HIROTEC implements Digital Twin with FASTSUITE Edition 2

Published 06/21/2018

Stuttgart, June 14, 2018 - The Japanese body parts manufacturer Hirotec is introducing the FASTSUITE Edition 2 digital factory solution from CENIT at its main plant. The software serves as a platform for all steps from cell planning to PLC validation. A first milestone is the digital twin of a production cell for vehicle doors. CENIT will present the project at Automatica 2018 in Munich.

HIROTEC implements Digital Twin with FASTSUITE Edition 2

Hirotec Corporation (Hiroshima/Japan) is one of the world's leading car body parts manufacturers. As Tier-1 supplier of automotive OEM, the company is continuously working on improvements in the manufacturing process from design to production. The strategic goal is "Zero Defects, Zero Delays, Zero Downtime". On its way to the Smart Factory, Hirotec relies on the FASTSUITE Edition 2 digital factory solution from IT software and consulting firm CENIT.

After a successful feasibility study in 2016, Hirotec decided in 2017 to commission CENIT with the first project - the construction of a digital twin for a vehicle door production cell. This development project is now being continued so that Hirotec will in future design the entire process flow with CENIT's FASTSUITE solution.

The entire engineering process in one software

What was particularly convincing for Hirotec was the fact that the entire engineering process takes place in one software, from layout planning and offline programming to PLC validation and virtual commissioning. In this way, interfaces are avoided in advance and the greatest possible process efficiency is achieved.

Here are a few examples: FASTSUITE Edition 2 contains predefined simulation components that are already structured as mechatronic models. The employee generates the system layout on the basis of the production or assembly sequence planning by selecting the required components from this offer and arranging them using drag & drop. CENIT also offers a direct integration to CADENAS PartSolutions. If required, additional "smart components" can be added from the extensive 3D manufacturer catalogs and used immediately in the simulation.

For the test phase, PLC validation and virtual commissioning, the software contains a virtual, mechatronic model of the entire system. The virtual system thus behaves identically to the real hardware, including all I/O signals, sensor data, etc. This makes it possible to test and optimize the control software (PLC) already in early project phases, before the actual construction of the plant in FASTSUITE Edition 2. This drastically reduces project runtimes and allows possible errors to be detected and corrected much earlier. PLC validation and virtual commissioning take place directly in the simulation environment of FASTSUITE Edition 2, and by connecting the virtual robot controller, the robots can also be simulated exactly as in reality and based on a backup of the real controller. The complex, expensive and not always available connection of RCS modules can be omitted.

In addition to the qualities of the software, Hirotec also explains the worldwide presence of CENIT as essential for this future project: "For us, it is important that the software supports our teams in applying their expertise. If we now include additional locations as a global supplier, CENIT can accompany us on this path because the company offers the necessary capacity and internationality" emphasizes Hideharu Aranii, General Manager, Assembly Tool Engineering Department, Tool & The Division. For both partners, CENIT and Hirotec, this is the ideal basis for making Hirotec's future plans come true.

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Swetlana Isaak

Swetlana Isaak

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