All Digital/IT articles
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ArticleFast finish
Anything’s possible Return to racing The 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; ...
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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 impressive Cost-saving prototype design Let’s get physical 3D printing Years ago, the beginning of any new automotive project was called the ‘fuzzy front end’. No one really knew how much time ...
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ArticleHMS uses robotic program for simulation
Simulating complex tooling It’s all in the retrofit Today’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 program Flexibility, affordability, and efficiency are key ingredients of today’s successful automotive ...
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ArticleDriven to succeed
Planned acceleration Bringing in further production technology Collaborative concurrent engineering at Bentley Motors produces design-to-manufacturing efficiency and the benefits of 3D communication throughout the enterprise With 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 ...
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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 facts Mining for information Operator and process practices Patterns with raw data All kinds of data User relevance Comparative analysis and benchmarking Information 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. ...
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ArticleSpeeding up production design with Delmia
Features of MGS System is efficient and intuitive China 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 ...
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ArticleNo strings attached
Realistic parameters Fobs and flashes No margin for error ZigBee Mesh networks Bluetooth capacity Practical wireless control solutions for auto manufacturing and what the future holds for this technology It would be something of a finance officer’s dream if automated factories could be controlled from a central point. Whether it ...
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ArticleConnecting the network
A matter of choice Different attributes for different networks Choosing one or the other Opening the Windows Exploiting the gateways Benefits of integration Controlling the carriers Driving the devices Installation times are reduced Communications systems are becoming increasingly standardised but there are still two distinct camps One of the most ...
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ArticlePlant rises from a Delmia digital design
Close collaboration leads to optimisation Visualisation tests improved logistics at the plant Future planning in 3D To 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 software Heavy-vehicle ...
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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 ...
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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 Simulation Adaptive Control Co-operating robots Company-wide, we drill around 50 million holes per ...
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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 Systems Pre-production trials Systems for new model introductions Flow of information Supporting the life cycle Nissan is renowned for its innovative designs and they reflect ...
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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 integrators CAD savings Accommodating for the future Construction bids Process engineering Unique collaboration New projects The Toledo North Assembly Plant, ...
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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 planning Shared processes Assembly planning After the end of the Cold War, Czech ...