Purdue University’s prestigious College of Engineering has chosen to equip one of its key educational laboratories with NUM's open-architecture CNC systems and 3D simulation software.

Purdue University is one of the USA’s leading academic research institutions and hosts one of the nation’s largest engineering faculties. Its College of Engineering comprises 14 schools and departments and is currently undergoing further major expansion. As part of the expansion, the university is upgrading the mechanical engineering laboratory at the university’s main campus.

According to Professor Yung C. Shin, who oversees all CNC-related education and research activities at the School of Mechanical Engineering, “When we set up the mechanical engineering lab in the 1990s, we looked at CNC systems from many manufacturers. However, most of the systems were like black boxes so their operation was difficult to understand, which was far from ideal when we wanted to teach the basics of CNC control. We therefore decided to base our educational platform on NUM’s CNC systems, primarily because of their open architecture and the fact that the NUM was enthusiastic about helping us to use their products in this role.”

The latest upgrade to the mechanical engineering laboratory’s CNC equipment is extensive. NUM has supplied two Flexium 68 CNC systems configured for milling applications, each with an NCK (Numerical Control Kernel), PLC, HMI and 3D simulator hardware and software, plus additional simulator dongles for four PCs.

To help improve ergonomics, the laboratory has installed two desktop consoles for human-machine interaction. Each console is equipped with a NUM FS152i operator panel and an MP04 machine panel, fitted with CAN interfaces.

NUM has also supplied all the motors, drives, power supplies and associated hardware for two additional 2-axis demonstrator machines. Both of these combine latest-generation bi-axis NUMDrive C servo drives with BPH brushless servo motors.

The Flexium 3D graphical simulation capabilities that Purdue University is installing in the mechanical engineering lab will improve work flexibility significantly. Until now, the simulation software required physical connection to the CNC system – which meant that only one student at a time could use it – and was limited to basic 2D simulation of path lines. The lab now has six separate simulator stations – two on desktop consoles and four on standalone PCs – each capable of true 3D workpiece simulation in standalone mode, without needing access to a CNC system. A further six networked PCs are also being installed, allowing students to perform simulation at different locations.

Students are now able to simulate and optimise any ISO-code part program that they have written, with full visualisation of the tool centre point path and workpiece material removal, backed by automatic checking for collisions between machine components, the tool and the workpiece.

Purdue University plans to make the new CNC facilities available to students in the fall.