Implementing wireless communication technologies in manufacturing systems shows the potential for a disruptive shift towards wireless networked control systems and edge computing for machine tool control. Especially 5G mobile communications enable wireless closed-loop control withultra-reliable low-latency communication (uRLLC) and time-sensitive networking (TSN)-features. However, currently available hardware and software cannot yet meet the high requirements for closed-loop control of machine tools.
This study evaluates the quality of a manufactured part when produced on a wireless closed-loop machine tool. A setup for emulating network characteristics (latency, jitter) is developed and implemented into a computerized numerical control (CNC) of a machine tool to synthesize the effects of 5G connectivity. The main objective is to evaluate how different network performance characteristics in combination with machine parameters influence surface quality parameters and geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T) of a milled specimen. Full factorial experimental design paradigm is used in the evaluation.
The results show that latency and feed rate have no or insignificant influence on the surface quality of the manufactured part while jitter does have a significant influence on the surface quality parameters. GD&T are just influenced by the variation of the feed rate, independent of latency and jitter. Thus, this is not directly connected to the wireless networked control system. While processes with lower control requirements (e.g. robot control, control of automated guided vehicles, etc.) can already be implemented in a wireless setting, control of machine tools to achieve high quality manufactured parts, will therefore only be possible with future developments in wireless communication.