ANCA Motion, a global leader in CNC systems, has launched a tube cutting application solution, TubeCut Master, to meet manufacturers needs with cutting-edge laser technology and advanced machine design concepts. The ‘power combination’ of CutAssist, a tailor-made hardware and software and planar laser cutting control solution, enriches the choices of OEM customers, fulfills the commitment to continuous investment in the laser cutting industry, and the vision of growing together with customers.
Before the advent of TubeCut Master 1.0, the company conducted market research in the laser tube cutting industry, identifying customer pain points and digging deep into customer needs. Numerous improvements have been made to the openness of the general solution platform for the laser tube cutting market and the development of the CNC platform for tube cutting applications.
During the development and testing process, ANCA Motion’s development team invited professionals to provide feedback, and made optimisations accordingly. The result? Efficiency with the new solution is increased by nearly 20%.
A customisable solution meets evolving market needs
The development of the laser industry is changing with each passing day, as various new technologies continue to develop, and the application prospects are bright.
The Asia-Pacific region is emerging as the largest market for CNC cutting machines, owing to the growing production capacity and the contribution of leading companies in India, China, and Japan. The Indian laser market will reach a CAGR of 18.2% during the forecast period (2022-2027)*. Laser technology is used in automotive, commercial, manufacturing, and other industries.
The challenge of a shortage skilled labour in niche application of CNC cutting machines is solved by the development of an intuitive, user-friendly and open platform for the TubeCut Master solution. This reduces training requirements for end-users while providing the latest technology.
Rahul Diwan, ANCA Motion Business Development Manager, India said: “In the last five years, the Indian market has witnessed change in Fiber Laser Cutting industries especially in the Tube Cut market. Previously, manufacturers tended to outsource jobs to a specialised Fiber Cutting company. Now, as machine prices are reducing, manufacturers are opting to buy these machines, and keep this application in-house. These customers need customisation in their Tube Cut applications.”
“Requirements include of a combination of 2D and Tube Cut, three dimensional 5 axes cutting, and high precision laser cutting. ANCA Motion’s TubeCut Master is a perfect solution for all these requirements with high Speed, high quality, a high level of customisation, with a user friendly interface. These unique competitive advantages will help OEMs to gain market share.
TubeCut Master 1.0 is based on an open platform that provides a variety of configurations for laser tube cutting applications. It ensures accuracy while improving efficiency, is easy to operate, and can be customised. TubeCut Master 1.0 has several exciting features:
A touch screen design interface is intuitive and beginner-friendly
The touch screen interface design of TubeCut Master 1.0 reduces technical obstacles for beginners and improves efficiency as it is easy to learn and operate.
By visualising the 3D model instead of the traditional operation mode – the cutting sequence, piercing points, leads, normals of the corners, and the processing progress of different cutting modes as well as the movement trajectory of the cutting file and the cutting head can be displayed in real time. The operator can select the parts, contours, and cutting lines to interact with the 3D model according to need, and can detect the status offline or before simulating the machining.
Diagnostic tools are robust and visual
The black box recorder can synchronise the recording of variables and motion data in chronological order. Filters can be used to focus on specific events and can also be applied to data that has already been filtered.
A plotter is another tool that graphically displays the values of variables and tracks the status of each step. In addition, the displayed data can be switched directly between the time and frequency domains, as well as to examine the graphical state of the differential results of variables.
With the diagnostic tools, relevant diagnostic files can be added to the compressed file with the simple click of a button, facilitating remote connections while offline.
An open platform caters to OEM challenges
TubeCut Master, as a turnkey CNC solution, offers most of the common functions and features required for laser tube cutting machines. In addition, it integrates with ANCA Motion’s latest motion control technology, including NURBS for B-spline control, and R-TAC (recantangle tube accuracy compensation) for tube contour accuracy compensation. The optimised dynamic control algorithm greatly improves the efficiency of square tube edge cutting. This meets the needs of a variety of manufacturers to boost market competitiveness. TubeCut Master is based on an open platform with an integrated soft PLC and part programs that allow customers to add or update control logic as needed, better optimising the user experience.
For custom graphical user interfaces, ANCA Motion offers two solutions. For the first, ANCA Motion developed a powerful Commander interface with customisable software. Customers can directly use the standard user interface provided by ANCA Motion, or use the Commander software through drag and drop buttons, text boxes, and gauge space. It is easy to customisee to build an exclusive graphical user interface.
Another solution, adopted by many customers is for OEMs to develop their own interface. ANCA Motion works with customers to discuss the form of variable interaction, and quickly identify the underlying control core requirements for customer interface variables.
ANCA Motion has been working to create a user-friendly open platform for machine tool manufacturers by continuously improving general-purpose CNC and motion control technologies. This includes integrating OEM process applications, and keeping equipment performance at its best, while prioritising efficiency and service.
High-efficiency automation and connectivity
Industrial production equipment is becoming more and more automated. For laser cutting applications, which require the connection of various peripheral automation devices such as automatic feeding, unloading, sorting, and storage devices – communication between different devices and flexible open PLC platforms becomes critical. In response to this need, the TubeCut Master platform integrates Modbus TCP, EtherCAT fieldbus, communication for field machines and equipment, and communication between OPC-UA servers for MES systems and IoT applications.
OEMs can establish their own IoT services, such as: transfer job files, check machine status, statistics of machine tool usage data, remote machine diagnosis, and have flexibility to choose their own public or private cloud services, with no risk of data leakage.
Powerful performance CNC and drive system
In terms of hardware, the new generation of the AMC6 CNC system features a fanless, robust design, and the latest generation of Intel® Core™ i processors for more powerful performance. The development and integration of third-party software can be easily implemented in the context of Windows® 10, and the unique whitelist feature protects against unauthorised programs and viruses.
The AMD5x G2 multi-axis servo drive system uses ANCA Motion Bench configuration software to guide users through system setup in a concise and clear manner. The advantage is that it drives a high-bandwidth, high-current multi-axis system by using the EtherCAT bus framework; with integrated high-speed IO; and support for single-cable solutions with special coatings to enhance reliability for better protection. A variety of electrical cabinet installation methods can optimise thermal management. In addition, the system is highly flexible for laser cutting applications under harsh conditions and is compatible with multiple capacitor modules or servo drives. For rotating and linear motors, the system enables efficient, high-performance motion control, saving energy and reducing operating costs.