Heidelberger Druckmaschinen

Industrial machinery and equipment
Heidelberger Druckmaschinen
Producing printing presses with higher efficiency
Product
NX
Business initiatives
Development of new products
Standardization and re-use
Value chain synchronization
Business challenges
Speed up product
development
Improve product
development efficiency
Keys to success
Persistent use of 3D CAD
NX software’s connection
to ERP
Consistent rules and
guidelines for data quality
Higher re-use ratio
Comprehensive training and
quality improvement program
Results
Shortened development
cycles despite increasing
requirements
Finalized more projects with
same staff
Higher security for
engineering process and a
shorter development cycle
Managing quality
and complexity
Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
(Heidelberg) is one of the world’s leading
solution providers for sheet-fed offset
printing. Apart from printing presses, the
company’s product portfolio includes plate
imaging devices and finishing equipment,
as well as software components designed
to integrate all print manufacturing
processes.
The company’s sheet-fed presses are
sophisticated systems comprised of assemblies containing 60,000 to 80,000 parts;
even their subassemblies consist of more
than 2,000 parts. Approximately 450
design engineers create new custom and
semi-custom models for approximately
200,000 customers around the world.
Assemblies of this scale involve the use
of an enormous amount of data, which
consistently taxes the limits of today’s
hardware and software. In addition, the
complexity of these assemblies and subassemblies increases as more components
are used. For example, presses increasingly
consist of electronic, hydraulic and pneumatic modules that include wires, tubes
and even software.
For a number of years, Heidelberger
Druckmaschinen has been using NX™ software – Siemens PLM Software’s 3D CAD/
www.siemens.com/nx
Results (continued)
Leveraged NX integration
to make design data and bills
of materials available in
ERP system
Improved product quality
“The latest version of NX is a
big step forward for us with its
new user guidance and its ability
to deliver high performance
even when handling huge
assemblies.”
Guenter Zentgraf
Head of CAx & IT Infrastructure R&D
Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
CAM/CAE system – for all of the company’s
digital product definition tasks. As
Heidelberg’s products have increased in
complexity and involved the use of more
component modules, the company has
broadened the scope of the tasks that NX
is required to perform. From design to
mechanical detailing, from sheet metal
design to tubing and wiring, from FEM calculation to kinematics, from NC programming of machining tools to computerbased simulation of machining processes,
NX now supports all of these functions.
Just as importantly, the company considers it essential to re-use its 3D models as
part of its initiative to improve product
development efficiency. The company
decided to achieve this vertically throughout a series of processes that range from
finite element model (FEM) calculation to
prototype and model definition in production and service – as well as horizontally
throughout its products and their modules.
Moreover, the company’s re-use initiative
depends on data quality.
Ensuring re-use
The quality of CAD data and its re-use
require consistent and obligatory rules and
guidelines, which need to be generated
in cooperation with Heidelberg’s user
community. Heidelberger Druckmaschinen
has implemented a sound and compre­
hensive CAD training program. In addition,
Heidelberg’s users are able to rely on
tailor-made consulting services for their
everyday work. These services include an
always available CAD Helpdesk that provides CAD consultants who are assigned to
help team members work on new development projects. Heidelberg’s user community and work groups also discuss work
methodologies among themselves.
A tool integrated with NX for automated
part testing provides a second level for
CAD data quality control. Currently, each
model is evaluated by 58 different test
routines to avoid flaws from the outset,
such as outdated drawing status. Thirtyeight tests are required for approval. The
quality department performs the final
check in this program as single models are
chosen at random and verified in an external audit that applies given rules and
guidelines.
Leveraging NX for better performance
When the latest version of NX was introduced, Heidelberg made the effort to verify in detail the announced enhancements
with respect to large assembly performance improvement. Guenter Zentgraf,
who is the systems administrator for
Heidelberg’s CAx IT Infrastructure F&E,
observed significant improvements in several facets: “The handling performance of
huge assemblies increased significantly,
including loading and changing
between assemblies.”
Heidelberg also wanted to leverage
another NX advantage by becoming less
dependent on the Windows® XP operating
system. According to Zentgraf, it was
important that NX enable the CAD system
and operating system to proceed on a
decoupled basis. This has now happened.
Meanwhile, the vast majority of
Heidelberg’s design engineers successfully
operate on the new NX platform. Assemblies with 60 to 80,000 parts still reach
the system’s limits. However, special
approaches combined with the “product
outline” feature (visualization based on the
JT™ data format) enable engineers to load
complete printing devices and transfer
them to the appropriate assembly modules. Heidelberger Druckmaschinen benefits from this as problems, such as those
encountered during the laying of circuits,
tubes and cables, are solved more easily
within the context of the assembly.
New assembly connections are now more
stable and easier to manage: “Our
assemblies are created much faster and
with fewer mouse clicks,” says Zentgraf.
With the consistent user interface of NX,
Heidelberg is able to realize continuous
development, which is also facilitated by
simpler handling and fewer clicks.
As Zentgraf indicates, “At first, the resetting is connected to costs. However, with
NX, every change definitely led to higher
productivity.” A new, in-depth and revised
sheet metal module makes it possible to
receive native NX modules that can be
directly integrated into assemblies from
Solutions/Services
NX
www.siemens.com/nx
Customer’s primary business
Heidelberger Druckmaschinen
develops and manufactures
sheet-fed offset printing
machines, establishing its
credentials as one of the
leading solution providers for
the print media industry.
www.heidelberg.com
Customer location
Heidelberg
Germany
sheet metal suppliers. The CAM enhancements of NX generate additional advantages for the company.
Overall results
The integrated digital product definition
based on NX – which extends from product development to manufacturing – has
significantly contributed to Heidelberg’s
shorter development cycles. The company’s ability to increasingly re-use its models
throughout a complete process chain has
contributed to this improvement. The company is now able to manage many more
new projects with the same staff – a clear
demonstration of how Heidelberg is able
to leverage NX to increase its
competitiveness.
“CAD data quality is the basis
for 3D assemblies that can be
re-used throughout the
process chain.”
Guenter Zentgraf
Head of CAx & IT Infrastructure R&D
Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
Siemens Industry Software
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+1 314 264 8499
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+44 (0) 1276 413200
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www.siemens.com/plm
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