ARKU has made a big update: The company headquartered in Baden-Baden has developed intelligent software for identifying the correct processing settings of the sheet metal deburring machines. This application has the name Wizard and links the data of the workpiece, tool, and machine. On the one hand, the manufacturer benefits from numerous installed deburring systems all over the world. On the other hand, their own Leveling and Deburring Center helps them gain new knowledge. Not only does ARKU offer contract work for its customers there, but the deburring expert also carry out their own trials to collect data and new knowledge. The Wizard is so highly advanced that employees in production only have to enter four parameters: the material, the size of the burr (small, medium or large), the material thickness and the desired edge radius after deburring. The last point is an extremely important economical factor. Because if the edge radius is doubled, the volume of the material that must be removed quadruples. The more material that is removed, the higher the wear of the tools.
The software also stores exactly the deburring tools that the operator has at hand. Equipped with this data, the Wizard can select the best tool for the upcoming deburring job. Other information comes from the automatic wear measurement for deburring brushes.
Besides the tool selection, the Wizard also automatically tackles the correct processing adjustment. Until now, this was sometimes tricky for the operators: On the one hand, the system should work as fast as possible to maximize productivity. On the other hand, tools should not wear out too quickly to keep the costs within limits. The Wizard computes the most economical processing settings to achieve the desired deburring result.
The operation of deburring systems has become much more efficient for the operator. Employees no longer must have vast experience to set the system correctly. Exhausting deburring trials are now obsolete. That means: The employees in production are relieved and can take on more productive tasks. It is beneficial for the work results too, as the Wizard makes sure deburring errors are avoided.
At the same time, the use of the software at least mitigates the skilled workers shortage. This is especially common when long time employees leave a company after having accumulated long years of experience. Thanks to the ease of operation and the Wizard, the challenge to pass on comprehensive knowledge in regards to deburring is therefore avoided.
Finally, the Wizard makes automation in sheet metal processing easier. For example, if a robot takes on the loading and unloading of the system, staff expenses for this process step can be reduced even further. At the same time, the software paves the way for Industry 4.0., which will make it possible to achieve much greater productivity advances.