Working on a Webster Bennett 'S-Series' vertical turning lathe, A-Tec has replaced the existing GE Mark Century 2000 CNC control, with the new GE Fanuc 160i-TA unit. This CNC control incorporates an embedded PC in addition to the standard features of the GE Fanuc Series 16 range of controls.
The Webster & Bennett lathe is fitted with a 60-station Hertel toolchanger unit. Tool identification is achieved by an inductively coupled read-only memory embedded within each of the tool holders. This chip contains a serial number which uniquely defines that tool to the CNC control.
A-Tec Systems engineers have replaced the previous limited textual tooling list with a full relational database compatible with standard office software products.
This gives the advantage of much greater ease of access to information and data control greater speed, improved reliability and expandability. The system currently contains details of some 300 tools shared among four machines, the system capacity is, however, only restricted by the database capacity giving an effective limit in excess of one billion entries.
The database can give a full inventory of tool availability, location and usage. In addition it supports sister tooling and tool life management. The CNC scans the tool for its serial number, then adjusts the tooling offsets according to information provided by the database, prior to performing a tool verification.
A-Tec partner Chris
Hatfield said: "This
in principle means
that detailed shop floor tooling information can be called up in
an administrative office which may be situated some distance away.
Tasks such as the updating of permitted tool life or other process
values may be carried out remotely "
The tooling information is updated and maintained in a central
programming office and downloaded via an RS-232 DNC system. Cleverly A-Tec
Systems has developed a method of database conversion to enable
it to be sent via the existing data transport system used for
transmission of ASCII part programs.
- A-Tec has now perfected
a software utility to enable parametric programs
to be translated from GE2000 to Fanuc format. This gives the ability for
mathematical functions, tooling offset table calculations and other data
operations to be converted from one format to another. - All applications
have been written in C++ complied high level language.
This means that it is fast, stable and tamper proof. - A-Tec has incorporated a 'pop up window' within the operating
system of
the newly installed Fanuc 160Ti. As well as allowing operator prompting
from the part program, it is also a means of posting and the retrieval of
means of posting and the retrieval of memos that may have been left by one
operator for another. - A-Tec has improved the machine's tool-changing performance. Changeover
times, which were previously one to one-and-a-half minutes are now
typically down to 20 to 30 seconds per change, this giving major savings
on each part. This reduction was achieved by software enhancements only.
