Okuma’s ECO suite Significantly Reduces Machine Tool Energy Costs
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (May 23, 2019) – Okuma America Corporation’s ECO suite, is an advanced application that saves energy and increases profitability by effectively monitoring and managing energy-wasting machine processes such as idling, pump rotation and continuous running of peripheral equipment. The reduction in energy usage and the resulting costs savings allows shops to increase profitability or reinvest the savings in equipment, technology and/or staff.
ECO suite includes four new energy-efficient intelligent control applications that are ideal for any size shop:
- ECO Idling Stop – The world’s first application that stops machine tool idling, energy savings have been shown to be up to 74 percent during non-cutting operation. Okuma’s Thermo Friendly concept monitors the cooling status of the milling and turning spindles and automatically turns them off when cooling is complete.
- ECO Power Monitor – Operators see how much energy is being used and saved. The machine tool’s display shows power consumption for spindles, feed axes and peripheral equipment.
- ECO Hydraulics – This optional feature provides accurate machining control at a very low rotation speed minimizing unnecessary pump rotation during dwell pressure applications. Rotation is optimized by combining the servo control technology on the machine tool with high efficiency hydraulic pumps. Results have shown up to 63 percent reduction in power consumption.
- ECO Operation - Operators set time limits for peripheral equipment, automatically stopping them after cutting is finished.
ECO suite is available on Okuma machines equipped with the P-300 control and the OSP suite application. Okuma’s ECO suite won the Excellence Award/Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award at the 45th Machine Design Awards, sponsored by the Nikkan Kogyo Business and Technology Daily News.
