Accelerate time to delivery with automation in manufacturing – webinar

In recent years, manufacturing has witnessed a continuous shift towards various digital technologies and software for better performance, quality, time and cost. 

This webinar addresses the many aspects of the digital machine shop and uses of automated CAM software for higher productivity using Digital Part Production.

Joining us in this webinar is Bill Paffett, Americas Channel Enablement at Siemens Digital Industries Software. Bill’s experience includes 20 years in NX CAM sales support and over 40 years in NX Machining.

> Listen to the webinar.

Manufacturing – common objectives

The focus of this webinar is highly automated CAM, using NX manufacturing. “The main objective for manufacturers, regardless of their industry, is increased throughput,” says Bill Paffett. Staying competitive in the current marketplace requires an increased throughput by reducing machining cycle times, setup times and machine downtime. Meeting quality standards is also critical. Consistently achieving high quality requires precise machining, a better finish and employing best practices to attain repeatability. It is necessary to focus on technologies that provide new business opportunities and technologies like robotics or 3D printing.

However, achieving these objectives is a challenge. Many manufacturers have inefficient processes in place. A standard solution is feature-based machining (FBM). NX CAM provides FBM support within a process, using custom templates that automate multiple aspects of the manufacturing process definition. This webinar portrays a broader assessment of process automation, including feature-based machining as part of a highly automated workflow.

Simulated 3D models

When talking about a 3D solid model, it is a digital twin of the part or product, including a smart model of the part to be machined and the product manufacturing information. The 3D master model can be designed in NX or imported from another CAD system. The digital twin of the part model is the input to the machining process. In NX, you can define the entire setup as an assembly with workholding and fixtures. That same model definition can be taken into NX CAM for programming the creation and validation of G-code, driving the machine tools and completing shop documentation.

Simultaneously, the quality team defines the inspection process. Companies are increasingly using product manufacturing information attached to the model. The PMI data includes tolerance and surface finish information. This data traditionally exists only on drawings and is manually entered into the CAM or CMM system. PMI can be added to the model definition during part design, automating the programming, and automatically creates inspection programs from the PMI data on the part model. Then inspection programs are produced and sent to a coordinate measuring machine on the shop floor.

A digital twin of the comprehensive manufacturing process drives an efficient and flexible production process. The programs and documentation can be rapidly updated for external and internal changes, passing them to the shop floor. A consistent digital thread is used throughout the entire manufacturing process. NX uses one model in a single software system, going from part preparation into programming and production. A key tenant of the digital machine shop process is it being model-driven, to provide a distinct competitive advantage, including associativity to the supply design data, concurrent workflow, accuracy and reliability.

Learn more about this process in the webinar. Also, listen to the podcast on this topic.

Software solutions

Siemens Digital Industries Software drives the transformation to enable a digital enterprise where engineering, manufacturing and electronics design meet tomorrow.

Xcelerator, the comprehensive and integrated portfolio of software and services from Siemens Digital Industries Software, helps companies of all sizes create and leverage a complete digital twin that provides organizations with new insights, opportunities, and automation levels to drive innovation.

For more information on Siemens Digital Industries Software products and services, visit siemens.com/software or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Siemens Digital Industries Software – where today meets tomorrow.

Related links
Listen to the DPP Podcast on this topic.
Learn more by listening to the webinar.
Find our more about digital part production.