The increasing level of networking of ever more powerful products is not making engineering any easier. Embedded electrical, electronic and software components are increasing the demands placed on the management of product data and its cross-disciplinary communication. Companies that replace their server-based storage systems with conventional directory structures for a PLM system free themselves from unproductive activities such as data searches, the need to recreate accidentally overwritten designs, the manual completion of drawing title blocks and much more besides. At the same time, they reduce their project lead times and therefore also their opportunity costs. A cost-benefit calculation not only reveals the individual time-consuming activities but also the time-related advantages brought about by a product lifecycle management system.
A vendor of lifting systems would like to extend its range of industrial equipment to include solutions for wastewater that has to be deoiled. To do this, its developers in the fields of mechanics, electronic engineering, fluid engineering, electronics and software select an existing model that they want to adapt as part of a cross-domain collaboration process.
In each of the vendor's development domains, there are a large number of different native files for the lifting system that is to be adapted, such as drawings, 3D models, overviews and BOMs, as well as the source code for the controllers. There is also generic data in the form of MS Office documents, neutral formats and build files for the transfer of information between disciplines and to the downstream processes.
Server-based product data management systems with conventional directory structures do not support intelligent searches based on product features. This makes the choice of the version that matches the released versions in the other disciplines particularly difficult if the internal naming and versioning rules have been individually defined. Users must therefore know where the data is stored.
Once the data has been located and adapted, they must then remember to store it under a different name in the directory for the new product. Otherwise, they will overwrite the original file.
A PLM system supports developers in their data management through the centralized administration of all the product data for the lifting system that is to be modified. Sophisticated search mechanisms make it possible to locate the relevant data faster. If the products are classified, this also has positive benefits for the quality of the results list.
In the case of a multi-CAD-PLM system, the data model brings together all the product data for the lifting system. Here, the associated released versions from the individual domains reference one another, meaning that it is clear which files should act as the template for the new lifting system.
PLM systems do not allow existing project statuses to be overwritten by revised versions. The CAD-PLM interface recognizes the new files and comments accordingly. All the versions are automatically retained. They trace the development history and create a digital thread. What is more, the connector generates the complete data model for the extended lifting system, including all the generic information, and saves it in the right location in accordance with the defined rules.
Even if the design engineers classify and cluster their development data, these attributes do not play any role during file searches in a file-based archive system. If developers do not find the required project templates for the new lifting system right away then they may be tempted to create a duplicate. This costs time and money.
In a PLM system, design engineers quickly and easily identify the relevant individual parts and modules on the basis of their features and modify them in accordance with specifications. If a module for the new requirement "deoiling of wastewater" does not need any adaptation, it simply references the module of the existing lifting system. The component is not redundantly created and administered. This helps design engineers save valuable time. And there's more: If the module subsequently has to be adapted, for example because a spare part is discontinued, then all the products that include this module are brought up-to-date by means of a single central change.
If design engineers frequently reuse modules instead of reconstructing them, they reduce parts variety and consequently also material and storage costs. At the same time, the engineers reduce not only their own workloads but also those in the downstream processes, such as procurement, production and maintenance.
Another advantage of PLM-based parts management lies in the transparent relationships along the supply chain. This is particularly important in the case of electronics, which are frequently subject to delivery bottlenecks. The lifting system’s electronic BOM, which acts as a template for the extended lifting system, contains all the relevant information for Purchasing.
Unlike server-based product data management, PLM systems provide companies with a structured process for making changes to their products.
Decisions and implementation are transparent – from the change request through to release. The CAD-PLM interface automatically updates all the header data, meaning that the development history is recorded and automatically updated.
The subsequent analysis of criteria such as reason for the change, priority, etc. helps improve product development.
For many tasks during the product engineering process, developers manually create generic data in neutral format, a task that sometimes takes an enormous amount of time. Many different types of information have to be exchanged, be it in order to coordinate with the other development teams, for product release purposes or in order to integrate suppliers.
Users of a PLM system benefit from the fact that CAD-PLM integration, for example when saving a new version, automatically triggers the creation of generic data. This data that is provided electronically is immediately available for further processing.
In the absence of a product data management system, the data is often sent by e-mail or web apps in cases where large data volumes have to be transferred. For internal purposes, for example for colleagues in Development, Purchasing or Production, the data is manually copied to a location on the server to which all the parties involved have access.
By contrast, PLM systems provide a secure location for direct data exchange. Colleagues and third parties alike can be directly integrated in the processes that concern them. Securely authenticated, they obtain access to a defined area in the PLM system for a specified time window.
There is no doubt that introducing a PLM system not only involves a financial investment but also a considerable amount of time and effort. However, the advantages in terms of increased throughput and time and cost savings speak for themselves. This is because the increased complexity that results from networked products can be controlled better and more easily with system support. The period it takes for an investment to pay for itself can be seen in the corresponding individual ROI calculation.