Innovative Applications of CAM Technology Integrated with Motion Control
2024-07-29
The innovative applications of CAM technology integrated with motion control are primarily evident in areas such as automated machining and precise positioning, thereby enhancing both production efficiency and product quality. As intelligent manufacturing continues to evolve, the integration of industrial vision technology with motion control is gradually becoming an essential component of modern industrial automation.
Below, we’ll introduce innovative applications of CAM technology integrated with motion control, focusing primarily on stone processing, stone fabrication, and lithium-battery tab cutting.
I. Stone Processing Industry
User pain points:
In modern manufacturing, material processing is a critically important stage. However, currently, many material-processing operations still rely on manual teaching methods to generate and edit machining trajectories, placing high demands on the operators’ experience and skill. Even relatively experienced operators can encounter difficulties that hinder improvements in work efficiency, such as:
• Teaching is cumbersome, with poor precision and low efficiency.
• Poor adaptability—each time the incoming material is changed, the tool needs to be re-aligned.
• The interface cannot intuitively display the simulated machining and actual machining processes.
• The library has limited support for irregular cutting.
• Unable to automatically format, resulting in underutilization of materials.
• Insufficient interactive experience
Solution:
Based on years of R&D experience, the STEP Motion Control team has developed AdtAutomationStudio-CAM software (hereinafter referred to as CAM). This software converts graphic and machining trajectory data into machine instructions, enabling visualized machining editing and providing an efficient, precise, and reliable automation solution for material processing. The figure below shows the AdtAutomationStudio-CAM operation interface and its application site.
Scheme Configuration:
• 1 set of ADT-632X series EtherCAT bus motion control card
• 6 sets of Ω-series EtherCAT bus-type servo drives and matching ODS-series servo motors
• 1 set of SX & SL series IO modules
Product value:
• Supports irregular cutting
• Supports simultaneous cutting of multiple graphics
• Real-time imaging for physical trajectory editing
……
Significantly improved the precision and efficiency of stone processing.
In addition to the stone processing industry, innovative applications of CAM technology integrated with motion control are also widely used in a variety of applications across other industries. For example:
II. Kettle Polishing
In the traditional polishing process for water bottles, manual teaching operations are cumbersome. However, by integrating CAM software with the SC30 programmable motion controller, this process has been greatly simplified. By using the programmable motion controller SC30 and high-performance pulse servo drives, trajectory editing can be performed online via CAM software, enabling automated processing of products.
This technology supports surface polishing of various curved kettle surfaces, visual trajectory adjustment and editing, and multi-axis coordinated control, thereby enhancing the precision and consistency of machining.
3. Lithium battery tab cutting
The difficulty in tab cutting lies in achieving smooth trajectory motion and precisely controlling laser energy at corners. By integrating continuous interpolation functionality from STEP CAM with PAC, along with a locally embedded PSO function, and leveraging vision technology, this challenge can be effectively addressed. Vision-based correction and continuous interpolation-based trajectory control ensure both precision and efficiency in the machining process. Meanwhile, the PSO function rigorously maintains uniformity of laser energy, enabling customers to perform similar processes such as tab cutting, dispensing, and welding for lithium-ion batteries.
Overall, the innovative integration of CAM technology with motion control has opened up new possibilities for intelligent manufacturing. This integration not only enhances production efficiency and product quality but also drives the intelligent development of industrial production. These innovative applications not only address many of the pain points in traditional manufacturing processes but also pave the way for new advancements in industrial automation.
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