Tech Briefs Magazine - May 2024 - Sensor-22

when they're setting up the machine,
everything that was programmed and
simulated is going to work properly. We
give them a tool to feel more secure, to
be more efficient, and safe.
I think it's a big help for the shops to
implement the relatively small investment
in a digital twin to help the team to
stay focused and efficient and make sure
that this machine doesn't get damaged.
If there is a collision on a million-dollar
machine, it can cost tens of thousands
of dollars within a couple of days if that
machine is not operating.
Tech Briefs: How would I get started if
I were managing a factory and wanted
to start using your digital twin software?
Ledvon: You create a compact file,
Figure 1. The digital twin looks exactly as if you were in front of the machine but in addition, you
also have a precise 3D model of it. (Image: Heidenhain)
ask for more. With a digital twin, you
take a 3D model of the part, run it
through the digital twin for a particular
machine, or even try different machines
and determine where you get the most
efficiency. Because you ran it through
the digital twin, your estimate will be
very accurate. You won't lose money and
your customer will be happy because you
delivered on time.
Tech Briefs: Does the model have to be
set up differently for each different part
being manufactured?
Ledvon: No, if the customer has multiple
machines, you would design a digital
twin for each, but once you have the
model, it will work for any part that can
be made with that machine.
Tech Briefs: So, the digital twin is used
to run a virtual test before you do the
actual machining. Is it also used to track
the actual machining operations?
Ledvon: No, the digital twin is for
your preparation, your simulation, and
collision prevention. You want to make
sure you don't have any type of collision,
especially if you're moving in multiple
axes at the same time. There is other
software to monitor and control the
actual machine.
Tech Briefs: What do you think are the
prospects for digital twins being adopted
more widely?
22
Ledvon: It's becoming more and
more important to utilize digital twins
in industry and not just because of the
process benefits. We all know that there
is a labor shortage and it's very difficult
to engage young people to go back into
factory environment - they think of
factories as being dirty and unpleasant.
But automated factories are much different
than that. It is more challenging
and interesting when there are exciting
new machining and manufacturing processes
in place.
It's also the case that a lot of people
have already left manufacturing jobs,
so you might have one or two operators
running multiple machines making very
high value parts. You want to make sure
that those parts don't get damaged. You
might have someone running three or
four or five machines at the same time,
making sure they're running 24/7. And
maybe you've never been automated
before and there are multiple parts, they
might be in a variety of small-sized lots
or very high volumes. If you put yourself
in the shoes of the people who have
to manage the shop and operate and
program these machines, they can easily
make mistakes. So, digital twins become
really important for them. They
can
verify everything before they start running
the job, they can feel confident that
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a service file we call it, that collects all
the data from the machine. If we don't
have all the data, our service team will
reach out to the machine builder to get
a model of whatever is missing in the
machine envelope. It is then all put into
a zip file and sent to our service department.
The service department generates
and makes the digital twin so it looks
graphically like your machine looks inside,
with all the components in that
work envelope. It has all the data and
the background on the parameters and
the information about the torques and
the motors and the speeds and all that.
And we send that securely back to you to
upload into your programming station.
It looks exactly as if you were in front of
the machine but in addition, you also
have a precise 3D model of it.
You can also import details like where
it's mounted on the table and what the
raw material looks like. Then you can do
a simulation and follow the entire process
and see if your tool path is optimized,
whether you should approach the job
from another side, because you might
have some areas where you get some kind
of vibration. Maybe you should machine
from top to bottom or the reverse. You
might avoid vibration or any type of surface
quality issues. And you can do it all it
right there in your office.
In summary I would say that for a manufacturer
to have an exact digital twin for
each of his machines will bring benefits
that far outweigh the costs of the system.
This article was written by Ed Brown,
editor of Sensor Technology. For more
information, go to www.heidenhain.de/
digital-twin.
Sensor Technology, May 2024

http://www.heidenhain.de/digital-twin http://www.techbriefs.com

Tech Briefs Magazine - May 2024

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