseaccelerationcontrol.MorevisibleisthenewDISCNT+digitalbusthatallowsoptimalcontrolofournewNUMDriveXrangeofservodrives.Thisprovidesfaster communication, enhanced precision and higher performance, as well as exciting new solutions like single cable motorconnections.

AsummaryofnewfeaturesinFlexium+

Pages 4 | 5

Flex

ium

+WhydoesthenewFlexiumrangeadditiondeservea+ ?

Or its advanced spindle management?Oneparticularlyimportantimprovementisintheareaofspindlemanagement.Flexium+ has the ability to manage up to32spindles.Onemainspindleanduptothreeauxiliaryspindlescanbeprogrammedandcontrolledineachchannel(detailsaregivenlaterinthisarticle).Thenotionofaxisorspindlehasbeengeneralizedtoprovidethecapabilityofquicklyswitchingmodeatanytime.Thisopensthewayforalargerangeofapplications,fromlivetoolstothemostsophisticatedtransfermachines,andinkeepingwithNUM’straditionitisachievedwithoutanybreakincompatibilitywithcurrentmachines.

Is it due to the new safety architecture?BasedontheFSoE(FunctionalSafetyoverEtherCAT)protocol,Flexium+providesacomprehensive,modularsafetysolu-tionwithdistributedI/OmodulesanddrivesequippedwithanembeddedNUM-STOXboardforSafeTorqueOfffunc-tionalityoraNUM-SAMXboardforthefullsetoffunctions(SafeOperationalStop,SafeLimitedSpeed,SafeDirectionandmuchmore).ConnectioniswithstandardEthernetcables;noexoticsoftwaretoolsarerequiredasprogrammingandmaintenancearedonethroughFlexiumTools.

Or maybe it is the Human to Machine interfaces?Flexium+comeswithanewsetofperipherals.ThemostobviousbeingtheportraitorientedFS192ioperatorpanel.This19’touchscreenaccommodatesdualtouchgesturesandcandisplaytheredesignedFlexium+ HMI simultaneously withachoiceofvirtualpanels:afullkeyboard,anISOprogrammingkeyboardorafullycustomizablemachinepanel.AssociatedwiththeMP05wiredpanel,thelatterprovidesefficientandergonomicmachinecontrol.TheattractivelypricedportablenPadprovidesaconvenientsolutionforremotemachineoperationandisavailableinwiredandsafetycertifiedwirelessversions.MoreperipheralsaredescribedelsewhereinthiseditionofNUMinformation.

Butlet’stalkabouttheFlexium+HMI:basedontheFlexiumHMItomaintaineaseofuse,itprovidesdifferentcontextsthathavebeencompletelyredesignedforanuptodatelookandfeel.Datacanbeaccessedevenmoreeasilythankstoredesignedpageswithnewfontsandanewcolorscheme.Thediagnosticspage,forexample,nowprovidesmoreinformation,usingmessageextensionstodetailthecauseofanyerror.Errormessagesarestillbackedbyhelpfunc-tions,sotroubleshootingassistancecanincludegraphicsorpartsofmanuals–orevenaccesstoanonlineknowledgedatabase.

Could it be due to single cable motors?ThedevelopmentofFlexium+andNUMDriveXservodriveshasenabledustointroducetwonewrangesofservomo-tors–SHXandSPX–thatfeatureasinglecableconnectionforboththepowerandthecertifieddigitalsensor.Aninnovativeembeddeddigitalinterfaceschemeallowstheencoderpowerandpositionfeedbackdata–togetherwithdiagnosticinformationandthermaldatafromthemotor’stemperaturesensor–tobecarriedonjusttwoshieldedwirescontainedwithinthemotor’spowercable.Inadditiontolowercablingcostsandsmaller/lightercablechains,thereducednumberofinterconnectionsimprovesreliabilityandimmunitytoelectromagneticinterference.Itisesti-matedthatforatypicalhigh-endCNCmachineinstallationinvolving20metercablelengths,thisnewtechnologycanreducetotalmotorcablingcostsbyasmuchas20percentperaxis.

Or the powerful shop floor programming feature?Notwithstanding the numerous other facilities of Flexium+, shop floor programming remains an important need for someusers.Flexium+thereforeintroducesFXCAM,whichusesgraphicstohelpguidemachineoperatorsthroughtheprocessofcreatingandexecutingaprogramfromscratch.Animportantpointisthattheoperatorisalwaysguidedbutatthesametimeenjoysmaximumfreedomofchoice.Theprogramthatiscreatedcansubsequentlybeexecutedon any Flexium+system.FormingpartoftheFlexium+HMI,FXCAMisalreadyavailableforsophisticatedprocesseslikegearmachining.Butthereismore.Todifferentiatetheirproductsfromthoseofcompetitors,machinebuilderscaneasilycreatetheirownprogramminginterfaceoradaptanexistingoneusingFXCAMDesigner.RunningonaPC,thispowerfultoolautomaticallycreatesallthefilesnecessaryforFXCAMassoonasthemachiningprocessisdefined.Texttranslationindifferentlanguagesdoesn’trequireanyadditionaldesigneffort.

ItisdifficulttodecidewhichisthesinglemostexcitingfeatureofthisnewCNCsystem.Butwhateveryourchoice,weare sure you will agree that the +isfullydeserved.Donothesitatetogetintouchwithoursalespeopletodiscoverhow Flexium+canhelpyoutoeasilybuildmorepowerfulmachinesandsecureacompetitiveadvantage.

Flexium+Spindles

OverviewOneofthemostimportantnewfeaturesofFlexium+isadvancedspindlemanagement.ThankstotheenhancedDISCNT+ digital bus, Flexium+hastheabilitytocontrolup32todrives,anyofwhichcanbeassociatedwithanaxisoraspindle–andthecontrolallocationcanbechangedonthefly.Itisthereforepossibletoimagineaunitwithupto32spindles.Ofcourse,inmostcasestherewillnotbeasmanyspindlesasthis,butcombinedwiththepowerandflexibilityofourCNCanddrives,thisperformanceopensthewayforahugefieldofapplications,fromlivetoolstotransfermachines.

Flexium+3Dsimulatorcontinuestoevolve

NUM’s Flexium+3Dsimulationsoftwarecombinesworkpiecesimulationandcollisionmonitoring/detectionwithotherpowerfulfeatures.ThisallowsmachinebuilderstooptimizetoolsandNCprogramstosuitthekinematicsofaspecificmachineusingvirtualprototypetechniques,enablingtheentiremachinepartproductionprocesstobeoptimizedforreducedtoolwearandefficiency,withoutcreatingscrap.Thesimulatorvisualizesthetools,themachine‘skinematicpropertiesandtheworkpieceblankas3Dvolumes.MaterialvolumeisremovedfromtheworkpieceasthetoolmovesalongthemachiningpathdefinedbytheCNCprogram,whilethesamevolumeiscontinuouslysubtractedfromtheworkpieceblank.

UnlikemanycompetitiveCAD/CAMvisualizationprograms,theFlexium+3DsimulatorusestheNCcodebeingprocessedby the NUM CNC interpolator – in both online and offline mode – to create a true picture of machine operation, which increasestheopportunitiesforimprovingtheoverallprocess.Flexium+3Dhandlespartprogramsformilling,turning,

Flexium+

New features and enhancements

ProgrammingWhileitisgoodtohavesuchadvancedfeatures,willtheyremainanadvantageiftheyaredifficulttoprogram?NUMhaspaidconsiderableattentiontothisissue;thecompanyisrenownedforitscommitmenttosoftwarecompatibilityandeaseofuse.ThemainspindleisprogrammedbytheusualfunctionsM3,M4,…andSforthespeed,makingpreviousprogramstotallycompatibleonmachinesthatarealreadyfittedwithonespindleperchannel.Inthecaseofauxiliaryspindles,astheseareanewconcept,anewprogrammingstrategywasofcoursenecessary.Wehavethereforeintroducedtheconceptoflogicaladdresses.Eachspindleisassociatedwithauniquenumber(1to32)usedonlyforprogramming.Thisnumber,whenusedasasuffix,willalloweachspindletobeaddressedindividually.Forexample: S2500:4 setspeedofspindlenumber4at2500rpm

Alternatively,theoperatorhasthechoicetoaccessthespindlesbytheirrank(Main,Auxiliary)inthechannel: M19#2 Indexthesecondauxiliaryspindle

Ontopofthis,eachspindlecanbeassignedasymbolicnamelike‘DrillingUnit’or‘DressingWheel’tofurtherhelpthemachineoperator.

For extended flexibility it is possible to change the spindle rank on the fly and to pass spindles from one channel to another, providedthatthisisauthorizedbythe‘giving’channel.Thisisperformedbythreeparticularcodes: M61 -Releasesspindletomakeitavailableinanotherchannel M62 -Declaresaspindleasmainorauxiliarywiththesuffix# M66 -Usesaspindleasreferenceforfeed/rev

Eachofthesecodescanbeappliedtoalogicaladdressoraparticularspindlerank.

PerformanceThankstothefasterDISCNT+digitalbus,theperformancecapabilitiesofeachspindleareincreased. Speed: 0.01rpmtomorethan…600000rpm Resolution: morethan8Mcounts/revaccordingtothemaxspeed

WithFlexium+,NUMisnowmoreablethanevertohonoritsmissionstatement:toprovidemachinebuilderswithad-vancedandflexiblesolutionsthatofferarealcompetitiveadvantage.

Pages6|7

Flex

ium

+

Pic 1a Pic 1b

3DonlinesimulationwithCNCoscilloscopefunction

Asmentionedabove,Flexium+3DonlinesimulationprovidestheopportunitytovisualizethemovementofaxesduringCNCpartprogramexecution,whilesimultaneouslyshowingtheremovalofmaterialwiththetoolsthatareinuse.

IntegrationofaCNCoscilloscopefunctionallowsthebehaviorandaccuracyofFlexium+3Donlinesimulationtobeimpro-vedsubstantially.TheCNCoscilloscopefunctionprovidesconfigurableaccesstorecord,readandvisualizepositionandspindle data from the Flexium+CNCinsynchronismwithitsrealtimeclock.Thesystemtransfersthisrecordedpositiondata,togetherwithdatarelatedtothetool(toolandtoolcutnumber),totheFlexium+3Dsimulatorforsimultaneousvisualization;thisinformation,incombinationwiththerealpositiondata,givestherealtoolpathandmaterialremoval.

andwaterjetcuttingapplicationswritteninISO-Code(DIN66025withNUMdialect)andtheoperatorcanchoosebetweenworkpiece,machineorsplitviews.

Flexium+3Dsimulationsoftwareisavailablein2differentversions: -Officeversion:Flexium+3DasstandalonesimulationsoftwareusedinproductionplanningwithoutCNC -Machineversion:Flexium+3DaspartoftheFlexium+ HMI panel software used for ->Pre-simulationofpartprograms;differentpartprogramscanbeexecutedonCNCcontemporaneously ->OnlinesimulationwithsimultaneousexecutionofpartprogramonCNC(simulationofaxes’positions)

DuringsimulationtheTCP(toolcenterpoint)pathisvisualized(pic1b),materialremovalontheworkpiece(pic1a)issimulatedandchecksaremadeforcollisionsbetweentoolandmachinecomponents.

This improvement to online simulationenables the user to analyze critical geom-etries(edges,smallradii,cornersetc.)ortovisualize thebehaviorofaxeswithregardto velocity predictions, acceleration andaccuracy, as well as unexpected position oscillating.

It also allows any differences between the nominal and actual paths, (partially zoomed overlaid online simulation) to beevaluated.

Flexium+

3Dsimulatorenhancements

3Dsimulatornowsupportsadvanced5-axismachining

Formanyyears,theCNCfirmwareofeachnewgenerationofNUMCNChasincludedintegratedRTCP(rotatetoolcenterpoint)andInclinedPlanefunctions.TheRTCPfunctionisusedformachinekinematicswithadditionalrotaryaxes(A,BorC)tochangethetoolorientationwithoutleavingthecontactpointonthepathbetweentoolandpart.Itprovidesautomaticcompensationofthemainlinearmachiningaxesfortheoffsetscausedbythemovementsoftherotaryaxes.Meanwhile16standardaswellasspecific4-and5-axiskinematicsaredefinedandsupported.WithanInclinedPlanedefinedinthespacereferencedtooriginalcoordinates,anewlogicalcoordinatesystemcanbeusedtoprogramandexecutegeometricalshapes.

Tobeabletoanalyzeandsimulatepartprogramsforthesekinematics,thecomplexcoordinatetransformationfunc-tions are now integrated into Flexium+3Dsoftware.ThemainkinematicstructureswhichweretakenintoaccountforthisRTCP/InclinedPlaneconsiderationareshownbelow.Otherkinematicsarederivedfromthethreemainkinematics.

++

+

+

+

RTCP on RTCP off

++

+

+

+

Without the tool tip control With the tool tip control

•DualRotaryTwistHeadType# 2:Dual Twist Head A carried by C

Theo

reti

cal m

odel

Sim

ula

tion

mod

el

Type# 12:Simple Table C and Simple Twist Head B

Type# 15:Dual Tilting Table: Table C carried by A

•DualTiltingTable•SimpleRotaryTwistHeadandSimpleTable

Pages8|9

Flex

ium

+

Withthesekinematicmodels,offline-simulationofthepartprogramispossiblewithoutmovingthespecificaxesofthe5-axismachine.Analysisandevaluationofpartprograms,aswellascollisiondetectionformachinecomponentslikethetable,toolandpartholder,arealsopossibleduringthecoordinatetransformations.

Theimagesbelowshowthetwosimulatedpartsandthetworealpartsmachinedonacombined5axismillingandturn-ingmachine(CrotaryaxisinthepartandBrotaryaxisinthetool).Notetheexcellentcorrelationbetweenthesimulatedandrealparts.

RTCPprocessing(5axis):Offlinesimulatedworkpieceandmachinedpart

InclinedplaneandRTCPprocessing(5axis):Offlinesimulatedworkpieceandmachinedpart

FS192landscapeformattouch-sensitiveoperatingpanel

When NUM introduced its verticalformat19-inchprojectivecapacitive(PCAP) touch screen in 2012, it setanew standard for operating panels in the machine tool industry. Fol-lowingvaluable feedbackfromcus-tomers, NUM has now developed alandscape format version. The newFS192L-TSoperatorpanelfeaturesthesame modern, ergonomic design as theverticalformatversion,andhasthe same IP65 front protection andIP20 rear protection ratings. A newmatching version of machine panel–theMP05L–isalsonowavailable.

Flexium+ FS192landscapetouchpanel

and HMI enhancements

NUM’snewFS192L-TSlandscapeformattouchpanelhasthesamevisiblescreenareaastheFS192i,butisrotatedby90degrees,andprovidesasymmetricalhorizontalandverticalviewingangleofabout170degrees.Thescreenisprotectedbynon-reflective4mmhardenedhigh-qualityglass.Narrowbrushedaluminumframeswithroundededgesprovidecompletesideprotectionfortheglassandmulti-touchsensor.

FS192landscapetouchpanelandHMIenhancements

Product code FXPC19LCNNNNN00 (FS192L-TS) DetailsDisplay 19”TFTpcapTouchscreen (projectivecapacitivetouchscreen)Resolution SXGA 1280x1024(ratio5:4)Viewangle 170ohorizontalandverticalCommunication 3xUSBV2.0rear TypeA,1.5/12/480MB 1xUSBrear(PC) TypeB 1xDVI(<=50m) Integrated4portUSBHub

ThismodifieddesignintroducesnewrequirementsfortheHMI,virtualkeyboardandvirtualmachinepanelsoftware,aswellasforcustomer-dependentapplications.

Thescreenisdividedinto3areas,eachwithspecificsoftwarecomponents:1. FlexiumHMI(orotherapplicationssuchasFlexium+Tools,Flexium+3D,NUMROTO,NUMROTO3DorcustomerHMIsolution)runsunderoptimized1024x768resolution2. Virtualkeyboard(fullQwertykeyboard,ISOprogrammingkeyboard)runsunder1024x256resolution3. Virtualmachinepanel(CODESYStargetvisualizationorareaforcustomerapplicationbar)runsunder256x1024resolution

Divided Screen Divided Screen

Pages10|11

Flex

ium

+

Visualizationandkeyboardconfigurationwindowscontroltheposition,sizeandbehaviorofareas2and3.Thisflexibleconfigurationcapabilityallowsapplicationstobedisplayedfullscreen,orasastructuredpartitionofthe19”monitor.Allapplicationareascanbeoperatedwithamouseorkeyboard,aswellassingle-touchgestures.Flexium+ HMI and Flexium+3Ddual-touchgesturescanalsobeused–theserequirethatthepanel’sintegralPCisrunningtheWindows7/8operatingsystem.

Duetoits19inchscreensizeandsensorframe,thenewlandscapeformatFS192L-TSoperatorpanelhasdifferentdimen-sionstoNUM’swell-knownFS152panelfamily;however,itsoveralldimensionsareidenticaltothoseoftheFS192i/FS192.Asimplecabinetcut-outshapehelpsmachinebuilderstoincorporatethenewpanelveryeasily.UsedwiththenewMP05Lmachinepanel,theFS192L-TSoperatorpanelofferstheverylatestinmachinecontrolergonomics–providingOEMswiththemeanstoclearlydifferentiatethemselvesfromthecompetition.

TandemapplicationswithMDLUXdrives

Firstofalllet’sexplainwhatNUMmeansby‘tandem’applications:thesearewheretwoormoredrivesexchangeinforma-tionwitheachother(relatedtoreferencesordifferenttypesoffeedback),usingapropercommunicationbusotherthanthestandardDISCNT+busthatisusedbytheCNC.

Usually,inaNUMtandemapplicationwehaveonedrivethatisreferencedasthe‘master’driveandcontrolleddirectlybytheNCK,andoneormore‘slave’drives,thatreceivetheircommandreferencesdirectlyfromthemasterdrive.Awell-knownexampleisthe‘anti-backlash’applicationofMDLU2andMDLU3drives.

ComparedtoMDLU3drives,MDLUXdrivescomewithawiderrangeoftandemapplications:- anti-backlashapplication- torqueduplicationapplication- windingduplicationapplication- mechatronicapplicationsusingthenew‘driveembeddedmacro’functionality

Furthermore,withMDLUXdrivesitispossibletocreateverypowerfulhierarchicstructuresoftandemapplications.Forexample,withMDLUXdriveswecouldcreateatandemapplicationinvolving26drives,organizedinthefollowinghierarchicstructure:- ananti-backlashpairofdrives(master/slave)- whereboth,masterandslave,aremasterofagroupof4drivesinvolvedintorqueduplication- then,eachtorque-duplicationslavedriveis,onitsown,masterofagroupof4drivesinvolvedinwindingduplication

Thepicturebelowshowsthefullhierarchicstructure:

TheonlydrivereceivingcommandsfromtheCNCistheanti-backlashmaster,whileallotherdrivesreceivetheircom-mandsfromtheirowndirectmasterofthetandemapplication.So,thepositioningcommandfromtheCNCwillbesentonlytotheanti-backlashmaster;thisdrivethenpropagatesthecommandthroughthe‘tandemhierarchicstructure’,downtoalltheslaves.Let’snowexplainhowthevarioustandemapplicationswork.

Flexium+

TandemapplicationswithMDLUXdrives

Anti-backlash Thistandemapplicationinvolvestwodrives:onemasterandoneslave.Itsaimistoimplementanelectronicgearpre-chargingonarack-pinioncouplinginsuchawaythatanybacklasheffectiseliminated.Themastertriestokeepthetorquedifferencebetweenmasterandslaveasconstantaspossibleduringthemovementoftheaxis(therebykeepingtherack-piniongearpre-chargingconstant),whileallowingtheaxistofollowtheCNCpositionreferencewithoutanybacklash.Insuchapplications,theCNCsendsitspositionreferencetothemaster,whichinturnsendsaproperspeedref-erencetoitsslavepartner.Theamountof‘electronicgearboxpre-load’is,ofcourse,programmableviadriveparameters.

Linear AxisMaster-Motor

Slave-Motor

ReductionPinions/Driven Gear

Transmission Ball Screw

Linear Axis

ReductionGears Preloads

Transmission Gear - Rack

Slave-Motor

Master-Motor

Electrically preloaded rack and pinion drive with two motors in tandem

Pages12|13

Flex

ium

+

Torque duplication Thisisatandemapplicationwhereupto4drivesareinvolved:onemasterandupto3slaves.Itsaimistoincreasethedeliveredaxistorque/forcebymakingtwoormore(upto4)motorsactinparallelonthesamemechanicalaxis.Suchanapplicationcouldbeusedeveninthecaseofnon-reversibilityofthemechanicalcouplingbetweenmotorandaxis.Inthis case, the CNC sends its position reference to the master, which then propagates the torque current reference to all its slavepartners.Eachinvolveddrivecontrolsitsownmotor.Allmotorsdrivetheaxisinparallel(theyapplytheirtorquetoasingleaxis).

Winding duplicationThisisanothertandemapplicationwhereupto4drivesareinvolved:onemasterandupto3slaves.Itsaimistoincreasethedelivereddrivecurrenttoasinglemotorbymakingtwoormore(upto4)statorwindingsactinparallelonthesamemotor.

Inanapplicationsuchasthis,eachinvolveddrivecon-trolsitsownstatorwinding.Allstatorwindingcurrentscontribute, synchronously, to the creation of proper torqueonthesinglerotorofthemotor.

Onlythemasterdrivereceivesfeedbackdatafromanencoder position sensor; all slaves are ‘sensor-less’drives.TheNCKsendsitspositionreferencetothemas-ter,andthisthenpropagatesthethree-phasevoltagereferencetoallitsslavepartners.

Inthisexample,thenewmechatronicfunctionalitytriestoeliminatetheYaxisoscillationinducedbyaccelerationontheZaxis,viaapropercompensatingtorqueontheYaxis,computedviathe‘driveembeddedmacro’functionbasedontheZaxisaccelerationinformationreceivedviathetandemapplication!

BothdrivesarecommandeddirectlybytheCNCsobothaxesfollowtheirownpositionreferencesbecausetheybothhavetointerpolateasusual.Themechatronictandemapplicationactsonlyasanadditive‘compensator’insertedinthecontrolloopofbothdrives.

ThisshowstheenormouspowerofMDLUXdrives!

Bymeansofthewindingduplicationapplication,NUMwasabletocontroltheaxisofaspecialmachinethatrequired1000Arms(1400Apeak)oftorquecurrent.Themotorwasbuiltwith1rotorand4separatedstatorwindings,eachonecarryingupto250Arms.WhileNUM’sbiggestdriveisratedat280Arms,byusingthisfunctionwewereableto‘parallelize’the4motorwindingsandimplementa‘virtual’drivethatiscapableofdeliveringupto1000Armsoftorquecurrent.

Mechatronic application ThistandemapplicationinvolvestwoMDLUXdrives,onemasterandoneslave,andusestheirembeddedmacro(DEMX)functionality.Theaimoftheapplicationisto‘experiment’andimplementnewinter-axismechatronicfunctionssuchasthatshownbelow,whichcouldbeusefulforeliminatingaxisvibrationsinducedbythemovementsofotheraxes.

Tilting Effect: Inertial Forces due to acceleration along the Z axis and Tool-Tip Oscillation in Y direction

Inertial Load

StructuralDeformation

Acceleration

LeadinguniversityadoptsNUM’sopen-architectureCNCand3Dsimulationsoftware

for mechanical engineering courses

Purdue University’s prestigious College of Engineering has chosen to equip one of its key educational laboratories with NUM’s open-architecture CNC systems and 3D simulation software. The equipment will provide students with hands-on CNC programming experience and help to familiarize them with advanced CNC machine tool operation and control techniques, using a powerful combination of virtual machines and physical high performance CNC demonstrator systems.

PurdueUniversityisoneoftheUSA’sleading academic research institu-tions and hosts one of the nation’s largest engineering faculties. ItsCollege of Engineering comprises 14 schools and departments – eachspecializing in a particular engineer-ing discipline – and is currently un-dergoing further major expansion.As part of the expansion, PurdueUniversityisupgradingthemechan-ical engineering laboratory at the university’smaincampus.Thislabo-ratory is principally used for teach-ing students the basics of CNC control and programming, and introducing them to machine-based manufac-turing processes and techniques. Itis currently equipped with several2-axis CNC demonstrator machinesbased on NUM 760 and 10xx seriesCNCsystems,togetherwithaNUM2Dsimulator.

According to Professor Yung C. Shin,who oversees all CNC-related edu-cationand researchactivitiesat theSchool of Mechanical Engineering,“Whenwesetupthemechanicalen-gineeringlabinthe1990s,welookedat CNC systems from many manufac-turers.However,mostofthesystems

were like black boxes so their op-eration was difficult to understand, which was far from ideal when we wanted to teach the basics of CNC control.Wethereforedecidedtobaseour educational platform on NUM’s CNC systems, primarily because of their open architecture and the fact that the NUM was enthusiastic about helping us to use their products in thisrole.TheopennessofNUM’sCNC,especially with regard to NC code and I/O facilities, enables us to clearlydemonstrate the exchange of data betweenthePLC,CNCanddriveelec-tronics, and simplifies integration withotherlabequipment.Also,manyof the CNC machines that we use in

LeadinguniversityadoptsNUM’sopen-architectureCNCand3Dsimulationsoftware

for mechanical engineering courses

Right: Steven Schilling (left), Managing Director of NUM Corporation, and Yung C. Shin (right), Professor of Mechani-cal Engineering at Purdue University, standing in front of the university’s historic Heavilon Hall clock

Pages14|15

Educa

tion

our manufacturing research labs are based on NUM CNC systems, so there is ahighcommonalityofcoding.”

NUM has acted as a CNC partner to the SchoolofMechanicalEngineeringforsome24years.StevenSchilling,Gen-eral Manager of NUM Corporation in Naperville,Illinois,pointsouttheim-portance of such long-term supportforeducationalestablishments,“Thestaff at Purdue always have accessto our technical support people and receive engineering help wheneverthey need to reconfigure or repro-gram CNC systems for new projects.This close cooperation ensures thatPurdue’s laboratory CNC equipment

um68providesaveryversatilefoun-dation for educational and research applications such as this, where the type of machine and the control ap-proach change over time. As stan-dard, the NCK accommodates up to5 axes/spindles on a single channel, with full interpolation on 4 axes.SingleNCKoptionscanexpandthisto32axes/spindlesinupto8channels,with up to 9 interpolated axes perchannel,whilemulti-NCKconfigura-tionscanhandlemorethan200axes.

To help improve ergonomics, thelaboratory has installed two desk-topconsolesforhuman-machinein-teraction. Each console is equippedwithaNUMFS152ioperatorpanelandan MP04 machine panel, fitted with CAN interfaces. The operator panelsfeature 15 inch LCD screens and in-tegral industrial PCs with solid state drives, run an embedded version ofWindows, and are connected to theuniversity’s Ethernet network. Eachconsole can be used for simulation or for controlling the laboratory’s CNC demonstratormachines.

NUM has also supplied all the mo-tors, drives, power supplies and as-sociated hardware for two additional 2-axisdemonstratormachines.Bothof these combine latest-generationbi-axisNUMDriveCservodriveswithBPH brushless servomotors. One ofthesemachinesuses theHPversionof the drivewith high performancecontrol loops, to facilitate research intoapplicationsinvolvingveryfastorprecisekinematics.

Using Flexium, Purdue University’sstudents and post-graduate re-searchers can now investigate CNCtechniques to a very detailed level.AllCNC,servodrive,I/OandPLCsetupand programming is performed us-ing a unified software toolset to help shortenthelearningcurve,increaseproductivity and work satisfaction,and encourage collaborative effort.The system’s inherent open archi-tecture has multiple advantages.Application-specific HMIs (Human-Machine Interfaces) can be easilycreatedormodifiedusingindustry-standard editors and languages such as HTML, JavaScript, Visual Basic,Delphi, C or C++, while the PLC canbeprogrammedusinganyIEC61131-3compliant object-oriented graphi-cal or textual language. In addi-tion, students who need low-levelcontroloftheNCK–forexample,forreal-timeaxistransformations–canuse dynamic operators in the code, while techniques such as real-timecompensationcanbedevelopedus-ing embedded loop control macros in theservodrives.

The Flexium 3D graphical simula-tioncapabilitiesthatPurdueUniver-sity is installing in the mechanical engineering lab will improve work

Purdue University’s prestigious College of Engineer-ing has chosen to equip one of its key educational laboratories with NUM‘s open-architecture CNC sys-tems and 3D simulation software

has the latest features and tools to aidestudentsindevelopingnewma-chiningtechnologies.“

Thelatestupgradetothemechanicalengineering laboratory’s CNC equip-mentisextensive.NUMhassuppliedtwo Flexium68 CNC systems config-ured for milling applications, each with anNCK (Numerical Control Ker-nel),PLC,HMIand3Dsimulatorhard-ware and software, plus additional simulatordonglesforfourPCs.Flexi-

Pages16|17

Educa

tion

flexibility significantly. Until now,the simulation software required physical connection to the CNC sys-tem – which meant that only one student at a time could use it – and was limited to basic 2D simulationof path lines. The lab now has sixseparate simulator stations – two on desktop consoles and four on stand-alonePCs–eachcapableoftrue3Dworkpiece simulation in standalone mode, without needing access to a CNCsystem.AfurthersixnetworkedPCs are also being installed, allow-

ing students to perform simulation atdifferentlocations.

Students are now able to simulateandoptimizeanyISO-codepartpro-gram that they have written, withfull visualization of the tool centrepoint path and workpiece material removal,backedbyautomaticcheck-ing for collisions between machine components, the tool and the work-piece. The simulation software cur-rently supports3-5axis turningandmilling/drilling, as well as water jet

Many of the CNC machines in Purdue University’s manufacturing research laboratories are based on NUM CNC systems, such as the laser-assisted machining system for ceramic materials below. The new laboratory will have six computer workstations, each capable of true 3D workpiece simulation without needing access to a CNC system.

and plasma contour cutting, and can be transferred between applications veryeasily.Itcreatesadynamiccolorimage, showing the workpiece as a 3D volume than can be rotated andviewedfromanyperspective.

Purdue University plans tomake thenewCNCfacilitiesavailabletostudentsinthefall,asProfessorShinexplains,“Weneedtobeabletoprovidemorestudents with hands-on experienceofCNCprogrammingandvisualizationas soon as possible. There is now aresurgence in the domestic automa-tion market thanks to new processes likeadditivemanufacturing, and CNCprogramming skills are once again in shortsupply.StudentsareexcitedbyCNC programming when they can see the results of their efforts – whether that’s on a simulator, a CNC demon-strator or machine tool – which is why our new facilities are such an impor-tant educational tool. Some 65% ofour graduates go on to pursue careers in manufacturing – and many havebecomeprofessorsintheirownright.I like to think that when they set up their own laboratories they will re-member the grounding thatwe gavethem.”

Weingärtner Maschinenbau GmbH, which was founded in 1965, is an international company that manufac-tures machine tools for the energy sector. For more than 35 years, it has been producing processing machines for the oil drilling industry and the plastics sector, as well as combined turning/milling centers for the complete processing of heavy, complex components. Weingärtner and NUM have been working in close part-nership, from initial machine configuration through implementation to commissioning, for over 20 years.

Weingärtner mainly utilizes NUMcontrollers in machines for the pro-duction of machine components, such as pumps or core parts for drill drivesusedinthecrudeoilandgasindustry. These components aretypically used for drilling and subse-quent production of oil and gas, but theyalsohaveapplicationsinotherindustries wherever eccentric screwpumpsareusedforpumpingvariousliquids and viscous materials. Thecore parts for drill drives are alsoproduced on Weingärtner machineswith NUM controllers. These ma-chines offer peripheral milling and

below, use a NUM Flexium CNC sys-tem with specialist synchronization software.Dependingonthemachinetype, this controls up to eight axes and two spindles with power ratings ofbetween22and90kilowatts.

“For Weingärtner Maschinenbau,the huge flexibility of NUM CNC sys-tems and NUM as a company is a real boon”, explains Klaus Geissler,Sales Manager for machine tools atWeingärtner. Special solutions areworked out and implemented as part of a close partnership. This isnot merely a customer-to-supplier

Future-orientedAustrianmechanicalengineering

companysuccessfulallovertheworld

Below: Vario production machine from Weingärtner Maschinenbau GmbH with a NUM Flexium CNC system

skimming of stator cores and sin-gle- and multi-lobe rotors used inindustrial and petrochemical pumps and inmudmotors. Forprocessing,it is very important that the toolspeed is exactly synchronized with the workpiece speed, and that the speed ratio can also be influenced by the interpolator. Thisused tobedonemechanically. Thesedays, thisfunction is carried out electronically using a NUM CNC system to guarantee extremelyhighlevelsofprecision.

Weingärtner’s current machines,like the Vario shown in the picture

Right: Final inspection of the Vario production machine from Weingärt-ner Maschinenbau GmbH with a NUM Flexium CNC system

Below: Eccentric screws as used in pumps in the oil and gas industry

Below right: Klaus Geissler, Sales Man-ager for machine tools at Weingärtner Maschinenbau GmbH (left) and An-dreas Lumesberger, Sales Manager at NUM Austria (right)

Pages18|19

Adva

nce

d

by a consistent strategy based on a robust machine with optimized pro-cess and machining technology and fullyintegratedsoftware.

Ascomparativelysmallcompaniesinthe global market Weingärtner andNUMhavesetthemselvesapartfromtheir bigger competitors by means of

continuous development, innova-tivesolutionsworkedoutaspartofa close partnership, a strong team of highly qualified employees and anexcellentglobalservicenetwork.Thesequalitiesarealsothebasisforthesuccessofthetwocompanies.

relationship, but real cooperation between two system partners, which has an impact on the success of both WeingärtnerandNUM.Weingärtner’smain customers are in the supplier industryforoilandgasexploration.This means that Weingärtner is ac-tive all over the world – its mainsales markets are America, the EU,RussiaandAsia.

Just like NUM, Weingärtner also of-fers complete solutions for its cus-tomers.Theseconsistofamachine,tools, process engineering and CAD/CAMsoftware,andareusednotonlyin the production of eccentric screws for pumps, but also in the produc-tion of large crankshafts, turbine and generator shafts for power sta-tions and in roller processing for the paper and steel industries. TherangeofWeingärtnermachinesthusincorporatesnumeroushigh-perfor-mance machine tools for the metal processing industry. These high-quality systems are all characterized

Global company Perndorfer Maschinenbau KG specializes in water jet cutting, water jet cutting systems and water jet cutting machines. Perndorfer’s products include high-technology CNC-controlled 2D and 3D water jet cutters. Together with NUM, it has now built a five-axis water jet cutting system which can pro-cess large workpieces with external dimensions of up to 9000 × 4000 mm very efficiently and accurately.

duction of CNC-controlled water jet cutting systemsand special machine construction enable Perndorfer toofferawiderangeofproductsandservicesinthistechnologysector.Specificcustomerrequirementsareflexibly and capably implemented in close coopera-tionwithNUM. This includes prototype constructionthrough to the provision of complete solutions andindividuallycustomizedsystems,aswellas training,specificon-siteconsultancyand24-hourservice.

Themachineshownhereisafive-axiswaterjetcut-ting system which can cut through steel with a thick-nessofupto140mmandaluminumwithathicknessofupto180mmveryefficiently,usingjustwaterandsuitableabrasivematerialatapressureof4000bar.Thebottomendcapofapressuretankshownhereis

Precision3Dwaterjetcuttingguarantees

top quality results

Top: Control panel for the NUM Flexium CNC system with specific Perndorfer HMI

Left: Overall aerial view of five-axis water jet cutting machine from Perndorfer with workpiece in place

Foundedin1985byownerFranzPerndorfer,PerndorferMas-chinenbauKGisnowoneofthemostinnovativecompaniesintheindustry.Witharound60qualifiedemployees,Perndorferis permanently and successfully engaged in the international marketanddemonstratesongoingcompetitivenessbasedoninnovation,precisionandquality.ItscooperationwithNUMstartedaround20yearsagoandhasgrownconstantlysince.Decadesofexperienceinthedesign,developmentandpro-

Pages20|21

5-Ax

is

also be configured for welding ap-plications; it isdesigned toacceptafive-axisweldingheadasanalterna-tivetowatercuttingjets.

The workpieces are placed on thetable to allow optimum processing with the CNC-controlled five-axiscuttingheadfromallsides.Thiswa-terjetcuttingmachineisfittedwiththe NUM Flexium CNC system with six axes, gantry function as well as water jetandfive-axistechnology.ForbothPerndorfer and NUM it is important to implement a complete solution.Thisistheonlywaytoguaranteethequality of all working stages and pro-duce a high-precision, high-qualityendresult.ThecooperationbetweenPerndorfer and NUM involves close

dialogfromtheverystartofaproject,i.e.fromdesignthroughtoapprovaland commissioning of the machine on the customer’s site. It goes withoutsayingthatthecompanyprovidesca-pable,smoothservicesformanyyearsafter acceptance of the machine by thecustomer.

Theprecise,high-qualityendproductprovidedtothecustomersintheformof a Perndorfer machine with a NUM CNC system guarantees them a com-petitive advantage in their market.Thiscompetitiveadvantageisbothob-jective andmotivation for PerndorferandNUM.

Right: Peter Asböck, Project Manager for water jet cutting, Perndorfer Mas-chinenbau KG, Johann Humer, Sales Manager, Perndorfer Maschinenbau KG, and Andreas Lumesberger, Sales Manager at NUM Austria

Below: The water jet cutting through a 6 mm thick pressure tank end cap

madeof6mmthicksteelandcanbecutpreciselyat 330mmperminute.The cut can be programmed to anyanglerequired.Thismakesitpossibleto cut facets on three dimensional preformed parts, in preparation for the subsequent welding on of other components such as flanges, pipes, heatexchangers,etc.Thisguaranteesefficientworkflows.

This machine can be used to cutworkpieces with maximum lateral dimensionsof9000×4000mmandheightsofupto500mm.Customersare free to choose the working height to suit their requirements at the ma-chinedesign stage; this thendeter-mines the appropriate height for the portal that supports the Z axis and the3Dcuttinghead.

It is therefore suitable for 2D sheetcuttingofanykind,orfor3Dcuttingofvariousworkpieces suchaspipes,containers or covers for pressuretanks, like the end caps which can be seeninthepictures.Themachinecan

In collaboration with NUM, the Italian machine builder ORT, today owned by MICO S.r.l, and the end user en-gineering company Cadei have developed an advanced thread rolling machine. The new machine provides im-proved control and accuracy of the thread penetration process. Thanks to its use of a NUM Flexium CNC system, the machine is also very simple to operate – the necessary skills can be learned very easily and quickly. Almost anyone can now handle the production process, which helps to reduce costs and provides Cadei with a unique competitive advantage.

WhenitacquiredORTItalia,MICOS.r.lalso bought all the intellectual prop-erty rights to the company’s range of thread rolling machines (including the machine drawings, commercial component definitions, electrical/hydraulic diagrams, software and market references). MICO now pro-duces these machines and associated spare parts under the trade name of ORTItalia,aswellasprovidingtech-nicalsupportservicestoendusers.

However, MICO’s philosophy ex-tends beyond simply manufactur-ingand supporting theoriginal ORTmachines. The company decidedto invest in the automation of themachines to further improve theiraccuracy and productivity, and tosimplify their operation in order to

Majordevelopmentinthreadrolling

automation from Italy

Above: Crude steel part on the left and pressed thread for a hydraulic press as the final product, on the right

Left: The thread rolling machine in the production hall of Cadei

EngineeringcompanyCadeiS.n.c.wasfoundedin1972byGiacominoCadei.Since2005thecompanyhasbeenman-aged by his children, Massimo, Cristian and Michela, who eachhavemorethantwentyyearsofexperience inthebusiness.Cadeiprimarilyspecializesinthemanufactureof parts for hydraulic molding presses, but its technical know-howalsoenablesthecompanytoprovidecustom-erswithadiverserangeofproducts,suchascomponentparts for bending equipment, axles for railway rolling stock,andvarioustypesofpneumaticandhydraulicma-chinery.Sizeisnoobjectandpartscanmeasureupto650mmindiameterand9000mminlength.Cadeihasinvestedextensivelyinstate-of-theartmachine tool technology, including high quality CNC lathes controlled by NUM equipment, to ensure that its products are machined with the utmost preci-sionandreliability.Inrecentyearsthecompanyhasalsodevelopedspecialskills in the deep hole drilling of cylindrical and other sections, in sizes rang-ingfrom6mmto150mmindiameter.

Pages22|23

Pow

erfu

l

make it less dependent on workers’ experience. MICO also reviewed themachines’overallstructureandme-chanical components, with the aim of making them even more robustandreliable.

One of the key benefits of the newmachines is an improvement in theaccuracy of dynamically control-ling thread penetration throughout the thread rolling process. The newautomation system enables the me-chanical force exerted by the thread rolling dies on the workpiece to be defined and controlled more pre-cisely – which also helps to extend the operational life of the dies. Thetilt and shift angles of the dies are calculated automatically (it takes less than five minutes to establishthe correct phase, without incurring any loss of workpiecematerial) andthediesarethenmovedintopositionentirelyautomatically.Allautomati-cally-derived parameters associatedwith the requested manufacturing cycles for a specific thread (taking into account dimensions and mate-rial)canbemonitoredonline.Allthesteps required for a particular manu-facturing sequence can be carried out fullyautomatically.Particularatten-tion has been paid to the design of a flexible interface, so that any type of dedicated loading system or special-ized auxiliary equipment can be eas-ilyintegratedwiththemainmachine.

With this new thread rolling ma-chine, Cadei is ahead of its com-petitors. This is not only because

of the precise results which can be achieved with this innovative ma-chine, but also due to the fact that it is controlled by a NUM CNC system, which makes it very easy to han-dle. In fact the controlhasbecomeso easy, that Cadei can let anyone handle themachine. This simplicityofoperationhasamajorproductiv-itybenefit;ifanemployeeisabsenttheir work can easily be handled by someoneelse,therebyavoidinganydowntime in production. “In ad-dition, a consistently high quality final product is guaranteed to the customeratalltimes,”saysCristianCadei,DirectorofCadeiS.n.c..“Closecooperation with NUM has enabled us to create a highly accurate and easy-to-usemachinewhichbringsacompetitive advantage to the cus-tomer,”saysSimoneFarina,Techni-calChiefofORT.

Top right: The thread rolling machine from the rear, showing 3 NUM motors.Lower right: The thread rolling ma-chine from the front, with a mounted workpiece

Below: The thread rolling machine in operation

Bottom: from left to right, Simone Fa-rina, Technical Chief of ORT, Cristian Cadei, Director of Cadei S.n.c. and Marco Battistotti, Director of NUM Italy

Five-axis machining, three-axis turning, trimming, grinding, slotting and much more: when SOMAB decided to equip its flagship machine, the Genymab, it was only natural to turn to NUM, its long-standing partner. Founded in 1985, the SOciété de Mécanique d’Automatismes du Bourbonnais has inherited the expertise of Ernault Somua whose machines are known around the world.

Often, the best solutions are recog-nized by their ease of application.Genymab is no exception. Originallyfeaturing Axium Power, this multi-function machining center has been remodeled to use Flexium CNC and takeadvantageof itsmostadvancedfeatures. The change of the C-axisspindle from turning to milling and vice versa, and the validation of aninclined surface are done naturally througha simpleG codewhich vali-dates the structure changes and au-thorizesthecorrespondingfeatures.

Let’s take a closer look at the trim-ming aspect. NUM added an ’elec-tronic speed drive‘ to its standard

SOMABandNUM,asuccessful,

long-standingpartnership

Genymabisbasedonasimpleconcept:Topassdirectlyfromtheblanktothefinished product regardless of the op-erationsinvolved.Forthisreason,twoadditional axes, Y and B, have beenadded to the classic X, Z and C axes.Many options allow for adapting this machine to specific needs: a num-beroftoolsavailableinstore,varioustouch-sensing probes, a second mo-bile head and a machining surface, to mentionjustafew.Thesecomponentsare installed on a reconstituted granite basewhich naturally dampens vibra-tion.TheboundarieswerepushedevenfurtherthankstotheNUMDriveCservodrives with their high performancecontrolloopalgorithms.

software which allows for synchro-nization between the main milling cutter and the piece to be cut; themany parameters for straight or heli-cal gears for trimming, with different options for shifting, are also taken into account. Linked to its design,the rigidity of the tool head enables these operations to be carried out with the required machining qual-ity.Safetyhasn’tbeenforgotten.Thesynchronization process is constantly monitored in order to signal an emer-gency in the case of an unexpected event.Thedrivesstoreenoughener-gy to keep the machine going in the eventofapoweroutage. Thismachinedoesnothavetheclassi-caltrimmingstructure;itfeaturesthenecessary assets to produce all kinds ofstructuralshapes.Here,thework-piece is on the main turning spindle

Genymab’s work surface with the tail-stock and the milling work table on the right

Pages 24 | 25

Efficien

cy

From left to right: Mr Roland Vesvres, Sales Manager SOMAB, Mr Bernard Jac-quard, Director SOMAB and Mr Elia Bar-santi, Director NUM France

Below (top): Example of a workpiece created using only Genymab: Turning + Milling + Trimming

Below (bottom): Genymab’s instrument console comprises an FS152i operator panel and MP04 machine panel

rather than on a specific axis - theX (pass engagement) and Y (shifting)axes are inverted. It was a simplematter of adapting the algorithm’s parameters to this feature.Program-ming a trim is done in a single line whichgivesthenumberofgearteethto trim, the number of threads on the main milling cutter, and the angle of thehelix.Differentdepthcyclesallowthefinalproducttobeobtained.

Flexium’s increased power allows performance to be improved evenfurther; benefits include a shorterselection time and more efficient automation, whilst maintaining complete programming compatibil-ity –excluding the new functions of course. The HMI customization op-tions, particularly in terms of graph-ics, will simplify the machine’s op-eration. The FX3D simulation allowsa 3Dmodel of the workpiece to becreated (milling is in the process of being developed), but even moreimportantly, itpreventsanyseriousconsequences by detecting potential collision problems, which are some-times hard to foresee when it comes tocomplexstructures.

Theprogrammingat theheartof themachinehasnotbeenforgotten.Ge-nymab is equipped with specific er-gonomics programming which is sup-portedbytheFXCAM.

However,eventhebestsystemcannotfunctionwithouthumaninput.Thisisanother area where NUM offers cus-tomers a choice to help secure the op-timumsolutionforeachproject.Thereare three options: -Activeparticipation:NUMoffers itsexpertise in automation and guaran-teesassistanceandadvice.

- Active co-operation: Sharing ofknow-howbetweentheclientteams,and production in partnership with theclient.

- The global solution: NUM becomestheprojectmanagerandtakescareofeverythingfromtheprojectspecifica-tions to the commissioning, training andmaintenance.

In this case, participation and co-operationstrategieshavebeendevel-oped to help familiarize SOMABwiththe new aspects of the equipment, suchassimulationandtrimming.

This co-operation certainly provedefficient but let’s hear what Mr Jac-quard,DirectorofSOMAB,hastosay:“Genymab is a machine that can doalmost anything if it’s coupled with efficient digital control. NUM provedto be the supplier that is able to ef-ficientlyoperatethistypeofmachine.Theproofisthattheintegrationofthegear trimming function has been done quicklyandwithoutproblems.”

Onceagain,NUM’ssloganappliesper-fectly: Offering advanced digitaliza-tion solutions to our partners in order to develop a competitive advantagethat’sineveryone’sinterest.

MajorCNCupgradeprogramenablesenginemanufacturertoextendlifecycle

ofvitalproductionlines

MajorCNCupgradeprogramenablesenginemanufacturertoextend

lifecycleofvitalproductionlines

MajorCNCupgradeprogramenablesenginemanufacturertoextendlifecycle

ofvitalproductionlines

Fiat Powertrain is upgrading the CNC systems of 20 key machine tools used on the crankshaft and cylin-der block production lines of its engine manufacturing plant in Campo Largo, Brazil, in order to extend their life cycle and minimize future maintenance downtime. Each machine requires a custom upgrade kit, comprising a high performance CNC unit, servo drives and motors, specifically designed by NUM to facilitate fast installation and to provide improved diagnostics and simplified spares handling.

Part of Fiat Chrysler group, Fiat Pow-ertrain operates manufacturing plants at strategic locations around the world, including four in SouthAmerica. Its Campo Largo plant onthe outskirts of the Brazilian city ofCuritiba specializes in the manufac-ture of 1.6 litre and 1.8 litre ‘E.torQ’flexfuel engines for medium size cars, which can runonpetrol or ethanol.OriginallysetupbyChryslerandpur-chased by Fiat in 2008, the plant is one of the most modern in SouthAmericaandplaysanimportantrolein Fiat’s leadership of the Brazilianautomotivemarket–apositionithasheldforthepast12years.TheCampoLargo plant currently produces about 230,000enginesayear.

TheCampoLargoplantmakeexten-sive use of multi-axis CNC transfermachines, machining centers and specialist machine tools throughout its manufacturing operations. TheseincludeawiderangeofCinetic-Lan-dis crankshaft grinding machines, Heller machines for the external milling and grinding of crankshafts, and transfer machines produced by Comau – a Fiat subsidiary – for en-

gine block machining. In total, theplant’s crankshaft and cylinder block production lines are equipped with 20keyCNCmachines,involvingmorethan120feedaxes.Eachofthesema-chines was originally controlled by a NUM 1050 series CNC unit, with NUMMDLU1servodrivesandNUMBMHse-riesservomotors.

As the CNC systems aged, Fiat Pow-ertrain became increasingly con-cerned with the likelihood of in-creased downtime. Troubleshootingand sourcing spare parts, as well as performing general machine main-tenance, was threatening to take too long and impact production through-put.Sincemechanicallythemachineswereperfectlyserviceable,in2012thecompany took the strategic decision to extend the life cycle of the pro-duction lines by upgrading all 20 ma-chines with modern CNC controllers, drivesandmotors.

Left: Fiat Powertrain’s engine manufac-turing plant in Campo Largo, Brazil

Right: The front entrance of Fiat Pow-ertrain’s engine manufacturing plant in Campo Largo, Brazil

Pages26|27

CNC

upgr

ade

After reviewing various CNC manu-facturers’productsandservices,FiatPowertrain concluded that NUM of-fered the best upgrade solution for the specific needs of the plant be-causeitistheCNCOEMforthecurrentmachinesandwasable toprovideafaster-to-implement solution withthebestbenefit/costratio.AsTarcisioCruzFilho,TechnicalSupportManagerat the Campo Largo plant, explains: “Thefactthatweareupgradingma-chinesused foreverydayproductionimposessomeverydemandingcondi-tions.WeneededaCNCsupplierwiththe expertise and resources to collab-orate on the design and installation of systems here in Brazil, while thesystems themselves had to provideexactlythesameleveloffunctional-ityasourexistingCNCequipment.Weare impressed by the commitment to theprojectshownbyNUM’smanage-mentteaminSwitzerlandandbythequality of technical support – includ-

MajorCNCupgradeprogramenablesenginemanufacturertoextend

lifecycleofvitalproductionlines

ing severalon-sitevisits–providedby their USA office, especially giventhattheBrazilianmarketforthisCNCseriesisnothuge.”

AkeyrequirementofthereplacementCNC systems was that they needed to be engineered in such a manner that the upgrade could be accomplished as quickly as possible to minimize manufacturing disruption. Usingvideoconferencing, technical teamsfrom Fiat Powertrain and NUM quick-lyestablishedthatNUM’sAxiumCNCplatformprovidedtheleastinvasiveupgrade solution for the machines,

by using the same robust architec-ture as the earlier generation 1050series CNC to keep wiring and soft-waremodificationstoaminimum.

Aspart of the CNCupgradeprocess,the servo drives on each machineare being replaced by models from NUM’slatestNUMDriveCrange;theseare some of the most efficient and highestpowerdensitydrivesonthemarket, which further simplifies in-stallationbyobviating theneed forcomplexrackcoolingarrangements.

Top: Prior to the upgrade, the controllers for each CNC machine on the crankshaft production line were based on early-generation NUM 1050 series CNC

Middle: The new machine controllers are based on NUM CNCs and the latest NUM-Drive servo controllers

Below: The crankshaft production line at Fiat Powertrain’s Campo Largo plant makes extensive use of CNC machines

Pages28|29

CNC

upgr

adeThe upgrade program also calls for

the motors on all the feed axes of the machines tobe replaced.Originally,thesewerefittedwithNUMBMHse-ries brushless servomotors, whichare robust medium inertia designs that were popular with machine tool designersfordiversepositioningap-plications.However, theyhavenowbeen superseded by NUM’s BPH se-riesmotors,whichprovideenhancedperformance and environmentalprotection. The new BPH motorshavephysicallyidenticalshaftends,pilot diameters and flange squares as theirearlier-generationcounter-parts – again, making replacement a simple task – and the orientation of their power and sensor connectors can be altered during installation to suitthemachineconfiguration.NUMalsoprovidesshortadaptercablessothat the existing motor wiring does notneedtobechanged,whichsavesasignificantamountoftime.

Tarcisio Cruz Filho points out thatspeed of upgrade is vital to FiatPowertrain’s production schedules, “Weallowedforamaximumoffourdays out-of-service time for eachCNC machine on our crankshaft and

cylinderblockproductionlines.Mostofthemachinesontheselineshavenow been upgraded and in each case – even on complex machines withseven controlled axes plus spindles– it has taken less time than we al-located, which says much for the CNC designandplanning.Themachines’diagnostics are now much better, al-lowing us to perform more efficient preventative maintenance, and ourtechnicians are now familiar with the CNC systems, all of which will help reduce production downtime inthefuture.Weareon-scheduletocomplete the upgrades by the end of thisyear.”

In fact, collaboration in knowledge transferprovedtobeanothervalu-able point of the partnership. AsClaudio Rocha,Manufacturing Engi-neeringDirectorforFiatPowertrain’sLatin American operations states:“The exchange of information andthe training that NUM provided forour maintenance staff during the upgrade were important. We ap-preciate this open approach and the commitment demonstrated by the supplierinthisprogram.”

From left to right: Wilson Netto, Controls Engineer, Frederico Ferrarini, Maintenance Technician, Everton Stroparo, Maintenance Supervisor, Alexandre Machado, Engineering Coordinator, Mauricio Lopes, Controls Engineer and Tarcísio Cruz Filho, Plant Technical Support Manager of Fiat Powertrain, in Campo Largo, Brazil

According to Steven Schilling, Gen-eral Manager of NUM Corporation in Naperville, Illinois, “Our engineershave considerable experience withhighly specialized CNC machines of thistypeusedintheautomotivein-dustry–wehaveahistoryofservic-ingthe‘BigThree’inDetroit,Canadaand Mexico. In this case, Fiat wasfully involved at each phase of theupgrade, working under NUM’s guid-ance.ThishasenabledFiat’scontroltechnicians at the Campo Largo plant to gain a high level of NUM systemknow-how,tohelpachievethepro-ject’soverallgoalofmaximizingtheproduction lines’ life cycle. This aprime example of NUM’s ability to providecustomerswithend-to-endserviceoptions,allowingFiattokeep‘one step ahead’ of the competi-tion.”

This statement applies equally to both companies, KLENK and NUM with NUMROTO. Decades of experience and research, cooperative partnerships – such as in this case between KLENK and NUM – and close collaboration with users and leading research institutes, serve to guarantee successful and high-quality drilling and milling tools. These tools are used mainly in high-tech sectors such as the aviation, automotive and medical equip-ment industries.

The family business KLENK was es-tablished in 1959 in Balzheim in theGermanstateofBaden-Württemberg,andforover50yearshasspecialisedin thedevelopment,production,useandsaleofhigh-qualitycarbidema-chining tools for drilling, countersink-ing,reamingandcutting.KLENKcur-rentlyhasover100excellentlytrainedemployees,manyofwhomhavecom-pleted their commercial or industrial trainingat thecompany.This ishowKLENK ensures that its knowledgeand know-howof theproductionofspecialist solid carbide tools, which account for around 85% of KLENK’ssales,areinthebesthands.Moreover,personal,skilledandtechnicaladviceandprojectplanningwithcustomersand partners are particularly impor-tant. And this is where NUM comesin:theproductivecollaborationwithKLENKover the last 15years isbased

on an honest and subject-orientedpartnership that involves pursu-ing and realising a common goal, in keeping with the motto of “NUM CNC solutions providemachinemanufac-turers and users with a competitiveadvantage”. KLENK also secures itsknow-how digitally with a multi-user database from NUMROTO. Thisenables KLENK tomeet its own highexpectations of full reproducibility of tools with repeat orders thanks to the NUMROTOdatastructure.AllofKLENK’smachinesareconnectedtothemulti-user database, making it possible to act flexibly within identically config-uredmachinegroups; this facilitatesshort reaction times and optimal ca-pacityutilisation.Addedtothisisthebenefitthateveryemployeecanworkonalmosteverymachine,asallma-chinesusethesameNUMROTOcontrolsystem.

Over50yearsofexperienceandknow-how

inhigh-qualitydrillingandmilling

Above: high-perfor-mance step drill coun-tersink, for applica-tions in aviation

Right: step drill coun-tersink with diamond coating for processing of CFRP

Pages30|31

Expe

rien

ce

Its close connection to customers and suppliers enables KLENK to set itselfapart from the masses and developthe perfect tool tailored to meet the needsofthecustomer.Theimagesonthis page are examples of the results of such developments. The flexibil-ityoftheNUMROTOsoftwaresolutionplays an important role in the process as a whole and significantly simplifies theprocedure.Fromplanning,simu-lation and, of course, production, to documentation and the subsequent management and securing of data – allofthiscanbedonewithNUMROTO.

Tools for the aviation industryKLENK has been working successfullywith theaviation industry fora longtime,and in this industry,high-per-formance tools are required for the machining of aluminium, titanium and composite materials. With mill-ing tools, flute design and tooth ge-ometry in the area around the corner radius are crucial to the resulting sur-face quality in cutting, as well as to the lifetimeof the cutter. In-processmeasurementguaranteesahighlevelofaccuracy,evenacrosslargerseries.

CFRP – carbon-fibre-reinforced poly-mer: the trend material of the future!CFRPisbecomingincreasinglypopu-lar,andKLENKiscontinuouslydevel-oping new tool geometries for this material. CFRP is used to manufac-ture resilient and robust components with relatively little weight. In the

aviationindustry,CFRPisfrequentlyused in combination with other ma-terials such as titanium or alumini-um.Thisresultsinconnectionpointsat which two or more different ma-terials have to be drilled throughsimultaneously. Most of the mate-rials used have specific, opposingproperties, which make machining in the material package a real chal-lenge. Inadditionto itsundisputedpositive properties, CFRP also has acrucial disadvantage: if the mate-rial is drilled or milled, it becomes extremely abrasive and quicklycausesheavywear to the tool. Thisis especially problematic because the machining results for CFRP applica-tions must meet the highest possi-blequalitystandards.Theserequirefirst-class surface finishes and themaintenance of diameter toleranc-es, aswell as the avoidance of de-laminationandfibreprojection.Thespecialist tools fromKLENKmeet alltheserequirements.

Left to right: Jörg Federer, NUMROTO Application Manager at NUM, Horst Klenk, owner and Managing Director of KLENK, and Klaus Kohlhepp, Head of Production at KLENK

Bottom: step drill countersink with an S-shaped point thinning and AF coat-ing – for a high level of process and planning security

NUM has announced a high performance CNC solution for gear production machines that fully automates threaded wheel grinding. Incorporating unique high speed gear alignment technology that is believed to be an order of magnitude faster than comparable control schemes, the new CNC system dramatically reduces grinding machine threading-in times to accelerate throughput significantly. The comprehensive new solution is ideal for machine tool manufacturers seeking to improve the performance of their gear production ma-chines, or to help companies expand their gear manufacturing range with threaded wheel grinders.

Based on NUM’s new-generationFlexium+ CNC platform, the threaded wheel grinding solution joins thecompany’s NUMgear suite of gear production software. Originally de-veloped for gear hobbing applica-tions, the capability of NUMgear has been continually extended and now includes solutions for a broad range

chine company to improve theper-formance of a prototype threaded wheel grinder. To improve grindingspeedcomparedwithcurrentlevels,NUM decided it needed to developcustom technology software. Theprincipal aims were to reduce the timeoverheadoflearningtheteethpositions of the hardened gear prior to grinding, and improve the accu-racyofthegeargrindingprocess.

NUM’s new product offers a compre-hensiveCNCsolutionforgearmanu-facturingmachines. At the heart ofthe system is a high performance electronic gearbox that allows all master axes – such as the grinding, X,YandZaxes–andthespindle(Caxis)tobefullysynchronized.Aspartofthedevelopmentworkonthenewthreaded wheel grinder, NUM has addedamajornewcapabilitytothegearbox, which is now able to pre-dict the acceleration of axes as well as their speed, in order to minimize synchronizationtime.Togetherwiththe Fast Gear Alignment, it formspart of the new NUMgear threaded wheelgrindingapplication.

Duringgearproduction,‘threading-in’ – the process of bringing the grinding wheel into contact with the gear blank – involves continuouslyadjustingthepositionofthegrind-ingwheelrelativetotheworkpiece.A similarprocess isemployedwhen

Automatedthreadedwheelgrindingongearpro-

duction machines is boosted by new CNC solution

of gear manufacturing processes, including shaping, grinding and honing, and is used by many of the world’s foremost manufacturers of gearproductionmachines.

NUMdevelopedthelatestadditiontoits NUMgear portfolio while helping an Asian gear manufacturing ma-

Pages32|33

Prec

isio

n

bringing the machine’s dressing wheel into contact with the grinding wheel.Usingacousticemissionsen-sors to learn the sound signatures of a master gear and then using them to control positioning during production runs is a common tech-nique for automating processes like this.However, thespeedandaccu-racyofNUM’snewly-developedFastGearAlignmentFunctioneliminatestheneedforthisentirely.Asanex-ample, aligning the grinding wheel witha180mmdiametergearwith71helicalteethtakesjust0.5ofasec-ond – without any need to acquire acoustic signatures or make manual adjustments.

AsecondaimofNUM’sdevelopmentrequired that the gear grinder CNC control should generate gears as ac-curatelyaspossible. The latestma-chine from NUM’s Asian customerproduced gears with a tooth profile qualityofDINclass7.Duringthede-velopment process, NUM found thatthe diamond plated dressing wheel did not come up to specification.

To overcome this problem withoutincurring major tooling costs, NUMdecided to support their customer by helping to modify the technol-ogy programs. The positive resultsof this action far exceeded expecta-tions, and NUM’s solution can help a machine to consistently grind gear teethprofilestowithin3.5microns,comfortably achieving DIN class 3–animprovementoffourclasslevels.

The latest gear grinding develop-ment is an example of one of the majorprinciplesunderpinningNUM’sbusiness philosophy: a willingness to customize its CNC technology for machinemakers.NUM supports thiswith a decentralized R&D struc-ture which locates engineering staff around the world to allow it to work closelywithmachinebuilders.Inthiscase, the new gear grinding solution was jointly developed by NUM’s HQin Switzerland and the company’stechnology centre in Chanzhou, China,whichisclosetomanymajorgear manufacturing machine build-ers and is currently undergoing ma-jorexpansion.

“NUM is committed to helping its customers develop market-leadingmachines through close partner-ship”, according to Peter von Rüti,CEO of NUM Group. “Our local pres-ence and willingness to work directly with customers to resolve technical

issues very quickly provides bothparties with a key competitive ad-vantage.”

NUM is one of the longest established players in the CNC market, havingbrought out its first numerical con-trollerin1961.ExpansioninAsiahasbecomepromising forNUMas Asianmanufacturers have progressivelyimprovedthecapabilitiesandqual-ityoftheirmachines.Tosupportthisdevelopment,NUMiscurrentlymak-ing significant investments in itsAsian infrastructure, including therecent opening of a new regional supportcentreinSeoul,SouthKorea,and the expansion of its technology centre in Chanzhou, China, which openedin2010.

Peter von Rüti points out that theEuropean market for NUM and its partners is also promising. “NUM’sabilitytocreateindividualsolutionsfordifferentmachinesprovidesme-dium-sized companies with a hugecompetitive advantage. The openand flexible nature of our products, and our decentralized develop-ment structure, combined with the know-how of our customers, pro-vides unique market opportunities.We welcome the chance to becomeinvolvedinnewprojects.”

Advanced CNC systems from NUM are helping US machine tool manufacturer Bourn & Koch, Inc. to extend its competitive edge in the market by using state-of-the art machine control software. Following a highly successful project to migrate control of powerful 7-axis horizontal gear hobbers to NUM’s Flexium CNC platform, the company is now standardizing on this control technology for an extensive range of its gear production machines.

Bourn&KochhaspartneredwithNUMCorporation forover25yearsandtodayusesNUM’sCNCsystemsinmanyof its gear shaping, hobbing and grinding machines, aswellasinvariousothertypesofmetalremovalma-chines, and for numerous CNC upgrade and machine retrofit projects. Both companies and their custom-ers benefit from this collaboration. Jointly-developedconversationalsoftwarehasbeencitedbyanumberofBourn & Koch customers as a factor in their machinepurchasingdecisions.

The HMI (humanmachine interface) on the 400H gearhobber makes full use of the software’s capabilities by combiningaconversational styledialogwithpowerfulgraphics, which means that the machine operator does nothave touseorevenknowabout ISO languages.Toproduce a part, the operator simply inputs machine set-up information such as cutting speeds, work piece and toolinggeometry via simple fill-in-the-blanksmenus,whilegraphicalimagesprovideclearandunambiguousviewsof thehob toolandresultantgearpart.All cal-culationsinvolvedincreatingthemachinecontrolpro-

Bourn&KochchosetoupgradetoNUM’sFlexiumCNConits25H-400HSeriesIIgearhobbers,startingwiththe400H.Thespeedandpowerofthismachinemeansthatitcanreplaceasmanyassevenolderstylegearproduc-tion machines, making it a popular choice with compa-nies machining large precision components such as bull and cluster gears,worms, shafts, splines andpinions.Capable of accommodating work pieces up to 400 mm (16in)indiameter,the400Hhasanaxialtravelcapabil-ityof1,168mm(46inch)asstandardandcanbecustom-ized for theproductionof even longerparts. Custom-ersaretypicallyprimeandsub-contractmanufacturersproducing mechanical power transmission components and systems for the defense and aerospace, oil/gas drilling,mining,heavy equipment andpower genera-tionindustries.

MajorCNCupgradeprogramenablesenginemanufacturertoextendlifecycle

ofvitalproductionlines

AdvancedCNCsystemshelpUSmachinetoolmanufacturertoextendcompetitiveedge

All seven axes on the 400H Series II gear hobber, including the 560 Nm work piece spindle motor, are controlled by NUMDrive C servo drives and a Flexium 68 CNC system

Com

pet

itiv

e ed

gegram for a particular part are han-

dledcompletelyautomatically.

Thecompanydecidedtomigratethedesign to NUM’s Flexium CNC plat-formasamatterofcourse.TimHelle,PresidentofBourn&Koch,explains,“WeoffercustomersachoiceofCNC– NUM is the standard on most of our gearhobbers–andhaveapolicyofusing the latest technology to maxi-mize the performance and cost-ef-fectivenessofourmachines.Thisap-proach also results in progressivelysimpler machine operation, with less need for training, and means that spares are readily available, whichcontributes to machine uptime and reducescustomers’supportcosts.”

In this instance, moving to NUM’sFlexium CNC also had technical ad-vantages; the system’s faster block

processing and loop update times offered the opportunity to reduce the machine’s cycle time and further improveitsaccuracy.

Flexiumalsofeaturesmoreon-boardNC memory, a much wider and uni-fiedsetofPLCsoftwaredevelopmenttoolsandincreasedfreedomforOEMsto create application-specific HMIs.ThisadditionalcontrolandHMIcus-tomizationflexibilityallowedBourn&Kochtoenhancevariousaspectsofthegearhobber’soperation.

When the latest 400H Series II gearhobber is offered with NUM CNC, the entire machine is based on NUM mo-tion control technology, with the sole exception of its (C axis) workpiece spindle motor, which is a spe-cial liquid-cooled direct drive unitcapable of generating 560 Nm oftorque at 110 RPM. In addition to aFlexium 68 NCK (numerical controlkernel)–which is themostpower-ful model that NUM produces and is capableofcontrollingupto32 fullyinterpolated axes or spindles – and its associated PLC, NUM is supplying all the I/O, drives and servomotorsthatareusedonthemachine.

AccordingtoTimHelle,“Wehavere-ceived technical support from NUMCorporation to assist us in making thetransitionfromAxiumtoFlexiumCNCsystemsandhavealreadystart-ed using this CNC platform across our rangeofgearhobbers.Longerterm,we intend offering NUM’s Flexium CNC technology on all our new gear hobbingmachines.”

Allsevenaxesofthegearhobber,in-cluding the work piece spindle mo-tor,arecontrolledbytheFlexium68

CNCandNUMDriveCservodrives.Theradial(X)andaxial(Z)feedaxes,aswell as the hob head shift (Y), hobhead swivel (A) and tailstock (W)axes, are all programmable and are driven by NUM BPH series mediuminertia servomotors. The force ap-plied by the tailstock servo can bechanged on the fly during the ma-chine cycle, to accommodate the changing mass of the part and pre-venttheintroductionofanyleader-ror.Thehobcutterspindle(Baxis)isdrivenbyanasynchronousNUMAMSmotor fitted with a high resolution multi-turn encoder, controlled bya NUMDrive C servodrive; a furtherNUMDriveCmodulecontrolsthema-chine’sdirectdriveworkpiecespin-dlemotor.

For simplicity and ease of operation, the 400 H gear hobber is equipped with a NUM FS152i operator paneland keyboard, mounted on the front external face of the machine with anergonomicswingarm.Thepanelcombines a 15-inch touch sensitivescreen with an integrated industrial PC running theWindows Embeddedoperating system, equipped with a solid state disk and dual core pro-cessortoprovideafastandrespon-siveHMI.Anumberofmachinefunc-tions, such as positive/negative jogandspeedoverrideofselectedaxes,together with emergency stop, can also be controlled remotely using a cable-linkedportablehandwheel.

The machine utilizes the full four-axis electronic gearbox capability of NUM’s popular gear hobbing solution, NUMgear, to help speed production of complex gear parts. In conjunc-tion with built-in high-speed syn-chronization facilities this allows the

MajorCNCupgradeprogramenablesenginemanufacturertoextendlifecycle

ofvitalproductionlines

AdvancedCNCsystemshelpUSmachinetoolmanufacturertoextendcompetitiveedge

Bourn & Koch now offers NUM’s Flexium CNC on its powerful 400H Series II 7-axis horizontal gear hobbing machine and intends standardizing on this control technology for many existing and new designs

Pages34|35

axial and radial feeds, and the hob head shift axis, to be geared to the workpiecespindle.Useoftheelec-tronicgearboxisentirelyautomatic;the machine operator merely needs to enter basic gear manufacturing data, such as the number of teeth, the number of tool starts, the gear module – the 400H can handle a gear module of 6.4 – and the helix an-gletodefineandactivateaspecificelectronicgearingfunction.

Particular attention has been paid totoolwearmanagement.Thesoft-ware continuously monitors the con-dition of the hob tooling and em-ploys a pre-programmed tangentialhob shifting sequence to ensure that an efficient cutting edge is always engagedduringgeargeneration;theentire process is automatic – it can even be invoked during a machinecycle – and the operator is prompted whenever it is time to check or re-

placethehob.Undamagedhobscanbe reground or recoated many times before they are worn out, which helps to keep tooling cost to a mini-mum. Hob head synchronization ismaintained throughout the shifting process to minimize disengagement/re-engagement times and preventtoolorworkpiecedamage.

Bourn& Koch alsomakeuse of thesoftware’s non-contact automaticgear alignment feature to improvethroughput on the 400H, by enabling a work piece that already has teeth to be automatically synchronized to the cutting threads of the hob cut-ter.Thisismainlyemployedforgearsthatarebeingre-cutorforhardre-hobbing(orskiving)ofhelicalorspurgears after heat treatment to reduce distortionerrors.

AsStevenSchilling,GeneralManagerofNUMCorporationinNaperville,Il-linois,pointsout,“Bourn&Koch isone of our most valued customersand a key business partner. It hasa large installed base of customers that use machines equipped with NUM’s CNC systems, many of whom regard ease of operation as a prime machine tool differentiator. Thecompany’s decision to adopt Flexium as theCNCplatformforall itsNUM-based offerings is a considerable accolade, both technically and com-mercially.Wearenowintheprocessof increasing the level of in-depthproducttrainingthatweprovideforits engineering, machine start-upand customer support teams, to help supportthisinitiative.”

The 400H Series II gear hobber utilizes the full four-axis electronic gearbox capabil-ity of NUM’s popular gear hobbing solution, NUMgear, to help speed production of complex gear parts

Pages36|37

NUM

for

you

...

NUM’s mission statement is to provide machine builders with a competitive advantage. To ensure that this advantage is retained in the long term, it is also important to actively support the future workforce.

To help foster tighter links betweenindustry and academia and to pro-mote industrial development, NUMTAIWANLtd.hasdonatedCNCcontrol-lersworthmore thanNT$ 1.2millionto the Feng Chia University (FCU) ofTaichung,Taiwan.Thecontrollerswillbeused for five-axiselectronicgearhobbing machines. The university’sPrincipal,Dr.Lee,NUM’sGlobalBusi-nessDirector,Mr.JanKoch,andNUM

Taiwan’sManaging Director, Mr. Ad-rianKiener,signedthememorandumof cooperation, including details of the equipment donations, on April29,2014.Thecooperationwillbenefitstudentsandprofessorsequally.

AccordingtoDr.Lee,themachinetoolindustry is the main branch of indu-stryincentralTaiwan.Thisindustry-academia cooperation will enable the

universitytoalignitscurriculumandfuture personnel training more close-ly to the needs of the industry, so that students will be able to acquire the key knowledge and specialist skills they will need to succeed in the ma-chineindustryofthefuture.

NUMinvestsinfutureCNCworkforce

inTaiwan

The new service and logistics center next to NUM’s head office in Teufen, Switzerland, the plans for which were announced in issue 54 of NUM Information, was completed on schedule towards the end of 2013. It was therefore possible to relocate the departments concerned from Bühler to Teufen last year, which al-lowed an active start to 2014.

The new service and logistics cen-ter has a total floor space of 2,525 m2, spread over three storeys (eachmeasuring 800 m2), as well as anaccessible basement which provi-des a further 125m2. In addition toseveral storage rooms, the top floorhas a canteen with a magnificent pa-noramic view. TheMinergiebuildingdraws the energy required for hea-ting from nine boreholes, each with adepthof170m.Aroundtwo-thirdsof the electricity needs of the site are producedbyalarge447m2photovol-taicsystem,setatanangleof12˚onthe roof of the building. The poweroutput of this system is approximate-ly74kWp.ThenewcenterrepresentsasignificantinvestmentofCHF8mil-lion(approximately9.6millionUSD).

The new building was inauguratedduringanopendayonMay17,whichwasattendedby residentsof Teufenandemployees’families.Theweatherconditions were pleasant, and appro-ximately 400 people visitedNUM AGfor a guided tour of both buildings, whichgavethemaninsightintoourbusiness. Specialist personnel de-monstrated some of the highlights ofNUM’sproducts. For example, in-terestedvisitorscoulduse3Dglassesand a cube with glyphs, to look at and rotateanimageonascreen.

NUM for you

Yourreliablepartner

NUMopensnewserviceandlogisticscenter

NU

M f

or

you

...

Pages38|39

NewNUMtechnologycenterinGermany

Almost exactly a year after construction started, the new technology center in Holzmaden, Baden-Würt-temberg, Germany, is now complete. At the time of writing, interior work has just finished and we are due to move into the building at the end of July. Customers and employees will be able to enjoy spacious, modern, light-flooded rooms.

The new two-storey building pro-vides800m2 of space for offices and workrooms, plus an additional 200 m2ofconnectedwarehousingspace.Thetotalinvestmentamountstoap-proximately € 2 million (about 2.7millionUSD).

Incorporatingthelatestenergy-sav-ing techniques, the building is heat-edbyanair-waterheatpump,sup-portedbyagasboilertocoverpeakloads. Workflow will be improvedsignificantly by means of shorter distances between offices and glass

wall corridors – which also help to improve communication and createafeelingoftogetherness.Theofficesare grouped into departments, ar-ranged around a central communi-cation area containing a printer and faxmachine,aswellasakitchenette.

There are two training/meetingrooms, which can be opened up into one large room for internal and ex-ternalevents.Also, thereareplentyof car parking spaces, so it will be easy to host large events with ourcustomers.

ThenewtechnologycenterisatZel-lerstrasse18–lessthan100mfromourpreviouslocation–sowearestillservedby the sameexcellent trans-portlinks.

FinlandSweden

DenmarkGreat Britain

Switzerland (Headquarters)FranceGermany Austria

Spain ItalyUSA

BrazilSouth Africa

Australia

China

India

Turkey

Algeria

TaiwanMexico

South Korea

Thailand

Malaysia

NTC (NUM Technology Center)NUM AgentNUM Contact

NUM systems and solutions are used worldwide.

Our global network of sales and service locations guarantees professional service from thebeginningofaprojecttoitsexecutionandforthecompletelifecycleofthemachine.

CNCCompleteSolutionsWorldwide

http://www.facebook.com/NUM.CNC.Applications

http://www.twitter.com/NUM_CNC (@NUM_CNC)

NUM has service centers around the world. Visit our Web-site for the current list of locations.

www.num.com

Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for the latest information on NUM CNC Applications.