“With NCSIMUL, we save 50% of machine time, i.e. 20 hours for the first machining run.” Pascal Fuchs - CAM system Manager, BOBST
 
Paris, November 28,
As a supplier of solutions for the production environment, SPRING Technologies invites users to share their success stories. BOBST has implemented NCSIMUL, the machining simulation solution that is an integral part of SPRING’s NCSIMUL SOLUTIONS offering, and talks about its experience.
 
The company
BOBST is the world's leading supplier of equipment and services to packaging manufacturers in the folding carton, corrugated board and flexible materials industries. The company designs and anufactures special machines, either standard or customized. Founded in 1890 in Lausanne (Switzerland) by Joseph Bobst, the company now has operations in over 50 countries, 11 production plants across the world and a workforce of 5,000. In fiscal 2011, it generated 1.27 bn Swiss francs of consolidated revenue (around €1.06 bn, $1.4 bn).
With a portfolio of over 1,520 patents worldwide, BOBST invests 7% of its revenue each year in R&D, as well as high-performance technologies in order to maintain its rank as a top player on the packaging market.

The challenge
One of the measures taken is the acquisition of new 5-axis Mill-Turn NC machine tools and has reorganized its production tool around a Lean Manufacturing philosophy. Its goal is to optimize its production processes and resources in order to increase the share of added value for customers.
 
“Back in 2010 we started to anticipate the needs of our future production centre”, explains Pascal Fuchs, CAM system Manager at BOBST’s VPLM Group Competence center. “We use CAD software ─ Dassault Systèmes CATIA ─ to create all our NC machining programs, to ensure that we could get our production resources operational as quickly as possible.”

BOBST evaluated and pilot tested other software on the market before opting for the machining simulation solution that best matched its environment: NCSIMUL from SPRING Technologies.
“We needed a solution that would integrate seamlessly with our CATIA CAM applications to ensure that our NC toolpaths would be reliable, and check our ISO codes, before the machine tool was even installed”, adds Pascal Fuchs.
This is why BOBST intends to improve its overall equipment effectiveness (OOE) in the workshop by reducing and even eliminating the checks on the physical NC machines. NCSIMUL cuts out mudas in the workshop, and fits smoothly into our comprehensive Lean Manufacturing policy.

The benefits
The NCSIMUL solution from SPRING Technologies has proved to be an indispensable asset for the introduction of new production resources at the Mex site, and is part of the TEAM project. This has enabled BOBST to validate its new manufacturing concepts on complex machine kinematics, notably featuring 5 axes, multiple heads and collinear axes.
The simplicity and user-friendliness of the software, and above all the quality and reliability of the results have made it easy for all the engineers and technicians to take the machining simulation solution on board. Currently, all the NC programs without exception are checked with NCSIMUL before deployment on the machine “and we have a maximum success rate”, says Pascal Fuchs.
“Previously, to bring a new 10-hour machining process for a part on stream, we spent four times longer, with the production machine tied up to set up and check the program”, he explains. “With NCSIMUL, we save 50% of machine time, i.e. 20 hours for the first machining run.”
Summing up his experience Pascal Fuchs says: “we have been working with SPRING Technologies for two years and our close partnership has enabled us to take NCSIMUL forward to match our needs. A truly win/win relationship.”
 
About SPRING Technologies
With over 25 years industrial experience in the field of manufacturing, SPRING Technologies has gained worldwide recognition as a software vendor for the production environment with its global offer NCSIMUL SOLUTIONS and as a PLM integration services provider regarding the leading solutions on the PLM market. The company works closely with professionals in the aeronautics, transportation, defense and consumer goods worldwide.
SPRING Technologies, founded in 1983, is based in Europe (Germany, France, Switzerland), US and China.
For more information, visit http://www.springplm.com
 
Contact:
Philippe Solignac
SPRING Technologies HQ - Email Contact