Future View: Machine Tools 2020 (Part 2)

In Part 1 of this interview, Ted Driggs, industry veteran and (unofficial) machine tool prognosticator shared his insights about how metalcutting machines have evolved through history and where we stand today. His observation that “the modern machine tool is now 85-90% mature from the mechanical side” may be surprising to some. Is this an eye-opener? That’s not to say we’re “done” with machine tool advancements however. Far from it. There are significant opportunities to increase machine tool ROI with sensory systems, and many users are implementing these. And there’s another area where we can make significant strides. Here in the conclusion of our interview with Ted we discuss technologies that will take us into the future – and many of them are in our hands already.

Ted, what else do you see in your 20-20 vision of 2020 machine tools?
The “body” of machine tools (base material) is strong and developed. Refinement of the “senses” is continuing to make progress through implementing capabilities such as Okuma’s Intelligent Technologies. But the part that offers truly infinite potential for ongoing machine tool evolution in 2020 and beyond is the brain – the CNC control.

What about this “brain” then?
The machine needs a BIG brain…just like the Scarecrow in the Wizard of Oz. Without a big brain – a fast brain – the machine tools of the future cannot process all of the sensory systems inputs to make it as agile as man! Fully flexible structured Intelligent Numerical Control processing CNC controls, such as Okuma’s OSP-P300, are the answer. This allows you to combine the brawn of iron, the senses of man and the potential brainpower of the high-level gaming systems of today, with infinite potential into the future.

That’s a lot of brainpower. How do we tap into that?
First we should understand, the OSP control is a Windows^®-based, open architecture platform. If you have any Okuma control built from 2004 on, you already have this in your shop. With this open system in place, you can download apps (or even create your own) that will do anything you can imagine. Many of us are familiar with how we can download apps on our smartphones that make life simpler and easier, such as apps for driving directions, weather conditions, airline status updates – the list goes on and on. What if you could, in similar fashion, download apps to your CNC control that make life easier in your shop? With the OSP control you can. And this opens the door to countless productivity enhancers that will give you a competitive edge into the future. Interestingly, just like the Scarecrow, many of us have had this brain all along. We just didn’t know it yet.

Give us an example of a productivity-enhancing app.
Here’s an example related to improving part quality. Let’s say you have a part that needs to be machined on both sides using a single spindle. In these operations the operator often needs to physically remove the part from the left spindle, turn the part around, place it back on the left spindle, and continue cutting on the back side of this part. Sometimes this operator might get distracted and forget to take the part out and flip it around, and then you have a scrapped part. There’s an app called Part Flip Monitor that automatically checks whether certain conditions have been met in the process. If the machine tool starts executing code for cutting the second side of the part, and the part hasn’t actually been rotated, an alarm condition sets off. This alerts the operator, “hey, come over here and flip this part!” This reduces the number of scrapped parts you produce, and puts more money in your pocket.

How can people find out about apps?
If you want to take a peek into this world right away, check out our App Store. We have apps there that have been created by Okuma developers, our distributor developers, and by members of Partners in THINC. Similar to iPhones and Androids, anyone can create their own apps too. Many people want us to walk them through this process, and we’ll be doing that at our IMTS booth (S-8500). Stop by and check out a demo. Everyone who does will be entered to win one of 6 Microsoft Surface tablets (we’ll have one winner each day of the show).

What does all this mean for the future of machine tools?
First of all, we’ll make great strides in productivity by using that “brain” to its fullest capabilities. We’re making it easy to do this with the App Store. The real magic happens when people use the open architecture OSP control to customize their own apps. You know best where the real bottlenecks are in your shop, that stand between you and higher productivity. If you want help getting started with this, just call your local distributor.

Anything else in that crystal ball of yours?
It doesn’t really take a crystal ball, the future is here now. Today’s level of machine tool intelligence is poised to give us the most accurate and autonomous machines man has ever built. By the year 2020 machine tools will have morphed much like the rest of mankind’s technology has. Even though in the beginning we moved around on a handmade stone-age wheel, soon we’ll be producing man’s essential goods of life at Mach 22. Can you see it? I do!

Ted Driggs is Project Manager, Okuma America Corporation.

What do you see for the future of machine tools? Feel free to comment and share your thoughts.

[In case you missed it, read Part 1 of this interview.]