EEC LTD Work With Machining Customers to Protect HEIDENHAIN Critical Data
The Importance of Backing Up Your Complete HEIDENHAIN TNC Control and Machine Tool Data
In our computerised and device-centric world, most of us are aware of hard drive, battery or memory issues when a PC/Laptop fails, and the potential for losing our data if we don’t have backup procedures in place to restore data, once a replacement hard drive has been installed.
it is also important within the arena of world class machining, to have a data redundancy and backup procedures in place.
Engineering Equipment Centre Ltd are trained within the HEIDENHAIN GB Ltd authorised service partner program, to assist customers with data backup solutions, protecting critical data such as TNC control and machine tool data.
As HEIDENHAIN Service Partners, EEC Ltd offer on-site service visits designed to ensure comprehensive machine data backup procedures are in place, for just such an event. Enabling our customers to get backup and running as fast as possible.
Following data loss, backing up just the parameters is not enough to enable the machine to be usable again. EEC ensure that a full and complete backup of the machine tool data is in place, in order to restore the machine to it’s previous specification prior to the component failure. This includes restoration of backed up programs created up until the data loss occurred.
Without such data backups in place, the machine tool would be un-usable in the event of a hard drive or buffer battery issue.
As an example, If the buffer battery in a HEIDENHAIN control was to drop enough voltage and the machine tool was to be turned off over a prolonged period, the control would lose its no volatile memory, rendering the machine tool un-usable.
Buffer Battery
EEC Ltd offer services to put data backup solutions into place for Machine Tooling
EEC Ltd offer services to replace and exchange your failing buffer battery
Buffer Battery Message – Exchange Buffer Battery Warning
exchange buffer battery warning message
Whilst replacing a buffer battery on a customer’s machine, EEC Ltd also backup the machine data to keep the machine data secure.
The buffer battery is in place to keep the date, time and the following information available to the machine:-
The Buffer Battery is…
- The power source for the RAM when the machine is switched off
- Located inside the MC
- Has a rated voltage of 3v
- Has a typical service life of three to five years
For safeguarding the RAM during battery exchange, an additional capacitor (Gold Cap) was integrated into the PCB of iTNC. This capacitor stores the RAM content for approximately one day without batteries.
The following information is stored in the battery buffered memory:
- Non-volatile PLC operands
- Most recent log entries
- Information about the trace function
- Information about program interruption
- Information from absolute encoders and EnDat interface
- Information about the boot process
- Information about errors
