PLM System as Data Centerpiece used by Packaging Systems Specialist

Transcription

1 Customer Report PLM System as Data Centerpiece used by Packaging Systems Specialist keytech PLM: Solution for every Challenge! Schäfer & Flottmann GmbH & Co. KG s range of services fully meet the requirements of modern packaging and commissioning processes. Due to the complexity of our products, a single machine can consist of around 3,000 items and the bill of materials can contain up to 10,000 individual parts. This requires not only top-notch performance from our designers, but also the participating IT systems like M-CAD, E-CAD, ERP or PDM have to meet these requirements, says IT Manager Eugen Zimbelmann. With the introduction of the PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) solution keytech PLM, complex data management as well as high process reliability for this specialist for packaging machines is permanently guaranteed. keytech PLM is the key data center of the IT landscape, including deep CAD and ERP integration, and it allows the departments to grow together and enables the employees to have the correct view of the same project often looking at a project from a different and very specific angle such as electrical engineering and mechanical engineering, computer science, manufacturing or administration.

2 keytech renders possible to implement an integrated PLM concept. IT Manager Eugen Zimbelmann. Schäfer & Flottmann GmbH & Co. KG, Gevelsberg Schäfer & Flottmann have been specializing in the automation of packaging and product-sorting processes for over 60 years. Whether as a single module of a packaging machine or as a complex, customer-specific packaging line, the wide range of services is the result of decades-long, innovative and flexible development and design work and includes erectors, packaging machines, sorting and picking equipment, pick-and-place systems, closing and lidding units, robot palletizers and handling systems as well as wrapping machines predominantly for the food industry. The Packer SFS 414 is suitable to pack products into trays and/or wrap-around cartons, including an optional gluing operation and folding movements. The family company from Gevelsberg in Westphalia offers everything from its own mechanical and electrical design according to customer requirements, a high production depth allowing for batch sizes of 1, its own switch cabinet construction, its own assembly and commissioning as well as its own software development for machine and plant controls including GUI design from one source - modular and thus expandable. Plant Parts List with up to 10,000 Mechanical and Electrical Parts The range of products offered by Schäfer & Flottmann covers the entire requirements of modern packaging and order picking processes, starting with the analysis of customer requirements, packaging consulting, development, design and production of the components through to the installation and commissioning of complete packaging lines including interface responsibility and the after-sales service. This is why the production depth is correspondingly high for this traditional company, which makes it possible to virtually carry out all work steps in-house in the mechanical and electrical fields. Due to the complexity of our products, a single machine can consist of around 3,000 items and the bill of materials can contain up to 10,000 individual parts. This requires not only top-notch performance from our designers, but also the participating IT systems such as M-CAD, E-CAD, ERP and PDM have to meet these requirements, explains Eugen Zimbelmann, IT Manager at Schäfer & Flottmann.

3 During the selection process the following specifications were in the focus: Multi-CAD capability and deep CAD/ERP integration Simple and open database structure Item-based data management Better cooperation between electrical and mechanical design as well as better project management Objectives: integrated PLM concept, creation of a real mechatronic parts list, and better support in the design process through flexible workflow design Each machine will be individually projected, designed and built for your products, your packaging and your market requirements. From Self-Developed PDM system... In order to support administrative, designspecific and manufacturing-related business processes, Schäfer & Flottmann has been working with a variety of IT solutions for many years - professional M-CAD and E-CAD systems have been supplemented using proprietary ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) and PDM (Product Data Management) solutions. The data was transferred on the one hand through individually configured interfaces (between PDM and ERP) or manually from E-CAD using Excel. During the changeover of the M-CAD system in 2014, the persons responsible decided to replace the PDM software, which had reached its functional performance limits, with a professional and market-oriented solution, since complex and departmentwide data management or the permanent guarantee of high process reliability in today s daily routine could no longer be managed, says Eugen Zimbelmann.... to integrated PLM concept with keytech PLM Whether a single machine module or a complex packaging line is ordered by the customer: a consequence of the flexible and individual product development at Schäfer & Flottmann is the increase in the volume of data by a large number of project-relevant documents, data and information. Eugen Zimbelmann: Our machines and systems are 100% digital from product development through the entire product life cycle. The PLM system should, therefore, in principle be able to handle even huge amounts of data without any problems. However, to assess the quality of a PLM solution, it is crucial to know how these data can be efficiently, securely and enterprise-wide, but nevertheless flexibly and simply organized as well as how deeply they can be integrated into CAD or ERP systems. In the selection process, keytech PLM s data management was, in particular, one of the criteria for the Head of IT that set it above compared to its competitors. keytech renders possible to implement an integrated PLM concept. Every employee has the correct view of the same project - often looking at a project from a different and very specific angle such as electrical engineering and mechanical engineering, computer science, manufacturing or administration.

4 Uniform Data Basis for M/ECAD through a Joint Bill of Materials Other decisive factors that led to the selection of the PLM solution from keytech Software GmbH from Recklinghausen included: Freely configurable Deep SOLIDWORKS and EPLAN integration Interface to SolidCAM (production data can be stored) The user can implement customerspecific adaptations with.net technology Document management, integrated project management Mature development of the keytech web api Price-performance ratio Intersection tray erectors SFS 337: Exactly and accurately formed; with a perfectly precise repeat accuracy keytech PLM was introduced at Schäfer & Flottmann with a step-by-step approach: Following the integration into SOLIDWORKS and EPLAN and the new item setup, the workflows could be implemented in or between the mechanical and electrical design, keytech PLM creates a common - mechatronic BOM and thus forms a unified data base for M-CAD and E-CAD. After the integration of the project management as well as the DMS (document management) functionalities, SolidCAM was finally integrated into keytech. Today, keytech PLM is deployed at a total of 17 design workstations and is the data centerpiece of the entire IT landscape. User Simplification with the keytech web api Demands on the business processes of companies and thus also on the IT landscape are becoming ever more complex and fastmoving. In the current version, data, projectrelevant information or documents such as 3D models, simulation results, quality information, material certificates, contracts, sales documents, marketing material or competition analysis must be available department-wide to each employee involved they must be able to react to changes promptly and flexibly and efficiently. Via the keytech web api - an open programming interface, which is based on classic REST(Representational State Transfer) based web services - it is possible to implement own solutions for online access to the database system. It is suitable both for the mobile distribution of the information and documents as well as for the coupling to other systems such as an ERP system. Eugen Zimbelmann: The great advantage of a solution developed by the keytech web api according to one s own needs lies, on the one hand, in the application simplification for the user. For example, the user can query data on his known interface, create items and documents and edit without knowing from

5 which system the data actually came from. keytech is thereby practically invisible to the user driven in the background. On the other hand, only the most necessary data is transferred, because not every employee in each department really needs all the information. In the next step, the IT Manager plans an even closer integration of the production by connecting the BDE (operating data acquisition) terminals to the keytech web api, for example to provide the 3D CAD data to the employees in the production process digitally. keytech allows the departments to grow together As a result of technological change, the requirements for development, design and production at Schäfer & Flottmann GmbH & Co. KG shift away from single-disciplinary tasks to integrated tasks. A mechanical or electrical bill of materials becomes a mechatronic BOM, the product creation process becomes increasingly more flexible, individual and complex, the cross-departmental exchange of more and more data and information increases both quantitatively and qualitatively, concludes Eugen Zimbelmann. At the same time, the entire IT is subject to constant adjustments and/or optimizations and must at the same time ensure both data quality and data and/or process security. With the introduction of keytech PLM, all requirements from the specialist for packaging machines could be implemented: As a data centerpiece of the IT landscape, the software integrates all processes and implements them across departments, thus forming the basis for an integrated PLM concept. Contact Addresses Author Matthias Holzapfel Johannesstrasse Villingen-Schwenningen Tel.: redaktion@maxximum-pr.de Schäfer & Flottmann GmbH & Co. KG Eugen Zimbelmann Esborner Strasse Gevelsberg Tel.: info@sfs-net.de Internet: Carton Erector SFS 350: All of the functional stages in these machines have been designed to achieve a high output with a quiet running of the machine keytech Software GmbH Daniela Galik Suderwichstrasse Recklinghausen Tel.: info@keytech.de Internet:

6 Schäfer & Flottmann GmbH & Co. KG Schäfer & Flottmann GmbH & Co. KG, with headquarters in Gevelsberg, was founded in 1951 and employs around 90 people. For over 60 years the family-run company has been specializing in the automation of packaging and product-sorting processes. Whether as a single packaging machine or as a complex and customized packaging line, the wide range of services is the result of decades-long, innovative and flexible development and design work and includes erectors, packaging machines, sorting and picking equipment, pick and place systems, closing and lidding units, robot palletizers and handling systems as well as wrapping machines predominantly for the food industry. keytech Software GmbH keytech Software GmbH was founded in 1993 and specializes in the optimization of business process within the product lifecycle. With more than 1,000 successful implementations worldwide and more than 30 years experience in software development, keytech is a leader in the Germanspeaking PLM market. keytech works with their customers as they integrate their PLM ideas in their company and take into account existing processes during implementation. As one of a few independent PLM vendors keytech offers a large number of interfaces with well-known CAD programs such as SOLIDWORKS, CATIA, Inventor, Solid Edge, AutoCAD, EPLAN and others. keytech s years of experience with many ERP connections is the basis for successfully linking systems. In the past keytech has implemented several interfaces to wellknown ERP systems such as SAP, PSI, Microsoft Dynamics, NAV, SIVAS, ABAS and ISSOS. At the beginning of 2010 keytech expanded their portfolio to become a full-value DMS system that enables realtime, interdepartmental access to revisionsafe data. With this expansion keytech unified the two worlds of PLM and DMS into one system. Schäfer & Flottmann GmbH & Co. KG Esborner Strasse Gevelsberg Tel.: Fax: info@sfs-net.de Internet: keytech Software GmbH Suderwichstrasse Recklinghausen Tel.: Fax: info@keytech.de Internet: