Another method of error checking on the machine itself is something we call, ‘BTSOMA.’  That is an acronym for Broken Tool Sensor Outside the Machining Area. We supply a lot of these features on our horizontal machines because it’s a good error checking process. It adds liability to the process and basically what it does is check a tool very quickly to see whether it’s there or not. If the tool has been broken or if the tool has been pulled out of the collet, this will be detected very quickly. What's really neat about this particular error proofing feature is that it all occurs outside the machining area so, for example, if you take a drill out of the machining process, it’s checked by the BTSOMA system. Meanwhile, the machine and the spindle has gone back to work and you're producing the part. There's no compromise at all to cycle time in order to check these tools to make sure everything is okay. I’ll show you the video and you can take a look and you’ll immediately understand the advantage of this type of a system. Where the error proofing comes in is that it can identify a broken tool. It takes no time in the process to do it, and prevents the classic ‘trying to tap a hole’ that doesn’t exist.

BTSOMA is a very quick process, it checks the tool, verifies the tool is there, if it’s too long, and it is all being done while the machine is processing your part. So there's no compromise at all to your cycle time, but yet, you can eliminate errors in the tooling area