PROJECTS

PACKAGING MACHINERY ENGINEERING II

The growing demand from international groups for machine and plant standards made standardisation in design methods necessary for the engineering offices all over the world. The prerequisite for this was a product data backbone (PDM) available worldwide and a consistent engineering and design method.

Client: Manufacturer of packaging machinery and plants > 4,000 employees

Branch: Packaging machinery engineering

Topic: MultiCAD/multi-ERP integration, PDM system roll-out, cutting production costs, overall IT concept, product animation, product modularisation, ROI/costs/benefits study, SAP PLM, distributed product development, knowledge-based automated design, change management, CAD selection/benchmark, PDM selection/benchmark, setting up PDM backbone, product configuration, variant management

Situation: Knowledge of the product in the engineering offices varied to some extent and consistent access to the engineering expertise through the individual competence centres was non-existent. And there were further challenges: The CAD-related data management system at the time had been discontinued by the software vendor and there was the question of a successor. Engineering/design and ERP/logistics were faced with the decision of adjusting the new PDM solution in the direction of CAD/engineering or more in the direction of ERP/logistics. The management appointed DLP as an external consultant for this project.

Brief:

• Technical/advisory support when compiling the technical concept and the PDM specification, the concept for the future IT architecture and the choice of the actual PDM system
• Active support for internal project management
• Formulation of requirements in the PDM specification
• Checking the agreed services in the specification of the PDM integration partner
• Compiling an ROI study for the complete PDM migration and roll-out project
• Support during regular PDM team meetings, producing minutes, ongoing checking of task, release and test schedules
• Organising and carrying out regular steering group meetings together with senior and project managers

Result:

• Successful conception, selection, implementation and operational roll-out of the new PDM solution (Creo, Windchill) together with selected software and integration partners
• Successful migration of the discontinued PDM solution to the modern PDM environment (approx. 300 3D CAD users, approx. 100 2D CAD users)
• Successful ERP integration (SAP) with mapping of the complete PDM-ERP change management
• Automation of processes and introduction of a “modified working method” in design
• Considerable annual savings in job design, creating master data files for new parts, management of active parts master data records, compilation of parts lists, offer compilation and searching for data and documents
• Uniform rules and methods for design across all locations
• Increase in batch sizes due to the use of repeat parts
• Knowledge-based automated design through consistent mapping of the product knowledge (CAD configuration)