{"id":13574,"date":"2020-04-29T08:43:12","date_gmt":"2020-04-29T12:43:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/simcenter\/?p=13574"},"modified":"2026-03-26T06:09:11","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T10:09:11","slug":"commission-your-machine-before-building-a-prototype","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/simcenter\/commission-your-machine-before-building-a-prototype\/","title":{"rendered":"Commission your machine before building a prototype"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Overcoming 30-year-old legacy<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

On a client factory floor<\/em> after erecting a new machine over two weeks, the senior start-up manager and his team are busy launching cold & hot testing.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Engineers commissioning a machine<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The next step in the commissioning phase is performance testing. The anticipation in the air is palpable<\/em>. This machine, built to unique requirements, invokes special control algorithms (PLC code). Ensuring the smooth functioning of several physical domains (pneumatics, hydraulics, mechanics, and electrical) posed challenges of epic proportions. The automation engineer reflects on how the unavailability of the iconic controller delayed automation and sensors\u2019 calibration. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then to avoid overrun senior automation colleagues joined forces; performed code validation through evolving prototypes to ensure proper sizing, optimize control loops and evaluate every aspect of the performance falls within the expected efficiency range \u2014 its ability to cool, deliver required pressure, and meet energy efficiency<\/a> requirements for different load scenarios<\/em>… <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As our automation engineer continues pondering: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The commissioning<\/em> task is more complex and riskier than ever before but our current way of commissioning is a 30-year-old legacy. To sustain in the Industry 4.0 context things have to change. We cannot build a sustainable business model by solely relying on previous experience and existing prototypes; What would have happened if our automation code could not deliver intended performance on time<\/em>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The above machine commissioning excerpt, although specific, resonates across manufacturers. A traditional machine automation process involves a significant amount of software testing on expensive physical prototypes that could take months to build and evaluate. The system bugs and incompatibilities are only exposed when the plant is assembled and in some worst-case scenarios when the engineers are commissioning it on site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blaze a trail<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

With a shorter time to market and diminishing profit margins, machine manufacturers around the world wrestle with how to best evaluate control algorithms early in the development phase and optimize multi-physics system performance before committing to prototype. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Luckily, the digital emulation of logic or virtual commissioning technology is there for the rescue. As rightly stated by Mr. Michael Maier from Maier Werkzeugmaschinen GmbH & Co. KG<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The longer it takes to commission a real machine, the longer the money is tied up on the shop floor. Each individual activity eliminated is therefore a gain, because we can perform this task ahead of time on the Digital Twin.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The ultimate goal of virtual commissioning<\/a> is to provide an environment for the manufacturing automation controls engineer to emulate control logics, size multi-physical system, validate their PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) ladder logic and HMI (Human-Machine Interface) files<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Virtual commissioning<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Virtual commissioning of a machine<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

From improving the quality of the final product to reducing development time and cost, virtual commissioning permits manufacturers to roll out a concurrent mechanical, software, electrics and electronics (E\/E) hardware design process and replace expensive and time-consuming physical tests with early virtual evaluation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the virtual commissioning process, the first step is to mimic the multiphysics system with its components and their connections on a digital mockup. Next, parametrize the individual components and define the automation interface. The input\/output of the virtual model has to be connected with the PLC program. Depending on the requirement and hardware availability a real or virtual controller can be used for this purpose. The digital model linked with the controller commissions the real machine virtually and helps analyze any multiphysics and PLC control parameters of the machine and its components (hydraulic oscillations, pressure loss, Temperature, cycle time, energy consumption or what-if scenarios etc). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The virtual commissioning technology is as simple and direct as it sounds. Watch this new video and learn for yourself how Siemens technologies \u2014 Simcenter Amesim, TIA Portal and PLCSIM Advanced \u2014 seamlessly commission the hydraulic axis virtually. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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