The AMADA AMNC 4ie control is the cutting edge for lasers
The AMNC 4ie brings new capabilities to the control of AMADA machine tools, and enhances many of the existing features. As amazing as some of these features are, they are driven by very practical needs that save fabricators time and money and allow new services to flourish.
As the introductory article noted, there are four i’s and four e’s in the AMNC 4ie. The i’s are the same for the laser as for the other products controlled by the AMNC 4ie. However, the e’s have a specific meaning in the context of new AMADA lasers:
Easy (easy operation for anyone to use): On lasers, the AMNC 4ie features facial recognition for automatic login and logout. If the operator walks away, the systems automatically logs the operator out.
Efficiency (remote machine operation): Mobile HMI gives the right people remote access to the laser cutters that have the AMNC 4ie controller.
Environmental (Sustainability in production): The operator and supervisors have an application that visualizes emissions, so they can watch the targeted amounts and compliance.
Evolution (with our customers): Improved performance with high-speed CPUs and integrated bar code reader.
The control runs a number of different applications in its horizontal or landscape format. An often-used application is the one shown in Figure 1, which can show a part or a nest that is ready to be cut. One gets a sense of the clarity of the display in this photo. Even the outer layer of the display is changed to improve work; with the AMNC 4ie an operator can use the display at wider angles than the 4ie’s predecessors. In addition, the display is firmly set on a fully articulating mount that moves in three spatial dimensions as well as both vertical and horizontal tilt. It mounts on the left side of the laser cutter’s exterior.
As stated in the introductory article, the facial recognition system is one of the big new changes. A camera is integrated into the face of the AMNC 4ie control (see left center of Figure 2). The moment a laser operator walks up to the control, facial recognition prompts the system to work within the bounds of that operator’s access rights and language. When that operator walks away, the control logs out the operator after a user-configurable amount of time.
Mounted on the bottom of the control is a new bar code reader. This is not the first time you could read a bar code under a machine control, but it is now enhanced to include 2D QR code data. The 2D QR code can be etched into the material in two different sizes: 9 mm and 12 mm.
Flexibility comes standard
A number of applications can be accessed even while the laser is running. For example, you can go into the scheduler to look at upcoming jobs, and even update them at the control. You can also check inventory. Not only is the AMNC 4ie flexible, it assumes a multitasking environment and helps you manage it all while producing the highest quality blanks.
Perhaps the most amazing thing about the AMNC 4ie control is the Mobile HMI (human machine interface). Using either an iPhone or iPad, you now have a remote window into your AMADA laser cutter. You can tell if it is on or off, running a job, or in standby mode, and view warning and alarm status.
Mobile HMI also lets you view live video of a job, or view an alarm recording. The system can perform a remote start or stop, and there is much development anticipated for the future (see Figure 3). If you have multiple machines that use the AMNC 4ie, you can view all of them from a single Mobile HMI.
The AMNC 4ie also plays a significant role in automatically nesting remnants. First, go to the screen that allows you to choose the job file(s) of the part(s) to cut. Once those are selected, choose the remnant you want to use and place it on the cutting table. You do not need to align it; the camera and control will do that for you. The control then looks at the unused areas of the remnant and automatically positions the parts in a best configuration and your nest is created. You can see where the parts will be cut because they are outlined for you. You get the advantages of augmented reality right on the screen, and you do not need to wear goggles to see it—it is built into the new system (see Figure 4).
Today, information needs are plentiful. Each laser cutter equipped with the 4ie holds startup inspection guidance and inspection history. A library of digital documents is available, with clickable (touchable) chapters that cover the subject in question.
Additionally, the AMNC 4ie allows you to set CO2 emission data, acquire the real data, and report. The screens are very different from the operating screens; like other applications that run on the AMNC 4ie, this one looks familiar but is unique in that this information is better displayed a different way from the normal operations and nesting modes of display.
The AMNC 4ie handles other operations too, sometimes with little or no visualization necessary while it is working for you:
Silky Cut minimizes the surface roughness in stainless steel and aluminum. It reduces dross adhesion and reduces the assist gas usage. A mode converter or facet optic is automatically inserted when Silky Cut is in use.
Another way the new AMADA laser cutters minimize surface roughness is with the Dual Gas cutting enhancement. This enhancement is aimed at thick mild steel. It also reduces part taper while it saves on oxygen usage. A revised head design and new style nozzle enables the use of oxygen assist and air simultaneously. All of this is controlled through the AMNC 4ie.
The programming includes a process enhancement called Soft Joint which holds the part or slug within the sheet, eliminating tip-ups while minimizing edge imperfections. This adds consistency to parts sorting and/or the manual part removal process.
Another process enhancement is LBC Flash Cut, a way to rapidly process grid patterns of holes in sheet metal less than 2.5 mm (0.098”) in diameter. The Locus Beam Control (LBC) enables movement of the beam without rotating the cutting head.
Surface treatment cutting, or STC, is another new process that runs through the AMNC 4ie. If you have bad material, you have the option to do a surface treatment cut. In doing so, you etch the bad material away. This function can also go over the perimeter of the cut to destroy any material. The AMNC 4ie runs the software to do this.
The very good news is that operators who have used the earlier versions of the control will feel at home on the AMNC 4ie. The only new things to learn are the new capabilities mentioned above; the user interface is intuitive and enhanced. It meets the AMADA goal of growing and evolving with our customers.