Leitz Industry 4.0 for Processing Wood, Plastics at LIGNA 2015

Hannover – Tools as active and intelligent process components – this is the Leitz interpretation of Industry 4.0. „In the course of its life cycle, each tool produces countless data“, explains Andreas Leitz Industry 4.0 for Processing Wood, Plastics at LIGNA 2015Kisselbach, Head of Research and Development at Leitz. „In Industry 4.0, the tools exchange their data via Internet with its networks.“

Network partners for example, are machine and tool service. The communication process within the network is automated, making ac-tive intervention by users unnecessary. What is the benefit for the user? Kisselbach: „Networked tools allow faster commissioning and higher process security.“ Thus, a considerable increase of productivity and effectivity in production can be achieved.

On the Leitz Ligna-booths, the first prototypes of networked tools could be seen. They contain tiny data chips with individual tool codes leading into a Cloud. There, data such as master and application data, critical and offset values, performance times and service cycles are saved and constantly updated.

Leitz Industry 4.0 for Processing Wood, Plastics at LIGNA 2015This data, in turn, can be accessed by users, machines and service technicians. „Of course, our proto-types are not yet in the position to communicate independently“, as per Kisselbach. For that purpose all process components had to use uniform codes and had to be networked. „However, if machines and tools speak the same language and access the same Cloud, then the data exchange can start.“

The networked tools are further developments of chip tools which Leitz already re-leased to the market in 1993. Its chips are used as memory media and correction values are transferred after each tool is serviced by Leitz. When the operator loads the machine with the tool containing the chip, an automatic data transfer takes place.

This reduces the set-up time and almost completely prevents errors during the machine adjustment. „Chip tools have proven in practice“, as per Kisselbach. „However, for a real Industry 4.0 solution they require a machine-independent data format.”

Research project eApps4Production

Leitz Industry 4.0 for Processing Wood, Plastics at LIGNA 2015On the Leitz booths, visitors also could learn about the research project eApps4Production. The objective of the project is for the development of Engineer-ing Apps being able to collect different information from various production pro-cesses and make them available on any terminal device. By this, users for exam-ple, in future shall be able to detect critical operating states of machines and tools and will be in the position to collect operating data such as performance times.

„The Engineering Apps will offer new opportunities in process optimisation“, accord-ing to the forecasts of Kisselbach. By this, productivity and machine availability could be increased whereas fault-based breakdowns could be minimized. „The in-formation however also can be used for new Pay Per Use models for production”, as per Kisselbach. Thus, users could make their costs variable in the future.

The eApps research project is supervised by the project sponsor Karlsruhe (PTKA). Among the partners are Leitz and the Fraunhofer IPA in Stuttgart / Germany. The project is promoted by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).

The company

Founded in 1876 in Oberkochen, Southern Germany, the Leitz Group is the worldwide leading manufacturer of tools for industrial processing of wood, wood derived materials, plastic and compound materials. The Leitz product spectrum covers the complete range of precision tools for automated machines.

In a complete package of advisory services, 2,900 Leitz employees pass on their experience of cutting tools to customers so meeting daily the requirements of a complete problem solver and producing service provider. Leitz products regularly are used in more than 150 countries on earth. By 6 production locations in Europe, Asia and America, Leitz sales companies and -offices in 36 countries, a close net of 140 service stations with quick-production facilities as well as sales partners, Leitz is represented on all continents.

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