Three-Dimensional Planning for Modern Automotive Manufacturing

GETRAG FORD Transmissions in Cologne optimizes its manufacturing process planning with eMPower Machining from Tecnomatix

GETRAG FORD Transmissions has justified further investment in manufacturing planning software from Tecnomatix Technologies following a successful pilot project.

Johan Schüller accesses the enterprise knowledge base provided by eMPower Machining

3D CAD models such as the B6 clutch housing are received from I-DEAS via the STEP interface and converted into ACIS format

Getrag-Ford 011 Specifying a manufacturing procedure

Trials of Tecnomatix’ eMPower Machining software have enabled GETRAG FORD Transmissions to build far greater flexibility into itsproduction. As a result of the trials it will, in the future, be able to manufacture the B6 clutch housing with one rather than three clampings. The company expects to produce about 650,000 clutch housing units. Thanks to the Tecnomatix software, the cost of manufacturing these will be reduced by about ten percent, while the efficiency of the production planning process itself has improved by 18%. In future, the manufacturing processes and facilities at Cologne will run alongside the design and development of the end products themselves.

As a Tier 1 supplier to the automotive industry, GETRAG FORD Transmissions based in Cologne is a front runner in terms of reducing product development times, providing a flexible response to customers’ requirements and competing for international business. The company was established in 2001 as a 50:50-joint venture between GETRAG, a transmissions specialist based in Untergruppenbach in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, and Ford of Europe. It specializes in the development and production of manual and automated transmissions and associated engineering services. In addition to the many Ford plants in Europe and the United States, the company supplies customers such as Jaguar, Land Rover, Mazda, MG Rover and Volvo.

Production Planning Requirements
The new procedures have not only allowed GETRAG FORD Transmissions to reduce the time it takes to design and develop a product: while this is being done, it is now possible to design, procure, and commission the requisite manufacturing systems. The most critical objective, however, has been to ensure that the cost of producing each component is competitive. This is achieved by working closely with the relevant departments and using as much creativity and technical expertise as possible.

Any transmission system can comprise between 25,000 and 1 million components, so every second of CNC machine time is vital — and the same applies to time when machines are idle. The growing requirement for flexibility in terms of product variations and batch sizes has resulted in a move away from conventional machining lines to an agile manufacturing cell structure that supports modern high speed manufacturing and drying processes. This means that production planning has become more complex than before.

Multi-Dimensional Planning
To permit the existing team to fulfill the new, more rigorous requirements, the Manufacturing Engineering department set out to find appropriate enabling tools. In October 2002, Markus V Hönschel, from Tecnomatix, was invited to demonstrate eMPower Machining, a complete software suite for the interactive design and optimization of agile manufacturing cells and assembly lines.

“The system seemed very attractive,” remembers Johann Schüller, production planning manager. “However, we were unable to obtain a sufficiently accurate cost/benefit analysis. We therefore took the decision to run a pilot project, supported by Tecnomatix.” In December 2002, Tecnomatix received the order for the pilot project, entitled “Planning for a new B6 clutch housing”. The project began in February 2003, as soon as a process planning engineers had completed their training, and was completed by the end of June.

Rainer Downar, managing director of Tecnomatix GmbH, comments: “The four-month pilot project demonstrated that the Tecnomatix software can provide added value for our customers.”

Johann Schüller reports: “The project convinced us that, with eMPower Machining, we had a far more efficient, accurate and scientific means of setting up and specifying the production processes for the clutch housing. Overall, the reliability of our planning processes would therefore be substantially better.” A final presentation was made to management, recommending investment in eMPower Machining.

How It Works
3D CAD models of each component read via the STEP interface and are converted into ACIS, the format used by eMPower Machining. The system automatically recognizes the 46 bores as features. Five milling features are applied manually, tolerances and threads are added, and the feature names (or drilling numbers) assigned.

Resources, machine tools such as, for example, the Ex-Cell-O XHC 241 processing centre and 28 tools are specified. The cut data, feed and revolution rates per tool are then defined. GETRAG FORD Transmissions’ best practice standards are transferred to the database for definition of the best production methods. Most tools are automatically assigned to the processes (of which there are approximately 70). The tool paths are applied, processing times computed and the processing sequence determined by eM-Machining.

Once the cycle time has been calculated, it is possible to determine the number of machines needed to produce the required production volume. The system also produces a report outlining any necessary new investment, as well as tooling lists and a first production layout. eM-Real NC, which is fully integrated with eMPower Machining, guarantees that the NC programs will run 100 percent collision-free, resulting in a substantially shorter ramp-up time.

Results
The main task was for Manufacturing Engineering and Product Development to work together to optimize the die-casting and machining processes. Planners were able to provide their design colleagues with a realistic, on-screen simulation of the manufacturing processes, using full 3D representations of every part of the processes: component parts, machine interiors and tooling mechanisms. “This solved our greatest problem,” says Johann Schüller. “We can now simulate the machining process and calculate both the feasibility and cost of manufacturing the design.”

GETRAG FORD Transmissions now encourages this type of interdisciplinary cooperation because of its high productivity. Design problems are analyzed in team discussions and the accuracy of the detailed illustration and visualization provided by eMPower Machining ensures solutions that are fully agreed by all concerned and more satisfactory overall. The B6 clutch housing is no longer manufactured with three clampings, as it was previously, but with just one. In addition, the software has permitted a greater flexibility in the manufacturing process: for example, in the past, complete cross bores could only be arranged in a straight line.

“eMPower Machining helps us to visualize the way in which the machines operate, so we can see where other arrangements might be possible,” says Johann Schüller. “We can now make better use of our manufacturing equipment and reduce machine processing and idle times, thereby reducing our manufacturing costs. We can also use less expensive, less accurate tools, despite which we achieve higher precision because, with only one clamping rather than three, we can avoid the need to apply extra tolerances.

With a planned output of 650,000 units and investment in no fewer than seven manufacturing cells, the effect of these changes was conclusive.“Our technical designers now come to us even if they wish to apply an extra drilling. We use the system to work with them and find the best solution,” reports Christoph Zeitler, production operations planner with GETRAG FORD Transmissions.

Working With External Suppliers
The new system is producing similar benefits in the company’s dealings with its external suppliers. GETRAG FORD Transmissions’ policy is to invite several suppliers to tender prior to any new investment in tools or machinery. An accurate analysis process is applied to the different quotations, using a combination of technical and financial analysis and manufacturing time computations developed by the different component suppliers. EMPower Machining allows users to set out their invitations to tender far more precisely, and this makes it much quicker and easier to make first round comparisons between suppliers. “We can see immediately whether we have a feasible proposal with a realistic manufacturing time,” says Christoph Zeitler. “If a suppliers figures are too far out, an open discussion between him and our team
prevents any misunderstandings.”

The life expectancy of most machine tools is about ten years. Even without the familiar pattern of frequent model changes, technology never stands still. “We therefore carry out repeated trials with our tool suppliers. Changes in our cutting mechanisms or tool geometries must be tested against new machining practices. It is already possible, right from the preliminary stages of a product design – and without investing anything in test tooling – to determine whether or not it will be practicable and economical to proceed to trials of a new technology,” says Johann Schüller.

In the same way, the potential to re-use tools and entire tooling systems for updated components can be quickly and thoroughly tested. If the installation position of an engine needs to be changed for design reasons, then there often needs to be a corresponding change to the clutch housing. eMPower Machining calculates the changes required in the design geometry in order to avoid interferences and highlights any necessary changes in tooling, clamping angles, positions and devices. Indeed, the software shows whether the existing manufacturing equipment is suitable at all for producing the new part, or whether new equipment is necessary.

The Tecnomatix software also helps GETRAG FORD Transmissions to identify potential bottlenecks or under-utilization of machinery and to reconfigure its entire manufacturing infrastructure in order to avoid these problems. “eMPower Machining gives us a fast, easily understood analysis,” says Johann Schüller.

The “three dimensional data analysis system” is also consulted if external suppliers produce quotations that undercut internal manufacturing costs. This permits the company to understand why the cost differences have arisen and the extent to which negotiation is possible.“A combination of new ideas, the comprehensive feasibility analysis and excellent planning reliability of eMPower Machining helps us enormously in this,” says Schüller.

Preparing for the future
Once corporate management had approved the investment, a longer phase of integration into the established IT environment lay ahead in order to ensure compliance with internal standards. The eMPower Machining test phase was completed at the end of 2003 with the installation of a workstation and servers.

Initially, two employees will work with the system, which comprises Tecnomatix’ base eMPower software environment and eMPower Machining, eMReal NC and a reporting tool.“Most of a planner’s time is spent on administrative tasks,” says Johann Schüller.

“Knowledge management is handled by eM-Report.”

Markus V Hönschel adds: “Once configured, the software automatically creates and updates reports. The pilot project demonstrated that the reporting module reduces administrative time by half.”

Process planners make good use of this. “We have three new projects at the planning stage, of which two are for six-gear transmission systems, which put our previous projects in the shade both as machining and as technological challenges,” says Johann Schüller. Another new task for the team will be to use eMPower Machining to analyze and rationalize the established manufacturing processes. As well as 31 production centers in Cologne, GETRAG FORD Transmissions has factories in Halewood (England) and Bordeaux (France). “The full eMPower Machining system requires thorough initial training and continuous further training. We therefore use it in Cologne to provide production analysis and development services to our other factories,” Schüller explains. “Our close proximity to product development is a particular advantage in this.”


GETRAG FORD Transmissions
GETRAG FORD Transmissions was established in February 2001 as a 50:50-joint venture between GETRAG, a world-leading manufacturer of drive technology based in Untergruppenbach (Baden-Württemberg) and Ford of Europe. The company has production facilities at Halewood (England), Bordeaux (France) and Cologne, and a staff of 3754. It sold 1,629 million gearboxes in 2003 and achieved a turnover of 888 million euros.