Ldditive manufacturing is becoming increasingly important in industry. The combination of technological innovations to improve productivity and yield are no longer concepts, but reality, for a market worth 13 billion euros. So, whether in the context of R&D (product development projects using additive manufacturing) or B2P (Build To Print, industrialized manufacturing), it is essential to set up a certain number of connections and exchanges between the various functions common to these two areas.
This initial connection is clearly the cornerstone of additive manufacturing, and it is therefore important to connect the materials database to the design tools. This will improve the exchange of information and optimize the material selection stage, in particular through the creation of a centralized material library, and the definition of the geometry of the part to be machined.
The choice of one material over another is justified not only by its properties, but also by the simulation of its behavior in relation to the part to be manufactured and theenvironment it will face. This is why it is essential to simulate the behavior of the part to be manufactured, using dedicated tools. This simulation can only be optimized by setting up a gateway between the materials database (containing the various materials and their properties) and these simulation tools, so that the properties of the materials concerned can be exploited by the simulation teams.
In order to start manufacturing the part, it will be necessary to define its specifications by generating a 3D file, usually in STL, OBJ, AMF or 3MF format, which can then be sent to and read directly by the manufacturing machine.
Machine connectivity is essential to optimize manufacturing monitoring. This connectivity enables you to schedule your various production lines, monitor machine operating parameters in real time, report manufacturing progress, or even a non-conformity on the machine (breakdown) or on the machined part (error on a layer, for example).
This manufacturing monitoring also enables me to generate indicators which, in the medium term, will enable me to reduce the costs of the business, by optimizing manufacturing and limiting the occurrence of non-conformities.
As part of an R&D activity, it will be essential to characterize the part as it leaves the production line, to ensure that it meets the specifications; to do this, characterization tests are necessary.
There are therefore exchanges to be set up in order to transmit test requests to the teams in charge of testing, who in turn must return the test results (reports, raw data) once the tests have been carried out. Setting up a connection between the manufacturing management tool and the test request management tool optimizes these exchanges, and ensures complete traceability from start to finish of the manufacturing process.
For more information, please contact us to discuss your requirements. Our quality experts can answer any questions you may have about setting up quality indicators with QMS.
