The virtual machine tool

At trade shows and elsewhere, people on the cutting edge of manufacturing are touting the benefits of digitalizing the machine tool environment, where technologies are employed that make use of digital data. It’s at the heart of the much-discussed drive toward Industry 4.0.

One key digitalization technology is software that allows the creation and use of a “virtual machine.” Germany-based Siemens AG, for example, sells virtual machine software to help both machine builders and operators.

For machine builders, a virtual machine represents a paradigm shift, according to Sascha Fischer, manager of Siemens’ U.S. machine tool business. Fischer described conventional machine development as a time-consuming process that involves building and testing physical prototypes based on data collected from paper documentation. In these cases, testing is only possible after assembly of a prototype or finished machine, delaying the discovery of design errors and making corrective actions more difficult and expensive.

Digitalizing the machine tool environment is at the heart of the much-discussed drive toward Industry 4.0. All images courtesy Siemens.

By contrast, followers of the new paradigm build a virtual machine before making a physical one. Based on digital design data, this virtual machine can be tested by hooking it up to physical, real-life controller technology. During a 3D simulation, the virtual machine is checked under real-life conditions and a large amount of data is collected about its behavior.

If a design error is spotted and a machine feature needs to be altered, the virtual machine can easily be changed and retested. And again, no physical prototype is required.

How accurate are these digital simulations? According to Fischer, they’re almost exact approximations of how a real machine operates.

Use of accurate digital simulations can significantly shorten the machine-development process, Fischer noted, slashing costs and time-to-market. “You can easily save one-third of the production time,” he said.