Monitoring system lightens up: Turning Performance

A scaled-down version of a full-featured control and monitoring system could save money for shops but still meet the requirements of less complicated machining processes.

Sold by Marposs Corp. in Auburn Hills, Michigan, the BLÚ LT modular system is designed to provide real-time process control and monitoring of machine tools in applications that don’t require all the capabilities of the company’s high-end BLÚ system.

“Consider the LT the light version of the BLÚ system,” said Product Manager Frank Powell. “The regular BLÚ system is for complex applications with multiple functions. The BLÚ LT is for more medium-complexity applications where you want the technology and integration abilities of the BLÚ but you don’t need the full-cost network of the BLÚ system.”

Besides allowing fewer sensors than the BLÚ, he said the BLÚ LT requires the sensors to stay within 30 m (98′) of the master control panel while the BLÚ system allows the sensors to be located up to 120 m (394′) from the control panel. At present, the BLÚ LT accommodates acoustic-emission and spindle-vibration sensors. But he said the plan is for the system to eventually offer sensors that also monitor other types of vibration, as well as power sensors. Monitoring these parameters permits predictive maintenance based on a machine’s changing operating status, he said.

In addition to sensors, the BLÚ LT can use gauges both in process for grinding and post-process for grinding, turning and other applications. The BLÚ LT also can include various systems that control aspects of a machining process, such as automatic grinding-wheel balancing.

In its two formats, the BLÚ LT master unit can directly host as many as two or four function nodes, each of which handles a specific function. For example, a spindle-vibration function node controls the spindle-vibration sensor, receives data from that sensor and formats the data for processing. With the BLÚ LT, all communication between the master processing unit and the functional nodes is handled by the same protocol used by the BLÚ
system.