Fluctuating process reliability was key in the decision
Dieffenbacher is a leading global manufacturer of press systems and complete production lines for the wood-based materials, forming and recycling industries. The company also offers a wide range of advanced solutions for sustainable energy generation.
Jason Rogers, who is responsible for special tool procurement and process optimization at Dieffenbacher, explains the reasons for starting digital tool and tool data management with TDM Systems, "on the one hand, we wanted to be able to work independently with the tool as quickly as possible; on the other hand, the application also needed to be able to grow with our requirements and capacities. TDM Systems gave us the opportunity to test Global Line intensively in real applications. This experience has shown us that TDM Systems is the right partner for us."
Discrepancies between the real tool data and the data used for NC programming, which resulted in some damage to tools and workpieces during the machining process, were the decisive factor in really tackling digital tool data management.
The machining tools used at Dieffenbacher are not only expensive due to their special features, they are also special tools that are only manufactured when ordered and therefore have long delivery times of seven to eight weeks.
A long-standing partner of Dieffenbacher GmbH for the procurement and design of tools and machine elements is Boie GmbH from Heilbronn, south-western Germany. Gerold Knotz from Boie has been supporting Dieffenbacher as a machining specialist in the field for three decades now. He quickly realized that the company needed a basic tool data management solution. As a sales partner of TDM Systems, the solution was obvious to the specialist from Boie. "The very specific challenges Dieffenbacher faced made it much easier for us and TDM Systems to show what an investment in a tool data management system actually brings to production," he explains. "On the one hand, cost and time-consuming damage to tools and machines were very specific reasons for questioning and optimizing processes. But the situation naturally creates a concrete expectation for those responsible to present a solution very quickly. Together with the Dieffenbacher team, we agreed on an approach that brought together troubleshooting and the strategic development of the production process."
Unconventional approach
Gerold Knotz and Engin Özkan, Manager of Tool Data Projects at TDM Systems, decided on an unusual approach to show the responsible persons at Dieffenbacher how tool data management with TDM Global Line can directly influence process reliability in machining. As a first step in the project, Dieffenbacher made a list of its most important machining tools. TDM Systems created these tools as digital twins – including all data and graphics relevant to programming, simulation and production. Dieffenbacher was then able to work productively with this data package and gain experience. This meant that the NC programs were created and simulated using the available tool data – so the data was put to the test.
Engin Özkan explains how they went about it, "to completely digitalize a comprehensive tool package and make it available to the customer for productive use is, of course, quite a large upfront investment. But we were also convinced that the project team at Dieffenbacher would very quickly see that their production processes would benefit from our software and structured approach." In the next step, the Dieffenbacher team received comprehensive training from TDM experts in creating tools correctly and assembling TDM data solutions themselves – therefore enabling them to efficiently drive forward the digitalization of the tool inventory in a targeted manner.
Manufacturer-neutral digitalization
For Jason Rogers and his team, it was particularly important to be able to digitalize the tools themselves. TDM Global Line's intuitively designed GUI and simple data management make it easy to get started. The team in Eppingen currently uses the TDM Data and Graphic Generator and the TDM WebCatalog to create and manage its own data. The data is transferred to the CAM programming via the CAM interface to Creo. CAM programmers now have access to all relevant data, including interference edge correction, for the most important tools in machining. Further tools are continuously being added. The connection of the presetting process via an integration to the presetting system is currently being implemented. The aim is to be able to deliver the tools completely set up, from the clamping system to the indexable inserts or drill bits, to the machines and the corresponding tool data to the NC programming and control system.
Successful data test
TDM Tool Data Management is part of a comprehensive digitalization approach at Dieffenbacher. It was obvious after the test phase that the tool data provided greater process reliability. In addition, the manufacturer neutrality of the solution and the openness of the interfaces to common ERP systems were further important reasons for choosing TDM Systems. Jason Rogers from Dieffenbacher says, "at the end of the day, we'll have a system that can be used to map and analyze the entire tool circulation. We'll always know how many tools are in use where and how, and what needs to be replenished or reordered. In turn, the plant operators know that the tools they are given have been set up accurately and that the programming is correct."
Dieffenbacher is already benefiting from the system a short time after its introduction since machine downtimes due to incorrect tool data have been reduced to a minimum. This has significantly increased process reliability in machining. Moreover, workers' confidence in the processes and data has a very positive effect on the entire shopfloor.
Goals for the introduction of TDM Global Line
- Reduction in discrepancies between CAM planning data and real tool data
- Prevention of damage to workpieces and tools
- Accurate tool data should increase process reliability
- Build up solutions and expertise concerning how to efficiently digitalize tools
- Greater efficiency in production processes and tool management
