Time saver Trumpf AI accelerates the setup of punch-laser machines

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The "Runability Guide" software now supports, with the help of artificial intelligence (AI), the manual setup of new orders on the fully automated punch-laser machine Trumatic 5000.

At its in-house trade fair Intech 2024, Trumpf presents the "Runability Guide," a first version of a new AI-based tool that enables users to set up the Trumatic 5000 punch laser machine faster and more easily. Until now, a production employee had to individually test the program on the machine each time they wanted to produce a new order with previously unknown geometries or materials. Especially with fully automated machines that manufacture many different parts, this results in unproductive downtime, according to Trumpf. However, the AI-supported software Runability Guide can now avoid up to 20 minutes of downtime when setting up the system. The software uses different evaluation models to indicate to the employee with each order whether the Trumatic can directly manufacture the parts, or if manual interventions are expected. This not only saves time but can also utilize the expertise of the personnel for more value-adding tasks, or train new staff.

The risk of jammed components is minimized

When a machine automates parts production, errors can occur. It may also happen that the automation cannot correctly remove the part from the remainder grid due to jamming, as Trumpf further explains. This then leads to a stoppage, and a production employee must manually remove the part from the machine room. Subsequently, the machine must also be restarted. Whether the component can be removed reliably depends, among other things, on the geometry of the part and the position of the grippers on the workpiece. The Runability Guide now checks, for example, how much the component bends due to gravity during removal and can jam as a result. If a predefined limit is exceeded, the software marks the corresponding spot in red. This allows the employee to immediately recognize which parts of an order need adjustment. In addition to details about possible errors, the AI-based software also makes a recommendation on which orders are suitable for the night shift.

AI tool beats physical simulations in terms of time

The Runability Guide utilizes various models to determine the complexity of the component. For this purpose, Trumpf developers continuously make the expertise of manufacturing experts available in the cloud, as we learn further. In addition, the software conducts evaluations using physical simulations and AI to identify potential challenges in the process steps. Finally, the smart tool works with the real machine data from users of the Trumatic 5000. This then allows for conclusions about sources of errors in processing. Once all models have reviewed the order, the tool delivers its forecast. Traditional physical simulation models would take up to an hour for the forecast, depending on the component, as noted by those in Ditzingen. However, with AI, this process can be significantly accelerated and run practically in real-time.