Machine and process monitoring system for Industry 4.0 initiatives

Promotec, a manufacturer of monitoring solutions for machining processes and part of Sandvik Coromant, is releasing its new Promos 3+ system. This provides a first look at the world of Big Data and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT).

 Promos 3+, a refinement of the Promos 2 system, offers even more process safety for machining processes. As a monitoring system, it ensures that the right tool is in place and that the process is completed within defined parameters.

 “Promos 3+ stops the machine if the tool is missing, breaks or collides with the workpiece,” explains Dr Klaus Kristoffel, managing director of Prometec. “If the work process veers from predefined parameters, this is corrected by the system. In addition, Promos 3+ is tailored to user needs and provides warning of impending tool wear or breakage.”

 The Promos 3+ monitoring system is in continuous communication with the machine. It gets its signals either directly from the machine’s digital drive data, or from sensors that monitor parameters such as force, structure-borne noise or active power against limit values. The system’s advantages include improved process safety, longer tool life and assured component quality. Furthermore, less tool breakage is likely to occur, along with less damage in the event of a collision. As a result of these benefits, machine shops will also find that downtime is minimised, while the potential for unmanned machining increases.

 Thanks to Promotec’s Compact Monitor, intelligent vibration sensor and cost-effective control element, an economical collision detector has been created that can be scaled into a comprehensive multi-level, multi-channel monitoring solution. Further benefits of the modular Promos 3+ include complete independence of specific control types, compact hardware modules that demand little space in switchgear cabinets (all connections and displays are on the front), quick and easy installation and set-up, and very little training requirement due to automated functions for adaptation to customer systems.