With its more than 70 years of experience in manufacturing hydraulics systems and components, the Brevini Group ensures this level of quality through great engineering and manufacturing at its engineering and manufacturing operations in China, Germany, and Italy. To increase productivity, a project team at Dana Brevini Motion Systems and TDM Systems partner NC Program implemented a Tool Data Management solution by TDM Systems in 2022. A full success, according to Milos Markovic: “Clarity brings efficiency. Through this, we save about 15% in costs and are spearheading digitalization in our company group.”
The importance of Tool Data Management for Dana Brevini Motion Systems’ manufacturing processes
“Most of our tool handling processes had been manual before. At best, we had some Excel sheets with manually entered data – not exactly the perfect basis for transparency and efficiency”, Milos Markovic remembers. With a modern, digital tool data management solution, Dana Brevini Motion Systems aimed at having vital information on tool identity, availability, utilization, allocation as well as relevant data such as process parameters all in one place. “We realized this would have a great impact on transparency and quality of our production system”, says Milos Markovic. “The concrete goal was to create a situation where users can simply start a CNC program and be certain that it runs perfectly, without needing any further adjustments, thanks to 100% reliable planning data.”
In addition, such a solution also opens up the opportunity to improve maintenance processes and tool lifecycle management. And tool data management is a crucial data foundation for other systems like CAM systems. This makes it an essential part of any digitalization project. In addition to tool data management, the project team also searched for solutions for CAM programming and CNC simulations.
TDM Systems impresses with its functionality, compatibility, and service
With the initial help of three working students and collaboration with a local University, the team started benchmarking solutions from renowned providers. After thorough testing regarding features, functionality, and compatibility, the three “winners” were clear at the start of 2022: TDM Systems for tool data management, HyperMILL for CAM programming and VERICUT for CNC simulations.
“Tool data management was at the core of our initiative, to bring a new level of transparency and efficiency into our manufacturing processes”, explains Milos Markovic.
“And TDM Systems convinced, or rather impressed us not only through its functionality, but also because of its compatibility and interface capabilities to other systems such as our CAM system.”
Italian-based TDM Systems partner NC Program with Giuseppe Ferrari as Engineering Manager Software Solutions, was tasked to implement the tool data management solution.
A successful team effort results in a lasting relationship of trust
But the team of Dana Brevini Motion Systems, working students and also the team from NC Program set their minds to it – and the cooperation went superbly: “We were able to transfer our knowledge at NC Program to their very capable university student tasked with the TDM aspect of the project, Carmine Squitieri, and are happy with how things went”, says Giuseppe Ferrari.
Milos Markovic adds: “TDM Systems and their partner NC Program provided excellent service to us. From the start, we felt like they gave their all to find the best solution for us, also during the implementation process, they provided us excellent support. ” In addition to the trust in the solution and service provider, Dana Brevini Motion Systems also now has the desired trust in its planning data: “As a result of this project, we reached our goal of having clean processes that are not dependent on specific users”, says Milos Markovic.
A new reference in the Dana Incorporated group of companies
Now that the implementation phase of the project has progressed greatly, the consequences have become quite noticeable: “We have quantifiable benefits such as 15% less manufacturing costs through process optimizations”, says Milos Markovic. “But maybe even more importantly, we have a profound and ever-growing clarity about our tool and process landscape that acts as a foundation for other software tools and systems like CAM. We are super happy with the cooperation with TDM Systems and NC Program as well as the implemented solution.”
Targets
- Digitalize processes on the shopfloor
- 100% reliable planning data
- Starting NC programs on the machine that do not need any further adjustments
- Increase of quality, efficiency and productivity
Process Innovations
- Clean processes independent from specific users
- Process optimizations increases quality and productivity
- Reliable planning processes due to interfaces to HyperMILL and VERICUT
- Profound and ever-growing clarity about our tool and process landscape
