The Process Monitoring workspace (#168 / #5-01-1)

Application

In the Process Monitoring workspace the control visualizes the machining process during program run. You can activate up to six concurrent monitoring tasks for the corresponding monitoring sections. If required, monitoring tasks can be parameterized, replaced or removed.

Requirements

Description of function

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

Areas of the Process Monitoring workspace

The Process Monitoring workspace is structured as follows:

  • Left side: Filter column, which affects the table in the central area
  • Center: Table with contents for setup or run-time data, can be toggled
  • Right side: Form column with settings options or monitoring tasks, depending on the table mode

Using the Setup table and Runtime table icons in the workspace title bar, you can toggle the table mode. The contents of the Filter and Form columns depend on which table is currently active.

Table-independent area

Table-independent area

Independent of the table mode, the control displays the following contents:

  • Switch for activating process monitoring for this NC program
  • Button for resetting the monitoring settings for this NC program to the default values.
  • The control monitors the standard monitoring tasks and the default columns of the runtime table.

  • The Monitoring tasks area

  • Area with notes on the active NC program
  • You can expand or collapse this area.

The note area provides the following information:

Column or icon

Meaning

Type

In the Type column, the control displays various note types.

Information (for example, the number of monitoring sections)

Suggestions, such as Consider deleting all records for NC program

If you change the positioning blocks within a monitoring section, the control can no longer consider the recordings made so far. You must delete the recordings in the Form column.

Settings in the Form column

Warning (for example, if a monitoring section has been removed)

Error (for example, if two monitoring sections are identical)

Description

The control displays a hint in the Description column.

Program line

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

Screen layout if the setup table is active

The Process Monitoring workspace if the setup table is active

The Process Monitoring workspace contains the following items if the setup table is active:

1

Filter column that can be used to hide rows with monitoring sections in the table

With the Next and Exclude buttons, you can select and hide the monitoring sections.

You can activate or deactivate the filter by means of a toggle switch.

2

Table-independent area

Table-independent area

3

Icons for toggling the table mode between Setup table and Runtime table

4

Form column with program-specific settings

Form with active settings table

5

The Setup table

Contents of the Setup table

Each monitoring section in the NC program corresponds to one table row. The name of the row is made up as follows:

  • Sequential number of the monitoring section
  • Designation of the monitoring section
    • Designation as defined in MONITORING SECTION START
    • SECTION if no designation has been specified.
    • Tool name if the monitoring section starts with a tool call
  • Line number of the monitoring section in square brackets

The columns contain the six possible monitoring tasks and one monitoring task whose status is represented on the workpiece in the simulation. Select this monitoring task in the Heat map area of the form.

Form with active settings table

Using the setup table

Depending on where you tap or click on the table, you either mark the entire table, an entire row or column, or only one cell. If you select an NC block, the control will mark the associated area in the table (e.g., the row of the monitoring section).

The settings in the form reflect the current selection.

Screen layout if the runtime table is active

The Process Monitoring workspace if the runtime table is active

The Process Monitoring workspace contains the following items if the runtime table is active:

1

Filter column that can be used to restrict the table display to certain machining operations:

  • Date
  • Day or week of machining

  • Workpiece evaluation
  • User’s assessment

  • Monitoring results
  • Process monitoring active or inactive, with or without process disturbance

You can activate or deactivate the filter by means of a toggle switch.

2

Table-independent area

Table-independent area

3

Icons for toggling the table mode between Setup table and Runtime table

4

Form column with settings or monitoring tasks, depending on the active contents of the runtime table:

  • If the Recordings table is active, the control displays machining settings.
  • Form with active Runtime table

  • If the monitoring section tables are active, the control displays the monitoring tasks for the selected machining operation.
  • Monitoring tasks

5

Runtime table

Contents of the runtime table

In the left area of the runtime table, the control displays the Recordings table with the recorded machining operations.

In the area on the right, the control displays all monitoring sections of the NC program side-by-side. You can select a monitoring section and view the results of the recorded machining operations as rows.

The control displays the first three rows of the Recordings table even if the area on the right is active. The following columns cannot be changed:

Icon

Meaning

Sequential number of the recording

If you activate this icon, the control will mark all rows and displays a checkmark in the icon. If you deactivate this icon, the control will remove the marks of all rows and removes the checkmark from the icon.

Date and time at the start of the NC program

Manual assessment of the result of the machining operation as Part is OK or Part not OK

Depending on the procedure, the control uses the evaluated recordings as reference machining operations for monitoring. The control only uses the first ten good parts as reference machining operations.

In the Form column, the control provides part evaluation, too.

 
Tip

You can evaluate only completely executed recordings.

Good parts must be representative for the machining process (for example, they must not include process interruptions or slower feed rates from proving-out).

The contents of the remaining columns can be selected in the Configure table window.

The Configure table window

If no recordings have been made yet, the control will display gray bars as placeholders in the tables.

Using the runtime table
  • If you tap or click the table name, the control will display the entire table.
  • If you tap or click the table column icon, the control will open the Configure table window.
  • If you tap or click the icon in the header row, the control will sort the contents of the table by this column in ascending or descending order.
  • If you tap or click a row once, it will be marked additionally. If you double-tap or double-click a row, the control will mark only this row.

Icons

The following icons are shown in the Process Monitoring workspace:

Icon

Meaning

Open or close the Filter column

Filters active

Activate Setup table

Activate Runtime table

Open or close the Form column

Depending on the selected item, the form has the following contents:

Open or close the Settings

The global settings can be accessed from the title bar of the Process Monitoring workspace.

Global settings in the Process Monitoring workspace

Reset

The control monitors the standard monitoring tasks and the default columns of the runtime table.

Colored boxes represent automatic assessments made by process monitoring.

Colored circles are user-definable assessments.

Open

Load an existing monitoring template for the selected monitoring task

Save

Save the monitoring settings

Settings for parameterizing of monitoring tasks

Graphic display of the monitoring tasks

Global settings in the Process Monitoring workspace

Open the global settings with an icon in the workspace title bar.

The Graph area

The Graph area of global settings

The Graph area offers 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

Preview [s]

During execution, the control displays graphs of the current monitoring tasks. You can show an area for signals expected during the next seconds on the right in the graph.

You can set how many seconds the control will display on the right in the graph:

  • 0
  • 2
  • 4
  • 6

Show tunnel area

When the toggle switch is active, the control displays the monitoring tunnel area in the graph on a color background.

Only available for the Tunnel or Constant monitoring tasks.

The Monitoring tasks area

The Monitoring tasks area of the global settings

In the Monitoring tasks area, the control shows six saved templates for monitoring tasks in alphabetical order. This area is empty as long as you have not yet saved any templates for monitoring tasks.

You can create templates during the parameterization of monitoring tasks or in the Form column of the setup table. The control saves the templates in the TNC:/system/Processmonitoring folder.

Settings for parameterizing of monitoring tasks

You can save any number of templates. However, the control will only display the first six templates (in alphabetical order) in this window. If several templates refer to the same signal and procedure, the control will display only one of them. Using the icon next to the templates, you can open the templates file path in the Files operating mode. There, you can rename or delete templates.

The templates shown here will be used as defaults for new monitoring sections or NC programs. If you saved fewer than six unique templates, the control will additionally display templates defined by the machine manufacturer, and if there is still space left, HEIDENHAIN templates.

Settings in the Form column

Form with active settings table

When the settings table is active, the control displays the following settings in the Form column:

Area

Meaning

Monitoring task

For the marked cell or column, select the signal to be monitored by the control and the monitoring method.

The control only displays selection options that allow a reasonable combination of signal and procedure.

Overview of monitoring tasks

Reactions

You can activate or deactivate the reactions of the currently selected monitoring sections.

Following a hyphen, the control shows all available reactions for one or more selected monitoring tasks. Toggle switches allow you to activate or deactivate the individual reactions.

Reactions

 
Tip

If several monitoring tasks are marked and the statuses of the reactions do not match, the control will display the toggle switch in a center position.

Heat map

You can select one of the defined monitoring tasks whose status the control displays as a heatmap on the workpiece.

Open and Save buttons

You can load an already saved monitoring template for the selected monitoring task or save the current settings as a template.

The control provides the same options for the parameterization of monitoring tasks.

Settings for parameterizing of monitoring tasks

Screen layout if the setup table is active

Form with active Runtime table

If the Recordings area is active in the Runtime table, the control displays the following settings in the Form column:

Area

Meaning

Evaluate component

You can evaluate the selected machining operation as Part is OK or Part not OK.

Depending on the procedure, the control uses the evaluated recordings as reference machining operations for monitoring. The control only uses the first ten good parts as reference machining operations.

The control provides the same options in the third column of the Runtime table.

 
Tip

You can evaluate only completely executed recordings.

Good parts must be representative for the machining process (for example, they must not include process interruptions or slower feed rates from proving-out).

Recording strategy

  • Record each operation completely
  • The control records the entire information of all machining operations.

  • Limit: Record up to n operations
  • The control records machining operations up to a defined count.

  • If the number of recorded machining operations exceeds the maximum number, the control will overwrite the last machining operation.

  • Input: 2...999999999

  • Record only metainformation of operations
  • The control does not record any process data, but only meta-information such as the date, time and the results of monitoring tasks. The control cannot use recordings without process data as a reference machining process. This setting can be used for monitoring and logging once process monitoring has been set up completely. This setting significantly reduces the amount of data.

  • Interval: Record each nth operation
  • The control does not record process data for each machining operation. You can define after which number of machining operations the control records process data. For the other machining operations, only meta-information will be recorded.

  • Input: 2...20

  • Interval: Record each nth operation and critical operations
  • You can define after which number of machining operations the control records process data. For the other machining operations, only meta-information will be recorded. If a process interruption occurs, the control will additionally record process data for this machining operation.

The control can save recordings with up to 8 GB max. for each NC program. When the Overwrite upon maximum size toggle switch is used, the control will overwrite the latest recordings when the maximum size is reached.

If the toggle switch is inactive and the maximum memory capacity is reached, the control will interrupt process monitoring and issue an error message.

Manage recordings

  • Delete the selection
  • The control deletes all selected recordings. You cannot delete the first line in this way.

  • Delete all records
  • The control deletes all recordings, including the first line.

  • Export the selection
  • You can save the recordings of the selected machining operations as HTML, PDF, CSV or JSON files.

 
Tip

Refer to your machine manual.

  • The machine manufacturer defines the data to be exported by the control.
  • With the optional machine parameter autoExportType (no. 141602), you can define a file type that the control will automatically use to export recordings.
  • The machine manufacturer can define that the control automatically exports the recording after machining.
  • Machine parameter permitAutoExport (no. 141601) defines whether the control is allowed to generate automatic recordings for the machine manufacturer.

Screen layout if the runtime table is active

The Configure table window

If you tap or click the icon of a column in the runtime table, the control will open the Configure table window. In this window, you can select the information to be displayed in the column.

Screen layout if the runtime table is active

The Configure table window

The Configure table window contains the following buttons:

Button

Meaning

In all monitoring sections

If you activate this toggle switch, the Replace, Paste, and Delete buttons will be effective for the tables of all monitoring sections.

Applies to the monitoring section tables only

Replace

The control inserts the selection instead of the current column.

Paste

The control inserts the selection as a new column after the current column.

Only if the In all monitoring sections toggle switch is active

The Recordings table can contain up to ten columns.

The tables for the monitoring sections can contain up to six columns.

Delete

The control deletes the current column.

Only if the In all monitoring sections toggle switch is active

Each table must contain at least one column.

Cancel

The control closes the Configure table window.

Depending on whether you selected a column in the Recordings area or in the monitoring sections area, the control provides different options.

The Configure table window can contain the following group of options:

Icon

Group

Icon

Options

Triggered reactions

Information reactions

Number of reactions within the NC program or monitoring section

Warning reactions

Number of reactions within the NC program or monitoring section

Stop reactions

Number of reactions within the NC program or monitoring section

Most critical reaction

Icon of the most critical reaction

Reactions

Counter

Counter current value (start)

At the beginning of the NC program or monitoring section

Counter target value (start)

At the beginning of the NC program or monitoring section

Counter current value (stop)

At the end of the NC program or monitoring section

Counter target value (stop)

At the end of the NC program or monitoring section

Workpiece evaluation

Manual evaluation

Runtime properties

Resulting value

Result of the entire machining operation

You can select the display mode.

Display mode

Note

You can enter a comment.

Contains runtime data

Check box

Only recordings that contain run-time data can be selected as reference machining operations.

Pallet name

Only if the NC program is part of pallet machining or pallet handling

Monitoring tasks

You can select the monitoring task and the display mode.

Monitoring tasks

Display mode

Time data

Date

Time

Time at the beginning of the NC program or monitoring section

Date and time

Date and time at the beginning of the NC program or monitoring section

Duration

Duration of the NC program or monitoring section in seconds

Tool data

 
Tip

Colored boxes represent automatic assessments made by process monitoring. Colored circles are user-definable assessments.

Display mode

For monitoring tasks and the Resulting value, you can specify how the control will display the result:

Display mode

Icon

Options

Worst or Best

Best

The control shows the smallest deviation from the monitoring tasks during machining (i.e., the best result).

Using this option, you can see, for example, whether there was a process disturbance before or during a monitoring section.

Worst

The control shows the greatest deviation from the monitoring tasks during machining (i.e., the worst result).

Using this option, you can see at a glance whether there was a process disturbance during machining.

Resulting quantity (discrete) or
Resulting quantity (color gradient)

No icon

Resulting quantity (color gradient)

The control displays the result using a color scale from green to dark red.

With this option, you can, for example, see whether a machining operation was approaching the error limit.

No icon

Resulting quantity (discrete)

The control uses the following colors for the results display:

  • Green: Machining was in the range of the lower half of the tolerance
  • Yellow: In the range of the upper half of the tolerance, but below the error limit
  • Red: Error limit exceeded

Using this option, you can see quickly whether error limits were exceeded.

 
Tip

If no result is available yet, the control displays a gray icon.