May 2020

n TECHNOLOGY May 2020 www.drivesncontrols.com 15 OMRON CLAIMS to have developed the first 3D simulation software that can reproduce accurately the movements of all of the robots and peripheral devices in an automation cell and verify their operation with the same accuracy as the actual machine. The Sysmac Studio 3D simulation software allows the mechanical designers responsible for drawing up equipment specifications, to work concurrently with the electrical engineers responsible for control programming, at an early stage in machine design projects. This, says Omron, will help to avoid errors when the machines are commissioned, leading to faster start-ups and improved productivity. To react flexibly to the diversification of products and fluctuations in demand, manufacturing sites need to be able to respond rapidly, develop equipment faster, and achieve simultaneous start- ups of production lines that can deliver precision assembly at multiple sites. But there is a shortage of the skilled engineers needed to do this, and efforts are therefore being made to verify the design of facilities using advanced simulations. Conventional simulator software is expensive and requires expertise. It also differs from the control software, making it difficult to match the simulation results to the actual machine operation. In addition, it is difficult to achieve precise simulations for robots and their peripheral equipment because they use dedicated controllers. Omron says its new software simplifies the simulation of manufacturing facilities by adding licenses for simulation functions to its Sysmac Studio software that is used to program its flagship NJ/NX Series automation The ‘first’ 3D software to simulate robot cells accurately is a timesaver FANUCHAS announced an open-source IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) platform that can connect a wide range of Fanuc and third- party production technologies – including legacy models dating back to 2000. The aim of the Field (Fanuc Intelligent Edge Link and Drive) system is to provide fast, centralised access to all production data in a plant and to help users to move towards smart factories. The system is suitable for applications ranging from sub-contract machine shops to large production plants. Unlike other IIoT systems, the“edge-heavy”technology collects, keeps and processes production data on the shop floor, rather than in the cloud. It gives operators access to accurate real-time data and analytics. For larger sites, the system can connect multiple cells, allowing manufacturers to make intelligent decisions to boost productivity. The system“ensures a fast response to edge devices without the need for a cloud connection,”explains Fanuc’s European technical support manager, Craig Taylor.“This allows for better real-time processing and autonomy to move without the Internet, as well as reduced cloud communications costs and better data leak prevention.”However, if users want to store data for future analysis or combine the data from different sites, they can do so via the cloud. “We are aiming to empower the engineer, not de-skill them,”Taylor adds.“Manufacturing is becoming increasingly digitised and we see the Field system as a tool that can amplify the knowledge of those running production, by taking a few key inputs and using them to improve the efficiency and output of their operations.” The system is compatible with various applications available from Fanuc’s new App store. These include apps from third parties such as software houses, systems integrators, as well as end-users. For example, one third-party app from Open Data captures the OEE (Overall Efficiency of Equipment) of a production system in real-time and visualises the data on a dashboard. Two of Fanuc’s own apps are:. n Field PMA (production monitoring and analytics), which monitors the production and performance of all connected machines, and flags if any are not operating at intended capacity, as well as facilitating waveform failure analyses; and n Field ZDT (zero downtime), which monitors the health of machines continuously and can identify trends – such as torque changes or disturbances – and tell operators when maintenance is needed. www.fanuc.eu/uk/en/field-system IIoT platform gathers data to help move to smart factories controllers. It is thus the first in the industry to be able to control and verify robots and peripheral equipment in a single operation, the company asserts. The emulator-based simulation can be performed accurately and in real-time. It can visualise equipment digitally and enables movements to be verified before a machine is actually started up. This reduces the time needed to confirm the production capacity of the equipment, as well as commissioning and modification times. After the facility has been commissioned, the software can check and monitor the operating status of the equipment digitally, saving time when determining the cause of any problems. Omron says that enabling robots and peripheral devices to be controlled and simulated using a single controller will, in future, accelerate the evolution of integrated controls and intelligent machinery, and improve productivity “dramatically”. The simulation software will also make it easier to commission later projects by re-using assets from earlier machines. The simulation software is available initially for systems without robots, although support for Omron robots is expected to be added “shortly”. www.omron.com Omron says its 3D simulation software can verifymachine operation with the same accuracy as the actual machine.