Industry 4.0 solutions highlighted at EMO Hannover

Renishaw will also exhibit in the new Additive Manufacturing Zone, where it will demonstrate software and systems for metal part manufacture at stand A72. T

his includes the latest version of the company’s build file preparation software, QuantAM 2017, which has been designed specifically for Renishaw metal additive manufacturing systems; RenAM 500M and AM 400.

Products highlighted will include a new contact scanning system for CNC machine tools, new software for the Equator flexible gauge which allows users to fully integrate the system with CNC machine tools, new on-machine and mobile apps that simplify the use of machine tool probing, an enhanced non-contact tool setter for machining centres, a new multi-probe optical interface system, a new surface finish probe for co-ordinate measuring machines (CMMs), and new software that enhances the functionality of Renishaw’s XM-60 multi-axis calibration system.

 Visitors will also see Renishaw’s new machining cell concept,which demonstrates how the ability to monitor key process inputs, analyse data and continuously improve manufacturing processes facilitates increased productivity and higher accuracy.

Simply measuring the output of a manufacturing process using ‘tailgate’ inspection is not enough and, more often, too late to control all the variability in a manufacturing process.

It is critical that checks and measurements are also made before, during and immediately after machining to control both common-cause and special-cause variation.

“Intelligent process control is a key part of Industry 4.0”, says Paul Maxted, Renishaw’s Director of Industrial Metrology Applications. “We not only provide technologies and applications that deliver some of the benefits of Industry 4.0, data generated by Renishaw devices can also be used in conjunction with other process information from machines, cutting tools and other sensors within high level predictive systems for intelligent process optimisation and control.”