Electricity and Control August 2020

INDUSTRY 4.0 + IIOT

At a glance 

The Phoenix Contact Group has its own in-house tool shop to facilitate production of all the components it uses in the products it offers.  Work done at the tool shop sites, in four different countries, is coordinated from the company’s headquarters; all sites are networked with each other.  All the tools are initially generated virtually in the form of a digital twin, and a full digital description of the processes involved is developed. and electrode assignments. RFID (radio frequency identification) technology is used to connect the real world of the components and machines to the virtual world of the digital twin. The physical components can be automatically identified using RFID tags. The digital twin of the injection moulding tool controls the modular production plant. All processes are automated and operate around the clock, seven days a week. “Through progressive digitalisation we’re now able to operate mixed-method automation cells in the tool shop; the sequence can be adapted to any requirements,” explains Dr Holsten. No process-related limitations For some time now, 3D printing has been employed in the tool shop. When using additive techniques, a shapeless material is applied layer by layer until the desired injection moulding tool is created. This results in structures that simply cannot be produced in the modular production plant. Even with high-precision machine tools, established machining or forming methods often reach their limits when complex geometries are involved. Here, 3D printing opens up new possibilities for optimising the processes in the tool shop and significantly increasing the productivity of the tools. In conventional tool engineering, traditional manufactur- ing methods such as milling, turning or drilling are used, which are subject to various process-related limitations. For example, mould hardening or injection moulding some-

The digital twin of the injection moulding tool controls the mixed- method automation of production. “With the consistent use of data, all the information required in the respective working area at the time is provided to make decisions,” reports Dr Sven Holsten, Director of Tool Shop Plastics. Data from the SAP system as well as internal platforms provides the information needed for all upcoming decisions. “We have programmed a database at the frontend, precisely tailored to our needs,” explains Dr Holsten. Information such as the project status, costs, schedules, or materials is taken into consideration. Data is transferred in both directions: changes made on the touch screen are made available via SAP for all further processes in the company. Reduced lead times Producing injection moulding or forming tools is one of the most time-consuming and cost-intensive steps in the manufacturing process. The modular production line used by the tool shop has reduced lead times by 30% compared to conventional working methods. The line integrates the essential processes required to implement the injection moulding tools: electrode manufacture, milling, die-sinking erosion, cleaning processes, and quality determination. The digital twins of the workpieces and electrodes to be produced are generated in a CAD/CAM environment and provide the initial virtual model of the tool. A central software tool automatically transfers all further process data and manufacturing information to the distributed control system. The virtual components are networked by means of real-time monitoring with the required NC programs, process steps, milling tools,

3D method for injection moulding tools with integrated cooling channels.

Electricity + Control AUGUST 2020

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