All Digital/IT articles
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ArticleFast finish
Anything’s possibleReturn to racingThe term ‘rapid prototyping’ is not popular among the companies that provide the relevant technologies, for two basic reasons: its association with the sophisticated but expensive techniques involving laser curing of resin materials that predominated when the concept first appeared a couple of decades ago; and the ...
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ArticleAMS 10th Anniversary: Digital manufacturing
Getting the full pictureVirtual part and plant developmentFull circleLegacy creates problemsThe first issue of AMS noted that General Motors had, in 2000, already been using simulation tools for over a decade. At plants around the world the company had put various software packages into widespread use in applications ranging from ...
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ArticleSimultaneous engineering at AES
Combining the advanced engineering expertise of CATIA and DELMIA is yielding impressive results for AESUtilising 3D models and robot simulations in key processesModel simulations with fewer steps and greater accuracyProspects for the futureBuilding on its core competence in automotive plant engineering, AES has set up overseas bases in Thailand, China, ...
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ArticleClearly visible benefits
Solutions that cover and facilitate whole product lifecycle processes are growing in importance, and the main driver is visualisation technology.Factory planningVisualisation is entering a new dimension that goes beyond mere photorealistic product imagery. So far, designers have primarily concentrated on visualising product concepts, prototypes and finished products. Now, the trend ...
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ArticleFrom art to part
Time-to-market pressure has never been greater, which is why new technology to shorten this critical process is becoming more impressiveCost-saving prototype designLet’s get physical3D printingYears ago, the beginning of any new automotive project was called the ‘fuzzy front end’. No one really knew how much time would be required to ...
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ArticleHMS uses robotic program for simulation
Simulating complex toolingIt’s all in the retrofitToday’s production lines need to be flexible and adaptable, and one way of ensuring that the robotics is up to the job is to do 3D simulations using an innovative programFlexibility, affordability, and efficiency are key ingredients of today’s successful automotive assembly lines. In ...
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ArticleDriven to succeed
Planned accelerationBringing in further production technologyCollaborative concurrent engineering at Bentley Motors produces design-to-manufacturing efficiency and the benefits of 3D communication throughout the enterpriseWith a heritage covering almost a century, Bentley Motors is among the world’s most iconic brands. Since its parent became Volkswagen, the company has experienced a renaissance with ...
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ArticleAbaqus advances
Dassault Systèmes has released Abaqus 6.8, its technology-leading unified finite element analysis software suite from SIMULIA. Engineers, designers, researchers, and scientists can use Abaqus to lower costs and reduce cycle times through the realistic simulation of stress, impact, crush, fluid-structure interaction, thermal dynamics, and other complex behaviours of products, materials, ...
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ArticlePutting the fact in factory
Just the factsMining for informationOperator and process practicesPatterns with raw dataAll kinds of dataUser relevanceComparative analysis and benchmarkingInformation is crucial in today’s lean manufacturing environment, but the amount of data generated by resource planning software can often be bewildering and even counter productive. AMS looks at why it’s important to ...
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ArticleSpeeding up production design with Delmia
Features of MGSSystem is efficient and intuitiveChina Motor Corporation (CMC), based in Taiwan, turned to a team from the National Tsing Hua University to assist it in completing its digital factory project. The result was a tailor-made program developed using Delmia V5 known as MGS.Prototyping at the China Motor Corporation ...
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ArticleNo strings attached
Realistic parametersFobs and flashesNo margin for errorZigBeeMesh networksBluetooth capacityPractical wireless control solutions for auto manufacturing and what the future holds for this technologyIt would be something of a finance officer’s dream if automated factories could be controlled from a central point. Whether it was onsite or, even better, remotely, it ...
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ArticleConnecting the network
A matter of choiceDifferent attributes for different networksChoosing one or the otherOpening the WindowsExploiting the gatewaysBenefits of integrationControlling the carriersDriving the devicesInstallation times are reducedCommunications systems are becoming increasingly standardised but there are still two distinct campsOne of the most fundamental factors shaping shop floor manufacturing operations in the automotive ...
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ArticlePlant rises from a Delmia digital design
Close collaboration leads to optimisationVisualisation tests improved logistics at the plantFuture planning in 3DTo break new ground takes courage, but heavy-vehicle maker MAN was confident that the process would go smoothly because the design and construction of its new facility was initially done using virtual softwareHeavy-vehicle maker MAN Nutzfahrzeuge’s newest ...
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ArticleHigh stakes and great expectations
Processes are digitally unifiedWork sharing from a global perspectiveVirtual assessment roomsFord’s virtual builds win plauditsProduct development cycles are reducedPressure pointsLean is the new themeDigital manufacturing is only now coming in to its own, and carmakers are using the virtual factory to assist in reducing time to market of products.But this ...
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Article‘Virtual human’ tool improves ergonomics
Ergonomics is the hot topic of the day Possible postures are automatically displayed An ergonomically designed workstation makes work positions more comfortable for employees – and it pays dividends by increasing productivity. Volkswagen has implemented a virtual human software program at its Wolfsburg plant Ergonomics used ...
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ArticleAutomotive robots reach for the sky
Airbus has completed a major research project that has brought automotive robots up to aerospace tolerances – a process that incorporates Delmia V5R16 Robotics software and should reduce costs, cut production time and improve quality.Realistic Robot SimulationAdaptive ControlCo-operating robotsCompany-wide, we drill around 50 million holes per year and half of ...
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ArticleQashqai on delivery
Nissan has ensured a high standard in the launch of its Qashqai model with the use of manufacturing execution software from factory information expert Lighthouse SystemsPre-production trialsSystems for new model introductionsFlow of informationSupporting the life cycleNissan is renowned for its innovative designs and they reflect the spirit of the organisation. ...
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ArticleWorking together in Toledo
DaimlerChrysler’s Toledo plant is a unique example of cost-efficient, integrator-led design and building. AMS looks at how virtual engineering and supplier collaboration has provided a facility for the future.Project integratorsCAD savingsAccommodating for the futureConstruction bidsProcess engineeringUnique collaborationNew projectsThe Toledo North Assembly Plant, home of the Jeep Liberty and, more recently, ...
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ArticleSuccess at Skoda is a digital process
Skoda is making more cars than ever, and the success of its venture is being supported by DELMIA digital factory solutions Process Engineer for integrated product and process planning, and the DELMIA V5 DPM Assembly for assembly planningShared processesAssembly planningAfter the end of the Cold War, Czech carmaker Skoda, the ...