Towards numerical control of machine tools from the edge cloud

Abstract A concept has been developed which enables the virtualization and consolidation of NC controllers for machine tools. By decoupling control hardware and software, dynamic scaling of computing power depending on the complexity of the control functions becomes possible. The use of monolithic and over-dimensioned control systems, which are most often not fully exploited but no longer sufficient when new requirements arise, is avoided. Additionally, economic advantages might be exploited by consolidating multiple controllers in an edge cloud. Initial experiments have shown that purely software-based solutions on standard IT hardware are suitable for reliably achieving the required cycle times.