Adaptive control

Adaptive Control and Monitoring system

Reduction of cycle time.

Extended tool and spindle life.

Improvement of production quality and reduction of defects.

The system controls cutting conditions in real time and automatically optimizes the feed at the level of each specific operation. When necessary OMATIVE ACM stops the machine to avoid overload or when a tool failure is detected.

OMATIVE АСМ constantly monitors the state of cutting tools and signals the moment when the tool must be changed, which saves costs of failures or baseless untimely replacement of cutting tools.

OMATIVE АСМ monitors numerous factors which impact cutting process: cutting parameters, real load on the tools, wear of the tools, material characteristics etc.

OMATIVE АСМ effectively reduces machining time, prevent tool breakage and damage to the workpieces and machines and minimizes production idle time.

Key benefits of OMATIVE ACM

Reduced cycle time	OMATIVE ACM reduces cycle time by increasing feed and sustaining the maximal admissible load for a specific cutting tool and material of the workpiece.
Tool protection	When an overload is detected OMATIVE ACM reduces feed to acceptable level. This level is automatically pre-set by its inner expertise system. When conditions become favorable OMATIVE ACM increases the feed again. No intervention of the operator is required to activate tool protection.
Tool failure detection	When the user turns this feature on, OMATIVE ACM learns how to detect a tool breakage during machining of one workpiece. In case of tool breakage during other workpieces tooling, OMATIVE ACM immediately reacts by shutting the machine down.
Machine overload detection	OMATIVE ACM detects tool overload every time when the load gets close to the admissible limit. OMATIVE ACM reacts instantaneously or at the end of operation, depending on the set up parameters.
Spindle overload detection	OMATIVE ACM detects spindle drive overload every time when the actual power of the drive exceeds the nominal power of the spindle drive. OMATIVE ACM reacts instantaneously by shutting the machine down.
Tools condition monitoring	When the tool condition monitoring is activated OMATIVE ACM indicates tear and ware rate of the tool in the statistics screens. When the tear and wear exceed 100 % allowance, OMATIVE ACM shuts the machine down.
Spindle power monitoring	OMATIVE ACM constantly indicates actual power rate of the spindle. The power rate is expressed as percentage of nominal power of the spindle.

Configuration

OMATIVE ACM has various configurations for each CNC system. Depending on the system OMATIVE ACM can be installed either as software, either as hardware version.

Each configuration of OMATIVE ACM consists of two main components:

1. Real time system, performing adaptive control and monitoring
2. User interface intended to set up different parameters of ACM and to show real time functioning of ACM and its statistics on the CNC screen.

Depending on type of CNC each component of the system can be completely integrated in the CNC software or to be used as a stand-alone hardware unit.

Solutions for complete integration with CNC are preferable as they do not require additional equipment and mounting works on the machine.

However purely software solution is available only for the latest models of CNC. Older models can need separate hardware components.

Operation modes

Each operation can be set up in one of three modes – Feed regulation, Monitoring and Event logging.

1. Feed monitoring

Unique expert system OMATIVE АСМ constantly measures actual load on the spindle, calculates optimal feed values for each specific tool and material of the workpiece and adjusts feed on real-time basis.

Reduction of load on the spindle leads to increase of feed, while load increase leads to reduction of feed, which is especially important for rough and pre-finishing work when load fluctuations are tangible.

In case of overload Omative ACM shows notification on the screen or shuts the machine down. This mode allows to log constantly all events and - if necessary – to control tool breakage.

2. Monitoring

Omative ACM automatically monitors and prevents process parameters from exceeding admissible cycle rates. Inner expertise protective system signals possible breakage and if necessary shuts the machine down.

In monitoring mode two types of monitoring can be switched on:

• Check for overload

The system constantly compares load on the spindle with the maximal value of this operation recorded beforehand. Two levels are controlled: alert level and breakage.

• Check load for compliance with the reference value at every instant.

The system constantly compares the load on the spindle with recorded schedule of load change for this operation. Two boundaries are monitored: alert and breakage boundary.

In monitoring mode as well as in feed control mode Omative ACM store information on the events and the machine conditions at every instant in the machine memory.

3. Events log

In the mode of event logging OMATIVE ACM records the following information from all operations:

• Start and finish time of each workpiece machining and of each operation
• Spindle On/off status
• Tool and spindle overload
• Alert signals
• Cutting time and idle travel time.

Recorded data can be displayed on the Omative ACM screen or transferred to a PC for viewing and storage in add-on software Omative‑Pro to execute relevant statistical analysis. Choice of modes of adaptive control or monitoring for any operation does not switch off event log functions which are permanently active.

Machining type

OMATIVE ACM can be used for practically any type of metal work. When choosing feed regulation mode, monitoring or just event log for a specific operation, the user can get the following benefits from every type of machining:

• Time saving for rough and semi-finishing works
• Monitoring of cutting process, tool and spindle overload protection
• Tool tear and wear monitoring for rough and semi-finishing works provided that the workpieces dimensions are identical and material hardness is constant
• Extension of tool life and detection of tool breakage when lathing or drilling
• Event log.

OMATIVE ACM can be applied to milling, drilling, lathing / grinding machines and worm milling which involve the following:

• Variability of area of cut
• Workpiece material hardness variation
• Tangible alterations of workpiece surface from one detail to another
• Cooling stream alteration
• Instability of workpiece fixation
• Tool breakage or damaging a tool or workpiece at the moment of engaging or disengaging the workpiece.

Data input characteristics

Omative ACM requires data, describing each operation. Depending on the configuration of ACM there are several options for data input:

1. Automatic task setting – ACM sets tasks automatically during the first run of NC program. During next runs of NC program ACM only regulates the feed or monitors the process based on the task memorized in the database. This even does not require any modification of the NC program.
2. Network task setting – additional software Omative-Pro can be used for preparation of tasks from a remote PC. The text of a task if paste to the NC program. During the first run of the program ACM automatically reads the data and stores them in its database. Specific instructions are added to the NC program to inform ACM on each change of tools during machining a separate detail.
3. Manual task setting – data for each tool is entered manually. Specific instructions are added to the NC program to inform ACM on each change of tools during machining a specific detail.

Omative ACM does not require manual setting of load boundaries, because this information is stored in the database as a result of learning while manufacturing the first detail.