Shop Floor Connect: A DNC Solution for Teamcenter
Challenges in the Machining Shop
Whenever our team visits a machining shop, they can count on seeing at least one of the following:
- Operators' knowledge of which program(s) to run on a machine or robot is based on word-of-mouth instead of reliable documentation;
- There is little to no revision control of machine programs;
- Shop floor documentation is paper-based, for example with setup sheets at machining workstations;
- Programs reside on individual machine controllers instead of in a centralized location;
- There are frequent equipment downtimes;
- To run programs, engineers and operators place them on a USB stick and walk them to the machine.
There are too many risks associated with these manual processes, including running outdated programs, placing programs on the wrong machine or failing audits. Since manufacturers work with expensive equipment and materials, such risks are unacceptable.
What is Shop Floor Connect?
The answer to these problems is a machining environment involving Direct Numerical Control (DNC). Shop Floor Connect (SFC) is a DNC application add-on developed for Siemens Teamcenter that delivers critical production information directly to the machine controller. More than just a traditional DNC system, the connection to the centralized Teamcenter database avoids data duplication and manages revisions to ensure that the correct data is used during production. SFC enables your production operators to access released programs, drawings, 3D models and other data sources through a user interface that runs on any browser-enabled device or controller. Shop Floor Connect supports all the different machines that execute production:
- CNC machines;
- Presetters;
- CMMs;
- Robots;
- Additive machines.
Connection to Siemens Teamcenter
Shop Floor Connect communicates directly with Teamcenter, Siemens' leading system for managing Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) data and processes starting from product design and product engineering through production. Teamcenter provides an environment that you can use to manage product and process definitions, data files and resources. It maintains workflows and roles for users who work in process chains, and it provides tracking capabilities for monitoring document revisions and release statuses.
The integration eliminates the need for an independent shop floor database. Instead, all machining data is managed and stored within the controlled Teamcenter environment. When a job needs to be run, Shop Floor Connect enables machine programs to be pulled from the database directly at the machine tool interface. Shop floor operators can access the source data while it remains inside Teamcenter’s managed environment. Data files needed for production can be pulled directly at the point of use in a controller or pre-setter.
Capabilities of Shop Floor Connect
By providing the shop floor with direct access to the central source of manufacturing data, Shop Floor Connect streamlines and automates DNC processes to create a true “top floor to shop floor” machining data management environment.
1. Access manufacturing data on the shop floor.
SFC provides operators with direct access to released Teamcenter data. Using job numbers or work package identifiers, they can locate the correct data files needed for production. Depending on what has been stored as a part of the manufacturing plan and released for use in production, the following can be accessed directly at the machine interface: NC programs, CAM data, additive programs, robotic programs, CMM programs, tooling lists, shop documents, digital photos, operating instructions, assembly instructions, drawings, 3D models (JT™ format), tooling setup data, movie files.
2. Save and manage production data.
When machine programs are created, modified or optimized by the production team, they can be saved and maintained by Teamcenter as new data or revisions to existing data.
3. Achieve process consistency.
Teamcenter workflows and user rules can be defined and implemented, ensuring that processes and SOPs are followed correctly and consistently.
4. Maintain data and process transparency.
Teamcenter maintains usage logs and generates audit reports, making it easy to understand where and when data was accessed, downloaded or updated and by whom.
5. Ensure compliance.
Managing machining data within Teamcenter’s secure, controlled environment right up to the point of production helps companies meet even the most detailed regulatory requirements for process accuracy, accountability, traceability and auditing.
6. Connect your machines.
Shop Floor Connect can provide a direct connection to each machine on your production floor. Machines are connected via Ethernet or through serial connections using a separately available serial adapter. Most proprietary control systems can be connected. Tool presetters also connect directly to SFC, enabling you to take advantage of tooling and resource information from the Teamcenter database.
7. Provide a touchscreen-ready interface.
Based on HTML5 technology, Shop Floor Connect can be accessed and used on any device, including mobile phones, tablets and/or PCs. The latest user interface is easy-to-use and shares the look and feel of Teamcenter Active Workspace (AWS). Users appreciate the large format buttons and interface elements, which make touchscreens easy and natural to use. In addition, the user interface runs on web-based browser applications that users already understand.
8. Integrate with a file comparison tool.
You can install third-party file comparison software within the Shop Floor Connect environment in order to enable users to check and evaluate different versions of their data files.
9. Import your legacy data.
Users can easily import legacy production data into the Teamcenter database for use on the shop floor by using automatic options that facilitate the loading of tooling data and machine programs.
Features of Shop Floor Connect
- Enable central management and revision control of machine programs and data (e.g. NC programs and CAM data)
- Provide a direct connection from data repository (Teamcenter) to your machines and robots
- Download and upload production job data and tool target data to/from machine controllers
- Upload and manage machine programs programmed on the shop floor to Teamcenter
- Upload and administer machine parameters in Teamcenter to ensure security
- Connect to all types of machine controllers and tool presetters
- Connect to Teamcenter through a serial (with adapter hardware) or Ethernet interface at the machine controller
- View all Teamcenter information via a browser-based interface on the shop floor
- Leverage system configuration options to support different machining requirements and user preferences
- Easy-to-use, touchscreen-ready user interface
Benefits of Shop Floor Connect
- Benefits of Shop Floor Connect for Teamcenter
- Drive paperless manufacturing
- Ensure use of correct and current data in production
- Minimize production errors
- Standardize processes for change management
- Eliminate local shop floor databases outside of IT infrastructure
- Provide data transparency to all users
- Enable quicker and more flexible information flows
- Improve process efficiency and quality
- Lower product rejection rate
- Facilitate communication between engineering and manufacturing
Engineering's Expertise
Our company has been a pioneer in Digital Manufacturing long before the term “Industry 4.0” was coined. Our niche expertise in designing and delivering solutions that bridge the gap between manufacturing engineering and physical manufacturing on the shop floor continues to help our customers realize decreased time-to-market, increased efficiencies, lower production costs and improved process and product quality. Engineering Industries eXcellence is an expert system integrator of complete, end-to-end DNC systems. Our areas of expertise include CAM workflows, PLM integration, and industrial machine and robot connectivity. Our Industries eXcellence experts have experience connecting dozens of different CNC machine makes and models to state-of-the-art DNC systems for machining customers around the world.
