Against a backdrop of increasing automation that is vital for companies, the M400 connected to Automated Process Control (APC) enables the bar-turning industry to migrate towards Industry 4.0 while preserving their measurement know-how.
Results: improved ergonomics, reduced configuration time and increased productivity.
The bar-turning industry is not always considered as avant-garde and industry 4.0. In fact, the bar turning industry is faced with the complexity of checking the conformity of very thin, very long or very small parts. This often makes it impossible to use automatic 100% measuring equipment. As a result, the bar turner's workstation is often covered with an assembly of different automatic and manual devices. They are designed to measure all the critical characteristics of a part.
Today, against a backdrop of ever-increasing automation, Ellistat has sought to make the measuring station in the bar-turning industry compatible with Industry 4.0. But without fundamentally changing the way it works. The French company develops innovative software solutions that aim for operational excellence at every stage of production.
An innovative solution, the result of collaboration between Ellistat and Métro, to enable the bar-turning industry to become 4.0
In collaboration with the French company Métro (74)Ellistat has developed the "M400 connected APC" solution. Using a simple touch-screen display unit, it connects all the measuring equipment at the workstation. It also calculates tool corrections and sends them directly to the machine tool.
Davy Pillet, CEO of Ellistat: " M400 connected APC is the the first measuring and data acquisition device to be able to communicate directly with machine tools. Until now, this has meant using a PC with intermediate software. However, in a workshop environment, PCs are neither suitable nor desired by bar turners.. By integrating the APC directly onto the M400 at the workstation, the bar-turning industry is migrating to Industry 4.0 while maintaining their measurement process on the shop floor. "
APC (Automated Process Control)
APC (Automated Process Control) is Ellistat's flagship software solution. It is the result of ten years' development and has been on the market since 2017. APC enables CNC machine tools to be controlled automatically based on the measurement of a single part. The benefits have already been widely demonstrated: 90% reduction in scrap rate and 75% reduction in machine set-up time. This innovation is already widely used in the bar-turning industry, enabling it to move towards Industry 4.0.
The M400
About the M400 Ihis is a multi-dimensional industrial display, widely used in the world of precision measurement and the bar turning industry. It has been developed by Métro. A French company based in Haute-Savoie for almost 40 years, with a worldwide presence.
The M400 can be used to connect different types of measuring equipment (sensors, comparators, micrometers, etc.). It can also be used to display dimensions and evaluate measurements. Thanks to its intuitive menus and user-friendly interface, the system can be picked up quickly by any operator. Its housing is machined from a solid block of aluminium, making it extremely robust. Even in the toughest industrial environments.
What's more, this embedded electronics system with its proprietary operating system offers other advantages, such as very low power consumption compared with a PC. Last but not least, it is virus-free and offers flawless security when connected to the company network.
The bar turner's workstation becomes the machine tool control centre
Davy Pillet explains: " With the M400 connected to APC, the bar turner's workstation is no longer a simple measurement recording chamber. It becomes the machine tool control centre. It can therefore be used to control all the bar turner's machines without fundamentally changing the way they operate.. "
Ellistat offers a cutting-edge technological solution. The solution meets the requirements of Industry 4.0 for the bar-turning industry. But it also improves the efficiency, safety and connectivity of bar turning operations. The digitisation of instruments via the APC M400 Connected opens the way to a new era in production process management. This innovation is positioning bar-turning manufacturers at the forefront of the world stage.
The APC M400 Connected has been available since the beginning of January 2024. All manufacturers with measuring equipment in France and abroad can use the M400 Connected APC.. In France, Métro distributes the product. The rest of the world will be able to obtain the product via Métro's worldwide network of distributors.
Press contact : Comcordance - Véronique Albet
Here are the modules you can use to manage your production:
APC
Automated Process Control
What if your machine tools could set themselves? Dedicated to the machining market, this module enables you to automate the process of setting up your machine tools, so that you can obtain centred quality right from the first machined part.
SPC
Statistical Process Control
View all your production data simply and instantly. Use control charts to monitor the statistical evolution of your processes and control your production in real time.
IQC
Incoming Quality Control
Automate and reduce your checks. Thanks to its dynamisation and progressive control functions, it is now possible to halve the number of controls carried out for the same incoming quality. What's more, the module complies with ISO 2859 and ISO 3951 standards.
Metro
Metrology Software
Manage the traceability of your measuring instruments. It enables you to meet the crucial needs of traceability and compliance with the standards in force, manage the life cycle of your fleet of measuring instruments and track the history of interventions.
Data Analysis
Statistics in 1 click. Use the power of statistics to find out what's behind your production data from the SPC, APC or IQC modules. Thanks to its machine learning algorithms, the Data Analysis module can be used to understand the origin of machine drift or to differentiate suppliers statistically.
