Simulation blocks bad NC code, ends fears of crashed spindles

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Crashing a spindle on a CNC machine means as much as a week of lost production on the machine in question, Kruse states. “First, we need a service technician; then we need to assess the damage; and then we need to realign the machine. When that is done, we need to replace the spindle with one we have in reserve, or we need to order a new one. This is what we want to avoid by simulation of all our NC programming.”

If the department gets a red ‘stop’ message, it opens the log file to see in which line and with which tool the risk of collision lies. Then, either the CAM program is edited directly or some detective work is performed with Cimco Edit, to locate the CAM operation in which the fault was generated. “Our simulation solution helps us sleep at night,” Kruse confirms.

Investment is key

To ensure optimum computing power, Lego invested in a T 7400 Dell workstation with one CPU, with extension possibilities for two CPUs, and 16 GB of RAM—this in addition to the simulation software. The hardware price tag was nearly £7,000 and the cost of the software something higher, even though Lego already owned certain software modules.

”My estimate is that a software solution such as ours will cost you around £23,000 [€27,900],” states Kruse. “Considering, however, that a spindle alone will set you back £12,000, it is certainly money well spent.”

Software and computer hardware constitute only one side of the shop-floor equipment equation, however. Over the years, Lego’s engineering department has invested in a range of efficient CNC machines. “We have a strategy of standardising our workshop based on a common technology platform, much the same as the whole company’s production philosophy,” says Kruse. The department uses eight Mikron CNC machines, four of them 3-axis and the other four 5-axis centres.

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