Why should you buy SafePilote?

Between 15% and 20% of all machine tool service calls are made because of crash-related damage. SafePilote can save up to 90% of the costs associated with machine tool, spindle, and gantry crashes. Crashes or collisions damage tools, toolholders, parts, fixtures, spindles and machine axes. They also create downtime and may even injure machine operators.

No matter how many simulations you do on new machine set-ups, no matter how much preventative maintenance you perform, no matter how much operator training you provide, no matter how careful you are, you’re still going to crash machines. Though machine tool crashes seem to happen almost instantaneously, they actually progress over hundreds or even thousands of milliseconds.

The key to minimizing crash damage (and its associated costs) is detecting the event quickly and immediately directing the CNC to stop all machine motion. Machine inertia will cause motion to continue for tens to hundreds of milliseconds after the Motion Stop command is given, but the earlier the Motion Stop command is given, the less damage is done.

SafePilote not only reduces machine collision damage – it’s also a vibration-based, machine condition monitoring system. It analyzes spindle bearing condition and machine cross-slide condition before a crash and compares these normal machine tool vibration measurements to machine tool vibration measurements taken after a crash. It’s a quantitative tool that can help to answer the important question: “Did that crash damage my machine tool?”

SafePilote uses a triaxial accelerometer to detect impacts and excessive vibration levels. Since this sensor detects vibrations in the X, Y, and Z directions, it detects crashes originating on any machine axis. When it’s mounted on the machine tool, the sensor does not need to be aligned with machine tool axes. For spindle crash protection, it’s typically mounted on the spindle tail. In this sheltered environment, the sensor is easy to retrofit, maintain and service.

SafePilote electronics are mounted in the machine’s electrical cabinet. An easily-replaced, detachable cable connects the sensor to the electronics and a very simple electrical interface connects the electronics to the machine’s CNC. SafePilote is easy to install, service and use. It’s modestly priced and it can help you avoid 90% of the costs associated with typical machine tool crash events.