Our team of highly skilled and innovative engineers will continue to provide world class automation services, including the creation of custom turnkey robotic work cells and automation equipment, engineering contract services and PLM Software products.

If you are a manufacturing company looking to improve your efficiency and increase your productivity in order to maintain your edge in today’s competitive market, please contact us so we can work with you to find the best solution to fit your needs.

4D Systems Automation in Willoughby, Ohio

4702 E. 355th Street
Willoughby, Ohio 44094
800-380-9165
www.4dsysco.com

Contact Nick Steffas for more information at [email protected] or 330-352-1228

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In our Siemens NX Training video series, we present four key Siemens NX training videos including:

• Introduction to 3D Scan data using Siemens NX
• Siemens NX CAD – NX Mach Advantage Package Demonstration
• 4D Systems webinar on 3D Printing – Using Siemens NX and 3D Scan Data
• 4D Systems – NX Additive Webinar

Siemens NX Training Video – Introduction to 3D Scan data using Siemens NX

In this video you will learn about working With 3D Scan Data.  Several key points include:

1. With the rapid influx of additive manufacturing (3D Printing) and rapid prototyping, there is now an increased need to take objects scanned in 3D and work with them within CAD Software.
2. Examples: (Medical Scans for custom fitted medical devices, Object replication, Rapid fixture design, Simulation and Testing)
3. Today we will be taking a scan of shoe inserts and modify them within NX to make them ready to be used for printing or further modification.
4. Step one is opening a new Modeling part.
5. Make sure the “Reverse Engineering” ribbon tab is displayed (right click on ribbon bar)
6. Import the file (mainly STL files), using the Import STL function, making sure the Facet Body Output Type is set to “NX”
7. The objects are brought in as a facet body.
8. We can see these objects need some cleanup. There are holes and rough patches in the top face and the bottom of the insert has a honeycomb design.
9. We will be using the convergent modeling tools within the Reverse Engineering ribbon tab to clean the model up before converting it to a NX object.
10. Snip regions of suspect geometry to remove areas of concern.
11. Move on to fill hole (options within fill hole include tangent, linear, curvature, etc.)
12. Snip all around edge to separate top surface from bottom.
13. Convert Geometry to convergent body (to be able to modify using NX feature tools)
14. Delete bottom geometry using part navigator
15. Make a base sheet/extrusion to project curves on.
16. Project edge curves of the inserts onto the sheet.
17. Use smooth curve to smooth the projected curves using settings of 20 degrees and 0.010 tolerances.
18. Extend sheet of edges (3in) to make a cutting plane.
19. Extrude the smoothed edges enough to cover entire body.
20. Use trim body to cut the extrusion by the insert surface.
21. Hide all unnecessary bodies.

Siemens NX CAD – NX Mach Advantage Package Demonstration

In this webinar we will be taking a look at some of the features in the different NX CAD Mach packages as well as showing a demo of the Annex Mach Advantage features.
4d systems is a premier provider of Siemens PLM and robotic simulation software our team of engineers bring together decades of experience in product life cycle management solution implementation simulation engineering and manufacturing.

NX Mach software products are prepackaged solutions delivering high performance cad capabilities of NX software the leading solution for mechanical design they offer competitively priced solutions tailored to specific product development roles practices and processes in four performance tiers value-added upgrades are available to move customers from one tier to the next each package delivers complete capabilities for production work.

If you’re in the mold or die business, these tools are really powerful to allow you have all that mold and die checking built into your tools as well as having all the feature and assembly modeling that Mach 3 offers.

Using Siemens NX and 3D Scan Data

This will be covering 3d printing aspects of NX. We are looking at the parts that made out of the 3d scans of the shoe inserts.  We took a shoe insert and the top surface which we wanted to model and replaced the bottom surface with a nice flat surface that we’re going to be able to put right directly on our 3d printing bed so this will kind of highlight the abilities of taking a 3d scan going straight into a 3d print environment.

3D Printing Outline:

1. Welcome to 4D Systems Introduction to NX Video on 3D Printing
2. We will be taking an object we worked with in the previous video working with 3D Scan Data.
3. This object was shoe inserts we imported into NX, cleaned up, and added some standard modeling features.
4. We will now be starting the Additive Manufacturing application to prepare these objects for 3d printing.
5. In this application you can save your print surface and volume to ensure your design is manufacture able.
6. You can also add support material in this step.
7. Set the print volume to our printer. (TAZ 5 Height (z) = 9.8, Length (y) = 10.8, Width (x) = 11.4, OriginX = -5.7, OriginY = -5.4, OriginZ = 0)
8. We are going to import our part using the add component dialog.
9. The part is too large to fit on the print bed.
10. Go into the part
11. Scale body (0.02 Uniform)
12. Save as the part as a scaled model
13. Reimport the model.
14. Fix on print bed.
15. Export to STL
16. Need to use separate slicer software (Cura etc.)

4D Systems – NX Additive Webinar

Learn how Siemens NX’s Additive Manufacturing Technology can be used effectively to create 3D printed parts.  In this video, we will setup a build tray for a set of
gripper fingers on our training robot and actually execute and print it on a 3d printer.

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Siemens NX provides support for every stage of the product development process, including concept design, generative engineering, and manufacturing. The enhanced Synchronous Technology that Siemens NX delivers is instrumental in flexible assembly and component modeling. This technology also offers multi-CAD capability while streamlining digital simulations.

NX offers the broadest range of CAD/CAM/CAE applications in the industry. The software’s integrated process automation tools allow your company to record and reuse knowledge to develop best practices for optimal efficiency and profitability.

To implement Siemens NX into your operations, contact our team at 4D Systems today. As an authorized Siemens reseller partner, we can provide you with a custom Siemens NX solution that fits your project requirements.

What Is NX Used For?

Your manufacturing plan or design company can use Siemens NX for a wide range of applications:

Design and Styling

Siemens NX offers a comprehensive range of design features you can use to create digital twins of product prototypes, ensuring optimal aesthetics and functionality. The tooling and fixture design feature is an automated virtual solution for streamlining development processes. In addition to product prototypes, you can also use NX to design product packaging and electromechanical systems.

Mechanical Simulation

You can simulate a product design in a realistic virtual setting with the mechanical simulation feature. This feature saves valuable time and costs, as you don’t need to make multiple physical prototype adjustments.

Engineering Process Management

NX’s engineering process management functionality lets you consolidate your engineers’ operations and manufacturing systems within one digital environment. Using this tool, you can monitor progress, ensure seamless collaboration between teams, and coordinate the process’s architecture, ensuring optimal efficiency and cost savings.

Machining

The machining feature incorporates digital precision solutions, making optimal manufacturing efficiency possible. Using this solution, you can:

• Program CNC machine tools
• Operate 3D printers
• Carry out quality control
• Manage robotic cells

Automating these operational tasks will streamline machining while ensuring the optimal allocation of your company’s human resources.

Who Uses Siemens NX?

Ford Motor Company

The American multinational vehicle manufacturer, Ford Motor Company, uses Siemens NX with PMI, facilitating a multi-dimensional 3D annotation environment. Employing NX allows Ford to improve powertrain component manufacturing while reducing costs.

General Motors

General Motors uses a wide range of Siemens PLM Software solutions, including Siemens NX. The applications of this software in General Motors’s operations include computer-aided design, engineering analyses, and manufacturing.

Mazda

Mazda implements several Siemens PLM solutions into its research, design, and manufacturing processes. These integrated tools include Siemens NX for enterprise collaboration, streamlining Mazda’s operations across the product development process.

SpaceX

SpaceX designers use Siemens NX for the entire design of their rockets. After loading a virtual mock-up of the rocket, designers use this software to locate interferences. SpaceX shop floor technicians also use NX models to gain insights into the rocket’s inner mechanisms.

SpaceX designers use Siemens NX to ensure that their rocket designs are fully functional by simulating motion.

Raytheon

Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems deploys NX products across multiple programs. One of these programs is the simulation and validation of advanced high-energy laser systems. Using NX, engineers can evaluate these systems’ structural thermal and optimal performance.

Should I Learn CATIA or NX?

CATIA is a CAD application suite providing design, manufacturing, and engineering solutions. This software helps you navigate the complete design process, from conceptualization to manufacturing. CATIA’s functionalities make it a viable option for mechanical engineers, electrical designers, fluid and systems engineers, and builders.

Choosing between CATIA and NX can be challenging. This section looks at some of the most significant differences between the two applications.

CATIA is a relatively expensive subscription-based software with perpetual licensing. NX is more affordable with subscription-based licensing. CATIA is compatible with Unix and Windows operating systems, while NX offers Unix, Windows, and Mac compatibility.

NX has a modern but straightforward interface that is highly intuitive and easy to learn. CATIA’s interface is somewhat more challenging to navigate. Both NX and CATIA have free trials which you can use to determine which solution is best for your needs and capabilities.

Another significant difference between CATIA and NX is that the former offers collaboration by connecting with the 3D Experience platform. On the other hand, NX uses Teamcenter integration as a collaboration solution.

Siemens NX’s integration solutions for CAD and CAM are also superior to CATIA. If you want to use specific CAM functions using CATIA, you need to run third-party applications.

Thanks to its high-end surface modeling tools, CATIA is ideal for the automotive industry. This functionality in NX is not as effective. However, with Siemens NX, you get other high-value toolsets, including the software’s CAM.

Is NX Hard to Learn?

No, Siemens NX is one of the more straightforward product development solutions to learn, especially if you have a background in CAD software. The NX interface is easy to navigate, and most designers will find this software intuitive.

The availability of free online information also makes Siemens NX easy to learn. If you have difficulty with the software, you can reach out to one of our team members at 4D Systems to learn more about our Siemens NX training solutions.

Contact 4D Systems

At 4D Systems, we are a leading provider of Siemens PLM software, including NX. Our engineering team has extensive experience in product lifecycle management solutions, including design, engineering, and manufacturing.

Our objective is to provide you with a competitive edge in the market by outputting high-quality products faster while saving valuable time and money.

Do you want to implement a comprehensive digital product development solution into your operations? Our team at 4D Systems will provide you with a custom Siemens NX solution that fits all your project requirements. Please contact us today at (800) 380-9165 or by email at [email protected].

The post What is NX? appeared first on 4D Systems.

As production companies face increasing costs and time constraints, logistics optimization ensures long-term sustainability and profitability. By formulating real-world decision criteria for the evaluation and comparison of alternative production approaches, companies can:

• Improve delivery times
• Implement lean production principles into production lines
• Design and build production facilities that are sustainable over the long run
• Manage global manufacturing infrastructure and networks
• Optimize material flow resource

Tecnomatix Plant Simulation

Using plant simulation, companies can create digital twins of logistics systems. Then, users can use these digital twins to run experiments and gain insights into system characteristics without disrupting any existing systems.

By generating these digital models, local plants can optimize system characteristics before installation, minimizing production line investment costs while eliminating potential issues. Logistics system designers can also run these simulations to optimize existing systems’ energy efficiency and performance.

What Industries Use Plant Simulation?

Various industries implement plant simulations to simulate material flow and ensure sustainable industrial production and logistics processes. These industries include:

• Automotive manufacturing and automotive supply industries
• Aerospace sectors, including missiles, military aircraft, spacecraft, general aviation, and commercial airliners
• Plants for manufacturing industries, such as clothing, electrical equipment, and pharmaceuticals
• Mechanical engineering industries, including construction, metals, and materials
• Process industries where primary production is continuous or takes place on indistinguishable materials batches
• Consumer packaged goods industries
• Airports, harbors, container terminals, and shipyards
• Logistics industries, including transport, storage, and production
• Warehouse supply industries
• Automated guided vehicle system industry

Plant simulation software has a wide application range and allows companies across various industries to simulate a global manufacturing network, a manufacturing plant, or just one assembly line. Plant simulation is suitable for all levels of plant planning and helps users minimize production line costs while meeting output requirements.

What Are the Benefits of Using Plant Simulation Software?

How can plant simulation software benefit your company? Using plant simulation software, you can create a digital twin of your facility and each of its components, including machinery, manual workstations, conveyors, and storage points.

After creating a digital twin of your production process, you can use this simulation to learn more about its characteristics and output while identifying potential issues and suboptimality. Using a plant simulation tool, you can generate reports on every aspect and component of your production process, including:

• Output changes
• Uptime versus downtime
• Throughput
• Human resource utilization

Planning for physical production changes from global production facilities can be time-intensive and expensive. This process often involves shutting down the production line before disassembling, relocating, and reassembling machines.

However, when using plant simulation software, management can simulate the changes and calculate output and cost changes without disrupting the physical line. For example, if plant management considers implementing a new machine, they can virtually insert the machine into the line, then determine if the change has cost or production benefits.

What Is Siemens Tecnomatix Plant Simulation?

Siemens Process Simulate falls under the Tecnomatix groups of Assembly Planning and Validation and Robotics and Automation Planning. On the other hand, Siemens Plant Simulation falls under Design and Optimization, along with Factory Flow and Factory CAD.

Maximizes Manufacturing Performance

Tecnomatix Plant Simulation is a Siemens Digital Industries Software that allows you to render digital models or “digital twins” of manufacturing line systems to gain insights into their characteristics and determine the necessary steps to maximize their performance.

Creating digital models allows for the analysis of logistics, resource allocation, and material on all levels of the production process. Assembly teams can carry out a production simulation and conduct what-if analyses without shutting down existing production systems.

You can also use Plant Simulation during the planning phase before installing the existing production systems.

Optimizes Production System Analysis

Your organization can optimize manufacturing logistics, material handling, machine allocation, and manual labor with discrete event simulation and statistical analysis functions. This software also offers object-oriented stochastic tools and 3D modeling to enhance manufacturing efficiency and accuracy, along with general system performance and throughput.

Plant Simulation offers real-time information in the form of graphs, charts, reports, and genetic algorithms. You can also access experimentation tools to gauge production system behavior and make quick and informed decisions.

Streamlines Throughput

Plant Simulation offers a wide range of tools for streamlining throughput, including visual bottleneck detection, throughput analysis, Gantt charts, Sankey diagrams, and more. Using this tool, you can view machine utilization, output per unit, and other parameters at a glance, which allows for quick issue identification and process streamlining.

The digital models take all external and internal supply chains into account, along with your unique business processes and production resources, allowing for accurate and real-world analyses.

Provides In-Depth Energy Analysis

Tecnomatix Plant Simulation features an integrated and graphic energy analyzer that indicates the production system’s current, total, and maximum energy consumption levels. This feature includes an energy plotter, which dynamically indicates energy consumption throughout the simulation.

The energy plotter shows energy consumption during operation and scheduled breaks. Because this feature shows energy usage graphically, identifying opportunities for energy savings is easy.

Has Virtual Commission Capabilities

Plant management teams can link Tecnomatix Plant Simulation to real-world plant control, simulating an actual production process. This function allows for the testing and optimizing of the production system’s control, material pathways, automation, and engineering operation.

Teams can either connect a hardware programmable logic controller (PLC) or a software PLC from the real-world environment to analyze its performance. Plant Simulation’s commissioning solution is highly flexible and compatible with any programmable logic controller.

Contact 4D Systems

At 4D Systems, we are a leading provider of Siemens PLM software, including Siemens Tecnomatix solutions. Our engineering team has extensive experience in product lifecycle management solutions, including design, engineering, and manufacturing.

Our objective is to provide you with a competitive edge in the market by outputting high-quality products faster while saving valuable time and money.

Do you want to implement a comprehensive digital product development solution into your operations? Our team at 4D Systems will provide you with a custom Siemens Tecnomatix solution that fits all your project requirements. Please contact us today at (800) 380-9165 or by email at [email protected].

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To maintain a competitive advantage in the market, your organization needs to implement efficient and effective production and assembly lines. These processes need to be responsive to rapid changes while outputting products in the shortest possible time.

You also need to incorporate various asset optimization measures, adhere to quality and regulatory standards, and meet start-of-production and input-cost-per-unit targets.

To reach these objectives, manufacturing teams need to synchronize their production system and product development processes. The interactions between these processes must also be seamless.

Developing a competitive assembly process and optimizing the relationship between cost and throughput requires implementing assembly system design. Leveraging the expertise and availability of 3D manufacturing solutions allows your manufacturing engineering team to validate virtually the manufacturing processes’ efficiency in advance.

Thanks to the latest technological advancements and tools, such as Siemens Process Simulate, you can design and optimize the entire assembly system. This article takes an in-depth look at what Siemens Process Simulate is and how we at 4D Systems can leverage this tool to help your organization build safe and efficient assembly lines.

Tecnomatix: An Overview

A brief discussion on Tecnomatix might help you understand how Siemens Process Simulate relates to the digital factory environment.

Siemens Tecnomatix is a digital manufacturing and assembly solutions portfolio that links all manufacturing operations with product engineering. These solutions include assembly process design and layout, production process simulation, assembly verification, and manufacturing execution.

Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) is at the foundation of Siemens Tecnomatix. This tool provides unrestricted access to product and process information within a product’s entire life cycle framework, from conception to recycling.

The original bases of Product Lifecycle Management include:

• Computer-aided design (CAD)
• Computer-aided manufacturing (CAM)
• Product data management (PDM)

Siemens Tecnomatix is a component of the Siemens PLM platform and consists of the following:

• Part Planning and Validation: Machining Line Planner, Virtual Machine Tool, Part Manufacturing Planner, Press Line Simulation
• Assembly Planning and Validation: Process Simulate Assembly, Process Simulate Human, Process Planner, and Process Designer
• Robotics and Automation Planning: Process Simulate Robotics, Process Simulate Spot Weld, Robcad, Process Designer
• Plant Design and Optimization: Plant Simulation, Factory flow, Factory CAD
• Quality and Production Management: Dimensional Planning and Validation, CMM Inspection, Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES), Variation Analysis, HIM/SCADA

The sub-models of Siemens Process Simulate fall under the Assembly Planning, Validation, Robotics, and Automation Planning groups of Tecnomatix. The sections below take an in-depth look at Siemens Process Simulate and the integrated environments and benefits of this software.

What Is Siemens Process Simulate?

Siemens Process Simulate is an assembly feasibility solution for manufacturing organizations. In other words, manufacturers use Siemens Process Simulate to ensure that the assembly of their products is viable over the long run.

Using this simulation tool, your manufacturing organization can evaluate and virtually validate its assembly systems upfront and in a 3D environment. This solution lets you plan your robotics placements, movements, and reachability to optimize the most complex manufacturing processes.

You can also validate your product’s design and manufacturing process by simulating the assembly process. Organizations can also use Process Simulate to eliminate complications resulting from assembly path collisions and inefficiencies, such as suboptimal operator ergonomics.

Process Simulate allows your manufacturing team to efficiently conduct hundreds, or even thousands, of validation experiments to formulate the most optimal assembly line setup. The manufacturing tool runs these experiments automatically, which means optimizing production is no longer a time-intensive endeavor.

Siemens Process Simulate can integrate fully with your organization’s manufacturing infrastructure, allowing the manufacturing team to create, validate, and re-implement manufacturing processes.

Process Simulate provides an advanced interface with a realistic 3D environment where manufacturing teams can simulate production processes and optimize the process sequence and cycle times. This manufacturing solution allows for the simulation of production functions, including assembly processes, mechanical tool procedures, human operations, robotics, and devices.

The scalability of the 3D environment lets teams derive data and toolsets from various manufacturing, engineering, and mechanical disciplines. Production process authors can use this assembly simulation for detailed process examination on multiple levels and verify them from different perspectives and phases.

Siemens Process Simulate: The Integrated Environments

Process Simulate is a multi-dimensional solution that allows your manufacturing organization to verify individual segments within the assembly process. The various segments you can simulate within one 3D environment include human operations, assembly processes, welding, and robotic processes. As a manufacturer, you can simulate continuous processes using Process Simulate, including gluing and laser welding.

The simulation makes accurate output predictions as it closely imitates realistic human behaviors, PLC logic, and robotic controller actions.

Process Simulate Assembly

Using Process Simulate Assembly, your team can simulate various assembly line possibilities then select the safest and most efficient assembly sequence with the shortest cycle time while ensuring no assembly path collisions.

With Process Simulate Assembly, you can select the correct tool for the assembly from the classified tool library then carry out collision analyses and virtual reach tests. Team members can also consolidate the product and tool processes and then simulate the entire assembly as a single system.

Process Simulate Human

Process Simulate Human is a workstation design verification tool focusing on the human component of the assembly line. Using Process Simulate Human, you ensure that workers can easily reach, assemble, and maintain product parts. Your manufacturing organizations should also use Process Simulate Human to assess and maximize the ergonomics of human activities within the assembly process.

The Tecnomatix human products let you optimize industrial tasks from the first phases of the engineering process. Assembly authors can use this product to create digital environments, complete with virtual people that match the organization’s human resources. These virtual humans are scalable and biomechanically and anthropometrically accurate.

After populating the virtual environment, you can test assembly designs for multiple human factors and parameters, including:

• Risk of injury
• Efficiency and timing
• Reachability and product part access
• Energy consumption
• Worker comfort and fatigue limits

After testing the digital environment and virtual workers for the above parameters, you can establish guidelines for more user-friendly designs throughout the engineering and assembly processes, improving quality while saving time and money.

Process Simulate Spot Weld

This Process Simulate sub-module lets you design, optimize, and validate spot welding processes within a 3D environment for all manufacturing stages. These phases include the initial planning, detailed engineering, and offline programming, for example, when developing a system for welding robot cells.

The spot-welding sub-module of Process Simulate supports a wide range of manufacturing engineering operations. These operations include, among others, the distribution of weld points to stations while adhering to cycle time constraints. Using Process Simulate Spot Weld, you can select the most suitable welding gun from the classified library or reselect existing welding guns or other tools.

Process Simulate Robotics

Manufacturers can design, simulate, and validate intricate robotics manufacturing zones using Process Simulate Robotics. Synchronizing multiple robotic zones can be complex without the right assembly optimization solutions. However, the process becomes significantly easier when using tools such as the emulated specific robot controller and cyclic event evaluator under Process Simulate Robotics.

The resources under this sub-model make it possible to design a collision-free path for all robots in the assembly line, optimizing their cycle times.

Process Simulate Commissioning

This virtual commissioning sub-model of Process Simulate allows designing and testing an existing facility’s virtual replicas or “digital twins.” You can create a 3D simulation of the facility and then connect it to a soft or physical PLC, an automation system. Creating and automating a digital copy of the facility makes it possible to test all aspects of production before the facility starts operating or before management teams implement changes.

The Benefits of Process Simulate

Leveraging Process Simulate for assembly process verification is beneficial for various reasons.

Reduces the Cost of Change

A lower cost of change is the most significant benefit of implementing Process Simulate. As the project’s life cycle progresses, making changes to the process becomes more challenging, impractical, and expensive. However, Process Simulate users can detect product issues early during the identification process and alert other team members, eliminating change costs during the definition phase.

Allows for Virtual Prototyping vs. Physical Prototyping

Process Simulate allows for upfront virtual product validation, reducing the required number of physical prototypes. The result is a streamlined product development strategy, a lower upfront prototyping investment, and a relatively short build-test-iterate cycle.

Optimizes Cycle Time

Optimizing cycle times through simulation allows for more flexible and efficient teams, faster delivery to support customer demand, and less work in progress (WIP). The assembly team’s workload also becomes more manageable, increasing efficiency.

Ensures Ergonomic Safety

Through virtual validation, assembly line creators can ensure that the products, assembly methods, and environment will suit workers’ personal capabilities and job requirements. Implementing ergonomics prevents worker discomfort, accidents, and injuries while increasing overall productivity.

Achieves Savings Through Standardization

Formulating new facility layouts and selecting new tools for every new assembly line can be costly and time-intensive. On the other hand, re-using standard tools and facilities for segments that assembly lines share can reduce costs significantly.

Mitigates Production Risks

Process Simulate allows for the simulation of thousands of manufacturing scenarios, and it automatically seeks out the ones with no bugs, collision paths, or other issues. Simulating these scenarios reduces the risk of encountering production issues after the validation process.

Enables Early Validation of Production Processes

Process Simulate allows for the early validation of all electrical and mechanical integrated production processes in the assembly line, including robotics and PLC. The upfront validation reduces the risk of robotics collision paths and suboptimal cycle times. The need for later-stage adjustments to synchronize the assembly process with integrated processes is also less likely.

Enhances Process Quality

Upfront process validation increases the degree to which manufacturing organizations implement an acceptable assembly process and quality standards. Ensuring the highest process quality is critical to managing resources, profitability, production risks, and product quality.

Process Simulate emulates realistic procedures throughout the assembly process life cycle, allowing users to maximize process quality.

Siemens Process Simulate Capabilities

Siemens Process Simulate offers multiple capabilities to enhance the safety and efficiency of your assembly lines:

3D Design and Assembly Simulation

Process Simulate offers a 3D process design tool that meets the JT visualization standard. You can create a 3D process design using this tool and virtually test it with real-world accuracy. Your team can also review the process, identify potential issues, and make changes within a single virtual environment.

Robotic Placement and Path Planning

This tool allows for extensive process testing to determine the optimal robotics placement for your assembly line.

3D Resource Model Creation

Using Process Simulate, you can create 3D process models, complete with integrated controls logic, and then share them with others or use them to develop the actual process.

Process Simulation

Process Simulate incorporates analog signaling and Boolean, allowing you to test your assembly process with intelligent software. With the process simulation tool, you can measure your process against a logic-driven solution to determine its efficiency and find out where you need to make improvements.

Actual PLC Code

The Process Simulate simulation uses hardware PLC instead of OPC protocol or software interface standard. The result is more accurate process verification at any stage of the life cycle.

Leveraging Siemens Process Simulate to Build Safer and More Effective Assembly Lines

If you want to optimize your production processes and build safer, more efficient assembly lines, Siemens Process Simulate is the ideal solution to incorporate into your operations.

At 4D Systems, we are a certified robotic integrator, and we offer various solutions for spot welding, sealing, cutting, thermal processing, and many other applications. As a manufacturing organization, partnering with us is the first step in establishing the ideal work cell for your production operations. We can also provide your team with Siemens Process Simulate training so that they can use the software for your organization’s operations.

We are a leading provider of Siemens PLM, including Siemens NX, Solid Edge, Teamcenter, and Tecnomatix. Our team has extensive experience in implementing Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions, including manufacturing, engineering, and simulation.

Our robotic integrations and robotic work cell creation solutions are central in helping our clients gain a competitive edge in their markets. Give us at 4D Systems a call at (800) 380-9165, email us at [email protected] or complete our online form below to start the process of implementing Siemens PLM solutions, such as Process Simulate or Plant Simulation, into your assembly line.

Contact Us

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Founded in 2010 in Flint, Michigan, the 4D Systems team operates largely in North and South America, where it provides new abilities and resources for its customers through a variety of services such as robot programming, simulation, controls, and design.

This A3 certified robotic integrator specializes in the creation of custom robotic work cells using multiple layouts and solutions for numerous applications including spot welding, material handling, vision, blasting, painting, cutting, sealing, and thermal processing.

Designing and building turn-key robotic systems out of its impressive 10,000-square-foot shop, the team installs and supports these for customers across the continent.

Using years of robotic experience developed through R&D, the company sets its 70-plus highly-skilled engineers to work with manufacturers everywhere, designing work cells for production needs. Though the team is more than capable of handling multi-million-dollar projects – and can work with any existing robotic system – an important element for 4D Systems is attention to those companies with smaller requests.

Small is specialized

“We don’t compete with the big companies. We do smaller, spe-cialty work,” says President and Owner, JP Rasaiah. “We have great customer service, and we believe in helping compa-nies who don’t know where to start. Where we really excel is complex tasks and helping with little projects that companies may think are too expensive, but actually may not be.”

“Companies that look to 4D Systems for guidance will find everything they need, from a price that fits to a finished product that meets their needs.”

A certified integrator for FANUC, ABB, Yaskawa and Kawasaki, and specializing in the creation of custom robotic work cells, 4D Systems provides automation solutions for the automotive, oil and gas, aerospace, consumer, defense and medical indus-tries, to name a few, employing innovative and competitive solutions to help increase market profitability and productivity via its world-class process, workflow, and asset management.

“A company comes to us and says, ‘We need help, we need a robot,’ and 4D Systems works from A to Z,” says Rasaiah. “We help right from the preplanning stages, at the very end or in between. Automation doesn’t have to be expensive. It can be scaled to meet most budgets.”

It is those smaller needs and requests that 4D Systems has made its area of expertise, the projects that larger companies may find not worth their time or effort.

Suite of services

4D Systems boasts an impressive suite of robotics and auto-mation services including turnkey specialty systems, building and installing automated robotic systems, robotic and human simulation software, PLM (product lifecycle management) software, robot programming, controls programming, simula-tion services, mechanical design services, and laser scanning pre and post integration. Such a full bouquet of services allows the team to provide outstanding quality and options to clients.

Rasaiah is particularly proud of the company’s exhaustive famil-iarity with its software, enhancing its ability to help companies at every step, from start to finish.

“It’s the same software we use in our products, which we use and know well,” he says. “Being familiar with it gives us an edge. We sell and support the software. We know all the software, so we know it works and can assist customers when needed.”As leaders in all aspects of the PLM cycle, including CAD concept, data management, manufacturing planning, manufacturing improvements, simulation, work instructions, and project man-agement and disposal, Rasaiah says that 4D Systems “does a lot of things,” all while working and interacting as a team and handling any challenges that may arise.

“We’re a team that works well together and overcomes obsta-cles which is really important,” says Rasaiah. “We constantly learn from the mistakes of other organizations, which helps make us better. We listen to others and learn, because we want to grow and improve our quality for customers.”

Full simulations

While continuing to grow its specialty robotics field, 4D Systems is still committed to performing full simulations.

“A lot of companies only do partial simulations, not full,” he says. “We simulate properly and make sure every aspect is working right. We laser scan a lot of things beforehand and put every-thing together to make sure it all fits perfectly.”

This commitment to customer service is what makes 4D Systems stand out from its competition, along with the ability of the talented engineering team to create turn-key solutions.

“Most of our engineers are trained in multiple disciplines,” says Rasaiah. “Mechanical, robot programming, controls and simulation. This gives them the ability to understand other phases of turn-key that they may not be responsible for but have to work with.”

Using the best software to design, verify and execute its robotic systems means 4D Systems can pass along the absolute best results to customers.

“We incorporate laser scanning pre and post,” says Rasaiah. “That way we design something that works the first time. Other companies design systems only to find out the system doesn’t fit, or the robot cannot reach properly. Our integrated approach keeps this from happening, preventing time and cost overruns which can be very costly as related to time to market.”

Expanding interests

4D Systems has also diversified into other fields of interest, includ-ing aerospace and defense, and work with the U.S. Government.

“Robotics have been widely adopted by automotive for decades, but it’s not as easy to be adopted by aerospace and defense due to regulations,” explains Rasaiah. “Currently the aerospace and defense sectors are using more and more robots. We’ve been involved with projects involving robotics at Hill AFB, Tinker AFB and we’ve sold software to Holloman AFB.”

With the ability to supply companies with the additional manpower required to achieve their various objectives, the company’s robot programmers and controls engineers not only help customers meet production and automation goals, but also help with employee support and training.

“We understand the software. We know software. We sell it and we cross-train a lot,” says Rasaiah. “All our people are cross-trained which is important. Our people have multiple disciplines.

The company’s dedication to lean manufacturing processes also shows its commitment to eco-awareness and reducing waste in its processes. Cutting potential environmental waste is a vital aspect of robotics that many may not understand.

As an example, Rasaiah describes how robots were used – instead of the variable skills of humans – to properly and pre-cisely install automotive sun-roofs and avoid leaking, costly repairs, and unrecyclable waste, all of which have been issues in the past.

“Some things are too hard to reuse and repurpose for envi-ronmental issues, so robotics can make it better the first time around,” says Rasaiah. “And as for potential health issues, auto plants, for instance, can be physically dirty and unhealthy, so it’s good to have robots there doing those jobs instead of humans.”

Utilizing lean practices for companies is of utmost impor-tance on a global stage where eliminating as much manu-facturing waste as possible is the best way to fight envi-ronmental damage. Robotics and digital manufacturing are beneficial both ecologically and economically and will continue to grow in a variety of manufacturing sectors.

4D Systems is constantly innovative in its practices, with an eye to helping customers meet their goals right now, while also being aware of the importance of long-term business plans.

Spurred by challenge

As with most companies, dealing with the pandemic this past year-and-a-half has created many a challenge for 4D Systems to deal with.

“There are obstacles to overcome on every project,” says Rasaiah. “But delays due to market uncertainty because of COVID are the biggest. However, I think the industry has mostly gone past that obstacle by adopting protection guidelines.”

“A company says, ‘We need help, we need a robot,’ and 4D Systems works from A to Z. It doesn’t have to be expensive. A lot of companies don’t know this until they talk to us.”

Rasaiah is quick to credit the 4D Systems team for its outstand-ing dedication to producing the best work possible while working with determination to overcome all challenges.

“Being part of a team that works well together and is able to overcome obstacles is a big point of pride,” he says. “We’re also always learning from the mistakes of other organizations and creating a better product.”

Moving forward, Rasaiah sees 4D Systems continuing to expand and grow while staying true to its mandate of helping smaller companies achieve their own goals.

“We would like to grow our specialty robotic systems to improve quality and fill current needs,” he says. “There are some compa-nies that need robotics but aren’t sure how to go about imple-menting. We would like to help those companies.”

With a determined focus on client satisfaction while helping customers gain an edge in a competitive market, 4D Systems aids cost-effectiveness and productivity through providing and supporting world PLM solutions.

The role of robots

For those out there still wary of the role robots are playing in manufacturing and the workplace, Rasaiah stresses that while they may take some jobs, they create them, too. The robots that work in manufacturing settings to create better, more eco-logically friendly components require skilled human labor to design, engineer, build, control and maintain them.

And companies that look to 4D Systems for guidance will find everything they need, from a price that fits to a finished product that meets their needs.

“We call it early design processing,” says Rasaiah. “We think this is how it should work. We help with a company’s budget to develop different scenarios while saving money along with eliminating waste.”

Talking about what else sets 4D Systems apart from similar com-panies, Rasaiah reiterates the company’s ongoing dedication to ensuring attention is given to those companies and customers that larger organizations may tend to overlook.

“We focus on specialty robotic systems,” he says. “There are much bigger integration companies that we do not compete with, the reason being they focus on large repetitive systems. Typically, the systems that require complex vision or other complex tasks are not taken on by these companies. We work with the difficult solutions.”

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CATIA is one of the most impressive Computer-Aided Design and Manufacturing solutions that we at 4D Systems provide for customers across a range of industries. This software suite streamlines design and manufacturing throughout a product’s lifecycle, providing faster, more efficient workflows for engineers and manufacturers.

If your company does not currently utilize CATIA, you may be missing out on a solution that could cut your engineering design process almost in half. Read on to learn more about this state-of-the-art software and twelve reasons why customers prefer it over other engineering programs.

What Is CATIA?

CATIA, which stands for “computer-aided three-dimensional interactive application,” is a software suite of computer-aided design, manufacturing, and engineering tools. This software, created by Dassault Systèmes, is a popular solution throughout the manufacturing industries, and especially among Original Equipment Manufacturers, to streamline design, analysis, and project management.

CATIA supports several stages of product development, ranging from conceptualization and design to engineering and manufacturing. The software uses innovative technology to model any object or product within a lifelike context.

This software also enables close collaboration among designers and stakeholders through its 3DEXPERIENCE platform. This platform allows multiple project members to view 3D models and make changes to designs, creating a comprehensive understanding of projects among technical and non-technical departments, such as marketing.

Professionals across a range of industries utilize CATIA every day, including:

• Aerospace
• Architecture
• Automotive
• Construction
• Consumer packaged goods
• Defense
• Industrial equipment
• Petroleum
• Plant design
• Process power

CATIA is undoubtedly one of the most popular, widely used software suites in the technical field.

What Is CATIA V5?

Dassault Systèmes has continually released new versions of CATIA since its initial launch in 1977. Today, the most widely used version of CATIA is CATIA V5. However, Dassault Systèmes has since released CATIA V6, which offers more updated features and innovation than V5.

At 4D Systems, we can help your business determine the optimal CATIA version and configuration for your needs.

What Is CATIA Used For?

CATIA has a broad range of uses within design and product development. This comprehensive, intensive software bundle comes in over 50 configurations, each with its own industry-specific features and functionalities.

Organizations typically utilize CATIA for any combination of the following uses:

• Design: Perhaps the most common and widely recognized use of CATIA is product design. The program supports parametric and non-parametric 3D model design and incorporates a wide range of industry-specific tools to streamline the conceptualization and design processes. The program also allows designers to import 2D sketches and render them in a three-dimensional space without needing to draw them again.
• Active collaboration: CATIA allows for active collaboration among several professionals within an organization. The program supports real-time changes that enable professionals to collaborate virtually and work together on modeling and design.
• Modeling and simulation: CATIA supports 3D digital mockups, allowing designers to visualize and make changes to products within a three-dimensional space. Modeling and simulating designs in this way enables real-life analysis before beginning physical design manufacturing.
• Data management: CATIA 3DEXPERIENCE enables comprehensive product data management by storing design data in the CATIA database. Users never need to worry about crashes or data loss with the CATIA suite.

CATIA provides a comprehensive solution for every step of a product’s lifecycle, optimizing efficiency, design, and collaboration in the manufacturing workplace.

How Much Does CATIA Cost?

The exact price your company will pay for the CATIA software suite depends on which package or configuration you purchase and your license type.

You can either purchase a standard configuration, which includes a preset list of products and features, or a custom configuration containing a-la-carte style products. Purchasing add-on products for your software package will also contribute to your overall price.

CATIA is available as either node-locked or concurrent licensing at no additional cost to the end customer.  Node-locked licensing enables licensing on one machine with a single user, while concurrent licensing allows for multi-device installation and usage. At the time of purchase, talk to your contact at 4D Systems about how you want your licenses to be configured and we’ll help you install and set up users at no cost.

Finally, your organization will need to pay for a licensing term that allows you to utilize the software for a specified time. Dassault Systèmes offers licenses spanning one quarter, one year, two years, and three years.

With each of these factors in mind, you can expect your initial CATIA purchase to cost somewhere between $5,000 and $30,000. We can break down the exact CATIA solution  costs for your organization and determine a configuration that provides the most comprehensive solutions for your team.

12 Reasons Why Customers Prefer CATIA Over Other Software

Numerous  Computer-Aided Design and Manufacturing (CAD/ CAM) programs are available today. However, CATIA is undoubtedly one of the most popular software suites on the market. Here are twelve reasons why customers across various industries prefer CATIA over other programs.

1. CATIA Streamlines Design, Analysis, and Data Management of New Products

CATIA’s comprehensive suite of 3D design, computer-aided engineering (CAE), computer-aided design (CAD), Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAM) and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions allow for a faster, more efficient workflow. Specifically, the software streamlines design, analysis, and data management when conceptualizing and manufacturing new products.

CATIA’s highly technical design capabilities make it a popular program among manufacturing industries and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs).

2. CATIA Can Handle Larger Designs

CATIA has both the physical capacity and broad toolset necessary to handle large-scale designs for larger products and assemblies. The software’s interface is fast and robust, creating optimal performance for the most complex, extensive design projects.

CATIA’s powerful design tools also allow for more efficient large-scale design, enabling your technical and non-technical team members to create high-quality technical illustrations and 3D interactive experiences within their fields.

3. CATIA Is Versatile and Flexible

CATIA’s platform is versatile and flexible, allowing you to customize your package to suit your company’s specific design and manufacturing needs. Dassault Systèmes offers dozens of add-ons and modules that you can use in adjunct with its built-in standard features to increase functionality.

A few popular add-ons and adjunct programs from Dassault Systèmes include:

• Dymola
• ICEM Surf
• CATIA Composer
• Electre
• Catelectre
• SFE Portfolio
• Reqtify
• Autosar-Builder
• CATIA Magic
• Controlbuild
• STIMULUS

We can help you identify the right CATIA add-ons to optimize your workflow within the CATIA software interface.

4. CATIA Comes in 50+ Different Packages

CATIA is a broad-reaching program offering design and innovation across a range of industries. Because most companies limit their CATIA usage to specialized purposes, such as architectural design or mechanical engineering, Dassault Systèmes offers 50+ specialized packages, or configurations, that each home in on industry-specific features.

A few of these CATIA packages include:

• Aero Surface Modeler
• Architectural Detail Designer
• Class A Expert
• Composites Designer
• Electrical and Fluids Engineering
• Mechanical Engineer
• Styling Design
• Systems Engineering

You can choose the CATIA configuration that provides the most benefits for your specific organization.

5. CATIA 3DEXPERIENCE Is Available as a Cloud-Based Program and  On-premise installed Program

In 2014, Dassault Systèmes released 3DEXPERIENCE, a cloud-based platform that incorporates product data management (PDM) along with product lifecycle management (PLM).

As the company’s first cloud-capable program, 3DEXPERIENCE enables professionals across an organization to collaborate on design and manufacturing without needing to install CATIA on their individual computers. The cloud-based nature of the program also allows for seamless collaboration in real-time.

6. CATIA Is Popular Among Large OEMs

CATIA’s innovation and technicalities are evidenced in its widespread use among some of the world’s largest, most well-known Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs). The following OEM and automotive companies use CATIA daily throughout their design and manufacturing processes:

• Audi
• Bentley Motors Limited
• BMW
• Boeing
• Chrysler
• Fiat
• Ford
• Hyundai
• Porsche
• Toyota
• Volkswagen
• Volvo
• And more

CATIA’s popularity across these highly successful companies allows manufacturers and engineers worldwide to trust in this software’s powerful capacity and performance.

7. CATIA Provides a Comprehensive Solution, From Industrial Design to Class A Surfacing.

CATIA’s versatility across a range of industries and job fields is unmatched among PLM software. The program provides the best solutions for complete shape designing, styling, and surfacing workflows in sectors ranging from industrial design to Class A surfacing.

The suite acts as an all-in-one solution, preventing your team from needing to learn several interfaces and programs to complete the product development lifecycle. Instead, focusing time, energy, and training on the CATIA software alone improves efficiency and mastery within the CATIA interface.

8. CATIA Accelerates the Engineering Process by 30% To 50%

CATIA’s innovative solutions, smooth interface, extensive toolset, and numerous functionalities allow the program to accelerate engineering processes by anywhere from 30% to 50%. The software takes much of the burden out of the project lifecycle, removing mundane, remote design tasks and streamlining sketching and 3D rendering.

Speeding up design, modeling, manufacturing, and development processes allows your company to begin delegating more time to your most essential tasks, improving performance, speed, and overall profits as a result.

9. CATIA Gives a Complete Definition of Modeling, Simulation, Verification, and Business Process Management

CATIA allows for effective, comprehensive business process management within a range of industries. The program provides detailed insight into modeling, simulation, and verification within the greater process management discipline, allowing your higher-ups to analyze design processes and improve efficiency.

10. CATIA Enables Object Simulation Through a 3D Digital Mock-Up

If your organization does not currently utilize object simulation within your manufacturing processes, you may be wasting time and money that you could be delegating to other functions.

CATIA allows for enhanced object simulation through 3D digital mock-ups of products and objects. For example, you can import 2D sketches into the software and render them as three-dimensional images without having to re-sketch them in the 3D platform.

Being able to create 3D mock-ups enables your team to share complex design ideas across departments before transitioning them to production and development. Keeping everyone within your organization on the same page about designs produces a more seamless workflow and greater success throughout your PLM process.

11. CATIA Allows for Offline Design Modifications

CATIA’s new “design anytime and design anywhere” feature lets users capture and send design modifications offline to other team members. Your design team can utilize this feature to create quick designs on the go, while traveling, out in the field, or anywhere that they may not have access to their desktop or internet connection.

CATIA’s offline capabilities allow design modifications to remain secure within the CATIA database without needing internet access, ensuring that any changes do not disappear while offline.

12. CATIA Provides a Cohesive, Productive 3D Design Environment

Finally, CATIA offers a productive design environment that facilitates collaboration and efficiency between departments and professionals. Your designers can work with stakeholders to share designs, discuss product modeling, modify existing mock-ups, and communicate ideas.

CATIA’s tools and processes range from simple to complex, but working within the newer 3DEXPERIENCE platform allows your organization to collaborate seamlessly with professionals who may not use CATIA every day. Similarly, departments and stakeholders who simply need to view designs without making modifications can easily access the platform through the cloud.

Altogether, CATIA makes it easier and more effective to share designs and ideas across various teams.

Contact Us Today

At 4D Systems, we strive to provide organizations with the most innovative, strategic automation solutions for their specific business processes. With a focus on the automotive, government, oil and gas, and medical industries, our company is committed to providing the best solutions to maximize efficiency and improve profitability through a more streamlined workflow.

CATIA is one of the most innovative Computer-Aided Design solutions we offer to clients every day. As experts in this versatile program, we are prepared to inform you about the benefits CATIA can provide for your workflow and help you determine if CATIA is the right software suite for your company.

CATIA could be the perfect CAD solution to enhance and optimize design and manufacturing workflow within your company. If you’re interested in learning more about CATIA and the other automation solutions we provide, please contact 4D Systems today at 800-380-9165 or email us at [email protected].

The post What is Catia? appeared first on 4D Systems.

Many American manufacturers are facing two major issues: on the one hand, labor costs remain high, which has a direct impact on product pricing and international competitiveness. On the other hand, though, many manufacturers face an acute skilled labor shortage: there just aren’t enough qualified workers to see a fully manual process flow through from end to end. In this environment, automation isn’t optional: it’s the only way forward. 

However, your automation strategy and the partners you work with can have a tremendous impact on ROI and your overall success. 

In this article, we’ll be taking a look at 

• Labor and automation costs
• Transition planning
• Embedding safety
• Energy factors
• Leveraging the right type of bots

As some of the factors, you need to consider before implementing automation for your manufacturing business.

We’ll also look at how 4D Systems accelerates the process to deliver automation solutions with positive ROI within the first 2 years of operation. Let’s get started!

Labor and Automation: Smart Planning to Leverage Both and Make Major Efficiency Gains 

Contrary to popular belief, automation solutions aren’t out there to steal blue-collar jobs. In today’s market environment, they’re a necessity to make up for the lack of skilled staff who can work on the production line.

For many 4D Systems clients, the aim behind automation isn’t necessarily to save by cutting the workforce from 250 to 100 workers. It’s more about deploying smart solutions that will allow those 100 (or fewer), available workers, in the pool to get the job done with far greater efficiency. Because fewer staff are needed for a given production task, payroll costs do come down significantly. 

While automation robots are a major capital cost center, the month-to-month savings on payroll will more than compensate in as few as 24 months. When it comes to labor, 4D System’s priority is to maximize the efficiency of the skilled workforce that’s already there, freeing up your workers to focus on higher-level tasks that need direct intervention. 

Better Planning for a Seamless Transition 

One of the biggest challenges manufacturers face is the actual transition process from a manual workflow to a fully automated system. The risk here is obvious: if transitioning means a complete or partial shutdown, that’s an opportunity cost of thousands of dollars per hour as your production line stands idle. 

Strategic transition planning with a phased approach is critical to ensure continuity and minimize downtime. At 4D Systems, we’ll analyze your process flow to understand how automation robots can be implemented in a phased, low-impact way. 

We’ll help you draw up clear scopes and timelines months ahead of implementation to mitigate the impact of change. This means you won’t have to freeze production in order to make the transition, meaning cost savings every hour as you make the move. 

Embedding Safety from the Start 

Automation planning isn’t just about continuity. Safety is an incredibly important factor. 4D Systems ensures that safety features are embedded into your transition plan, right from the beginning. 

This means that you’ll be able to make decisions about light curtains, safety sensors, and guarding well before work begins. 

4D Systems will help you map out these features, as well as the spacing between robots, to the workspace you have available

You’ll have a clear idea of how your robots interact with their environment and with the people around them, minimizing the risk of safety incidents and ensuring compliance with standards.

Rationalizing Energy Costs Through Automation 

Robot-based automated manufacturing can actually be more energy-efficient than conventional processes. 

Manual, labor-intensive production lines use up a considerable amount of energy at every step.

 4D Systems implements next-generation automation systems with power requirements that are as little as 50 percent of the process they’re meant to replace. 

Significant energy use reductions could save you thousands of dollars each month,  another way that we help you reach a positive ROI faster. Energy savings from automated processes can also go a long way towards helping you meet state or nationally mandated standards for green and sustainable manufacturing. 

The Right Robots for the Right Job 

Automation robots are built with a wide range of specs and capabilities. Picking the right bots for the right job can have an impact on the overall productivity, as well as minimizing the transition time. At 4D Systems, we have access to bots from major brands including FANUC, Yaskawa Motoman, ABB, Kuka, and Kawasaki. 

We’ll assess your existing process flow to understand what type of robot works best at every step – for instance, a Cartesian gantry bot could be the best fit for your warehousing stage.  If you already use hardware from one of the major makers, we will help you incorporate a compatible robot solution to minimize turnaround time. 

The 4D Systems Difference: How We Empower a 24-month Turnaround Time For Robot ROI 

While most automated systems do eventually yield a positive ROI over manual production lines, it can take years to hit the break-even point. At 4D Systems, we work with you to build a highly optimized automation strategy that will tangible gains to your bottom line in 24 months or less. Let’s take a look at some of the ways 4D Systems empowers a faster ROI for your automation needs:

• Risk assessment – we’ll provide you with a detailed assessment from a safety and compliance perspective to understand whether automation is the best fit, as well as actionable insights to mitigate issues well before the implementation stage
• Upfront Simulation to prove out the use case: this’ll demonstrate tangible benefits within the parameters of your process, allowing us to iterate and improve on your automation strategy before actually deploying the bots 
• Virtual commissioning: we use Siemens PLC and Dassault DELMIA to create digital twins of each bot in your specific implementation. This’ll empower us to plan out everything from floor space to safety concerns to minimize the actual implementation time. 
• Strategically planning out floor space will help us maximize process and energy efficiency. This can potentially reduce monthly operating costs while boosting output. 

Conclusion 

With rising labor costs and a shrinking workforce pool of skilled talent, automated manufacturing systems aren’t optional anymore. 

You do have a choice, however, when it comes to your implementation partner. By leveraging strategic planning and proving out and optimizing your implementation in virtual space, 4D Systems can help you mitigate downtime, boost floorspace efficiency, and guarantee high levels of user safety. Our approach can cut your “time to ROI,” from several years to under 24 months. Reach out today at (800) 380-9165: let’s schedule a consultation call.

The post How 4D Systems Helps Manufacturers Achieve Automation ROI in Under 2 Years appeared first on 4D Systems.

When it comes to manufacturing solutions for your customers, streamlining your research and development processes with a PLM solution can help reduce the amount of time and resources spent on each aspect of the product lifecycle without sacrificing quality. In fact, many using a PLM suite can actually improve results when implemented. 

At 4D Systems, we’ve delivered and maintained best-in-class product lifecycle management (PLM) solutions for Fortune 500 companies across the world. We partner with Siemens and Dassault to integrate their PLM solutions into our client’s workflows. 

Today, we are going to cover how you can select the best PLM option for your business. We will start with explaining what PLM systems are, why we choose to partner with Siemens and Dassault compared to other competing solutions and explore relevant data that should help you make your decision. 

What is Product Lifecycle Management (PLM)?

When it comes to enterprise solutions, PLM is one of those rare instances where the acronym is a good self-descriptor all by itself. PLM solutions help manufacturers manage product flows across the entire lifecycle, from ideation to simulations, production, and beyond. 

Discrete product manufacturers tend to be heavily vertically integrated. This has significant potential advantages, in terms of cost, design flexibility, and turnaround time. But it requires that you’re able to manage the product and see it through, every step of the way. PLM solutions, like the Dassault and Siemens solutions 4D Systems implements, can help you do this.

The primary benefits that a PLM solution offer include, but are not limited to: 

Improved Accountability 

PLM solutions provide your internal and external teams with greater information-sharing capabilities. Account for resource usage, changes, and product data within a dedicated solution that creates a comprehensive overview of the entire product lifecycle. 

Cost Savings 

Simply stated, PLM systems help improve efficiency at all levels of the lifecycle. This results in the more efficient use of time and resources by removing operational barriers due to the lack of a comprehensive management solution. 

Reduced Time to Market 

With greater communication, documentation, and information-sharing capabilities, you can significantly reduce the time to market your products. This allows your teams to scale operationally without sacrificing the quality of the outcome. 

What should you look for in a Product Lifecycle Management Solution?

There are a number of PLM solutions currently out on the market. At 4D Systems, we focus on Siemens and Dassault PLM because they offer enterprise clients the best value in terms of feature sets and scalability. Let’s take a look at why this is the case. When you’re making a decision about what PLM solution to leverage, there are three core areas you’ll want to consider: 

• Core features
• Integrations
• Pricing

The Core Feature Set in-Depth 

By definition, PLM solutions are comprehensive in nature. This means that a top-tier PLM solution should be able to guide your manufacturing process end to end. With this in mind, here are a few of the key features you’ll want to look out for:

• BOM Management
• Change Management 
• Product Data Management 

BOM Management

Discrete products are made out of a number of parts, each with its own price implications. The BOM management modules in Siemens Teamcenter and Dassault Enovia enable you to go beyond order quantities and unit costs, factoring in different sub-assemblies and a range of BOM hierarchies. This lets you discover and rationalize cost centers with a high level of granularity. 

While Aras Innovator, Arena Solutions, and Oracle PLM do feature built-in, hierarchical BOM management, their capabilities are not as comprehensive. Siemens and Dassault shine through in terms of cross-domain BOM management. Both of these solutions let you break down costs in terms of different functional domains. This means you can monitor just engineering costs, or just sub-assembly costs, resulting in finer-tuned controls. 

Change Management

Change is a natural occurrence across the product lifecycle. Products evolve at every stage, and it’s important that key changes are reflected across the board for consistency. 

Change management software can help your team document and track occurrences of change at every step of the lifecycle. The Siemens and Dassault PLM suites feature exceptionally complete change management modules.

Siemens Teamcenter, for instance, allows you to configure change hierarchies. Simple changes can be implemented by the process owner, but the system can flag significant changes that will require vetting by decision-making personnel. Teamcenter’s closed-loop change management process provides organizational leaders with comprehensive feedback regarding the impact of a given change, helping you to optimize and iterate. 

For example, if you’re a car manufacturer and you’re tracking the impact of engineering changes to comply with new safety standards, Siemens Teamcenter’s closed-loop system will notify you about updated safety characteristics after the change. A leader in your organization can then review these notifications and make a far more informed decision regarding the next steps after the change has occurred. 

Arena Solutions and Aras also feature change management capabilities. However, Arena’s CM module focuses on Engineering and Aras places greater emphasis on collaborative change, which might not be useful if you have approval processes and channels in place. Relative to Enovia and Teamcenter, change management capabilities are a bit more niche and less feature-complete.

Product Data Management

The product lifecycle is increasingly data-driven. From multiple CAD models to requirement specifications and manufacture instructions, there’s a large range of data, per product, that needs to be tracked and managed. 

Both Teamcenter PDM and Enovia Smarteam feature sophisticated product data management capabilities. They prioritize security and process enablement while administrative functions and version checks ensure that your IP is in the right hands at all times. 

These two PDM solutions can tightly integrate with your processes, change management, and BOM management capabilities. This enables you to ensure that process owners at every step of a project have access to the right product data and the ability to update the changes that are made at any point in the product lifecycle. 

Integration Capabilities

You are likely using a wide range of software solutions at different stages of the product lifecycle. This highlights integration capabilities as a critical factor when deciding on the right PLM solution. When your business systems are united, this provides a complete picture of the various stages, changes, and generated data that results from processes and operations. 

Both Siemens Teamcenter and Dassault Enovia are tightly integrated with a range of tools across the product life cycle. This ranges from CAD/CAM at the ideation stage to OLP solutions for manufacturing to your accounting and ERP.

As market leaders, Enovia and Teamcenter possess broader compatibilities than their competitors and it is why 4D Systems deploys these solutions to our customers. Simply put, Teamcenter and Enovia solutions are more likely to work right out of the box with your existing process flow when compared to other available solutions.

Pricing Models

As enterprise solutions, all the PLMs we have discussed require thoughtful consideration from a financial investment standpoint. When making an important decision that impacts your operational budgets, selecting the right option that will generate the most value for your business is paramount. 

While setup costs may be slightly more, we’ve found Enovia and Teamcenter to be more cost-effective for businesses of all sizes, relative to Arena and Aras, with enhanced cost scaling at 250-500+ seats. And because 4D Systems handles implementation and support, your TCO comes down further as well. As you scale up, Enovia and Teamcenter can offer a 2-3x cost advantage as you scale up. 

Start Implementing a Better PLM Solution for Your Business

At the end of the day, selecting the right PLM solution for your product lifecycle processes involves identifying the capabilities, integrations, and pricing that best align with your business needs. When you decide to invest in improving information sharing and operational efficiency across your teams, you deserve to receive the value that you expect.

With over a decade of experience in enterprise-scale PLM integration, our team at 4D systems can help you generate the most value from your investment in a top-tier PLM solution. We have provided solutions across a wide range of use cases and industries worldwide. 

Our team has thoroughly tested and vetted a broad range of PLM solutions to identify the top-tier systems that can generate the most value for your business. We offer Teamcenter and Enovia because we have found that these two offer consistent, cost-effective results across the most use cases. 

If you are considering integrating PLM solutions across your workflow, please contact 4D Systems at (800) 380-9165 or by emailing us at [email protected]. Our team looks forward to speaking with you about aligning Siemens Teamcenter and Dassault Enovia with your business needs by improving accountability, saving costs, and reducing time to market. 

The post Dassault and Siemens PLM versus Arena, Aras, and Oracle: Which is the Right PLM Solution For Your Business? appeared first on 4D Systems.

This is where the team at 4D Systems comes into the picture. As a mechanical design service company, we have the expertise, experience, and the highly skilled engineers to design, develop, build, test, and evaluate a system, process, or equipment. We can also design specific robotic work cells to automate current processes and systems with the focus on increasing productivity and efficiency.

Consider Experience

When hiring any mechanical design service company, experience, and expertise is a critical consideration. We are a certified integrator for Kawasaki, ABB, Siemens, Dassault, and FANUC. We have designed, developed, and deployed robotic systems for industries as diverse as oil and gas and the automotive industry.

4D Systems offers over 70 engineers working on projects throughout North America. Our team specializes in turn-key solutions for small to large businesses and in the development of customized solutions that are innovative and state-of-the-art.

Solutions to Innovate

Businesses using a mechanical design service company need something innovative and cutting edge. Our goal is to support our customers not only in their current need for controls, robotics, and simulations, but also in their future needs. Having the ability to look towards the future allows our engineers to design for long-term business plans, saving your company time and costs over the long term.

To find out more, call on the team at 4D Systems today at 800-380-9165

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