The new TNC7 HMI portfolio from Heidenhain to be showcased at MACH 2024

The new TNC7 CNC control from Heidenhain is now available with the company’s latest Version 18 software and is designed to help users master the present-day challenges of saving energy, reducing carbon emissions, staying competitive and ensuring a reliable automated manufacturing process.

After first unveiling the TNC7 at EMO 2023, Heidenhain is now showcasing the control’s latest enhancements at MACH 2024, which is taking place 15-19 April at the NEC, Birmingham (Hall 20, Stand 310). Three versions of the TNC7 are now available — the 24in touchscreen, the compact 19in touchscreen, or the TNC7 basic with a 16in touchscreen for 3+2 axis machines. The TNC7 basic offers a large package of options with a raft of TNC7 features, including DCM collision monitoring, OCM trochoidal milling and MAS 6D graphically supported set up. Taking customer feedback into account, the TNC7’s latest Version 18 software contains enhancements that help to optimise process reliability and make it even more user-friendly.

The touchscreen of the TNC7 can be used in the same way as a tablet or smartphone. Further usability comes from the control’s context sensitive menus and a cross-operating-system design, making it easy for users to open Windows applications on the control and to incorporate the data into their part programs. With its intelligent user support, the TNC7 is ideal for inexperienced operators, helping them to quickly reach the necessary level of confidence for competent machining.

For those users that do not want to use a touchscreen, their is also a keyboard supplied, so the TNC7 is also available with an operating panel.

Pictured right: the TNC7’s on-board process and component monitoring functions detect deviations from a reference machining run and ensure high process quality without requiring any additional sensors

The quest for high first-part efficiency across all batch sizes and levels of automation requires looking beyond merely the machining phase, as machine set up, as well, needs to be fast and convenient. Faster set ups cut down on non-productive time and reduce a company’s carbon footprint. With its graphically supported functions for 6D workholding and workpiece set up, the TNC7 offers two major time and energy savers. This virtual support enables fast, user-friendly and reliable position probing for both fixtures and blanks, regardless of the set up’s complexity.

Even for clamping towers or multiple parts clamped in a row, the TNC7 provides interactive step-by-step support throughout the setup process for simple and complex parts alike. In the case of complex parts, setup with the 6D setup function can be up to five-times faster than with conventional probing cycles. When applied to workholding, this 6D position probing feature is part of the enhanced dynamic collision monitoring (DCM v2) function. When applied to workpieces, the new Model Aided Setup (MAS) option comes into play.

The package of options available for the TNC7 includes ‘Optimized Contour Milling’ (OCM), which delivers next-generation trochoidal milling by automatically calculating the best trochoidal milling strategy at all times for pockets and islands of any shape. Users simply enter the contours and apply the optimal machining parameters from the built-in cutting data calculator. As a result, roughing and milling become highly productive and impose less wear on tools. OCM’s intelligent deburring function then implements perfect edges along the programmed contour. Optimized Contour Milling reduces energy consumption, raises process reliability and saves time throughout the production process, from programming to machining.

At MACH Heidenhain will run a series of live demonstrations of the entire machining process with the TNC7, covering turning, roughing, finishing and deburring, to show the significant time savings that can be achieved by various TNC7 functions when applied to tasks such as programming, simulation and finishing. Furthermore, simultaneous turning cycles for the TNC7 enable the programming of FreeTurn tools.

These cycles permit the simultaneous turning of highly complex contours in a single set up, taking interfering contours into account and leveraging tool benefits for High Dynamic Turning (HDT). Subsequent milling is programmed directly on the TNC7 with efficient OCM trochoidal milling cycles, providing yet another way to save time. Throughout the live machining demonstrations, the TNC7’s integrated process monitoring features will ensure a reliable process without additional sensors.