The Digital Age of Manufacturing Making modeling and simulation make sense to manufacturers By Brian Kindilien, CCAT Modeling & Simulation Program (bkindilien@ccat.us)

You’ve seen the video games young people play: Computer-

generated environments with rich three dimensional (3D)

visuals and hardware with force feedback, touch-sensitive g

controllers, and head-mounted displays that give the gamer a

nearly (virtual) exact contextual representation of the world

(reality) we live in. Think

these tools are child’s

play? The National

Aerospace Leadership Initiative’s (NALI) modeling and

simulation team wants you to think again.

ame

Virtual reality in the realm of manufacturing is what the

modeling and simulation people at NALI are all about. It’s

just one of the tools they employ to help fortify the U.S. manufacturing supply chain. Using digital

tools to help suppliers handle complex part designs more efficiently, define detailed assembly

procedures, test machining strategies in a virtual environment, conduct inspections virtually, and

even lay out their factories for maximum process flow are some of the applications the NALI

modeling and simulation group use in their pursuit of employing digital manufacturing in the

supply chain.

Modeling and Simulation Key to U.S. Air Force Program

Defining a Competitive Advantage

Product, Process, and Resource

Process Design, Validation, and Documentation

Reducing Machine Cycle Times

Proving Out Processes Before You Invest

Can Your Company Benefit?

Manufacturing Process: All Too Common

Manufacturing Process: Much Improved

Manufacturing Process: Game Changing

What’s Next?

Working with CCAT

Contact Us

Companies, programs, schools, and products referred to in this article

Modeling and Simulation Key to U.S. Air Force Program

Manufacturers know about computer-aided design (CAD): Parts, assemblies, and other design

information come into their facilities in the form of data to be interpreted, converted, and

otherwise manipulated as the first step in the digital manufacturing process. Manufacturers know

about computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) too: Those same parts are manipulated further to

make them machinable. Roughing, finishing, turning, stamping, punching, drilling operations

comprise the myriad destinations for digital data to become physical product.

NALI, a program comprising a consortium of companies from around

the U.S. and administered by the Connecticut Center for Advanced

Technology (CCAT) in East Hartford, CT, is about promoting the use

of modeling and simulation to ensure the global competitiveness of

the U.S. manufacturing supply chain. It fosters innovation and

accelerates the transition of new technologies, like digital

manufacturing, for competitive advantage. NALI is forming industrial and academic teams to

attack key needs of the U.S. Air Force (one of the key sponsors of the NALI program, the other

being the U.S. Congress) in manufacturing, advanced product development, and education.

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Defining a Competitive Advantage At CCAT’s Innovation Center in East Hartford, CT, the

modeling and simulation team has installed and integrated

some technologies to demonstrate the striking value of digital

manufacturing to the manufacturing supply chain. Literally the

biggest splash they’ve made to demonstrate digital

manufacturing is the installation of the 16 x 9 foot 3D theater.

Tom Scotton, CCAT’s NALI Modeling and Simulation

Manager, notes that the theater is a device to make the

viewing of 3D components like parts, assemblies, and

processes more realistic. “3D models are becoming

commonplace in manufacturing, but the ability to manipulate

those models in a true 3D visual environment is relatively

unique. We invite suppliers to talk to us about this technology. Their manufacturing capabilities

could evolve significantly in the sense that better, more realistic visualization using our 3D

facilities might mean that they develop opportunities for collaboration, prepare streamline

assembly sequences, optimize complex machining approaches, or develop a virtual reality

training component.”

A big 3D screen is only one example of the NALI modeling

and simulation hardware transition. Portable 3D projectors

for education, head-mounted displays, and sensor studded

gloves and body suits create fully immersive virtual

environments to bring digital manufacturing to the supply

chain. Says Scotton: “We’ll be bringing this equipment to

manufacturers, to schools, to manufacturing events… all as

part of a larger effort to keep the U.S. manufacturing supply chain at the laser’s edge of

competitive advantage.”

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Product, Process, and Resource Hardware aside, digital manufacturing is all about doing things in virtual space. Why test your NC

program by cutting material on your horizontal machining center with your hand poised for an

emergency stop, when you can simulate the cutting process in a software environment? Why

move machines around your factory floor to gain optimal efficiency when you can define your

machines, people, and factory floor space in a virtual world, move them around, and simulate

their processes to validate intelligent equipment movement?

In the NALI modeling and simulation program, the applications used in virtual space are part of a

product lifecycle management (PLM) approach to manufacturing that facilitates product, process,

and resource tools to develop, manufacture, and produce parts and assemblies. These tools are

all components of digital manufacturing. The modeling and simulation specialists at CCAT define

digital manufacturing as a sequence of manufacturing stages with appropriate virtual applications.

The sequence of digital manufacturing goes like this:

3D Product Design: The design and creation of 3D products and their parts for

manufacture. Tools used in this arena include CAD systems, PLM technologies, etc.

Assembly Sequence: Software to aide the creation of complex assembly descriptions.

Documentation is key in this field, and defining the construction of complex assemblies

can be done in a completely virtual medium.

Ergonomics: Testing the impact on humans who interface in the manufacturing

environment as they operate machines, move through the factory environment, conduct

overhaul and repair actions, etc.

Robotics: Managing the complexities of robotic interfaces in the manufacturing

environment is made easier through the use of simulators that allow manufacturers to

visualize robotic operations, interactions, and sequences.

Machining: Simulating the machining environment by rendering 3D parts, the machines

they will be processed on and testing their machining processes is a key component to

validation before physical machining takes place. The capability of physics-based

machining process modeling shows substantial improvements in machining times.

Inspection: Ensuring that parts meet quality requirements and that those requirements

remain consistent and measurable is critical to optimizing factory capabilities.

Measurement devices and processes are fully modeled in this environment.

Factory Simulation: Defining the layout of the factory, specifying the machines and their

processes, describing the human interactions with the machines and equipment within

the factory can give you a realistic sense of the viability of your production capabilities,

well before you accept an order. Play virtual “what if” scenarios, organize factories based

on lean principles, and develop risk assessments in the environment of this technology.

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Process Design, Validation, and Documentation

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Reducing Machine Cycle Times Don’t for a moment think that the modeling and simulation practices described here in the digital

manufacturing environment are elements of some future view. They’re here, now. Manufacturers

in the supply chain, schools (at all levels), and companies like CCAT are using them, with great

results. One project for a supply chain manufacturer in Connecticut encompasses a roughing

machining process for the aerospace industry. The supplier engaged NALI’s modeling and

simulation team to see if they could reduce their roughing times in any significant manner. The

team applied machining process analysis software to determine feeds and speeds that resulted in

a 10-50% (depending on application)

decrease in roughing cycle times. Dr.

Anthony Dennis, a CCAT technology

specialist, described the results as

encouraging: “Using physics-based

machining process modeling software and

people from United Technologies Research

Center and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

at Hartford, we not only proved the viability

of the software but provided remarkable

improvements in the machining efficiency of

the supplier.” The modeling products used,

Third Wave Systems’ AdvantEdge™ and

Manufacturing Automation Laboratories

(MAL), Inc.’s CUTPRO®, are significant

tools in the CCAT kit, tools which the NALI

modeling and simulation team is eager to

apply to other manufacturing challenges that

suppliers are facing.

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Proving Out Processes Before You Invest

equipment and practices. Using software

technology from Dassault Systèmes’ DELMIA

Automation, this effort simulated the production

acity for a known production period. Jonathan Fournier,

deling and simulation department, argued the advantages of

t CCAT’s work under the NALI program can help

out their factory floor or manufacturing cell, defining

nning simulations on their manufacturing process,

process definition pays off in gaining new efficiencies

.”

Another example of projects that the NALI

modeling and simulation group are undertaking

to help the manufacturing supply chain include

modeling a small part assembly cell that an

aerospace supplier needs to prove the

technology considered for employment before

the company makes the investment in the

cell and modeled its throughput cap

Applications Engineer in CCAT’s mo

process modeling: “Suppliers are finding tha

them in ways they never imagined. By laying

the equipment they use or plan to use, and ru

companies are seeing that the hard work of

or testing return on potential investments

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Can Your Company Benefit? Realizing you might have a problem is the first ste

realizing you have a problem? In the case of digit

evaluate your manufacturing processes.

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p to recovery, but what’s the first step to

al manufacturing, that step is finding time to

Manufacturing Process: All Too CMany suppliers follow steps like these: Design of p

M).

to

, punched, pressed, or whatever.

So what’s wrong with this process? Nothing, if you don’t worry about global competition for the

same parts, if your OEM isn’t concerned about increasingly demanding quality and safety

measurement standards, or if your company isn’t concerned about measuring profitability until

after it starts producing product. But that’s probably not realistic for most suppliers today.

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ommon arts and assemblies using PLM technology (an

element of which is CAD software) is conducted by the original equipment manufacturer (OE

The supplier wins a contract to manufacture the particular part and/or assembly. The supplier

requests and receives blueprints from the OEM. The supplier’s engineers and programmers go

work on the prints creating a digital part that can be machined. The part is sometimes passed

through an offline CAM software product or sometimes programmed directly on a machine tool

controller. The resulting collection of G codes, called an NC program is downloaded to the

machine tool and cut, turned, ground, drilled

Design

Download NC code

SolidWorks AutoCAD Others

Generate NC code

Mastercam Others

Problem: NC Code is perhaps not as efficient as it could be

NC Code #1

Problem: Many suppliers still have not embraced utilization of CAD importing from customer

Request Drawings

2D CAD Others

Manufacturing Process: Much Improved

r than the initial disconnect between the OEM and

upplier, design data is transmitted seamlessly between CAD and CAM software. The CAM tool

generates NC data, which is then passed into technology that can validate the manufacturing

data with the machine. The data then moves to a machining process

nalysis tool which will recommend more efficient speeds and feeds back to the CAM software

tool. The process can be cycled through until best results are attained. The resultant NC data can

ices can inspect it for quality

CCAT can also help if you’re planning on making process improvements to your factory layout,

testing the feasibility of a manufacturing cell, or implementing lean concepts in your

manufacturing. Evaluating production capacities based on facility plans, resource utilization,

staffing. Planning assembly sequences for greater efficiency is also a key area for improvement

using modeling and simulation.

CCAT’s modeling and simulation team might be able to help your company realize a more

efficient and measurable approach to supply chain manufacturing. Take the process in the

previous paragraph as an example: Rathe

s

process, verifying NC

a

be fed to the machine, the part machined, and measurement dev

measurements.

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Design

Download NC code

SolidWorks AutoCAD Others

UGS CATIA

Generate NC code

UGS–CAM CATIA-CAM Mastercam Others

Validate Process

Vericut DELMIA Others

Analysis of Process

NC Code #1

Improved NC Cod

NC Code #1

Challenge: Multiple copies of NC program to track

e #2

TWS CutPro GrindSim Others

Challenge: Additional effort to analyze processes, with another piece of software

Manufacturing Process: Game Changing manager Scotton calls “game

ys

ore

ew game changing approach: It will take the analysis step at the end of the

process and interface it directly with the CAM solution, so that the first NC program being created

has already been force balanced. Matthew Lloyd, Applications Engineer on the CCAT modeling

and simulation team states that: “This improved scenario results in a shorter cycle time for cutting

parts and eliminates the need for maintaining multiple ‘optimized’ programs. The supplier will be

afforded two tremendous benefits: Access to highly advanced machining process analysis

technology and integration into the CAD/CAM technology the supplier is already familiar with.”

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The CCAT modeling and simulation team also envisions what

changing” scenarios in the machining process and in the factory floor modeling process. Sa

Scotton: “It’s not enough that we in the NALI program know how to use these modeling and

simulation tools. Technology transition is a key component to our efforts so making the tools m

accessible by the supply chain is critical too.” Enabling connections and interfaces to previously

compartmentalized machining products is one approach. Developing easy to use data input

devices for complex software tools is another.

The case scenarios described here have added an additional step to the creation of the NC

program with the CAM software solution and also requires that the manufacturer maintains two

NC programs for each machined part. For this reason, the modeling and simulation group is

embarking on a n

Design

Download NC code

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Generate Improved NC code

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Advantage: Minimal additional effort to analyze processes included in the CAM process

Advantage: Only one version of NC program to track

What’s Next? The scenarios don’t end there either. The modeling and simulation people at CCAT are

investigating even bigger efficiencies in the future. Notes Brian Kindilien, Modeling and Simulat

Technical Specialist: “CCAT and the NALI program are taking the idea of digital manufacturin

game changing and technology transfer to the next level. The possibilities for technology to effect

machine efficiencies are limitless. We are looking at the progress of STEP-NC, as one example,

a worldwide standard developed by the International Standards Organization that evolves ST

to define data for NC machines, resulting in potentially huge redu

ion

g

EP

ctions in data preparation,

ng

machining set up, and machine cycle times.”

Arguably the most important contribution that can be made to fortifying the supply chain is

education. Getting children interested in careers in manufacturing; teaching advanced modeli

and simulation technologies in high school, vocational technical schools, community colleges,

and in engineering manufacturing programs; and spreading the word to educators at all levels is

key to keeping the U.S. manufacturing sector globally competitive. CCAT’s modeling and

simulation group is using the NALI program to show people in manufacturing how effective the

virtual reality world can be, something today’s children already know.

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Working with CCAT .S. CCAT’s modeling and simulation program is a growing and evolving effort to fortify the U

manufacturing supply chain with help from the government, industry, and academia. There is

significant demand for the services of the modeling and simulation program at this time, but our

organization may be able to work with your company to achieve this goal. If you are interested in

learning more, contact us as shown below.

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Contact Us For information on working with us, contact:

Tom Scotton Manager, Modeling and Simulation Program National Aerospace Leadership Initiative (NALI) Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology, Inc. (CCAT) 409 Silver Lane, Suite 1 East Hartford, CT 06118 Office phone: 860-610-0478 Fax: 860-610-0728 Email: tscotton@ccat.us Web: www.usnali.org

www.ccat.us

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Companies, programs, schools, and products referred to in this article:

AT): www.ccat.usThe Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology (CC

The National Aerospace Leadership Initiative (NALI): www.usnali.org

United Technologies Research Center (UTRC): utrcwww.utc.com

Rensselaer Po chnic Institute at Hartford: lyte www.rpi.edu/academics/hartford/rah.html

www.rh.edu/~ernesto/F2005/MAMS/

Third Wave S ms’ AdvantEdgeyste ™ products: www.thirdwavesys.com

Manufacturing Automation Laboratories (MAL), Inc.’s CUTPRO® products: www.malinc.com

Dassault Systèmes’ DELMIA Automation products: www.delmia.com

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