It has become universally accepted that digitized value-adding networks are the key to success in global competition – if and when the companies that rely on them focus not only on technology, but also on enterprise culture and security aspects. CENIT’s Innovation Day, held in Stuttgart in mid-May, examined technical feasibility aspects in the manufacturing industry and their networks, especially for mid-size businesses. Around 150 PLM experts attended the event at which CENIT showcased two integrated platforms (3DEXPERIENCE Platform from Dassault Systèmes and SAP S/4HANA). The use case demonstrated how an e-scooter manufacturer relies on a consistent, end-to-end data basis to digitalize its product development process, integrating not just Tier 1 and 2 suppliers but also the scooter rental companies. In the hypothetical scenario, client companies complained about problems with the brake discs; these issues were then resolved via a collaborative effort and the discs were replaced.
Digital Twins in Engineering
“The benefits of platform-based, integrated collaboration are evident throughout the entire process. In engineering, for instance, CAD integration with the PLM landscape and the central enterprise platform ensures process continuity”, said Horst Heckhorn, Senior Vice President SAP Solutions & Business Development Executive at CENIT. The experts also showed how seamless integration and end-to-end mapping of complex mechatronic systems makes it easier to bring development partners on board – across company boundaries. This enables manufacturing enterprises to make the right decisions for the entire system early on, minimizing cost- and time-intensive mistakes further down the road. They also speed up time-to-market intervals.
Digital Twins in Industrial Engineering
To guarantee process security when processing production orders, a company has to have all the relevant and correct data available at the right moment. As CENIT showed, this is only possible if upstream process steps ensure end-to-end production planning, from development lists to production lists to parts lists. In the scenario, CENIT demonstrated how production segments can be secured via our proprietary product FASTSUITE Edition 2. It also pointed out the benefits that can be gained from offline programming – the only way to ensure a seamless handover to production.
Reduced downtime, less production waste: To show how one can achieve these goals, the experts set up a model of a digital quality twin. All along the tolerance chain, virtual measurement data is reconciled with actual data, and AI algorithms analyze live data and operating conditions in the processing centers. This makes manufacturing quality predictable and lets the technicians take countermeasures if required.
Digital Twins in Production
Planning and safeguarding end-to-end assembly while keeping your manufacturing flexible and responsive – this too can be achieved with a digital twin based on the virtual product and the virtual factory. The twin links the information it obtains with complex data e.g. from processes, simulations, interactions and services. To demonstrate how this can be done, CENIT’s scenario transformed a tact-based manufacturing structure into a semi-autonomous end-to-end production process.
Digital Twins in Services
Services let manufacturers benefit from satisfied, loyal customers – provided they respond quickly to complaints and find solutions right away. To do this, they need transparent end-to-end processes throughout the use phase and a cloud platform that gives them full ownership of changing as-maintained parts lists.
Real-World Validation
At the Innovation Day’s panel discussion, CENIT clients from the manufacturing industry, including Mayer & Cie., Evum Motors, V-Zug and Mahle, underscored the benefits of the two platforms and encouraged the audience to seek guidance and advice from experienced external experts. “Particularly in brownfield projects, which such ventures will usually be, you have to wrap up small packages and take one step after the other”, has been Heckhorn’s experience with medium-scale manufacturing companies.
CENIT Business Process Integrator
CENIT sees itself as leading integrator of business processes. “With our smartPLM solutions concept, we have shown that process-driven platform integration is the be-all and end-all in many industries”, said Kurt Bengel, CEO of CENIT AG. He went on to announce the latest product innovation: “Our CENIT Business Process Integrator is a tool for hybrid integration of product development processes into platforms – on-premises, hosted or cloud-based.” Martin Thiel, Senior Vice President 3DS-PLM at CENIT, described the roadmap: “In line with the iPaaS philosophy (Integration Platform as a Service), clients will be able to buy the new solution or use it as a service. In Q3 2019, we plan to kick off industrialization projects with pilot customers. The first release will enable event-based exchange of engineering and manufacturing parts lists, work schedules and all associated data and documents.”
Further information and contact details can be found at CENIT Innovation Day 2019.
