Process Monitoring workspace (option 168)

Application

In the Process Monitoring workspace the control visualizes the machining process during program run. You can activate various monitoring tasks that are relevant to the process. If necessary, you can adapt the monitoring tasks.

Monitoring tasks

Requirements

  • Process Monitoring (software option 168)
  • Monitoring sections defined with MONITORING SECTION
  • Defining monitoring sections with MONITORING SECTION (option 168)

  • Possible without limitation in the FUNCTION MODE MILL machining mode
  • The monitoring tasks FeedOverride and SpindleOverride are functional in the FUNCTION MODE TURN machining mode (option 50).

Functionality

The Process Monitoring workspace provides information and settings for monitoring the machining process.

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Process Monitoring workspace
  • Depending on the cursor position in the NC program, the control provides the following areas:
  • Global area
  • The control shows information about the active NC program.

    Global area

  • Strategy range
  • The control shows the monitoring tasks and the graphs of the recordings. You can configure settings for the monitoring tasks.

    Strategy range

  • Monitoring options column in the global range
  • The control displays information on the recordings that relate to all monitoring sections of the NC program.

    Monitoring options column in the global range

  • Monitoring options column within a monitoring section
  • The control displays information on the recordings that relate only to the currently selected monitoring section.

    Monitoring options column within a monitoring section

Icons

The following icons are shown in the Process Monitoring workspace:

Icon

Meaning

settings

Show or hide the Monitoring options column

Monitoring options column

CloseTabIcon-active

Remove monitoring task

Monitoring tasks

NewTabIcon-active

Add monitoring task

Monitoring tasks

SettingsIcon

Open settings

trafficLights

Show or hide warning and error limits

If you show the warning and error limits, the control shows the monitored signal in relation to the defined limits.

  • The control shows the following warning and error limits:
  • Green line
  • If the current machining operation is at the bottom line, the current machining operation corresponds to the reference.

  • Orange line
  • This line shows the warning limit.

    If the current machining operation exceeds the middle line, the current machining operation deviates by half the set limit of the reference.

  • Red line
  • This line shows the error limit.

    If the current machining operation exceeds the upper line for a defined hold time, the monitoring task triggers a defined response, e.g. NC stop.

If you hide the warning and error limits, the control shows an absolute display of the monitored signal. The dashed lines represent the upper and lower error limits, i.e. the tunnel width.

AS_6_24_21_Anzeige_Warnstufen
Warning and error limits displayed: The control shows the signal in relation to the defined limits
AS_6_24_21_Anzeige_Absolut
Warning and error limits hidden: The solid line represents the signal and the dashed lines represent the tunnel width determined at the time

Global area

If the cursor is outside a monitoring section in the NC program, the Process Monitoring workspace displays the global range.

AS_6_24_21_Globaler_Bereich
Global area in the Process Monitoring workspace

The Process Monitoring workspace shows the following in the global range:

1

Monitoring options icon

Monitoring options column

2

Settings icon for the Process Monitoring workspace

Settings for the Process Monitoring workspace

3

Table with notes on the active NC program

Notes on the NC program

4

Delete hints button

You can use the Delete hints button to empty the table.

5

Information that this area is not monitored in the NC program

Notes on the NC program

In this area, the control shows a table with information about the active NC program. The table contains the following information:

Column or symbol

Meaning

Type

In the Type column, the control shows different types of notifications.

messageInformationIcon

Information, e.g. the number of monitoring sections

messageErrorIcon (1)

Warning, e.g. if a monitoring section has been removed

messageErrorIcon

Error, e.g. if you should reset the recordings

If you make changes within a monitoring section, that monitoring section can no longer be monitored. Therefore, you should reset the recordings and set new references so that machining is monitored again.

Settings for NC program window

You can sort the table by information type by selecting the Type column.

Description

  • In the Description column, the control displays information about the information types, e.g.:
  • Changes to the NC program
  • Cycles contained in the NC program
  • Interruptions, e.g. M0 or M1

Program line

If the information depends on an NC block number, the control displays the program name and the NC block number.

Strategy range

If the cursor is inside a monitoring section in the NC program, the Process Monitoring workspace displays the strategy range.

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Strategy range in the Process Monitoring workspace

The Process Monitoring workspace shows the following in the strategy range:

1

Monitoring options icon

Monitoring options column

2

Settings icon for the Process Monitoring workspace

Settings for the Process Monitoring workspace

3

Settings icon for the monitoring tasks

Monitoring tasks

4

Show or hide warning and error limits

Icons

5

Monitoring tasks

Monitoring tasks

6

  • The control shows the following information and functions:
  • Name of the monitoring section, if applicable
  • If AS is defined in the NC program with the optional syntax element, the control displays the name.

    If no name is defined, the control displays MONITORING SECTION.

    Input

  • Range of NC block numbers of the monitoring section in square brackets
  • Start and end of the monitoring section in the NC program

  • Original strategy or Save strategy as template button
  • Strategy template

  • Selection menu for strategy template
  • Strategy template

Strategy template

A strategy template includes one or more monitoring tasks, including the defined settings.

You can choose between the following strategy templates using a selection menu:

Strategy template

Meaning

MinMaxTolerance

StandardDeviation

User-defined

In this strategy template, you can compile the monitoring tasks yourself.

If you modify a strategy template, you can overwrite the modified strategy template by clicking the Save strategy as template button. The control overwrites the currently selected strategy template.

 
Tip

Since you cannot restore the as-delivered state of the strategy templates yourself, only overwrite the User-defined template.

The machine manufacturer can use the optional machine parameter ProcessMonitoring (no. 133700) to restore the as-delivered state of the strategy templates.

In the settings of the Process Monitoring workspace, you can define which strategy template the control selects by default after creating a new monitoring section.

Settings for the Process Monitoring workspace

Monitoring tasks

You can change the settings and responses of the monitoring tasks for each monitoring section. You can also remove a monitoring task for a monitoring section or add one using the plus sign.

  • The Process Monitoring workspace contains the following monitoring tasks:
  • MinMaxTolerance
  • With MinMaxTolerance, the control monitors whether the current machining operation is within the range of the selected references including the percentage deviation.

    Monitoring task MinMaxTolerance

  • StandardDeviation
  • With StandardDeviation, the control monitors whether the current machining operation is within the range of the selected references, including expansion by the factor σ.

    Monitoring task StandardDeviation

  • SignalDisplay
  • With SignalDisplay, the control shows the process progress of all selected references and the current machining operation.

    Monitoring task SignalDisplay

  • SpindleOverride
  • With SpindleOverride, the control monitors changes to the spindle override by the potentiometer.

    Monitoring task SpindleOverride

  • FeedOverride
  • With FeedOverride, the control monitors changes in the feed override by the potentiometer.

    Monitoring task FeedOverride

The values of the monitoring tasks set in the as-delivered state are considered recommended output values, which you can adapt if necessary in special machining situations.

In each monitoring task, the control shows the current processing and the selected references as a graph. The time axis is specified in seconds.

Monitoring task MinMaxTolerance

With MinMaxTolerance, the control monitors whether the current machining operation is within the range of the selected references including the percentage deviation.

The percentage deviation takes into account the tool wear.

  • The application cases of MinMaxTolerance are significant process faults, e.g. during small series production:
  • Tool breakage
  • Missing tool
  • Changed position or size of the workpiece blank

The control requires at least one recorded machining operation as a reference. If you do not select a reference, this monitoring task is inactive and does not draw a graph.

minmaxtolerance_standardstrategie

1

Gruen_optimal

First good reference

2

Blau_gut

Second good reference

3

Gelb_akzeptabel

Third good reference

4

Rosa_Grenze

Limits consisting of the tunnel width

5

Rot_Grenze

Limits consisting of a percentage expansion of the tunnel width

Records of monitoring sections

If, for example, you have a recording that is only just acceptable due to tool wear, you can also use an alternative application with this monitoring task.

Alternative application with acceptable reference

Settings for MinMaxTolerance
  • You can use sliders to configure the following settings for this monitoring task:
  • Accepted percentage difference
  • Percentage expansion of tunnel width

  • Static tunnel width
  • Upper and lower limits, based on references

  • Hold time
  • Maximum time in milliseconds for which the signal is permitted to be outside the defined deviation. Once this period has expired, the control triggers the defined response of the monitoring task.

  • You can activate or deactivate the following responses for this monitoring task:
  • Issue warning message
  • If the signal exceeds the limits for the defined hold time, the control shows a warning in the notification menu.

    Message menu on the information bar

  • Stop NC program
  • If the signal exceeds the warning limits for the defined hold time, the control stops the NC program.

  • Lock current tool
  • If the signal exceeds the warning limits for the defined hold time, the control blocks the tool in the tool management.

    Tool management

Alternative application with acceptable reference

If the control has recorded a machining operation that is only just acceptable, you can use an alternative application of the monitoring task MinMaxTolerance.

  • Select at least two references:
  • An optimal reference
  • A reference that is only just acceptable, e.g. showing a higher signal of the spindle load due to tool wear

The monitoring task checks whether the current machining operation is within the range of the selected references. For this strategy, select no deviation or a low percentage deviation, since the tolerance is already given by the different references.

minmaxtolerance_strategie

1

Gruen_optimal

Optimal reference

2

Gelb_akzeptabel

Reference only just acceptable

3

Rot_Grenze

Limits consisting of the tunnel width

Monitoring task StandardDeviation

With StandardDeviation, the control monitors whether the current machining operation is within the range of the selected references, including expansion by the factor σ.

  • The application cases of StandardDeviation are process faults of all kinds, e.g. during series production:
  • Tool breakage
  • Missing tool
  • Tool wear
  • Changed position or size of the workpiece blank

The control requires at least three recorded machining operations as a reference. The references should include one optimal, one good and one acceptable machining operation. If you do not select the required references, this monitoring task is not active and does not draw a graph.

Records of monitoring sections

standarddeviation

1

Gruen_optimal

Optimal reference

2

Blau_gut

Good reference

3

Gelb_akzeptabel

Reference only just acceptable

4

Rosa_Grenze

Limits consisting of the tunnel width

5

Rot_Grenze

Limits consisting of the expansion of the tunnel width multiplied by factor σ

Settings for StandardDeviation
  • You can use sliders to configure the following settings for this monitoring task:
  • A multiple of σ
  • Expansion of the tunnel width multiplied by factor σ

  • Static tunnel width
  • Upper and lower limits, based on references

  • Hold time
  • Maximum time in milliseconds for which the signal is permitted to be outside the defined deviation. Once this period has expired, the control triggers the defined response of the monitoring task.

  • You can activate or deactivate the following responses for this monitoring task:
  • Issue warning message
  • If the signal exceeds the limits for the defined hold time, the control shows a warning in the notification menu.

    Message menu on the information bar

  • Stop NC program
  • If the signal exceeds the warning limits for the defined hold time, the control stops the NC program.

  • Lock current tool
  • If the signal exceeds the warning limits for the defined hold time, the control blocks the tool in the tool management.

    Tool management

Monitoring task SignalDisplay

With SignalDisplay, the control shows the process progress of all selected references and the current machining operation.

You can compare whether the current machining operation corresponds to the references. This allows you to visually check whether you can use the machining operation as a reference.

The monitoring task does not respond.

Monitoring task SpindleOverride

With SpindleOverride, the control monitors changes to the spindle override by the potentiometer.

The control uses the first recorded machining operation as a reference.

Settings for SpindleOverride
  • You can use sliders to configure the following settings for this monitoring task:
  • Accepted percentage difference
  • Accepted deviation of the override in percent compared to the first recording

  • Hold time
  • Maximum time in milliseconds for which the signal is permitted to be outside the defined deviation. Once this period has expired, the control triggers the defined response of the monitoring task.

  • You can activate or deactivate the following responses for this monitoring task:
  • Issue warning message
  • If the signal exceeds the limits for the defined hold time, the control shows a warning in the notification menu.

    Message menu on the information bar

  • Stop NC program
  • If the signal exceeds the warning limits for the defined hold time, the control stops the NC program.

Monitoring task FeedOverride

With FeedOverride, the control monitors changes in the feed override by the potentiometer.

The control uses the first recorded machining operation as a reference.

FeedOverride settings
  • You can use sliders to configure the following settings for this monitoring task:
  • Accepted percentage difference
  • Accepted deviation of the override in percent compared to the first recording

  • Hold time
  • Maximum time in milliseconds for which the signal is permitted to be outside the defined deviation. Once this period has expired, the control triggers the defined response of the monitoring task.

  • You can activate or deactivate the following responses for this monitoring task:
  • Issue warning message
  • If the signal exceeds the limits for the defined hold time, the control shows a warning in the notification menu.

    Message menu on the information bar

  • Stop NC program
  • If the signal exceeds the warning limits for the defined hold time, the control stops the NC program.

Settings for the Process Monitoring workspace

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Settings for the Process Monitoring workspace

General

  • In the General area, select which strategy template the control uses as the default:
  • MinMaxTolerance
  • StandardDeviation
  • User-defined

Strategy template

Graph

In the Graph area, you can select the following settings:

Setting

Meaning

Simultaneously plotted references

  • Select the maximum number of recordings that the control displays simultaneously as graphs in the monitoring tasks:
  • 2
  • 4
  • 6
  • 8
  • 10

If more references are selected than the control is to display, the control displays the last selected references as a graph.

Preview [s]

The control can run a selected reference as a preview during processing. The control shifts the time axis of the machining operation to the left.

  • Select how many seconds of the reference the control will preview:
  • 0
  • 2
  • 4
  • 6

Records of monitoring sections

Monitoring options column

AS_6_24_21_Globaler_Bereich_Spalte_Ueberwachungsoptionen
Monitoring options column in the global range

The Monitoring options column shows the following in the upper area regardless of the cursor position in the NC program:

1

Switch for activating or deactivating process monitoring for the entire NC program

2

Path of the current NC program

3

Open the Settings icon in the Settings for NC program window

Settings for NC program window

4

Checkbox for activating or deactivating the responses of all monitoring sections in the NC program

Monitoring options column in the global range

If the cursor is outside a monitoring section in the NC program, the Process Monitoring workspace displays the Monitoring options column in the global area.

In the global area, the control displays a table with the records of all monitoring sections of the NC program.

Records of monitoring sections

Monitoring options column within a monitoring section

If the cursor is inside a monitoring section in the NC program, the Process Monitoring workspace displays the Monitoring options column within the monitoring section.

If the cursor is within the monitoring section, the control will leave this area gray.

AS_6_24_21_Strategiebereich_Spalte_Ueberwachungsoptionen
Monitoring options column within the monitoring section

The Monitoring options column displays the following within the monitoring section:

1

  • The control shows the following information and functions:
  • Name of the monitoring section, if applicable
  • If AS is defined in the NC program with the optional syntax element, the control displays the name.

    If no name is defined, the control displays MONITORING SECTION.

    Input

  • Range of NC block numbers of the monitoring section in square brackets
  • Start and end of the monitoring section in the NC program

2

Checkbox for activating and deactivating the responses in the monitoring section

You can activate or deactivate the responses of the currently selected monitoring section.

3

Table with the recordings of the monitoring section

The recordings refer only to the monitoring section in which the cursor is currently located.

Records of monitoring sections

4

Selection menu for the process heat map

You can display a monitoring task as a process heat map in the Simulation workspace.

Workpiece options column

Component Monitoring with MONITORING HEATMAP (option 155)

Records of monitoring sections

The contents and functions of the table with the recordings of the machining operations depend on the cursor position in the NC program.

Monitoring options column

The table contains the following information about the monitoring section:

Column

Information or action

Reference

If you activate the checkbox for a table row, the control uses this recording as a reference for the corresponding monitoring tasks.

If you activate multiple table rows, the control uses all selected rows as references. If you select multiple references with greater deviation, the tunnel width also increases. You can select up to ten references at a time.

  • The effect of the reference depends on the position of the cursor in the NC program:
  • Within the monitoring section:
  • The reference only applies to the currently selected monitoring section.

    The control shows a dash in the global range in this table row for information. If a table row is marked as a reference in all strategy areas or in the global area, the control displays a check mark.

  • Global area
  • The reference applies to all monitoring sections of the NC program.

Mark recordings that have a provided satisfactory result, such as a clean surface, as a reference.

You can only select a recording of a complete machining operation as a reference.

Date

Date and time of program start of each recorded machining operation

If you select the Date column, the control sorts the table by date.

Sync

Quality of synchronization

  • The quality is influenced by the following:
  • Time delay, e.g. change of the feed rate override
  • If the potentiometer position of the feed rate override deviates from the reference machining process, the quality becomes worse.

  • Local delay, e.g. due to a tool correction with DR
  • If the path of the tool center point TCP deviates from the reference machining operation, the quality becomes worse.

The first row of the table is the reference for the quality of the following table rows.

Tool center point (TCP, tool center point)

If the quality is between 70% and 80%, the processing operation is still OK. You should manually check the recording in this area.

Delete

If you select the trash can icon, the control deletes the table row.

  • You cannot delete the first row of the table because this row is used as a reference for the following functions:
  • Sync column
  • SpindleOverride monitoring task
  • FeedOverride monitoring task

You delete all recordings including the first in the Settings for NC program window.

Only in the global area

Note

In the Note column, you can enter notes about the table row.

Tool name

Name of the tool from the tool management

Only within the monitoring section

Tool management

R

Radius of the tool from the tool management

Only within the monitoring section

Tool management

DR

Delta value of the tool radius from the tool management

Only within the monitoring section

Tool management

L

Length of the tool from the tool management

Only within the monitoring section

Tool management

CUT

Number of cutting edges of the tool from the tool management

Only within the monitoring section

Tool management

CURR_TIME

Tool life from the tool management at the start of the respective machining operation

Only within the monitoring section

Tool management

Settings for NC program window

AS_6_24_21_Einstellung_Spalte
Settings for NC program window
  • The Settings for NC program window provides the following settings:
  • Reset Process Monitoring settings
  • Delete all records, including the first table row
  • Select the maximum number of recordings of machining operations in the table:
    • Limit to 5 recordings
    • Limit to 10 recordings
    • Limit to 50 recordings
    • Limit to 200 recordings
    • Unlimited recording

    If the number of machining operations exceeds the maximum number, the control overwrites the last machining operation.

    Records of monitoring sections

Notes

  • If you use different sizes of workpiece blanks, set process monitoring to a more tolerant setting or start the first monitoring section after pre-machining.
  • If the spindle load is too low, the control may not detect any difference from idling, e.g. for a tool with a small diameter.
  • If you remove and add a monitoring task again, the previous recordings remain.

Basics of operation

  • You can zoom in or out of the graph horizontally by dragging or scrolling.
  • If you drag or swipe with the left mouse button held down, you can move the graph.
  • You can align the graph by selecting an NC block number. The control marks the selected NC block number in green within the monitoring task.
  • Common gestures for the touchscreen