ELECTRONIC CONTROL ARCHITECTURE IN CABINETS FOR PLASMA AND OXIFUEL CNC CUTTING MACHINES

Abstract

Nowadays cutting machines usually used in industry are controlled by a Computer Numeric Control (CNC) system working with a lot of signals which communicates with sensors and actuators in the machine through a control cabinet. In many cases this unit is designed by the cutting machine manufacturer (who is usually different from that of the CNC) and, as he is not a specialist in electronic design, the control cabinet is electrically implemented with the logic functions carried out in a discrete way by means of relays. This solution generates a hard wiring work when mounting onto the machine and makes it very difficult to repair when a failure is detected. This work presents a new electronic control system which replaces the old electrical one, with all its relays, usually used in this sort of machines. This new system has been tested in a plasma and oxifuel cutting machine. It has provided a noticeable reduction in the machine wiring and a simplification of the control cabinet design. These facts mean that the machine is now easier to assembly with an important reduction in purchasing and maintenance costs.