Consumer products and retail Products NX, Teamcenter Business challenges Elevated quality requirements Labor-intensive manufacturing processes difficult to automate High labor cost; unfavorable exchange rates Small series down to batch size 1 Necessity to integrate third-party CAD files Keys to success Use NX CAD software for product and project design Use synchronous technology for easy integration of CAD data created with foreign software Use NX CAM with custom postprocessor for programming of NC wood machining center based on work piece geometry Create 3D model of wood machining center as its digital twin Perform programming and machining simulation in parallel with production Use Teamcenter software for product, project and program data management Swiss furniture maker produces innovative seating and tables following Industry 4.0 concepts Better ways of sitting Since AG s development of an infinite height adjustment mechanism for stools patented in 1910, the company has been turning out novel and often groundbreaking seating solutions. Since it was established as a wood turning shop in Zurich, Switzerland, in 1889, the furniture manufacturer has been producing innovative seating and tables with outstanding ergonomics, resilience and durability for offices as well as dining rooms. To remain internationally competitive with this portfolio in a country such as Switzerland with its high infrastructure and labor costs as well as an adverse exchange rate is in itself quite a challenge. Combining sophisticated, original design and functionality with maximum practical benefits, we create tomorrow s classics, says Michael. He is heading the Switzerland-based group with subsidiaries in the European Union and Turkey in the family s fourth generation. This requires an uncompromisingly honest use of materials as well as precision in manufacturing with high craftsmanship. A good example of this is the G 125. Released to the market for the company s 125th anniversary, that model is meant to be a reinterpretation of the traditional wooden swivel chair and was awarded several design prizes. As a counterweight to modern swivel chairs whose functions and www.siemens.com/plm
is a Swiss family business producing innovative, sophisticated seating. The company s G 125 is a reinterpretation of the traditional wooden swivel chair and recipient of several design awards. Results Accelerated planning of individual furnishing projects Reduced downtime of the wood machining center Facilitated simultaneous multi-axis machining Reduced manufacturingrelated design restrictions Facilitated re-use of geometry and program data options are continuously extended but which appeal less and less to our senses, the chair offers only a few functions and options for adjustment. Four wooden legs or a steel star base with castors bear a rotating U-shaped seat and backrest. Without a sophisticated tilting mechanism, as a flexible torsion rod, this allows the seat and back to rock comfortably. The seat is made of either an upholstered seat board or a molded wooden ring with transparent mesh covering, while the backrest is made of steam-molded solid wood. NX for product and project development engineers developed G 125 based on shapes created by industrial designer, Mathias Seiler. The company has been working with NX TM software from product lifecycle management (PLM) specialist Siemens PLM Software for computer-aided design (CAD) for many years. uses this software to design new products as well as jigs and fixtures and in the planning of custom furnishing projects. This comes with an enormous time pressure. Contrasted to original design work, this kind of planning work is frequently expected to be finished within a few days. We typically perform this planning work in close cooperation with architects, creating their designs using other software tools, says, head of project management and production engineering at. This is where synchronous technology comes in handy as NX allows us to import geometry data regardless of their provenience and data quality. We can test and optimize the wood cutting operations offline using the machine s digital twin, saving time and unsuccessful attempts and avoiding collisions. Head of Project Management and Production Engineering A number of manufacturing operations are still performed purely by hand at the factory.
The shapes of the parts we produce on this machine are often rather complex. In addition to numerous boreholes and pockets, they feature a multitude of curves and freeform geometries. This suggests generation of the machine programs based on the parts geometry information from NX. The gantry machine comes with two independent working tables, features two separate processing units for four- and five-axis milling, respectively, and an automatic tool changer. Synchronous technology is also quite valuable when it comes to re-using our own designs, adds Simon von Gunten, deputy head of wood fabrication at. This functionality within the CAD software substantially shortens the time needed for production-oriented modifications. product development engineers use NX not only to create their designs. Using NX Nastran software, employing the finite elements method (FEM), they also verify the physical properties of components. Wooden parts are not as yet verified using this software because their non-linear material properties limit their calculability. CNC wood cutting A highly specialized partner company manufactures the blanks for the backrest using the bentwood process to manually bend the wood using steam and custommade molds. Other than this, manufactures the chair almost entirely in the factory at its main location. To this date, a number of the operations are still performed purely by hand. say, table tops with dimensions up to 6.0 x 1.5 x 0.3 meters. The machine also comes with two independent working tables and features two separate processing units for four- and five-axis milling, respectively. These share an automatic tool changer and perform all required process steps, from sawing to various forms of milling. The backrest gains its final shape on this machine, losing roughly three quarters of its previous volume in the process. Wood processing programmed using NX CAM The shapes of the parts we produce on this machine are often rather complex, notes Schaad. In addition to numerous boreholes and pockets, they feature a Managing all design and production relevant information using Teamcenter saves us alignment, duplication of efforts and errors. It also makes re-using existing designs much easier, promoting the efficient development and production of highly individualized products and projects. Head of Project Management and Production Engineering Since 2007, though, has been using a computer numerical control (CNC) machining center from a leading German manufacturer. The size of the gantry machine is sufficient for work pieces engineers use NX to design new products as well as jigs and fixtures and to plan custom furnishing projects.
multitude of curves and freeform geometries. This suggests generation of the machine programs based on the parts geometry information from NX. Controlling the machine, however, is a proprietary CNC system designed by the machine manufacturer. It is not compatible with popular control systems used in milling centers used for cutting metals or plastics. Consequently, no suitable postprocessor programs or machine room simulation are available for this specific CNC machine. For computer-aided manufacturing (CAM), the preconditions had yet to be created. Postprocessor for exotic control system Janus Engineering is a partner of Siemens PLM Software for the optimization and automation of the CAD/CAM/PLM process chain using NX CAM and Teamcenter software, also from Siemens PLM Software. The specialists from this company supported in this automation challenge by programming a postprocessor. It allows automatically generating very efficient code for the CNC machining center based on the geometry data from NX. This required taking into account unique properties of the machine tool. It supplies some rotating parts with electricity using cables rather than slip rings, for instance. This caused a restriction in the freedom of movement that needed to be communicated to the CAM software. Nevertheless, the Janus The backrest gains its final shape on a CNC wood machining center. Janus Engineering, Siemens PLM Software partner for the optimization and automation of the CAD/CAM/PLM process chain using NX CAM and Teamcenter, created a postprocessor for a wood machining center. It allows automatically generating very efficient code for the CNC machining center based on the work piece geometry data. Being able to utilize all capabilities of the machining center greatly reduces productionrelated restrictions for our furniture designers. Simon von Gunten Deputy Head of Wood Fabrication
Solutions/Services NX www.siemens.com/nx Teamcenter www.siemens.com/teamcenter Customer s primary business Established in 1889, AG designs and manufactures innovative seating and tables with outstanding ergonomics, resilience and durability for offices as well as dining rooms. The furniture manufacturer also trades timber and overhauls old furniture in a remanufacturing shop. The owner-managed family business employs 250 and is headquartered in Switzerland, with subsidiaries in the European Union and Turkey. www.girsberger.com Customer location Bützberg Switzerland Partner Janus Engineering AG www.janus-engineering.ch Managing all design and production-relevant information using Teamcenter saves us alignment, duplication of efforts and errors. Head of Project Management and Production Engineering built a complete representation of its machining center using NX to test and optimize wood cutting operations offline using the machine s digital twin, saving time and unsuccessful attempts and avoiding collisions. Engineering specialists managed to fulfill their task without modifying the software itself so that their programs are update-proof. For the wood machining center, a complete 3D model was not available, either. We built a complete representation using NX, says von Gunten. This way, we can simulate and optimize the wood cutting operations offline using the machine s digital twin, saving machine occupation time, unsuccessful attempts and avoiding collisions. Although both the mechanics and the control system of the machine are up to the task, simultaneous multi-axis machining was not possible due to programming limitations. The CAM implementation using NX enabled us to program the most complex machining patterns requiring simultaneous axis movements required in the production of the backrest for our G 125, von Gunten confirms. Being able to utilize all capabilities of the machining center greatly reduces production-related restrictions for our furniture designers. This also substantially contributes to the competitiveness of whose products user-oriented, ergonomic design is a significant distinguishing feature, particularly when competing with volume producers. PLM promotes efficiency Another significant contributor to improved efficiency in development and production of furniture and individual furnishing solutions at is management of the product lifecycle. For some years, the Swiss furniture manufacturer has been using Teamcenter for managing all design and program data from NX as well as product- or projectrelevant documents from other sources. Managing all design- and productionrelevant information using Teamcenter saves us alignment, duplication of efforts and errors, says Schaad. It also makes re-using existing designs much easier, promoting the efficient development and production of highly individualized products and projects. Siemens PLM Software Americas +1 314 264 8499 Europe +44 (0) 1276 413200 Asia-Pacific +852 2230 3308 www.siemens.com/plm 2016 Siemens Product Lifecycle Management Software Inc. Siemens, the Siemens logo and SIMATIC IT are registered trademarks of Siemens AG. Camstar, D-Cubed, Femap, Fibersim, Geolus, GO PLM, I-deas, JT, NX, Omneo, Parasolid, Solid Edge, Syncrofit, Teamcenter and Tecnomatix are trademarks or registered trademarks of Siemens Product Lifecycle Management Software Inc. or its subsidiaries in the United States and in other countries. Nastran is a registered trademark of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. All other logos, trademarks, registered trademarks or service marks belong to their respective holders. 58175-A14 11/16 A