TPT November 2022

BEND I NG , END FORM I NG & SWAG I NG

Ensuring bending does not turn into breaking OPTIMATE, a Trumpf start-up founded in 2020, aims to give metal fabrication more process reliability in manufacturing. The key is a cloud-based web app solution for analysing and optimising metal parts. The automated potential recognition and AI based part optimisation with an integrated redesign supports the digitalisation process on the way to Industry 4.0 and ‘smart factory’. In the future, further webshops and marketplaces are to be connected. possible to manufacture at all or only at high cost. “Not only do we give design and work preparation more process reliability, but time-consuming queries with the customer and expensive, manual redesigns are now a thing of the past,” he said. Optimate’s cloud solution consists of two products: the feasibility check and the part optimisation. In a first step, the user uploads his sheet metal part as STEP or SolidWorks format in the cloud-based web app. Multiple 3D CAD files can be uploaded and analysed simultaneously. proportion of the warnings issued prevent the worker in production from being able to manufacture this part at all. If, for example, the minimum flange length is not reached and the marked error leg is too short depending on the bending angle, sheet thickness, material and tool pairing, then the leg cannot be bent. The designer can thus be informed as early as possible about the warning or other interfering contours, which are marked in red in the 3D graphic.

But what is the use of warnings if they have to be corrected manually? The highlight of Optimate’s solution: at the push of a button, a design proposal for the process-safe production of the part is made immediately. “With one click, an optimisation graphic displays an extended leg to the minimum flange length,” Mr Steiling added. The advantage is that the designer and the work preparation staff can always have the actual state displayed parallel to the optimised target state. The users can now download the adapted part directly as a STEP or SolidWorks file and transfer it to their CAD program. For the whole thing to work, the existing bending tools must be initially entered in the individual customer profile. This prevents optimisation proposals from being made for which no required toolset is available. The start-up team has also developed its own artificial intelligence to identify the optimisation potential.

To ensure that bending does not turn into breaking, a great deal of know-how is required in sheet metal processing. However, this is mostly in the minds of experienced sheet metal specialists who are gradually retiring. With the departure of the know-how carriers, the wealth of experience gained over many years is disappearing. The Stuttgart-based start-up, Optimate, has therefore set itself the task of digitising the metal knowledge that has been built up over decades. A real challenge considering how extensive and diverse the applications are in sheet metal processing. “We have recognised this problem and wanted to hold decades of knowledge and access to sheet metal expertise as a ‘digital consulting service,’” said Optimate’s CEO and co-founder Jonas Steiling. This initial vision has since become reality with a digital solution for the analysis and optimisation of sheet metal parts. Those using the solution no longer have to run the risk of bringing a part into production that may not be BYSTRONIC has announced a partnership with NanoLock Security, a device-level cyber security provider, to co-develop solutions for its sheet and tube metal cutting, bending and automation systems. Bystronic has developed its own Smart Factory Software Suite, together with the recently acquired company Kurago. The Suite digitises all business processes and interconnects machines with all other customer processes. Alberto Martínez, chief digital officer at Bystronic, said: “Our vision regarding the factory of the future is to give our customers the capability to manage

Structural steel, stainless steel and aluminium can be selected as material options. Within a few seconds, the potential of each part is listed. A highly optimisable part can mean cost savings of more than 30 per cent, a part that can be optimised well can lead to cost savings of up to 20 per cent. “The user now sees optimisation opportunities where he previously had no transparency about his parts and where it is worth taking another closer look,” explained Mr Steiling. The Optimate service recognises the optimisation potential within seconds and indicates any design errors. Parallel to the potential detection, a feasibility check runs in the background to ensure that each part can also be manufactured in a process-safe manner. If this is not the case, the corresponding areas on the part are marked in colour as warnings. While deformations often affect the part’s appearance, a large their entire material and data flow. In the future, customers will connect their systems as devices to the cloud and for that reason, cyber security is of utmost importance. With the new partnership, we ensure peace of mind for our customers by covering all aspects for our customers’ smart factories.” To mitigate exposure of customer systems to cyber risks at these inter- connections, Bystronic and NanoLock are developing new solutions to ensure that smart machines are cyber secure devices. The two companies will present their joint solution at EuroBlech 2022.

Optimate GmbH www.optimate.de Par tnership to boost tube bending security

Eran Fine, co-founder and CEO of NanoLock, added: “Smart factories must integrate strong machine-level protection against cyber security risks to ensure the operational integrity of their systems. Our machine-level solution brings trustworthy protection to industrial systems without having any impact on performance. We are proud to work with Bystronic and jointly develop secure solutions for their smart systems – thereby setting a benchmark for the entire industry.”

Bystronic www.bystronic.co.uk

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NOVEMBER 2022