How Do You Boost Productivity?

Manufacturing engineers know very well the importance of squeezing cost out of every production process. When you make turned parts for medical, aerospace, automotive, energy, or other applications, you likely look first at the capability of the machine tools you are using. These manufacturing workhorses continue to get faster, more accurate, and versatile. They are also getting smarter, thanks to advanced controls and data management tools.

Likewise, the LNS barfeeders that enhance the productivity of these machine tools provide better bar support to control vibration and allow faster lathe spindle speeds, feed bar stock flawlessly, changeover faster and easier, enable unattended operations, and also have smarter controls and data management tools.

Both of these ongoing efforts contribute to significant time and materials savings. What has been missing, until recently, however, is the opportunity for the machine tool and the barfeeder to share critical data in a way that enhances productivity and reduces material waste.

Four years ago, LNS developed the first Ethernet-based data communications system that enables machine tools and LNS barfeeders to not merely exchange data, but to put this information to practical use. Since then, and in cooperation with leading turning machine OEMs, LNS has been refining the e-Connect system and continuously adding more productivity enhancing applications.

One of the most significant e-Connect applications is the Part Library, which stores the individual part configuration data that the barfeeder needs to make a specific part. The Part Library can store 500 programs, each with a unique identifying number. Through the e-Connect system, the barfeeder automatically detects the part program currently in use by the lathe and loads the correct setup data for that part from the Part Library. Using this data, the barfeeder can changeover on the fly, eliminating downtime. This capability enables the manufacturer to run a large family of parts, or even a group of unrelated parts, with little or no operator involvement after the initial setup. This is especially useful for lights out operation.

Clearly, the Part Library function provides dramatic time and labor savings, but it also helps minimize material waste. After each part is machined, the production scheduling program checks the remaining parts to be produced and determines if there is adequate bar stock available for the next scheduled part to be made. If not, the system scans the production list for another part that could be made from the remaining material. Manufacturers can even set priorities to each part in the schedule, in which case the system identifies the highest priority part that can be machined from the remaining bar stock.

The production-scheduling program then loads the appropriate part program to the lathe. Once the new part program is loaded, the barfeeder recognizes the change, recalls the associated part data from the Part Library, and automatically changes over to feed the new part. Further, the system checks the part program to determine if the new part requires a change in bar stock diameter or profile. If so, the system sends out an alert to a remote computer, via email, that some mechanical adjustment may need to be made.

If the system determines there is no part in the schedule that can be made from the remaining stock, the remnant is ejected, the next bar loads into the barfeeder, and the system confirms the next part to be made, making any adjustments necessary.

All of the communications between the LNS barfeeder, the machine tool, and the production-scheduling program are virtually instantaneous and require no operator assistance.

LNS e-connect delivers another step in the evolution of manufacturing technology. While the machine tool OEMs improve the performance and expand the capabilities of its products, LNS offers ways to optimize the productivity of these machines and the manufacturers that utilize them. Advances in LNS barfeeders, chip conveyors, workholding devices, coolant management systems, and oil and mist collectors continue, as well. In addition, LNS is developing in areas such as e-Connect and other new technologies, going beyond traditional products and services to help manufacturers take productivity to new levels.
 

LNS America
Cincinnati, OH
lns-america.com