Published 12/9/2016

JIMTOF: A Strong Embrace of IIoT

The recent Japan International Machine Tool Fair reflects the rapid move toward smart factories in which smart machines are fully networked. Japanese providers of manufacturing technology have clearly embraced the concepts of the Industrial Internet of Things.

Mark Albert

Editor Emeritus, Modern Machine Shop

Visitors to JIMTOF 2016 "saw" a lot of interesting new machine tool technology. This massive sculpture is part of the striking garden decor near the main entrance to Tokyo Big Sight.

JIMTOF 2016 (November 17-22) opened a little later than usual because two new show halls needed to be ready. Exhibit space is now near 100,000 square meters, giving overseas exhibitors greater opportunity to participate in this increasingly international show.

Many exhibitors highlighted how machine data can be transformed into actionable information to avoid downtime and improve productivity through more thorough and timely monitoring. This display by Okuma was typical.

Mazak's booth was literally centered around this portrayal of IIoT solutions. All the machines in the surrounding booth space were actively monitored. Displays included data from machines being monitored in the company's factories in Japan.

MTConnect made a splash at JIMTOF. MTConnect is set of machine tool communication standards that uses internet technology to make machine data easily obtainable across a network for monitoring and analysis.

Incorporating a configurable network switch is an effective, manageable approach to keeping connected machine tools safe from security threats on a network. Okuma's Netbox Suite, which includes a network switch, becomes part of the machine's electronic control system. One use for it is to give a legacy machine secure connectivity.

The FANUC booth had this IIoT display showing the status of almost all of the machine tools running at JIMTOF. Network hardware and software for the FANUC Intelligent Edge Link and Drive (FIELD) System were also featured.

Japan's focus on hybrid (additive and subtractive) machining platforms is part of its Technology Research Association of Future Additive Manufacturing (TRAFAM) program. This government/industry initiative is intended to put Japan in the forefront of additive manufacturing developments.

Additive manufacturing technology is not just for prototyping. Matsuura displayed this eight-cylinder engine block produced on its Lumex Avance 60 hybrid 3D metal printing and CNC milling machine. This machine can accommodate workpieces as large as 600 × 600 × 500 mm and as heavy as 1,300 kg.

DMG MORI’s Robo2Go is said to ease robotic integration for machine shops. Programming for this collaborative robot is performed through the machine’s CELOS control, and a laser scanner monitors the work area and automatically shuts down the robot when a person enters that area.

To enable booth visitors to see in real time the additive manufacturing operation being performed inside the hybrid Lasertec 4300 3D, DMG MORI incorporated a video display into the machine’s windows.

Enshu showed that its GE30V and GE30H machines were not only “IIoT ready,” but also ready for automotive parts suppliers looking for machines with a slim footprint, low entry cost and easy change-over to new part styles. The overhead gantry for part loading and transfer was said to be faster and more consistent than palletized systems.

The opening of two new exhibit halls, East 7 and 8, adds more space for exhibitors from overseas. These additions enhance JIMTOF's reputation as a major international machine tool and manufacturing technology show.

The message from the 2016 Japan International Machine Tool Fair (JIMTOF), Japan’s premier machine tool show, was clear: Japanese providers of manufacturing technology have embraced the concepts of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). Although there is no exact definition for what this phrase means, it undoubtedly refers to the strategy of linking machine tools and other shopfloor equipment to a web-enabled network that makes manufacturing increasingly data-driven.

In fact, the Japanese Machine Tool Builders’ Association (JMTBA), the organization sponsoring JIMTOF, identified IIoT as the main component of this year’s show theme: “The Future Starts Here.” The IIoT capabilities of various machine builders in Japan were prominently displayed in booth exhibits. In general, these exhibits highlighted how data can be transformed into actionable information to avoid downtime and improve productivity through more thorough and timely monitoring.

The show also indicated that, for machine tool builders, the premier interoperability/data exchangeability standard is MTConnect, which is apparently being widely adopted to promote shopfloor connectivity. Significantly, a seminar on MTConnect was also presented at JIMTOF under the sponsorship of AMT—The Association For Manufacturing Technology. Attendance at this seminar indicated strong interest in the standard by both technology developers and end users.

Two Big Challenges
In addition to interoperability and data exchangeability, JIMTOF exhibitors are confronting two other major challenges in IIoT implementation: network security and effective data computing. One approach is to embed a configurable network switch inside a machine’s CNC to manage network exposure internally. The other approach is to “bolt on” an external device that incorporates the network switch and forms the secure interface to the network.

The challenge of effective data computing boils down to a very practical matter. Because the flow of data from connected machines can be voluminous, managing when, where and how to process this data is critical. Although cloud-based applications can bring to bear virtually unlimited computer power to the tasks of collecting, analyzing and storing vast amounts of data, deriving and delivering actionable intelligence to the shop floor in a timely fashion is a problem. It is eliciting an alternative concept—that of “edge” computing or computing in the “fog.” The principle is to conduct data computing and analysis with resources shared within a corporate network, but away from a centralized capability such as a cluster of servers in one location. Edge computing is an advantage because, for one, it avoids traffic jams on the data highway, so to speak, which can delay results when computing is done remotely.

Other Noteworthy Trends
Hybrid machines that combine subtractive processes (conventional milling, grinding, turning and so on) with additive processes (laser cladding, wire arc welding, laser metal deposition) were notable. The Japanese government is providing substantial funding for research in hybrid technology, and this showing reflects that support.

Additionally, several builders have incorporated collision-avoidance features into the software in the CNC. Essentially, the simulation of the machining program stays ahead of its actual execution, creating an opportunity for the software to detect and avoid impending crashes or interference.

Another frontier that machine tool builders are pushing into is machining accuracy in the sub-micron level. Applications range from miniaturized electronics to advanced designs of airspace components such as jet engine blades.

Finally, it should be noted that JIMTOF 2016 marked the opening of two new exhibit halls, thereby increasing exhibit space to nearly 100,000 square meters. The new halls, East 7 and 8, were dedicated largely to overseas exhibitors who have been closed out of this show in the past because of strong participation by domestic exhibitors. These additions enhance JIMTOF's reputation as a major international machine tool and manufacturing technology show.