Siemens Machine Tool Days 2020, held virtually in mid-October, brought together machine control and automation experts to discuss how digital solutions are shaping the future of the machine tool industry. In addition, Siemens unveiled what it says is the first “digital native CNC," which is designed to help machine-tools manufacturers utilize digital twins to increase productivity. “Competitiveness and productivity are what drive digitalization,” said Raja Sukthankar, vice-president, Siemens motion control USA. In addition, he said, the pandemic has increased the evolution of digitalization. So many people are working from home now and have less access to physical hardware.
Utilizing digital twins can help companies work through that challenge, he said. For the past decade, Siemens has been acquiring various companies to enhance its software portfolio. Siemens offers more than 200,000 products and digitalized automation services under its Totally Integrated Automation (TIA) umbrella. “The challenge has been to look for the key components under the umbrella and virtualize them,” Sukthankar said. “There isn’t a one size fits all solution for digitalization,” said Brian McMinn, head of Siemens machine tool systems US.
Siemens spoke to customers—both the machine builders and the end customers who use those machines—to gain insight regarding what meant most to them when choosing digital solutions. “[Customers] emphasized four main factors that matter to them: speed, flexibility, efficiency and quality,” Sukthankar said. Those key factors informed the creation of Siemens’ digital native CNC, the SINUMERIK ONE. 
The future of machine tools
With SINUMERIK ONE, machine tool builders can virtually map their entire development processes—significantly reducing the product development phase and time-to-market for new machines. “SINUMERIK ONE allows seamless interaction between the virtual and real sphere,” said Ankita Kambale, promotion manager for- machine tools. Kambale said , industry professionals can expect to innovate faster with the latest engineering and simulation solutions, leverage the digital twin with automation, and discover a new way of thinking. By fitting it into the Totally Integrated Automation (TIA) Portal , Siemens makes a highly efficient engineering framework available to machine tool builders.
Heinrich Georg, a family-owned manufacturer of high-end machines and plants for transformer lines, finishing lines, and other large machine tools, has benefited from the many facets of SINUMERIK ONE. “For us, digitalization is the most important technological step forward,” said Dr. Wieland H. Klein, CTO/member of the executive board, Heinrich Georg.
“SINUMERIK ONE represents a new level of CNC controls and enables previously unimagined possibilities in the field of digitalization.” “The consistently digital process chain is key for us,” said Marcus Fritzsche, head of automation machine tools at Heinrich Georg. “What is really new for me? The connection of the real and virtual worlds!”
About Siemens Digital Industries
Siemens Digital Industries (DI) drives digital transformation in the process and discrete industries. Optimized for the specific needs of each industry, DI’s portfolio supports customers to achieve greater productivity and flexibility. Siemens Corporation, a U.S. subsidiary of Siemens AG, focuses on the areas of power generation and distribution, intelligent infrastructure for buildings and distributed energy systems, and automation and digitalization in the process and manufacturing industries.
