PROCESS AUTOMATION

PROCESS AUTOMATION is a solution for real-time monitoring and automation of machining processes. Machine and sensor data are continuously monitored and automatically evaluated during machining. This enables early detection of critical process conditions such as tool breakage, wear, and chatter. Detected events can be followed by warnings, machine triggers, or automated process reactions.

PROCESS AUTOMATION specifically addresses problems that occur during ongoing machining and would otherwise be detected too late. These include, for example:

• Tool breakage and resulting scrap
• Tool wear detected too late
• Chatter and unstable machining conditions
• Critical process and spindle loads
• Delayed responses to process deviations
• Quality problems detected only after machining

Automatic monitoring is intended to reduce scrap, rework, and downtime while improving process stability and machine protection.

PROCESS AUTOMATION monitors machine and sensor data during the ongoing manufacturing process. In fusion, process conditions can be monitored and rules or limit values can be defined. When a corresponding event is detected or a critical value is reached, the system can communicate with the machine and, for example, trigger a warning or initiate an automated machine reaction.

Depending on the data source and equipment used, various monitoring functions are available. The current documentation mentions, among others:

• Cutting edge and tool breakage
• Tool wear trends
• Chatter
• Process anomalies
• Process overloads
• Spindle overloads
• Chips in spindle taper
• Process deviations or defective machining

Some of these functions require special sensors such as spike® Inspindle.

Yes. A key difference from purely downstream analysis is that PROCESS AUTOMATION can enable automated responses to defined process events.

For example, a limit value can be defined for a relevant process variable. If this is exceeded, a machine reaction can be triggered to protect the tool, part, or machine from critical loads.

Yes, an automated machine reaction up to and including machine shutdown can be triggered based on defined process conditions. For example, a response can be initiated when a critical bending moment is exceeded to protect the spindle and part from overload or damage.

Not for every configuration. The product packages provide for processing of machine data as well as spike® sensor data or their combination.

However, certain monitoring functions require additional sensors. In particular, the detection of chips in the spindle taper as well as various monitoring functions for spindle and process are explicitly linked to spike® Inspindle in the documentation.

When spike® sensors are added to the configuration, data acquisition is many times more accurate and data quality is therefore higher.

With spike® Inspindle, additional sensor-based monitoring capabilities are available directly in the spindle area. The available documentation specifically mentions:

• Chip-in-spindle detection
• Spindle overload detection
• Process overload detection

This enables early detection of critical loads or undesirable conditions and their use for warnings or automated responses.

PROCESS AUTOMATION Lite combines Viewer and Monitor and focuses on automated monitoring and process protection. This includes detection of tool breakage, wear trends, chatter, and process anomalies, among others.

PROCESS AUTOMATION Pro supplements the Monitor with the Analyzer’s advanced analysis functions. This enables, for example, more detailed investigation of alarm causes, KPI-based process evaluation, and optimizations based on the captured data.

In short:

• Lite: Detect, monitor, and protect processes
• Pro: additionally analyze, understand causes, and optimize processes

The fusion platform can merge different process data. These include in particular:

• Machine data
• spike® sensor data
• Axis and other process data
• Data from external or connected sources

PROCESS AUTOMATION uses this data for real-time monitoring and for defined automated responses. The documentation also mentions processing of data from other sources via a third-party stream.

Yes. Tool monitoring is one of the core application areas of PROCESS AUTOMATION.

Tool or single cutting edge breakage can be automatically detected, allowing response to breakage before it results in greater scrap. In addition, wear trends can be monitored to detect progressive tool wear earlier.

Yes. PROCESS AUTOMATION can detect unstable machining conditions or chatter. This enables problems that negatively affect surface quality, tool life, and process stability to be detected during machining.

Critical process conditions are not identified retrospectively, but detected as early as possible during machining.

Tool breakage, wear, chatter, or overloads can thereby be identified early. Warnings and automated machine reactions enable faster response before additional parts are affected or damage to tool or machine occurs.

PROCESS INSIGHTS focuses primarily on documentation, analysis, and understanding of process data. Processes can be traced, compared, and optimized based on objective data.

PROCESS AUTOMATION extends this approach with monitoring during the ongoing process. Critical conditions and anomalies can be automatically detected and warnings, triggers, or machine reactions can be initiated.

Simplified:

PROCESS INSIGHTS: Capture data → understand → optimize
PROCESS AUTOMATION: monitor → detect → respond → automate

PROCESS AUTOMATION can detect process deviations during manufacturing and identify potentially affected parts. This means quality control does not have to rely exclusively on downstream inspection of all parts.

In the application example in the documentation, additional inspections are specifically required when monitoring detects an anomaly. This can reduce inspection effort while helping to detect deviations earlier.

The fusion platform is designed to merge data from different sources and make it usable for documentation, analysis, optimization, and monitoring. The existing product flyer explicitly states that this data context can be used even without involving data analysis experts.

However, process knowledge may be required for the initial definition of meaningful monitoring rules and automated machine reactions.

PROCESS AUTOMATION is primarily intended to help continuously monitor critical manufacturing processes and respond faster to deviations. This results in particular in:

• less scrap and rework
• earlier detection of process deviations
• reduced inspection effort
• higher process stability
• better protection of tool and machine
• more stable manufacturing quality
• better scalability of process monitoring in series production