With the motto “Infinite possibilities for wood machinery”, Siemens is reaffirming its front-stage role also in the woodworking industry, pursuing one main goal: collect the requirements of machinery manufacturers and offer the most effective solutions. Solutions are the core of an innovative vision where the customer is the centerpiece of the project and is supported by Siemens across the entire cycle, from initial development to commissioning.
An end-to-end approach – not focused on technology itself, but on its purpose, to offer transformative enhancements to end customers – allows to integrate all automation components. Drive, control, communication and safety: from numerical control machines up to the management of entire production lines, each solution is designed to meet the distinctive requirements of each application.
AUTOMATION AND MOTION CONTROL SOLUTIONS
For automation, Siemens offers scalable and flexible architecture that, while keeping the same field devices, such as drives and peripherals, adopt the most suitable controller for the final application. From the Simatic “Plc S7-1500T” to the “Sinumerik” numerical control units, the motion control portfolio is complemented with the libraries that support a streamlined management of kinematic elements, with the possibility to use G-Code on all devices. Fail-safe functionalities are natively integrated across the entire portfolio, allowing to reduce development costs and time. At the same time, the compatibility with drives of any range (S210, S120 and V90) and the use of the “Profinet” protocol allow to adapt the motion control features to the most varied application requirements, in line with the concept of infinite possibilities.
DIGITALIZATION SOLUTIONS
Focused on the most innovative trends, Siemens offers a range of hardware-independent products that allow to finalize the development of a machine even before it is built. Using virtualization and simulation software, you can slash commissioning time and react promptly to possible design errors. In the Plc space, the “S7PLCSim-Advanced” simulator, combined with the “Simit” platform and the cad software “Nx”, makes up a full suite to create the digital twin of the machine. Also the “Sinumerik” portfolio revolves around the concept of digitalization: the new “Sinumerik One” controllers offer hardware virtualization features, further narrowing the gap between real and simulated axis motion control.
IIOT (INDUSTRIAL INTERNET OF THINGS) SOLUTIONS
The management of data collected from the field and the cloud environments for storage and analysis may sound difficult and hardly pragmatic. However, the direction of modern industry is clear and these topics are critical for any project. For this reason, Siemens is also offering consulting services to share and promote the IIOT culture and to get the best from these technologies. The catalog offers specific hardware and software to collect and process information from the machines (Edge Computing), as well as to manage the cloud ecosystem “MindSphere” through dedicated apps and convenient development tools. Applying the highest security standards, Siemens guarantees the reliability of its systems, consequently increasing the protection of customers.
DEVELOPMENT SOLUTIONS
For many years now, Siemens has been offering the integrated environment “Tia Portal” as a unified development tool. One software solution encompasses the entire management of a system, no matter how complex. Starting from Plc and Safety programming, through the management of field devices and drive, up to Hmi interfaces, the “Tia Portal” is the fil rouge that links all the construction stages of a machine. Furthermore, “Tia Portal” provides for an effective management of working groups, users and code protection, all key topics for Oems.
MANUFACTURING SOLUTIONS
Siemens’ solutions software provide companies with the necessary tools to optimize the production capacity and to improve the performance of the entire system. Using platforms like “Plant Simulation”, you can analyze the flow of materials and monitor the usage of resources, defining plants and structures before their commissioning. Energy consumption, bottlenecks and logistics are just a few aspects that can be explored through the simulation and modelling of the processes involved. So, the same virtual commissioning approach adopted for individual machines can be scaled up to entire plants.
EXPERIENCE SOLUTIONS
The relationship between supplier and customer is based on trust and substance. Siemens has a deep knowledge of the wood industry and knows how important it is to cultivate these values. For this purpose, the company offers access to the technology and demo center Dex in Piacenza. The Digital EXperience Center, a real smart factory duly equipped and actionable, allows to experience the implementation of each solution in first-persion view. Equipped with machines that span multiple application segments, the DEX is a real example of digital factory, where the traditional management of production machines is supplemented by the power of IIOT solutions. The center can be visited throughout the year by appointment.
