Siemens Industry Inc  

Mcenter, a new manufacturing and resource management platform from Siemens, is designed to enhance the preparation of tool scheduling, workflow supervision and NC program management — plus Mcenter will smartly and seamlessly network the machine tools with the company’s IT / OT landscape.

Machine tools traditionally communicate with the central server of a machine shop or factory network via clients that are directly integrated into the control. Web applications are used that can easily be accessed via a PC or tablet web browser. In contrast, user dialogs embedded in the CNC’s HMI are also provided for tasks performed directly at the machine. Connection to existing IT systems in the production environment can usually be established via application programming interfaces (APIs). Mcenter balances these conditions to achieve the desired outcomes. 

Mcenter further helps part manufacturers of all sizes reduce their IT administration complexity through centralized platform functionalities such as connectivity, security roles, rights, application management, etc. and thus forms the backbone of the Siemens Smart Shopfloor protocol. Mcenter is the ideal solution for the management of a machine shop’s manufacturing resources, including the following elements:

Tool Management — The application Manage MyResources /Tools provides full transparency about the available tools and their current locations. This feature enhances productivity by minimizing the time needed to pair the right tool with the right machine at the right time.

Program Management — Manage MyResources /Programs provides an immediate overview of all the available NC programs and their status for easier programming and setup.

Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) — Analyze MyPerformance /OEE allows the important indicators to be identified for the improvement of machine or work cell utilization and the elimination of bottlenecks in production. 

Mcenter further offers the following advantages to shops as they accelerate on the path towards digitalization:

It encompasses all machine tools — With Mcenter, it is possible to manage all types of machines, regardless of their age or controller brand, across the shopfloor. Deeper onboard integration with SINUMERIK CNC machines provides additional value and Siemens continues to improve the CNC integration with other brands in the global market today.

Increase overall productivity with minimal effort — Mcenter enables companies of all sizes to increase productivity by providing the user detailed insights on tooling, NC programs and machine utilization. Enhanced integration of higher-level systems with the CNC on the machines makes it possible to manage the entire workflow on the shopfloor with reduced effort. This feature significantly lowers set-up times, the chief impediment to productivity, plus it optimizes resource utilization, thereby lowering overall cost to the manufacturer.

Integrate with existing IT infrastructure — Mcenter provides open interfaces that allow flexible integration into existing IT infrastructure and processes such as connecting to pre-setters for automated data transfer. Mcenter also offers additional opportunities for the manufacturer to utilize the Siemens Teamcenter digitalization portfolio.

As Vivek Furtado, the head of machine tool digitalization for Siemens, observes, “Mcenter breaks into a new horizon of overall machine monitoring, comprehensive manufacturing management and resource utilization to produce the ideal workflow and production scenario for any manufacturer with CNC machines.”

Siemens is expanding its offering on the popular SINUMERIK ONE "digital native" CNC. This new control generation is now being offered with innovations in hardware and software that will be demonstrated at EASTEC 2023. With the new system software SINUMERIK V6.20, there are new technology functions for SINUMERIK ONE that simplify machine tool operation, reduce machine wear and increase manufacturing productivity. With these developments, Siemens is demonstrating how the powerful SINUMERIK control system can be optimally used for digital transformation in a highly productive, flexible and modular way.

With the new Y-turning function, SINUMERIK ONE can be used for machines that turn from the Y-axis, enabling up to 3-times the feed rate, resulting in increased productivity. New tool types were created for this purpose and all turning functionalities and cycles were adapted for these tools.

The Advanced Rapid Movement function is also one of the innovations in this new technology. It enables time-optimized movement, which means faster movements take place between machining operations. The part program does not require a change. Overall, machining can be up to 10% faster. The function can be implemented in tandem with the machine builder.

With Reduced Dynamic Mode, there is now a CNC function that actually reduces wear on the machine and increases its availability. The Numerical Control Kernel (NCK) function enables the machine tool builder to automatically transfer the machine to reduced operation, if the axis becomes too warm. When the temp stabilizes, the machine can be returned to full load. In this way, the Reduced Dynamic Mode enables individual operation of machines in motion.

In the area of hardware, there are additional new innovations for the SINUMERIK ONE that are designed to simplify operation. The new keyboards and Machine Control Panels (MCPs) are now available from 15 to 24 inches to match the HMI design — and SIMATIC Industrial Thin Clients (ITCs) and industrial PCs with increased performance and a resolution up to 1920 x 1080 pixels.

The new MCPs are also integrated in the digital twin of SINUMERIK ONE (Create MyVirtual Machine and Run MyVirtual Machine), so that the appearance and operation correspond to the real CNC in every respect. In addition, the digital twin of SINUMERIK ONE has been equipped with new features that simplify engineering and work preparation. Examples of the many innovations include: the 3D option offers support for a second channel. In addition, each tool can be assigned an individual color, so that the ablated surfaces are color-coded, depending on the tool used. The integration of the STEP format is an important new feature, especially for complex geometries of the clamping in a turning operation. Collision detection now also offers extensive functionalities such as the display of all collided bodies, NC program line and more, so the cause of collisions can be quickly investigated and rectified.

Background information on SINUMERIK ONE

SINUMERIK ONE plays a central role in the transformation of machine tools in the age of Industry 4.0, outperforming previous generations of controllers in terms of PLC and CNC performance in machine operation, cutting speed, data capture and processing power. With its integrated SIMATIC S7-1500F PLC, it offers up to 10 times faster PLC cycle times. With the SIMATIC S7-1500F PLC, SINUMERIK ONE is now fully integrated into the Siemens TIA Portal engineering framework, enabling standardization of all engineering tasks for operators of larger plants. SINUMERIK ONE is fully compatible with the previous SINUMERIK 840D sl controller generation in terms of programming and operation. This makes the changeover to SINUMERIK ONE more seamless.

With SINUMERIK ONE, Siemens offers CNC technology that easily creates and works with digital twins of machine tools. Work preparation and engineering departments can also benefit from the digital twin. Siemens offers a comprehensive user interface for SINUMERIK ONE that enables convenient, flexible and efficient operation of machine tools across all machining technologies.