MACHINE TOOL ENGINEERINGNew concepts for integrated processes

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Success in the machine tool industry –

The market in this sector is characterised today by customer demand for

innovative, flexible machine tools. Other challenges faced by manufacturers

include parameters such as international statutory requirements, a lack of

skilled labour and constantly increasing complexity. The answer to these

challenges is to implement a modular machine design concept, world-class

energy efficiency and a short time to market. With a clear focus on process

integration and reliability across the entire value chain, you can achieve

these goals.

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Cover/picture: Gebr. Heller Maschinenfabrik GmbH

identify and take advantage of new trends

Engineering expertise in the machine tool industry has a

name: It's called EPLAN Software & Service

Customers expect first-class systemsCustomers in the machine tool industry are demanding ever faster, high-precision machines that can handlethe production of increasingly complex parts. At the same time, systems need to be compact and flexible, andensure reliable communication in CAx-neutral data flows. Objectives are:

Minimisation of downtimeEasier, more user-friendly operation Faster conversion timesLower energy consumptionLong service life while reducing maintenance costsReduction of total cost of ownership (TCO)

In short: New machines are required to increase efficiency while reducing operating costs and maximisingflexibility. The demand is not for single systems, but for manufacturing solutions.

Properly equippedAs a machine tool manufacturer, you are also confronted with other challenges – increasing globalisation andmounting competitive pressures mean that your company needs to increase productivity, standardise theproduct portfolio, shorten development cycles and comply with a constantly growing number of standardsand guidelines. Approaches to solving these problems include optimising your design and engineering andimproving cooperation with other departments. Interdisciplinary approaches replace traditional processes,change engineering methods and offer considerable potential for optimisation. An enterprise-wide PLMstrategy combines engineering with both product data management (PDM) and commercial systems,resulting in an exceptional increase in productivity.

A competent partnerWith its philosophy of 'efficient engineering', EPLAN Software & Service provides innovative and practicalsolutions for workflow optimisation in the machine tool sector. Everything is from one source – fromsoftware to training to consulting. Interdisciplinary – from mechanical to fluid and electrical engineering toPLC programming. Integrated – from order processing and manufacturing to service. The EPLAN solutionsestablish a uniform basis for all information and enable effective, interdisciplinary and parallel operations.Integration into the existing IT infrastructure, with interfaces to your ERP and PDM systems, produces aseamless, enterprise-wide workflow.

Custom machines for individual customer

As a machine tool manufacturer, you benefit from integrated processes

thanks to EPLAN’s solutions, allowing you to rapidly bring customised,

high-performance machines to market.

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Milling

Turning

Bending

Grinding

requirements

Machine types at a glance

Drills

Hobbing machines

Lathes

Milling machines

Laser cutting machines

CNC machines

Waterjet cutting machines

Erosion machines

Bending machines, and much more

Stamping

Drilling

Laser cutting

Achieve the best possible productivity gains by optimising your entire value

chain – from acquisition to delivery. For example, you can make significant

savings in time and costs through fast and uncomplicated

coordination between your sales and technical divisions.

And within the engineering process itself, seamless

cooperation between areas such as M-CAD and

electrical or fluid technology is crucial. A

unified database and simultaneous

processing of projects boost the quality

of your engineering and reduce your

time to market. Another area of

potential for optimisation can be

found in early integration of

manufacturing into product

development.

Your processes under control with theIN

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EPLAN range of solutions – from acquisition to delivery

The advantage is yours

With our innovative, practical solutions and expert consulting services,

we at EPLAN Software & Service accompany you on your path to a

seamless end-to-end workflow.

Sales

Engineering

Production

Manufacturing

Job

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Mounting

Conclusion MechanicalengineeringFluid

engineering

Electrical

engineeringPLC

EPLAN Platform

technology

ERP

Complex machines demand optimum

Fast, high-precision machine tools require seamless, trouble-free interaction

of all of their components. Interaction between all disciplines is critical,

even during the development stage. With a unified database and

the core functions for the various divisions, the EPLAN

Platform ensures that your workflow is smooth and

frictionless. Consistent data shortens development

time and increases the quality of your engineering.

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CAD solution

Design

Sheet metal working

Electrical engineering

Power drives

Electrical control systems

Safety engineering

Machine monitoring

Machine wiring

PLC (digital/analogue)

Mechanical

interaction of all disciplines

Control cabinet construction

Control technology

Mounting structures

Enclosure climate control

Enclosure wiring

NC manufacturing and

mounting

Measurement and control

engineering

Measurement systems and

sensors for monitoring process

parameters

Fluid engineering

Pneumatics

Hydraulics

Cooling (workpiece/system)

Lubrication

MechatronicComponents

Customers expect custom machine tools that are tailored exactly to their

needs. In contrast, manufacturers need to standardise their product portfolio

and minimise the number of variants. That means that close coordination

between sales and engineering plays a central role in your processes, because

special requirements are the big unknown for engineering, design and

costing. Create an integrated workflow and transparency for everyone involved,

starting with a rule-based product configurator and secondary technical

configuration, including automated documentation.

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ERPOffer/calculationBill of materials

Mechanics3D Models

CAxFluid/Wiring diagramsEnclosure mounting

Pricing

Machine functions

Bridging the gap: From sales to engineering

The advantages are obvious

Less need for coordination between sales and engineering saves

time

Automated quotation costing takes the pressure off sales and

provides reliable cost estimates

Fast quotations and short time to market increase customer

satisfaction

Use of proven, error-free modules improves quality and minimises

the cost of rework

Reuse of defined components allows standardisation of the product

portfolio and reduces costs

A product configurator for your sales successProduct diversity and the requirement for custom solutions necessitate a great deal ofsales know-how in relation to the different versions and options for machine tools. With arule-based product configurator, you can offer your sales people and partners:

The ability to configure machines individuallyThe security of knowing that only technically coordinated and saleable configurationsare possibleAutomatic costing and fast and easy tender preparation

The configurator works on the basis of the EPLAN Engineering Center (EEC). It allows you –together with our experienced team of EPLAN consultants – to define modular productsusing a modular process. Knowledge of the various possible product combinations isdefined as a set of rules in the EEC. Reusing the individual functional modules then allowsyou to significantly reduce the number of variants.

Technical configuration and automated engineeringIntegration between the EEC and the EPLAN Platform opens up a second, technicallyoriented layer of configuration and parameterisation to your engineers. The creation of allengineering documents can now be automated:

Mechanical manufacturing and order BOMsMechanical design drawingsHydraulic and pneumatic diagramsWiring diagramsPLC programsTechnical documentation

ProgrammingHW CodePLC Code

The fast track to success with integrated

Two identical machines, with different documentation, for the same customer –

in practice, it happens all the time. To blame are conventional structures,

different levels of expertise and different work practices among different

employees, and the strict separation of the engineering disciplines. Duplication

of data, incorrect components, and differing representations of components

result in the need for time-consuming reworking of documentation. Raise the

quality and boost the speed of your engineering processes with an integrated

workflow and a centralised base for your data.

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Navigation, searching, printing

Legacy data(technical and commercial data)

engineering

The benefits to you at a glance

Integration of comprehensive supply data supports your supply

chain management concept

Unified database prevents duplication and mistakes, minimising

potential errors and avoiding costly corrections

The EPLAN Platform allows simultaneous processing of a project

across all locations and countries, with everyone speaking their

own language

Less coordination work for everyone involved

The beginning of a long friendshipProfit from the master data at the EPLAN Data Portal, available to you with the EPLAN Platform for all disciplinesincluding M-CAD, fluid and electrical engineering. Project your data across all media and make your designdata seamlessly available across your entire enterprise through a powerful PDM system – thereby achievingtime and cost savings throughout the value chain.

Seamless integration of engineering disciplinesTo get your project started quickly, the EPLAN Data Portal contains approximately 200,000 devices from manymajor component manufacturers. The components include standardised graphic characteristics in each of thedisciplines and contain commercial information: In short, a comprehensive manufacturer database as the basisfor a seamless engineering process.

The various projection tasks can now be edited with the EPLAN Platform and your expert systems. Forexample, the fluid engineers could work with a hydraulic power unit within EPLAN Fluid. EPLAN Electric P8then makes available all information relevant to electrical control of the unit, such as graphic characteristics orconnection point descriptions. Changes, for example a change to an item number in the hydraulic schematic,are automatically included in the electrical schematic.

You can then make the resulting design data available to the entire company with your PDM system. Thanksto integrated version control, all users have access to the current documentation – goodbye to manualrevisions!

Standardisation and reorganisation as a productivity factorEPLAN's expert consultants identify your workflows and organisational structures, develop design guidelinesto enable standardisation and guide you through the reorganisation process. The goal is a clear division ofresponsibilities for all involved – we say: "The CAE administrator takes care of the master data andstandardisation, and the designer gets on with the engineering."

Benefits at a glance

Virtual 3D prototypes for optimum sizing and perfect use of space

Custom-fit components and inclusion of the manufacturer's

specifications ensure high quality

Integration of NC manufacturing ensures high-precision machining,

saving time and costly rework

Early inclusion of production scheduling and mounting together

with complete and accurate data combines to reduce the margin

of error

Smooth workflow minimises expenditure on coordination

Efficient manufacturing is a fundamental factor in your company's success.

Exploiting the full capacity of your machinery and the precision of the

manufacturing process are just as important as reliable delivery to your

customers. At the same time, development cycles are getting shorter and time

pressures intensify. The result? Data is incomplete when manufacturing starts.

You can get over this hurdle with optimised manufacturing integration using 3D

virtual prototyping and direct data transfer to NC machining centres and

automated cable assembly systems.

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Team players: Engineering and manufacturing

Enclosure layout

3D design of enclosures and mounting panelsCreate integrated, automated processes from engineering right through to manufacturing. With EPLAN ProPanel, the EPLAN Platform integrates your production scheduling and mounting perfectly into the productdevelopment and manufacturing process. The system supports the development of 3D virtual prototypes. Forboth electrical and fluid power components, all existing projected components in the schematic or in themounting layout can be easily positioned on the mounting panel or in the enclosure. Dynamic collisiondetection and the inclusion of the manufacturer's installation instructions improve quality whilst saving you agreat deal of time.

Seamless integration with NC manufacturingFor machining, dedicated drill patterns and templates which are passed directly to NC machining centres arecreated. Special interfaces allow EPLAN data to be read directly into the machine controller, for example forSteinhauer eCAB and Kiessling Perforex. On top of that, the neutral DXF format allows you to integrate almostany NC-based drilling and machining centre into the workflow.

Wiring made easyEPLAN Pro Panel provides you with all the information you need for perfect wiring. The 3D mounting layout andthe information from the wiring diagram provide the basis for virtual wiring of the enclosure. You can findfabrication data such as conductor length, termination details, bundling and labelling at the push of a button.Interfaces allow you to pass this information on to automated cable assembly systems including for exampleKomax, Schleuniger or Metzner Cable Center.

Wiring diagrams/Device lists

EngineeringConstruction

3D conductor routing(Komax, CADCabel, Lists)

Cable harness

NC data generation/ Production integration

(Perforex, Steinhauer, DXF)

Production documentation/Assembly documentation

incl. Assembly drawing

Production

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The opportunities for securing your company's success are

many, but they all have one thing in common: The improvement

of process integration and reliability across the entire value chain.

Understand and take advantage of this potential. Get a competitive

edge and establish yourself as a first-class provider and trendsetter

in the market.

EPLAN – Your partner formachine building

A competent partnerYour customers want machines that are faster, more complex, more precise andmore customised. With increasing international competition and the need forstandardisation, that means that you are faced with the big challenge ofexamining and improving your processes. We at EPLAN Software & Serviceguide you in this process and lead you to success. During our many yearsworking together with customers in the machine tool industry, we have amassedextensive experience with regard to typical working practices, processes,potential for conflict and the specific needs of the market. We're ready to sharethat knowledge with you to find the right solution for your company.

Security for the futureSustained success means future-proof solutions and partners. For more than 25years, we have been monitoring developments and trends in the engineeringsector. All our efforts are focused on achieving long-term added value for ourcustomers. As a part of the Friedhelm Loh Group, we can benefit from thestrength and the size of the famous group. Around the world, we offer you thenecessary stability and security for your investments – now and in the future.

EPLAN – some impressive facts

Founded 1984

Member of the Friedhelm Loh Group

50 distribution and service centres

worldwide

550 EPLAN employees and

200 employees with partners

Over 80,000 users

Well-known customers from a wide range of sectors in the machine toolindustry speak for themselves

Turning

Dörries Scharmann Technologie GmbH (Machine tools) . EMAG Salach . HAMUELMaschinenbau GmbH & Co. KG . Hermle AG . INDEX-Werke GmbH & Co. KG .

MAG Boehringer Werkzeugmaschinen GmbH

FormingLASCO Umformtechnik GmbH . Schuler Pressen GmbH & Co. KG . Walter Neff GmbH

MillingGebr. Heller Maschinenfabrik GmbH . GROB-WERKE GmbH & Co. KG . GLEASON-PFAUTER GMBH . EiMa Maschinenbau GmbH . DECKEL MAHO Pfronten GmbH .

Klingelnberg GmbH . Liebherr-Verzahntechnik GmbH

Bending/StampingBurkhardt GmbH . Otto Bihler Maschinenfabrik

GrindingAlfred H. Schütte . Blohm Jung GmbH . Carl Benzinger GmbH . Diskus WerkeSchleiftechnik GmbH . Erwin Junker Maschinenfabrik GmbH . Geibel & HotzGmbH . KAPP GmbH . NILES Werkzeugmaschine GmbH . Overbeck GmbH

ErosionMAKINO Europe GmbH

Compression mouldingWalter Neff GmbH . UNITECH-Maschinen GmbH

Cutting Karl Eugen Fischer GmbH . VOLLMER WERKE

Drilling ELHA-Maschinenbau Liemke KG . Gehring Technologies GmbH . IXION GmbH &Co. KG . SAMAG Saalfelder Werkzeugmaschinen GmbH

Measuring Walter Maschinenbau GmbH

Dyeing/DryingA. Monforts Werkzeugmaschinen

ClearingForst Technologie . Maschinenfabrik FRÖMAG

And much more...

You can trust us tooIM

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Our customers work around the world – and so do we

EPLAN has seven branches in Germany and representatives in over 50 countries

around the world, so is always around wherever you need advice. Over 25,000

customers have trusted us with more than 80,000 installations. Rely on a

partner with consistent focus on practicality, extensive experience, individual

service and an international presence. EPLAN Software & Service, part of the

Friedhelm Loh Group, represents continuity and security of investment.

MACHINE TOOL ENGINEERINGefficient engineeringIn

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Design/Layout::www.team-mt.de::04/2012

EPLAN Software & ServiceGmbH & Co. KGAn der alten Ziegelei 2 40789 Monheim am Rhein . GermanyPhone: +49 2173 3964-0 Fax: +49 2173 3964-25 info@eplan.de . www.eplan.de