A smarter machine shop: How to get from manual to autonomous parts production | Webinar recap

The journey from traditional manual processes to fully autonomous parts production isn’t just an aspiration. It’s a strategic imperative.

The recent webinar, “The path to a smart factory: From manual to autonomous production,” offered a comprehensive exploration of how digitizing parts manufacturing can unlock hidden potential, boost productivity, reduce lead times and cut resource costs.

This hour-long session, featuring insights from Siemens experts Thomas Mucke, Pedro Leon, Richard Huber, and Stefan Deusser, provided a deep dive into the integrated solutions and strategies essential for achieving a smart machine shop.

Watch the trailer to see and hear a few of the topics they covered.

Watch the full webinar for a more in-depth discussion and practical demonstrations of digital tools for machine shops.

The foundation of digitalization and autonomous parts production: CAD, PMI and PLM integration

The webinar began by emphasizing the crucial role of a continuous digital thread in part manufacturing, highlighting the need for integrated and connected solutions.

Pedro Leon, portfolio development of digital manufacturing at Siemens Digital Industries Software, delved into the foundational elements, starting with CAD and product manufacturing information (PMI).

Siemens NX employs a model-based definition approach where 3D CAD models are enriched with geometry, PMI and all necessary metadata.

This approach establishes a single source of dimensional and tolerance information, enabling dynamic inspection for collaboration across the entire company. It also eliminates any ambiguities often associated with reading 2D drawings.

Parts manufacturers can use this PMI data across various manufacturing tools, reducing errors and scrap through improved quality management, enhanced process planning, effective tolerance analysis, seamless CAD/CAM feature-based machining, NC programming and CMM dimensional quality workflow.

Extending product lifecycle management (PLM) from design to manufacturing connects unconnected processes. A manufacturing resources library (MRL) houses and classifies things like cutting tools, probes, fixtures, and machines that can be easily accessed by part process planners.

Each PLM item is presented as an intelligent container holding information like tool data, NC code, work instructions and shop documents.

The webinar demonstrated an NX CAM programmer accessing manufacturing PLM to search for and select a specific tool, and then immediately using it in a machining operation through drag-and-drop.

The MRL, embedded in NX, streamlines NC programming and saves operational costs by reusing existing manufacturing resources.

Autonomous parts production begins with seamless data management from engineering BOM to bill of process

From product development to manufacturing, machine shops manage a lot of data, and all of it moves across the company – from department to department, from process to process – through different programs.

Richard Huber, portfolio development executive at Siemens Digital Industries Software,  showcased how Teamcenter PLM manages data with a singular digital thread.

By serving as a central hub for managing CAD data, the manufacturing department can seamlessly use this data in combination with manufacturing resource libraries for CAM operations.

This integrated approach, using NX for CAM in conjunction with Teamcenter, is presented as enabling the setup of a dedicated bill of process (BOP) within Teamcenter.

This BoP is described as encompassing all the manufacturing process steps required to produce each part of a bill of materials (BOM).

Beyond manufacturing management, the webinar underscored the importance of collaboration between product development and manufacturing across the entire company.

Within Teamcenter, a dedicated engineering BOM (EBOM) is established, which includes mechanical, electrical and even electromechanical representations. This EBOM is then derived into a manufacturing BOM (MBOM), which can be restructured to accurately represent all manufacturing steps.

The process involves setting up a dedicated bill of processes using a specialized equipment library, not only for manufacturing parts but also for discrete assembling.

The result is a complete bill of process within Teamcenter, incorporating all manufacturing resources, equipment libraries and NC programs.

This comprehensive data is then handed over to the ERP system for order management and to the MES systems, bridging the gap to the shop floor.

Optimizing shop floor operations for autonomous parts production: Tooling, scheduling and execution

For any shop floor to get a high-quality job done quickly and efficiently, operations needs to know essential data like machine tool availability, processing time and more.

The ERP system, which controls manufacturing requirements and typically plans for infinite capacities, provides crucial data, primarily due dates.

Opcenter APS, a detailed scheduling tool, uses ERP data to create an optimized sequence for processing orders. The software aims to maximize resource usage by planning against finite capacities like machines, workplaces, qualifications, tools and fixtures.

Stefan Deusser focused on the shop floor, detailing how the engineering and manufacturing plans translate into tangible production.

The manufacturing execution system (MES) plays a pivotal role by consuming the bill of process generated in Teamcenter Manufacturing. The MES provides a technical work order with more detailed information than what the ERP system requires.

This technical order enables communication with the automation layer, facilitating the transfer of information like CNC programs.

Furthermore, the MES system collects data, displays information to workers, and allows them to input necessary details.

Conclusion: The integrated vision for autonomous parts production

Machine shops that digitize their processes will race ahead of any competition that delays a digital transformation.

A holistic approach centered around interconnected digital twins can transform production, lower costs, accelerate time to market and improve part quality.

Product Manufacturing Information (PMI) and the Manufacturing Resources Library (MRL) play critical roles in creating a continuous digital thread from design to the shop floor.

Centralized data management within Teamcenter seamlessly connects engineering BOMs with manufacturing BOMs and comprehensive bills of process.

And finally, manufacturing execution systems (MES) and advanced planning and scheduling tools optimize shop floor operations, from tool supply and management to automated NC program transfer.

To hear the entire conversation, learn more specifics, and see some practical demonstrations, watch the full presentation on demand.

It offers a valuable roadmap for any machine shop or parts manufacturer looking to transform itself into a truly smart factory.