Taking CNC programming to the next level with Artificial Intelligence

The word “smart” gets tossed around a lot when referencing any new innovation. But what does it mean, really? “Smart manufacturing” is a broad term that can refer to a few different techniques and concepts. AI is at the heart of many of them, improving industrial systems and reducing inefficiencies automatically.

Of course, none of this would be possible without human innovation. But the difference between automatic and manual processes is in the execution – humans tell AI how to do something correctly, and robots have a much better track record for speed and accuracy.

Smart manufacturing is also defined by its use of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). You’re probably already familiar with the concept of the “Internet of Things,” which refers to the way technologies communicate with each other. The IIoT is similar, but it’s specific to industrial technology. The instruments, sensors, gauges, and other tools that exist in an industrial setting such as a factory “speak” to each other using the IIoT. In essence, this is the tool’s sensory mechanism. Without eyes and ears, single-function industrial tools collaborate with each other to build a schematic of the world in which they exist.

Although humans are great (we’re the ones who created AI, after all), we’re flawed. We make mistakes, get tired, need breaks, and are slow to grasp new concepts, especially compared to robots. In a competitive manufacturing setting, where time is often a valuable commodity, there’s no longer a place for analogue machining – shops of all sizes need to embrace the principles of Industry 4.0 or risk becoming obsolete.

Machine tools: Rising to the challenge

Machine tool manufacturers are hard at work creating solutions for the job shops of tomorrow. Let’s explore some recent AI innovations that machine tool manufacturers have introduced to their products.

• Predictive maintenance: Some tools come equipped with special monitors that keep an eye on the condition of a certain part, such as the spindle on a mill.
• Collision avoidance: Collisions between parts can be costly mistakes – especially when the machine tool itself becomes damaged. These systems run an application that simulates the cutting action a few seconds ahead of the live cut, predicting collisions and shutting down the process to prevent damage.
• Reduced overhead: Machine tools require a massive amount of energy, even when they’re idle. High operating costs can massively affect a shop’s bottom line – if the shop doesn’t eat the cost, its customers will. Many machine tools use AI in the form of meters and sensors to evaluate how much energy they’re using and where that energy is going. From there, the AI system can “decide” how to reduce energy consumption, temporarily powering down non-essential systems. When you’re dealing with margins of that size, the savings can be significant.

The right CAM software meets tools in the middle

Machine tools have amazing capabilities on their own, but without the right software, they’re little more than hunks of metal. Manufacturers will have many factors that determine the best software for their shop, but perhaps the most important is its compatibility with their tools – now and in the future.

Unlike machine tools, which remain relatively static throughout their lives, computer aided manufacturing (CAM) software has the ability to be updated as frequently as new innovations become available. That’s why it’s so important to partner with a future-focused CAM software company led by a robust research & development (R&D) team that’s excited to embrace the possibilities of tomorrow. By making the right CAM choice, you can keep your shop on the leading edge of innovation for years to come.

Here are some features to look for when shopping around:

• Machine Swap. There are many different scenarios that might require a new program for a different machine: an inoperable machine; the need to increase production; moving from prototype to production; and more. Machine swap uses an AI engine to automatically update your program any time you change the set-up or swap the machine. It can also automatically detect set-up changes without manual input. Many times, switching between short runs for small lot sizes and multi-part production runs for larger lots seems like it’s more trouble than it’s worth. But the AI machine awareness behind machine swap provides an extra set of highly skilled eyes to reorganise the program, maximising process concurrency across multiple parts and optimising the total cycle time – regardless of the machine you’re running.
• Automatic Links. This feature allows users to create a cutting cycle and let AI-driven software create the fastest and safest positioning between tool operations with consideration of the limits of your specific machines. Think of automatic links as your software’s GPS. Just as your app can provide you with the fastest route (even avoiding tolls and freeways if you’d like), the link engine can “see” the best route to connect your machining processes. With automatic links, you can tell your machine what to prioritise and watch it go from there.
• Simulation, Analysis, and Verification. These capabilities take the collision avoidance feature we mentioned earlier to a new level, generating a digital twin of the entire machining environment. You’ll be able to view a perfect model of your machine’s kinematics, reviewing the potential for collisions, axes overtravel, acceleration exceptions, and other conflicts before you make a single cut.
• Machine Awareness for Automatic Program Generation. This feature allows users to define the process plan for a single workpiece independently of the machine and how the workpiece is set up. For example, once tooling is selected, the cutting strategy and AI automatically adapts, sequences, and optimises the list of tasks to be performed before generating the job for the CNC machine.
• Stock-Aware Toolpath. The right AI-driven software analyses the real-time state of your stock, eliminating air cuts and minimising repositioning. The result? There’s meaning behind each movement, leading to unparalleled efficiency and, often, significantly reduced cycle times.
• Multichannel machines are especially useful because they can perform different actions concurrently. But with the wrong software, concurrent actions can set the stage for collision. An AI engine can automatically synchronise and sequence the program for optimal use of the capabilities of a multichannel machine.
• Short-Run and Production Programs. Many times, switching between short runs for small lot sizes and multi-part production runs for larger lots seems like more trouble than it’s worth. But with AI machine awareness, you’ll have an extra set of eyes reorganising the program, maximising process concurrency across multiple parts, and thereby optimising the total cycle time.
• Intelligent Work Co-ordinates. For tombstone, fixture, and work offset management, a high-quality AI engine can offer automatic selection of work offset and co-ordinate transformations based on its awareness of the job. The system determines local references for every local machining feature and activates the necessary machine functions, including RTCP (rotated tool centre point), tilted plane, and dynamic fixture offset.

Features such as ESPRIT’s KnowledgeBase eliminate the need for manual recall of a shop’s best machining practices. Instead, it stores them in the software itself, allowing any operator to access what they need at any time.

With the right tools, automation in a shop can deliver what Industry 4.0 has long promised – highly efficient manufacturing that doesn’t sacrifice safety for speed.

Is your job shop ready to embrace it?

www.espritcam.com