Integration — the key to success
The project kicked off with a project analysis in order to identify the company's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and risks as well as its visions. Following the analysis stage, it was evident that automation could not be achieved without a suitable, universal software solution for process organization. The suitable strategy was defined together with the company's qualified employees.
To ensure the implementation was a success, Mr Büsser believed in the importance of incorporating the employees' technical competence and many years of experience into the project. The central, database-oriented solution for process automation from CERTA forms the new core of its production processes. Following the installation of the new process control technology, the first step was to connect the existing CAD/CAM system from CIMATRON to the central system by means of the CERTA CAD import and the CERTA QMeasure CAD plug-in. This enabled the direct transfer of existing data structures, defined measuring points for automatic presetting and automatic quality measurement of electrodes and workpieces, as well as vertical eroding parameters from the CIMATRON system to the CERTA system.
The part that is to be measured on the 3D coordinate measuring machine from Mitutoyo is identified by means of a chip, the measuring program is automatically set up by CERTA QMeasure, and the measurement is carried out automatically. During the initial phase, the Mikron HSC milling machine and the Zimmer & Kreim vertical eroding machine were connected to the central process control system from CERTA Systems. The perfected and automated work flow delivers high levels of safety, flexibility and efficiency in production. The second phase involved fitting the newly purchased HSC milling machine from exeron with a CERTA JobManager and chip identification, and integrating it into the CERTA system.