Abstract
The use of production manufacturing equipment demands significant investment and maintenance to achieve maximum efficiency. To achieve our desired ROI, flawless parts need to be produced in the shortest turnaround – minimizing waste and downtime. While these are imposing demands, the desired efficiency is possible with innovations in automation. However, increased reliance on automation almost always requires tool and process monitoring. The financial paybacks for monitoring equipment are typically achieved in their first use, preventing major damages, waste and downtime for manufacturers.
BK MIKRO is a proven production monitoring solution that simply works!
A Brief Introduction to BK MIKRO
The system incorporates advanced features, which help detect minute details of the process or tool. Each system features three units:
- A scanner
- A control unit (with i/o extension module as an option)
- A connection cable
The scanner inspects the position of the object in accordance to the machine cycle. Any deviation from the original position can trigger a machine stop, thereby helping avoid a machine crash. This also reduces the production of faulty parts.
BK MIKRO provides a comprehensive range of scanning functions including:
- Monitoring Tools: Presence/detection/breakage/holding.
- Inspecting Workpieces: Ejection/feeding/alignment/positioning
- Checking Shapes: Cavities/drilling depths/tolerance/profile
Functions of BK MIKRO
The below mentioned are a few functions of BK MIKRO. The system can be customized to suit customers’ requirements.
- Unidirectional Scanning: The scanner moves in the direction of the test object.
- Bidirectional Scanning: The scanner can be preset to scan between two objects. The order of scanning direction is also manageable.
- Teach: This is a learning cycle, where the scanner rotates until it touches the test object.
Beneficial Features of BK MIKRO
The following are some beneficial features of this advanced tool monitoring equipment:
- Independent machine control
- Can be used in the magazine, as well as working chamber
- Requires zero maintenance
- Resists outside influences such as chips, coolants, dirt, noise, light, temperature, and vibration.
- Easy assembly, requires no adjustment, and allows quick handling
- Requires no power in the spindle drive
- Monitoring times are quick, with little or no addition to cycle time
- Scanning of rotating tools of diameter 0.3mm
- Easy retrofitting
Configuration Software
The configuration software developed for BK MIKRO helps integrate and administer work piece, as well as tool monitoring cycles in a CNC machine. The programming is usually performed by an interactive input and provides the user with significant customization. The powerful software can easily identify and learn up to 512 different tools and tool characteristics including tool length and angle and can adjust scanning intensity.
Full Service Provider
Techna-Tool is an expert in tool and process monitoring applications and the turn-key supplier for BK MIKRO. They will warranty, support, service, install, train, and retrofit all of their products. Techna-Tool has a long track record with its thousands and thousands of successful applications.