Companies producing high-precision parts, whether in small batches or continuous runs, want to integrate their cutting systems into broader, automated production processes. The reason is simple: global competition is forcing companies to cut every ounce of inefficiency from their operations, from the cutting floor to their enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems.
So, a cutting tool that is smart enough to operate unattended once the cut job program is fed into the controller should slip effortlessly into a tightly integrated production cell, right? Unfortunately, that is not the case. On-board intelligence doesn’t automatically translate into system intelligence. Each machine must be able to exchange meaningful information and permitted commands with the equipment and systems around it. Many otherwise sophisticated machines cannot.
The limitation often traces back to a purchasing decision made years earlier, when the control system appeared as a single line on a specification dominated by cutting speed, accuracy and price. The Open Machine concept addresses that overlooked limitation.
Before digging deeper into the importance of Open Machine capability, let’s put it into perspective against the broader automation initiative called Industry 4.0.
As the following graphic illustrates, Industry 4.0 seeks to connect physical production with manufacturing and business systems so information can support coordinated, increasingly automated operations.
The key to full Industry 4.0 automation is the Open Machine, the machine-level foundation of a fully connected production operation.
So, let’s explore what the Open Machine is, what it does, and how you can turn your waterjets into Open Machines.
Defining an Open Machine precisely matters because the term is used loosely in equipment marketing and can be confused with related concepts such as open architecture, connectivity, and interoperability. These concepts overlap, but they are not interchangeable.
For purposes of this post, we offer the following definition:
An Open Machine provides documented, secure, and supportable interfaces through which authorized external systems can obtain meaningful operating information and, where appropriate, issue permitted commands without requiring the OEM to engineer every connection.'
What does this mean to you and your operations? Here is how that definition translates to the production floor:
Operations moving from islanded machines to integration and automation invariably face what you could call a closed-system tax. It’s not a tax in the sense that some government entity demands and collects it. It reflects the costs associated with turning stand-alone machines into open machines.
But you invested in smart machines boasting connectivity. They’ve operated well for years, accepting and executing part machining programs and sending data to the vendor-supplied dashboard. Why are they so expensive to upgrade to an open machine now?
The best way to avoid this tax in the future is to ask the right questions of vendors and write the specification so your machine comes through the door as “open machine ready.”
You don’t pay the closed-system tax at purchase. You pay it every year afterward, in increments so small nobody attributes them to the original decision.
Moving to an open machine can unlock a wealth of control, operational data, automation opportunities, and much more. The following four capability tiers span the spectrum from first steps to Industry 4.0.
Machine states, cycle counts, consumable wear and fault histories can flow into the systems your plant already uses, supporting evidence-based OEE, throughput analysis and maintenance decisions.
A machine signals "done," and the next machine acts on that notification, while new job data flows down from the ERP to the now-available tool.
Machine-controlled robot loading and unloading, conveyor handoffs and in-line inspection made possible with write access and reliable handshaking.
In a closed system, the OEM must approve and agree to create and or support custom features.
The value wasn’t in the feature. It was in being allowed to build it with your staff or trusted suppliers.
Let’s look at the example of lights-out cutting. This approach allows a manufacturer to operate virtually around the clock, unattended. It can add more shifts without hiring additional staff or incurring overtime, boosting output. But there is a catch. Stand-alone lights-out cutting and machining is often limited by the inability to offload finished parts or reload material when it runs out.
Imagine the flexibility and productivity possible in a lights-out scenario when open machines are integrated into a fully automated process: a cutting tool, say a waterjet, is loaded with stock before everyone goes home for the night, weekend, or holiday, then turned on.
When cutting is finished, the waterjet communicates over the network that it is done. At this point, an automated conveyor offloads and moves the finished parts. Once the material is positioned and all local operating and safety conditions are satisfied, the machine accepts the next cycle request.
Let’s look at two parts of a proven open solution: Beckhoff’s “The Windows Control and Automation Technology” (TwinCAT) platform and Automation Device Specification (ADS).
TwinCAT is a software suite that provides PLC logic, motion control, CNC, robotics, safety, and communications stacks. A Beckhoff IPC or any Windows PC suitable for an industrial environment serves as the controller that enables open machine capabilities. Windows handles the UI and non-critical tasks, while TwinCAT handles real-time control and communication functions.
TwinCAT enables a variety of enabling system actions and capabilities, including:
ADS is Beckhoff’s communication protocol for exchanging data among TwinCAT components and authorized external applications. Through documented Beckhoff and third-party client libraries, an integrator can read exposed machine variables, subscribe to changes and, where the machine builder permits it, write values or submit operating requests.
ADS client libraries exist for C#/.NET, Python, Node.js, Java, and C++ on Linux. This means that your existing software has a good chance of reading a variable off the machine and writing one back. And that’s the trick.
Think of Ethernet/TCP/IP as the road. The protocol carries the message. The interface or information model supplies the vocabulary. Handshake logic supplies the rules of conversation.
Below is an abbreviated overview of common manufacturing protocols:
Openness isn’t a feature bolted onto the control system. It’s an inherent consequence of the control system’s architecture.
Implementing an open machine approach in your operation does NOT mean unsecured exposure, or create IT / security risks. Manufacturing process security combines documented access with segmentation, authenticated and encrypted communication, least-privilege permissions, monitoring, and safety functions that remain authoritative over external (read: hacker or unauthorized) requests.
Openness does not mean a controller uses open-source software, defaults to unrestricted access, exposes the machine to the internet, guarantees automatic compatibility, plug-and-play integration, or avoids proprietary technology. Open systems cooperate only when commands, acknowledgments, timing, exceptions, and recovery are meticulously defined, not merely because an Ethernet cable connects them.
Open architecture makes integration possible and supportable, but it does not make integration automatic.
In traditional IT systems, the primary threat to employees and operations comes from data loss or corruption. However, in a manufacturing process, compromised safety controls can lead to serious injury, death, and damage to equipment and facilities.
Note: We offer these suggestions as a starting point. Coordinate with your safety and legal teams to develop plant-specific rules.
Many vendors advertise their controllers as offering “connectivity.” In practice, this amounts to a vendor-hosted dashboard and a data feed the vendor controls. That is a window into the machine, not a secure path through which authorized systems can interact.
Your best defense is to ask the right qualifying questions so that you can separate marketing claims from actual system performance. Four sample questions follow with a full set of 12 in the Appendix:
What protocol or API is available for external communication, and can we review the documentation before purchase?
Can external systems write permitted values or requests, or only read status?
Which variables, states, events, and functions are exposed, and is there a published interface or tag list?
Can our independent integrator or staff use the interface without compromising support or warranty?
Remember, a vendor confident in their architecture and solution capabilities will answer these questions, engaging their engineering support as needed.
Jet Edge builds its waterjet systems on Beckhoff TwinCAT technology to give customers open, ADS-based access. Customers integrate Jet Edge waterjets into automated lines and their own software because we chose an architecture that allows it.
The concept of an open machine isn’t a Jet Edge-only idea. The entire manufacturing economy is moving toward Industry 4.0, and the open machine is the required first step in that evolution. It is a principle worth applying to every machine on the floor, new and existing.
We encourage you to talk to a Jet Edge representative about system configurations, lead times and when you can realistically expect to place your water jet in service. Like we said, we know water jets and how we can help meet Section 179 in-service requirements. Your finance and tax professionals will handle the tax portion.
Call us at 1-800-538-3343 (1-763-497-8700 internationally) or complete our online form today. Our skilled and experienced application engineers are here to help.
Here are twelve questions to ask every vendor, including Jet Edge, in order to separate marketing language from true capabilities.
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