1. John Moruzzi GERI / AMTReL
A grinding machine controller with enhanced process monitoring integration
John Moruzzi
GERI / AMTReL
M. N. Morgan, X. Chen, D.R. Allanson
A grinding machine controller with enhanced process monitoring integration

2. AMTReL 1300X Grinding Machine
Universal grinding machine
External and Internal wheelheads
SAMM control (Servo Assisted Manual Machine)
Prototype machine based on Format 15 model
Built circa 1994, modified 2001
Closed control system – Industrial PC / MS-DOS
LJMU: M/C and Initial Control Arrangement
A grinding machine controller with enhanced process monitoring integration

3. Aims of the project The objectives are to:
Replace old ‘closed’ CNC control – new PC hardware
New simplified operator panel
Touch screen operation
Implement existing cycles for External grinding
Enhance cycle programming and machine setup
Interface and integrate external process control equipment
Demonstrate optimised cycle
Modern software design and implementation
Expandable for intelligent and adaptive grinding features
A Low-Cost, Expandable, Open-Architecture Grinding Machine Control System

4. New System Components Control system modifications: Industrial rack PC
Workhead servo drive
Motion control card
Touchscreen monitor
Console switches / lamps
Cabling / connectors
Process control unit
A grinding machine controller with enhanced process monitoring integration

5. Quality, Efficiency and Safety Issues
In practice the physical variability of the grinding process, such as wheel wear, machine deflections, wheel vibrations and temperature variations mean that adjustments to the grinding parameters need to be made in order to improve the quality of the finished part .
Auxiliary process monitoring equipment will help operators and machine controls to identify, optimise and correct key machining issues.
Quality Issues
Efficiency Issues
Safety Issues
Size tolerance
Air grinding time before machining
Wheel collision
Surface roughness
Dwell time after machining
Wheel failure
Roundness
Incorrect wheel dressing intervals
Wheel overspeed
Burning
Material removal during dressing
Spindle wear
Damaged dressing tool
A grinding machine controller with enhanced process monitoring integration

6. Improving the grinding process
In machining, and particularly grinding, it is desirable to have a control system that can integrate and adopt the latest Process Control and Monitoring equipment, and implement enhanced production cycles.
Grinding optimization technologies include wheel balancing, in-process gauging, touch detection (power and acoustic emission) and other sensor-based strategies.
A selection of such features may be included in higher-end grinding machines in response to specific requirements, however this involves significant customisation and application engineering from the machine builder.
It has proved to be impractical or uneconomic to apply the benefits of this technology to simpler, cheaper grinding machines, despite the fact that low-cost process control equipment is becoming increasingly available.
A grinding machine controller with enhanced process monitoring integration

7. Monitoring of the grinding process
Auxiliary Process Monitoring equipment is generally a stand-alone unit, connected to the machine control via a wiring or communications interface. The operator will set the device operating parameters and monitor its behaviour via a control panel.
Key monitoring and control features are:
Wheel Balancing (vibration sensing / correction)
Touch Detection (Acoustic Emission or Power sensing)
Gauging (Size / Position measurement)
As various programmed conditions are met during machining, appropriate signals and visual indications are set by the device. The operator or machine control will then respond to this information according to a defined strategy.
The enhanced system design implements a simpler integration of process monitoring equipment with the machine control system.
A grinding machine controller with enhanced process monitoring integration

8. Main equipment suppliers
CNC
Fanuc
Mitsubishi
Siemens
Heidenhain
Fagor
Num
OEM / Custom ….
Gauge
Marposs
Movomatic
Balance Systems
Control Gauging
Touch
Dittel
Movomatic
Balance Systems
Marposs
Balance
Balance Systems
Schmitt
Dittel
Marposs
MPM
Elaso
Challenges leading to the development of a generic type interface:
Lack of standardisation between CNC and equipment manufacturers
Different interfacing hardware and strategies for Process Control equipment.
Different levels of functionality / complexity
A grinding machine controller with enhanced process monitoring integration

9. Key Control System Elements
The main features of a machine tool control system are:
Axis control and position measurement
Operator input and control features
Computer processing unit
with setup and program storage
Additional measurement and control equipment
Operator HMI panel
Operator program and status display features
Machine <=> Control signal interfacing
Many of these elements can be treated as interconnected devices or packages that compose the complete system.
A grinding machine controller with enhanced process monitoring integration

10. Interfacing of System Equipment
CNC main module
System devices are interconnected to transmit and exchange:
Control signals
Status signals
Process data
Configuration data
N.B. There is a wide variety of communications and signalling hardware and protocols.
Bus
Digital IO
CNC axis
drives
Analog
Ethernet
Ethernet
Bus
PC unit
Profibus
Digital IO
RS232
Bus
Digital IO
Process Monitoring unit
CNC IO modules
A grinding machine controller with enhanced process monitoring integration

11. New Control Objectives and Innovation
An innovative new software design strategy has been designed to directly address the issue of improved process control integration.
The aim is to unify the design and implementation of key machine tool features such as hardware configuration parameters, operational parameters, process variables and machining cycles into a rationalized, extendable, Object-Oriented framework suitable for implementation using current PC hardware and software.
In order to implement such a framework it is necessary to identify and specify the key features and requirements of the new system:
The main items for consideration are:
Cycles and Part programs (Grinding, Dressing, Balancing)
Hardware features (Connectors,Interfaces)
Communication features (Protocols, data structures)
Operational features (Functions, signals, data)
Software features (Configuration, displays)
A grinding machine controller with enhanced process monitoring integration

12. Open Control Systems: the idea
The new system builds on the Open Control Systems concept, originating in the 1990s for Machine Tool Control applications:
Commercial or Industry standard hardware (increasingly moving in this direction)
Modular software structures (now common practice)
Well defined software interfaces - standardised
Vendor-neutral architectures and application modules
Flexible and reconfigurable , adaptable to new technologies and processes
Layered approach to structure hides hardware-specific features
A grinding machine controller with enhanced process monitoring integration

13. Key interactions with Devices
John Moruzzi GERI AMTReL
Key interactions with Devices
What we need our control system to do…
Main actions :
Device configuration
Device operation
Device monitoring
Main data:
Control, status and alarm signals
Process signal values
Device parameters
A grinding machine controller with enhanced process monitoring integration

14. John Moruzzi: Open Device Interface (ODI) framework
A newly proposed Object-Oriented design that enables the structuring of Device software classes (Base and Derived) to provide a standardised top-level programming interface with abstracted levels of specific functionality at the lower levels.
4 levels of OPI Software Classes / Objects:
Level 4 : Application Object Layer
Object Instances: Actual data items e.g. actual devices (e.g. MyGauge)
Level 3 : Data Presentation Layer
Derived Classes: More specialised device class (e.g. VM9TD)
Level 2 : Session Management Layer
Base Classes: Basic definitions to be enhanced (e.g. TDevice TParam)
Level 1 : Data Transport Layer
API routines: Libraries for access to specific hardware (e.g RS232)
Level 5 : User program (application)
Level 0 = Low level (hardware) API libraries
A grinding machine controller with enhanced process monitoring integration

15. Example ODI device implementation
This diagram indicates the levels of Abstraction and Inheritance in Classes using the Object-Oriented Approach :
Level 4:
Application Object
Object Instances
Level 3:
Data Presentation
Derived Classes
Level 2:
Session Management
Base classes
Level 1:
Data Transport
API routines
TouchDetectorUnit_1
TVM9_TD_Device
TDevice
TouchDetectorUnit_2
TVM20_TD_Device
GaugeUnit
TVM9_GA_Device
BalancerUnit
TVM9_BA_Device
TDIOInterface
TInterface
DigitalIO(1)
TDV004_DIO_Device
Deva.get_digital_inputw
DigitalIO(2)
TBB48D_DIO_Device
BB.write_output_port(B)
VM9Unit.Serial
TSerial_Interface
Win.Com1.Output = ..
VM20Unit.Profibus
TProfibus_Interface
DevInitBoard()
TouchCycle1.Active
TSignalState
TProcessSignal
AE.Channel(1).Value
TDataValue
TProcessData
AE.Channel(1).Gain
TParameterValue
GapCycle.State
TGapElim_Cycle
TProcessCycle
GaugeCycle2.State
TGauge_Cycle
AutoBalanceCycle.State
TAutoBalance_Cycle
A grinding machine controller with enhanced process monitoring integration

16. Example Device Class : BS VM20–TD
Key data structures and operations of a typical device:
Config Data (Acyclic)
Report device details
Command data (Cyclic)
Turn features On /Off etc
Status data (Cyclic)
Reporting of device events
Monitor Data (Cyclic)
Live device signal values
Parameter Data (Acyclic)
Read / Write setup info
Signal Data (Cyclic)
Digital Inputs / Outputs
A grinding machine controller with enhanced process monitoring integration

17. VM20 TD – Parameter & Config data
Parameter Data :
Device <=> Control
Config Parameters
(Gain,Filter,…)
Working Parameters
(Limits,…)
Parameter Item:
Device <=> Control
Accessed from Address on
Page in Device memory.
Command sent to Request
or Update parameter data
A grinding machine controller with enhanced process monitoring integration

18. VM20 TD – Monitor & Control data
Monitor Data :
Device => Control Process data values
Selectable content:
AE1 & AE2
AE1 & PWR1
…….
Control Data :
Control => Device Activate features
Select program
Start / Reset Cycle
A grinding machine controller with enhanced process monitoring integration

19. Summary of studied ODI devices
Devices implemented:
Jones & Shipman X Operator Panel (RS232)
Balance Systems VM9TD Touch Detector Unit (RS232)
Balance Systems VM20SYS System Rack (Profibus)
Balance Systems VM20BA Balancer Card (Profibus)
Balance Systems VM20TD Touch Detector Card (Profibus)
Balance Systems VM20GA Gauge Card (Profibus)
Devices studied:
Deva Motion Control (Digital IO)
Fanuc CNC CNC Interface (Ethernet / FWLIB)
Heatmiser UH1 Building Heating Control (RS485 / TCPIP)
A grinding machine controller with enhanced process monitoring integration

20. Applications of the ODI Library
Overall software and hardware structure:
(and its uses beyond this application)
Deva 004
BS VM9BA
CNC Program
(Machine control)
e.g. J&S 1300X
ODI Device Library
TDeva_004
TVM9_TD
TVM9_BA
TVM20_TD
TDTLM5000_BA
…..
T1300X_Panel
THM_UH1Control
BS VM9TD
BS VM20SYS
BS VM20BA
BS VM20TD
Monitor Program
IGA
IGPS
Dittel M5000 MA
Dittel AE4000
J&S 1300X Panel
HeatMiser UH1
User Application
Virtual Device
Actual Device
A grinding machine controller with enhanced process monitoring integration

21. The IGA application example
The IGA (Intelligent Grinding Assistant) was developed previously at AMTReL as an external PC program that interfaced between the Fanuc CNC of the Jones & Shipman Ultramat grinder and its installed VM20 Balancer, Touch Detection and Gauging Unit.
It was able to demonstrate Adaptive Control of the grinding cycle parameters, by monitoring live process data values (e.g. spindle power, wheel acoustic emission) at various points in the cycle, and performing analysis and calculations on the data.
Quantities such as the system Time Constant τ can be calculated from the power signal (least mean squares method) during the initial contact or dwell phases of the grinding cycle.
The Time Constant can be used to adapt the wheel infeed rate parameter or the sparkout dwell time parameter.
A grinding machine controller with enhanced process monitoring integration

22. IGA implementation with ODI
The existing IGA program was studied and adapted to work with the ODI implementation of the external system devices.
Ultramat Machine
ODI device library
Ethernet
Link
Profibus
Link
BS VM20SYS
BS VM20BA
BS VM20TD
BS VM20GA
J&S Fanuc CNC
IGA Program
Cycle parameters
Cycle phase
Cycle commands
Programmed cycle parameters
Optimised cycle parameters
Time Constant Model
Burn Model
Grinding Database
Balancer Data
Touch / Power data
Gauge data
Config parameters
System Status data
A grinding machine controller with enhanced process monitoring integration

23. Summary
A revised and modernised Control System package for a grinding machine has been specified, designed and developed.
An Open Device Interface (ODI) to facilitate the integration of various Grinding process Control and Monitoring devices has been designed and demonstrated.
The Object Oriented Framework allows a common access strategy for different makes and models of equipment (a generalised Device Object) by using layers of hardware and software abstraction.
Application software can now interact with different Devices much more easily, and Harmonised user interface allows the operator to work with different devices easily.
Different communications methods between devices are supported
The concept is extendable for the control of other Device types such as Motion / Axis Controllers or even Building heating controllers.
A grinding machine controller with enhanced process monitoring integration

24. End of Presentation Thank you for your attention.....
Any Questions ???
A grinding machine controller with enhanced process monitoring integration