Seiki Systems manufacturing system now provides additional benefits for CNC machines equipped with Renishaw probes. By forming a partnership with GS Productivity Solutions we are now able to offer a number of new plug-in and compatible modules enabling you to maximise the benefits of CNC probing.

Just some of the benefits you can expect include:-

• Replace manual based data collection
• Improve overall quality and process confidence
• Reduce set-up times (90% reductions recorded)
• Reduce down-time due to "awaiting inspection"
• Reduce scrap cost and rework time
• Reduce Overall Inspection Overhead
• Auditable and traceable records
• Key enabler for Lights Out manufacture

Seiki Systems real-time probe data collection software automatically collects probing results from CNC machines equipped with Renishaw probes and a suitable data output facility. The collected data can be used to create text records or feed SPC systems using a unique configuration facility - Seiki Batch Script (SBS). This feature is now available as an option within the Seiki Networked Manufacturing (NMS) System*

GS Productivity Solutions CNC Reporter software is a user configurable Excel based sheet that generates real-time CMM style inspection reports. Individualised report templates that enable the creation of automatic control charts across critical features are easily generated within the macro based spreadsheet. The charts can contain customizable control limits, highlight out of tolerance features and monitor process variation to predict errors before they occur. The templates can provide sequential reporting across all components and provide a total traceable production history. This product is available as a "plug in" to Seiki NMS System*

*NB for automatic output the CNC must be fitted with an RS232 port and DPRNT or similar functionality

Download information sheet

Seiki Systems Networked Manufacturing System (NMS)
www.gspsltd.co.uk

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The first in a series of our SMART Production Workshops, designed to show benefits of integrated manufacturing software solutions, took place on the 16th November at the Trident Technology Centre in Warwickshire.

The workshop consisted of two presentations; Seiki Systems' speaker Neil Saunders identified ways in which you can manager the critical link between production efficiency and profitability and Guy Brown from GS Productivity Solutions demonstrated how to maximise the benefits of in process CNC probing. The presentations were followed by a buffet style lunch and time for one-on-one discussions with a member of our team. As well as providing an opportunity to see a demonstration of our full product range, the workshop also enabled some of our existing customers to meet and discuss their experiences.

SMART Production highlights the importance of managing business intelligence (BI) and manufacturing intelligence (MI) and how consolidating these two key areas can enhance the efficiency and productivity of a company. Seiki Systems and GS Productivity Solutions provide the tools to gather all the knowledge needed, based on real-time data, that will enable companies to make critical decisions based on facts. For example on the shopfloor this means that all essential, up-to-date information is made available at point of use and at management level automatically generated statistical analysis will highlight reasons for lost productivity and opportunities for improvement.

For details of SMART Production Workshops being held in your area please keep checking the website.

Westwind Air Bearings’ manufacturing plant in China has adopted Seiki Systems’ Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software as part of its Integrated Manufacturing Execution System (iMES) in order to maintain and manage high levels of production and to control and integrate production requirements with the Poole headquarters in the UK.

What makes the system so important is that it provides the solution to control over 50 different work centres and cells now operating at the plant in China.  This also includes material supply from the UK for critical components for example: bearings, thrust plates and bought-out items such as jets, bushes and screws, as well as the added complication of China sourced and machined components and spare parts.  In addition, control is also maintained over certain items machined in China for shipment back to UK where they are assembled, and for parts or assemblies for use in the Asian market.

Controlling production was a big issue when setting up the facility and while Westwind Air Bearings utilises an existing MRP system to plan overall production in both the UK and China, the Chinese initially made use of Excel spreadsheets for the very small quantities of initial components involved there.  But production is now more demanding with over 1,000 stock items, 100 individual orders a week and regular small batch machining involving between 12 and 50 parts. As Paul Berrett manufacturing systems engineer explains: “It would be totally uncontrollable with spreadsheets.”

This is no longer a problem however, as with the iMES production control software installed they are able to take complete control.  The software provides live information in a simple to follow graphical representation enabling ‘real time’ decision making.  Key to the system integration and operation is the Brighton software specialist’s Network Manufacturing System (NMS) that is also utilised via the easy to configure Seiki Systems Enterprise Application Interface Module (EAI) that enables dialogue with the Westwind MRP system in Poole.  Says Paul Berrett:  “We now have a single master for control – no out of date paperwork floating around and any manufacturing change is instant with immediate transfer.  This keeps everyone informed.”

The system went live in December 2005 with Paul Berrett as the liaison engineer  between the Chinese and two resident Westwind engineers that control, help train and provide the very strict quality control procedures Westwind has laid down. 

Established for some 40 years, Westwind Air Bearings of Poole has created an international leading operation producing air bearing systems largely for the PCB drilling and routing business.  Its high speed spindle design is an acclaimed world-leader in the technology able to run at up to 300,000 revs/min and can, according to the application, be powered by motors up to 20 kW.   A special range of Westwind spindles, with very low dynamic runout, are able to produce holes as fine as 0.050 mm diameter. 

The company’s spindles are also involved in semiconductor processing equipment used for wafer dicing, back grinding and notching as well as ion implantation and disk verification.  And, high speed spindles are also widely used for pre-press image setting processes such as scanning, image setting, divert imaging and internal drum rotary scanning, as well as completely divorced-applications such as for coating application, robotic and rotary spraying.  Such is the success of the company that it has won a Queen’s Award for Export and Technology Achievement on several occasions. 

In the UK, Westwind made good use of its existing MRP system installed in 2000 to plan production in China as well as at Poole.  All core planning for the site in China is still carried out in the UK with the Seiki Systems iMES production control/scheduling software installed in China having direct dial connections into the system from Poole. 

With the Seiki Systems’ solution, all UK order numbers (item checking number and bill of materials) are transferred through the EAI module into the iMES scheduler in a passive state with numbers required and due date depicted through an active disposition module.

This shows very simply in graphical display minimum stock levels. While green is satisfactory, any deviation stands out immediately as it is coloured coded red.  All production for GSI laser and encoder production is also scheduled through the Seiki Systems software.

In the work queue, once a module becomes active it changes colour to yellow to signify it is now work in progress and is then monitored by the iMES schedule against work centre and queue listing showing supply and demand balances as well as the situation with purchase parts. Running across the top of the screen is a graphical trace that also portrays the process path of any order number against time scales.

Data is transferred daily and is immediately updated. Says Paul Berrett: “Although the system is in English, the beauty is that it is so visual for the Chinese they can obtain an immediate status report just by glancing at the screen.“

The Seiki Systems NMS carries the job list then enables the operators in China to select the next job and pick the appropriate folder.  This contains all program data, a process sheet and stage drawing, a procedure document and even movie clips of certain areas of the process for added information.  Here Paul Berrett describes this feature as being highly beneficial when they were training the Chinese.

Indeed, training was important and here close liaison between Seiki Systems and Westwind proved its worth.  Training started in July 2005 at Poole involving key people which included the two Westwind engineers now resident in China.  They were given a temporary licence to trial the system and the server in China was configured in Poole with the Seiki Systems iMES, EAI and NMS software to enable initial data entries and communication to be performed. 

Within two weeks during September, the system was installed and nine shopfloor PC terminals set up for NMS, while training of the Chinese working with interpreters was completed.  Adds Paul Berrett:  “They were very quick to learn and quickly understood the concept, which is a further tribute to the system and the way we could work with it.”

Initially, dual systems involving Excel spreadsheets were run and by December, the system was live ready to start works order, purchase and sales operations.  In order to maintain control and to ensure everything is proven, any upgrades to the software are performed at Poole, tested, then rolled out to China.  The same regime is maintained for all bills of material, enabling control to be maintained in one place and all changes exported to China. 

The Seiki Systems ERP software is designed to keep the order management process as simple as possible and at each step enables users to view current order status based on live information.  This, at a stroke, allows critical decisions to be made based on immediate factual situations.

View iMES product page
View ERP product page
View Scheduler product page

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As manufacturing becomes increasingly competitive the pressure to keep costs low while maintaining the high standards demanded by industry and customers is growing. Seiki Systems and GS Productivity Solutions are inviting you to attend a free workshop that will guide you through our integrated manufacturing software solutions.

We guarantee that you will learn how your productivity can be improved!

The workshop will highlight:

The benefits of a real time work planning
Why measuring both performance and process is as critical as measuring parts
Accessing essential information to help reduce waste and improve lead times
How the use of these tools has shown a productivity improvement
of 5-10% in the average workshop

This is a unique opportunity to discuss with software specialist how our systems can be used to manage the constantly changing demands of day-to-day manufacturing, no matter how large or small your organisation.

• Reduce W.I.P and inventory
• Control work flow
• Increase throughput
• Reduce lead times
• Increase machine efficiency
• Fully informed and satisfied customers

 

Seiki Systems will identify ways in which you can manage the critical link between production efficiency and profitability by focusing on:-

• The advantages of real time graphical work planning
  > Manage the work load, set achievable dates and identify spare capacity
• The importance of an easy to use Shop Floor Interface
  > Display all manufacturing data and electronically collect performance data
• The benefits of management reports
  > Recognise trend, identify reasons for lost productivity and measure by OEE

GS Productivity Solutions will demonstrate how to maximise the benefits of in process CNC probing:-

• Reduce overall inspection factory wide
  > Start to measure the capability of your machining processes as well as your parts.
• Measuring the process
  > Understand how to utilise your existing on machine probing systems and how process
  control can be adopted by everyone
• Engineering Control
  > This is not a 6 sigma or SPC workshop - this is how machinists and engineers can
  take control of their processes in simple step

Venue:            Warwickshire College
                        Trident Technology and Business Centre
                        Trident Park
                        Poseidon Way
                        Warwick
                        CV34 6SW (map)

Date:               16 November 2006

Time:               9.30 – 13.30 (refreshments provided)

If you would like to attend please download the registration form and either fax back to 01273 602564 or email to: jamiew@seikisystems.co.uk. There are a limited number of spaces available so be sure to book early.

Warwickshire College: Trident Technology and Business Centre - visit their website
Seiki Systems Integrated Manufacturing System
For more information about GSPS Ltd visit their website

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JobPack Inc, our Partners in the USA, have just returned from an extremely successful IMTS 2006. The 8 day event in Chicago achieved its highest attendance for 6 years of 91,000 plus visitors, from over 40 countries; a six per cent increase in registered visitors from 2004. Over 4,000 of these visited the systems pavilion and this year JobPack took 320 leads.

There is no doubt that JobPack benefited from being able to demonstrate a full range of products which combine to produce a total manufacturing solution to manage the critical link between production efficiency and profitability (for more information about integrated manufacturing solutions see Seiki Systems iMES).

McKinney Racing www.mckinneycorp.com came onto the stand and following a full demonstration of the Graphical Real Time Scheduler, Jobtracking and the Seiki Systems shopfloor interface, Director Murf McKinney was so impressed with the systems that he placed an order that same day. Atlas Copco arrived at IMTS to review their options before making a final decision on which software system would be of most benefit to their company. After having spent time on the JobPack stand and visiting other software providers Atlas Copco decided that JobPack offered the best solution and placed their order. As a direct result of the IMTS show JobPack Inc have taken orders for over $120K

The next IMTS show will be a six day event, running from the 8-13 September 2008 and JobPack is so impressed with the response this year that they have booked double the space for IMTS 2008!

IMTS 2006 Facts & Figures
The International Manufacturing Technology Show
Sponsors:         AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology
Date:                September 6 – 13, 2006
Location:          McCormick Place, Chicago, IL USA
Registrations:   91,985
Exhibitors:        1,229
Size:                 1,164,530 net sq feet
Website:           www.imts.com

“Overall, IMTS 2006 was a very productive show for both visitors and exhibitors,” says Peter R. Eelman, AMT Vice President of Exhibitions. “The lift in attendance clearly shows visitors understand the key to the future is productivity and the interest in upgrading facilities is growing rapidly. Visitors came with an agenda to improve their operations and they found a tremendous variety of resources to do just that.”

Jobpack Inc

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According to manufacturing software specialist Seiki Systems of Brighton, there is a host of data contained within a CNC control system that can provide important information on the machine tool performance, the cutting process, and the part being machined.  Once obtained this data can be utilised for all sorts of production control and management information.

Says General Manger David Trowell: “Once you have captured this data in electronic form this opens an Aladdin’s cave to record, control, warn, trace and most importantly, predict what is happening or is likely to happen on a CNC machine tool.”Too often, he maintains, the use of probing systems on machine tools is used purely for tool setting, datuming or in-cycle measurement but with access to data acquired and stored from machining cycles in the control system, in conjunction with other functional elements monitored by Seiki Systems’ Networked Manufacturing System (NMS), a new understanding of what is happening develops.  “ All this information is accessible through the RS232 port of the control, enabling the manufacturing software to manipulate the data and present it in a useable format. That is why Seiki Systems has formed a partnership with probing specialist Renishaw,” he says.

For instance with NMS it is possible to obtain and provide:

• A remote view in ‘Real Time’ of collected data
• Automatically prepared CMM style inspection reports direct from the machine tool
• Automatically created control charts across critical features of a component
• Sequential reporting across all components being produced
• Total traceability, on file
• Proof of meeting quality demands of a customer without increasing overheads
• Reduced lead time due to ‘awaiting inspection’
• Factual representation by removing personal assumption
• Automatic data collection in ‘Real Time’ that eradicates historic manual, data collection
• Automatic presentation of data for SPC or SQL
• Automatic warning can be issued if there is a problem by SMS messaging, fax, internet, telephone – a critical factor in ‘Lights-out’ or limited manned shift working.

Quite often probing data on worn or broken tooling and tolerance drift with automatic offset correction is held within the control system and is either ignored or at best, printed out and then stored because no one has the time or resources to analyse the results of pages of information.  This is where  the Seiki Systems NMS provides the solution as it will automatically read the NC program to define the job running, record the diary or create a log of events which can then be fed back to production scheduling. This information can also be used to generate management information such as Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE).

Once probing information is captured NMS can provide automatic comparison of critical tolerance targets against what is happening in real time. It can also monitor tolerance drift countered by automatic compensation through the CNC control to record and define bench mark points. The most significant benefit this provides is the ability to collect predictive information. By knowing when a tool is within 10 per cent of its working life for example, it can be predicted that it will need changing within an hour.  Or should the probe detect an out of character problem, that would normally stop the cycle, the NMS software automatically generates remote alarms, such as SMS messages that avoids the embarrassment on a ‘Lights-out’ or limited manned facility when the machine stops half- way through the shift, and no-one knows.

NMS is also able to pass the information determined from probe measurement and tolerance drift to GS Productivity Solutions’ CNC Reporter package. This is a mini SPC package configured as a spread sheet specifically for monitoring on-machine probe routines.

As David Trowell remarks: “This information for management reporting is readily available and is largely ignored but it can provide valuable warnings of problems or more importantly, create a level of confidence in a manufacturing environment that a process is secure, under control and should anything go wrong, information is traceable.”

Seiki Systems NMS

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Who wants "old" software? One of the major benefits of a maintenance contract is the ability to keep up-to-date with the latest software versions and therefore take advantage of the improvements and enhancements we are continually including. We are constantly working on your behalf to improve our products and have made several major enhancements since the release of V4.29 back in July 2005. For full details of these enhancements please read Issue 8 of our newsletter. If you have a current maintenance contract with us and would like to receive a free copy of V4.34 please email:- jamiew@seikisystems.co.uk

Please note that this update is presently only available to customers with a current maintenance contract so if you would like to discuss renewing or purchasing a maintenance contract please email Tara Lacey:- taral@seikisystems.co.uk

Encountering more than 400 works orders a month involving some 65 machine tools plus sundry operations such as deburring and outsourced subcontract requirements, juggling priorities and general production demands was becoming a time consuming nightmare for precision gear specialist and subcontract machinist Gibbs Gears.  Today, however, after installing Seiki Systems’ Real Time Scheduling system, managing director Reece Garrod says: “We can plan and give customers realistic lead and delivery times, detect immediately when things are not going to plan, determine the impact of any changes we want to make to production and make sound management decisions based on factual information.”

With the company doubling turnover to £2 million in less than three years, the use of the Real Time Scheduler has, over the last six months, made work in progress manageable and in turn, helped to improve cash flow.  As a result, Gibbs Gears is investing in new equipment and is looking forward to a move to new premises as well as developing further its IT and specialist skills. 

Based in Tring, Hertfordshire, the company has a history based on some 50 years of gear cutting and it still provides a 24/48 hour emergency service and the occasional ‘reverse engineering’ task.  These can even include the production of single gears and crown wheel and pinion sets produced for the likes of classic car buffs.  This highly specialised knowledge of gear cutting is still core to the business, but the company is also reaping considerable success in subcontract machining involving up to five-axis turning and milling.  Today that does not always involve the adding of gear teeth or splines and, as part of the company’s progression, it is also investing for the future in 3-D modelling that will further strengthen the machining services provided. 

On the back of new projects for petrochemical and offshore customers and a recent contract for design and manufacture of miniature gearboxes, the company is also planning expansion into the motor sport and aerospace sectors.

It already supplies specialised gearboxes to the medical, food and satellite sectors, often in very difficult to machine stainless steels. Also, bespoke anti-backlash, high torque worm and wheel bevel gear boxes are produced and shipped to Scandinavia, Italy, France, Spain and India as well as the UK. 

To produce this range of work a company needs the equipment and so on the shopfloor there are some 40 gear shapers and both conventional and CNC hobbing machines able to produce gears from 2.5 DP to 100 DP, 0.3 to 10 module.  The company also produces spur, helical and bevel gears, worms up to 6 inch diameter, rack and pinions, serrations, splines, sprockets and timing pulleys.  In addition there are machines for pencil hobbing, a Gleason bevel generator, Reishauer, Niles and Matrix gear and thread grinders and broaches plus the CNC metal cutting capability.  All these machines were being managed prior to the adoption of Real Time Scheduling, using a labour intensive Gantt chart and card index system that became a chore, demanding continuous attention and was forever being updated. 

Explains Reece Garrod: “Because there were so many operations we spent between 800 and 1,200 hours a month setting machines. When we look back, the shopfloor appears to have been running the business and everyone was multi-tasking.  Worse still, with 40 per cent of work being new components or contracts, the business was characterised by perpetual fire fighting.  We were even too busy to realise the roll-on effect that making a decision on the spot could bring causing a detrimental effect to many other contracts.”

With the Real Time Scheduling system in place, Gibbs Gears can now view on screen the immediate influence of any changes.  He said: “We can set up ghost operations for urgent jobs and immediately see the effect it will have on our order book and deliveries and make a decision on what line of action we should take.”

The company has also found its customer relationships have improved.  “Because live production data is a matter of a couple of key strokes, information is factual and the customer can immediately be updated on progress and they certainly appreciate a realistic view.    If need be, we can quickly check the outcome of split batching to deliver parts sooner, and check if we can double up machines.”   Looking in the short term he feels they are well over 60 per cent on target now but within another five to six months, “This should be closer to 90 per cent,”  he maintains.

Reece Garrod describes how the issue of a variance report means they are able to see what he describes as the ‘Trend of Losers’ which he maintains is very good to help focus the business.  “You can see where the bottlenecks are, identify spare capacity and quickly appreciate the consequences of making changes.  As the operators can also view the work queue on the shopfloor, this helps them plan their day and we now spend less than an hour a day updating the system - previously that was a full time job.”

The decision to buy Seiki Systems software followed lengthy investigations. An MRP/ERP production software package had been installed first and growing Kanban and consignment stocking for customers meant greater demands on management time. The MRP/ERP was ideal for machine loading and creating a list of jobs, but it had no relevance with the capacity of the machine and other factors that tend to influence when a job starts and ends. 

Also, Gibbs Gears had a one operator to three or four machine working arrangement on certain machines that had long production cycles.  This meant the Real Time Scheduler package was required to cater for operator availability when he was working on another machine.  “The competitor systems we looked at could not handle this type of strategy,” maintains Reece Garrod.
 
He insists: “This was not an easy scenario to handle and we are still working closely with Seiki Systems to hone the ‘what if?’ factors due to our changing operator working practices.  When we made the decision to buy, this was clearly the best system that we could see would meet our needs.   From the four systems investigated the Real Time Scheduler interfaced well with our MRP/ERP system and the way it is being developed around us shows the understanding and commitment their software engineers are prepared to make.”

As Gibbs Gears is moving forward with its IT and lean manufacturing strategy, it is planned that the new premises will include a small training area with a dedicated toolroom and classroom.  Says Reece Garrod: “We need the skills in IT, production and gear technology and the only way to get this is to train our own younger people in-house.  The same way that Seiki Systems Real Time Scheduling has had such an effect on the business, we need to blend this level of IT technology with our specialist knowledge in the workplace.”

www.gibbsgears.com

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The drive is on for electronic component suppliers to reduce stocks and batch sizes to meet 'made to order' targets. This means faster production equipment changeover coupled with greater levels of flexibility resulting in ever shorter lead time to get new products into manufacture faster. However, in moving towards smaller batches the downside is lower utilisation of costly equipment due to more frequent stoppages and by the time production reporting information has been collated for management, it tends to be based on historical information. As a result, immediate attention to problems only tends to occur when assembly stops or the customer screams over late or missed deliveries. According to David Moody, Chief executive of Brighton-based manufacturing software specialist Seiki Systems: "This forces companies to be driven under a cloud of reacting to events in a highly stressful firefighting scenario when they should be pursuing a proactive strategy"

For production management to be proactive (and not reactive) it needs access to live and exact information that has been created seamlessly from order to despatch. No matter how flexible or streamlined the business, if the production area cannot deliver a quality product at the right price and in a timely fashion, then ever-growing competitive pressures will take their toll. Real time information is the key for production to be under control. Once management has the data, it then has the tools at its fingertips to quickly and easily make decisions. Indeed, it is from this sound business footing that confidence grows, a judgement on return on investment can be made and, key to any business, if the customer can be pre-warned of possible problems on delivery with positive decisions and actions put in place by the supplier, a much stronger bond or secure relationship develops.

Grown out of the manufacturing sector supplying the likes of aerospace, automotive and contract production companies where some 7,000 separate production units have been integrated around the world, Seiki Systems' iMES - a totally integrated manufacturing execution system - enables workloads across all manufacturing and support operations in the workplace to be graphically scheduled. These activities can now be directly integrated with an existing MRP/ERP system to provide a live information trail with the capability to handle the effects of a 'what if?' alternative scenario. The advantage - and drawback - of any MRP/ERP system is that it will schedule the works order to a particular production station. However, the assumption is made that an infinite capacity is available with no regard to the actual capacity or machine availability. Also MRP/ERP systems are unable to influence or dynamically change workloading when information is fed back from production, such as a job is complete or a hold up is being caused by a task being slowed down or a breakdown. Until now, monitoring production and machine utilisation or performance was an intensive manual task and, once again, it does not report a live situation - but one of retrospective historical events.

When integrated with MRP or ERP, the Seiki Systems' iMES provides unbiased real-time feedback creating a true, live and dynamic prediction of workloads in any production area. If required, this can even drill down through the production sequence to individual workstations capturing direct information such as the batch status, thus confirming actual completion dates and carry out performance reporting in a true paperless environment. Through graphical work planning and full integration, the system is able to transform the original 'work to' data from any existing MRP/ERP scheduling system into a dynamic real time planning system that automatically updates as time and work in progress changes. It is even possible to account for shift patterns, multiple operations and varying levels of skill without any manual intervention or interpretation. The system is able to account for any implications imposed by new or unplanned jobs, hold-ups or maintenance.

In addition, iMES has the capability to identify unused capacity in advance of production, enabling work in progress to be prioritised and lost time avoided due to waiting for inter-operational staging. There are also spin-off advantages of improved internal communication throughout the manufacturing area. Not only does this help to minimise error but it also ensures that the latest possible process data or customer requirements are transmitted to the workplace. Because jobs are allocated electronically to each production unit, iMES eliminates paper-based job queue tickets. Electronic work queues become interactive not people dependent, which also enables other departments to be informed of detail such as tooling, special settings and availability of materials. Because of communication between different facets of the business, any problem can immediately be notified, recorded and appropriate alarm issued.

On the shopfloor a 'single mask' common screen viewing for operators enables them to see the work queues at a glance and view the manufacturing data, while back in the management office Accumulative Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) analysis, originally developed for the volume hungry automotive sector to determine the performance of each operational unit, enables the smaller business to compare the detail of jobs carried out on different shifts, different workstations and at different times. Now with web-based reporting, electronic information on machine performance and production data can also be transmitted to virtually anywhere in the world. This means production reporting, event logging, machine utilisation analysis, trend analysis and collated data comparison charts can be compiled through Seiki Systems' iMES and be made available to a single or number of destinations. At the touch of a button, vital production management information is available in a live situation as it develops.

Visit the iMES page on our website for more information click here

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Paul Button, managing director of Park Precision of Mansfield is confident that his 14 man subcontract machining operation will be able to increase production by £10,000 to £15,000 a month from the existing 10 high specification turning centres, lathes and machining cells simply by having up-to-date live information on what is happening on the shopfloor.

He made his final decision to purchase Seiki Systems' software on the exhibition stand at MACH 2006 and, following the demonstration, decided to add full machine monitoring to his planned purchase of the Networked Manufacturing System (NMS) for control of DNC program editing, status and usage. Said Paul Button: "The advantages of the system became very clear to help us control our rapidly expanding subcontract operation." He insists: "To be competitive we need to be as automated in our operations as possible and there is no longer any place for people that are not directly contributing to production."

Already investing in a single operation strategy for customers specifically in the hydraulics, medical and aerospace related areas as well as other sectors of industry, Paul Button is adamant that working to historic records of machine performance is no longer viable. "We don't have the time or inclination to analyse data and sort through pages of print out then spend hours around a table trying to decide what went wrong." He maintains the company has already invested in plant to reduce lead times - the target now is to free-up capacity. "Our time is better rewarded selling additional capacity that can be identified by the Seiki Systems' software and we can immediately react to any problems as they occur and when events are fresh in our minds."

Park Precision is currently planning to expand its 5,000 ft² facility at Mansfield to 11,000 ft² and has invested in very high specification machining centres and turn/mill centres with up to seven axes to maintain a single operation strategy and work to Kanban strategies. Further machine purchases are planned and these will be progressively incorporated into the Seiki Systems software to maximise utilisation and return on the investment. Arranged into cells around two machines with one operator, each cell will have a Seiki Systems' terminal.

A dynamic interactive demonstration in 'real time' showing how supplier collaboration can deliver 'in-process' improvements and machine tool monitoring benefits through the use of advanced machine tool probing techniques, is to be performed at MACH 2006. The demonstrations by three leading companies, combining their individual disciplines, will be made using wireless transmission between their separate stands.

The joint venture demonstration by Seiki Systems, manufacturing software specialist (stand 5566) Renishaw plc, a world leader in machine tool probing systems (stand 5572) and GS Productivity Solutions UK, reseller of GibbsCAM ® and a probing software specialist (stand 5667), will be developed around a vertical machining centre on the Renishaw stand. The demonstration will provide an insight for visitors of the advantages and simplicity of off-line component and probe routine programming, in-cycle measurement, remote capture of measured data and machine performance monitoring, all via wireless network report generation within a live manufacturing environment. The demonstration will show how off-line component and probe routine programming can be achieved simply and accurately, and how this will reduce set-up times. On-machine probing technology will control the machining process and provide the means to capture machine status and part quality information. In addition, with quality data and status data automatically extracted from the machine, off-line recording, real-time actions and analysis will be performed.

Using factual data collected from the machining centre, the performance of each job produced can be determined, through a standard measurement, to generate Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) results. It will also provide information on unplanned downtime to enable production losses to be determined, quality performance to be monitored and full traceability records to be established, enabling positive management decisions to be made against factual events. The vertical machining centre will be equipped with a Renishaw OMP 60 spindle probe, a TRS1 non-contact broken tool detection system and a table mounted NC4 non-contact laser tool setter, to depict part set up, tool setting and inspection of the part. Integrated with GibbsCAM, Renishaw's Productivity+T probing plug-in enables GS Productivity Solutions to develop the machining and probing cycles as well as any additional process control logic, taking full advantage of Gibbs CAM's powerful yet simple to use interface. The inter-stand connectivity linking the individual disciplines will be achieved by using wireless technology supplied by Seiki Systems.

Data captured from the machining process will be collected by Seiki Systems to enable program control and records to be established, data logging, analysis and full report generation. These activities will be carried out on the Seiki Systems stand. The data will then be redistributed between the three partner companies in an easy to understand single screen display showing a dynamic representation of events.

www.mach06.com

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MACHConsult is a series of free business seminars run each day at the show that are designed to address all the issues that are faced by managers and owners of a company. The presentations are delivered by leading independent experts in their field, giving you the up-to-date information about the latest technology, finance options and much more. These sessions last for 90 minutes and each session contains 3 sections designed to target specific areas within each topic.

Seiki Systems will be delivering a seminar within the 'Shopfloor IT' section on Tuesday 16 th May. David Moody, Chief Executive will be on hand to outline the issues surrounding measuring machine performance, including reasons you should consider monitoring and analysing shopfloor activities, the benefits of monitoring, what systems there are available to support this and the hardware, network and software requirements to do so and a typical growth path.

The Shopfloor IT section will start at 11am, with presentations from GE Fanuc about Overall Equipment Effectiveness and MAS (Manufacturing Advisory Service) discussing Shopfloor Performance before David Moody begins his seminar at 12 noon. You will need to register to attend any of these seminars. Click here to visit the MACHConsult website where you can register and see the full seminar programme.

Visit the MACH Website at www.mach06.com

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How do you effectively control, monitor and regulate the creation, distribution and modification of 18,000 CNC part programs to 28 machine tools in a busy production machining environment and at the same time maintain the security and traceability demanded by the medical industry? B. Braun Medical, a producer of a wide range of ultra-high precision surgical instruments and orthopaedic implants knows how, having absolute control over all its part programs in terms of accuracy, security, and traceability, following the introduction of Networked DNC supplied by manufacturing software specialists Seiki Systems of Brighton. The Sheffield based business is one of the world's leading healthcare companies employing more than 29,000 people. As a result of the Seiki Systems installation it is now able to manage all the program demands at its two UK machine shops. The two sites house sliding head CNC autos, fixed headstock CNC lathes and vertical machining centres, most of which are equipped with a fourth-axis capability used to produce a wide variety of components, many of which involve complex profiling of stainless steel stampings and forgings.

While most programs are generated off-line on its CAM system, any lower complexity parts tend to be produced by shopfloor generated routines at the machine. All in all, having more than 18,000 different part programs to be effectively managed, validated and distributed to the right machine tool, prior to the installation of Networked DNC, the chances of error were compounded.

As CNC technician Andrew Bradford explained: "We have been able to optimise all our manufacturing routines since we installed the Seiki Systems software giving near absolute control of program generation and distribution to individual machine tools. So important today is that we now have complete security, traceability and are more efficient in all aspects of program management which has without doubt helped boost confidence and improve team working." He follows onto to explain that because the system handles many of the programming tasks automatically, this has boosted productivity and helped with standardisation of the whole engineering department. As an example he says: "Solid model type 3-D data is transferred from our CAD system in the design office to our CAM system and the part programs can be easily edited at a shopfloor terminal before being finally downloaded to the designated machine work centre."

Seiki System's Networked DNC package is a mid-range system providing total control over NC program access, recording and reporting current status, any revisions, editing, transfer and usage records which enables all important audit records to be maintained in the production environment. Most important It will prevent unauthorised use and warn of unproven program requests while being able to automatically communicate in 'real time' the status, changes and operator actions as required by production supervision, production control, the programming office, design and quality control. The software can be installed either through a wired or wireless environment to provide 24 hour records with full traceability of program usage, machines involved and batch details - a very important and often forgotten factor in complying with stringent ISO and other high level quality standards.

B. Braun Medical has five shopfloor terminals referred to as nodes, by the company. These are installed in the two separate machine shops and each PC can support up to eight CNC machine tools. Each node serves one of five different cells/machines broken down as - all CNC turning machines, Fanuc controlled machines, Haas vertical machining centres, a special multi-machine production cell which manufactures Marchetti flexible nails and administration/service in the production engineering department.

At B. Braun Medical there are eight levels of access to the Seiki Systems software drawn from setters, programmer/setters and CNC administration staff. Programs can be up and down loaded to each terminal from the main server and the system is backed-up twice a day on site and once each day by way of a remote link to the company's headquarters in Thorncliffe Park , Sheffield.

For General Surgical Instruments, B. Braun Medical produces a wide range of equipment including scissors, forceps, organ and tissue grasping forceps, bulldog clamps, vessel clips, approximators, dissecting/ligature forceps, surgical needles, wound retractors, intestinal/rectal instruments and gall bladder/liver instruments. Taking a product such as a standard forcep, these are machined in just two operations from stainless steel stampings on Haas vertical machining centres equipped with a fourth-axis in batch quantities of around 300 pairs. A pair is made up of left- and right-hand components. More complicated, retractors can be made up of up to eight separate parts which include racks, screws and springs which taken as a single product assembly demands numerous part programs. Within the Aesculap Division of the company a range of products and services are provided for use in operating theatres covering all surgical interventions and techniques, wound closure and instrument reprocessing. It also supplies an impressive range of orthopaedic implants, spinal systems and trauma devices. Surgical Instruments are produced under the Downs Surgical banner and these range from general surgery to ENT surgery and from cardio vascular instrumentation to obstetrics and gynaecology. In terms of implants, Downs Surgical manufactures and distributes total hip replacement systems for both trauma and elective indications.

According to Andrew Bradford, there can be no doubt that the Seiki Systems software has made a big impact on the efficiency, accuracy and security of all program generation, but most important with regard to modification, revision and distribution of programs. He maintains: "We can see immediately what a difference Networked DNC has made to our whole programming regime." And based on its experience gained so far, the company is already thinking about upgrading the system quite substantially by going to Seiki System's very latest manufacturing software package iMES which stands for Integrated Manufacturing Execution System. With iMES software, B. Braun Medical will be able to easily graphically schedule and monitor in real time the workloads of its CNC machines following direct integration with its existing MRP system or by using the ERP capability within the software. Within the fully integrated system full machine monitoring, the co-ordination of tooling and fixturing data, production of performance reports and downtime records will be performed in conjunction with the secure, traceable and efficient transfer of the correct part program.

www.bbraun.co.uk

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Seiki Systems is delighted to be working with Renishaw and GS Productivity Solutions Ltd to bring visitors to MACH an exciting live demonstration of our process control systems in action.

On stand 5567 visitors to the show will be able to see GSPS Ltd produce a simulated machining and probing cycle from a CAD model using Productivity+ T through GibbsCAM® plug-in. Renishaw, stand 5572 will then use this probing routine on an identical physical part. Then over a wireless link Seiki, stand 5566 will carry out analysis and reporting on this collected data to complete the cycle.

This is your best opportunity yet to see how successful this integration of technologies can produce results that can help you to successfully control and optimise your manufacturing.

Please visit www.renishaw.com and www.gspsltd.co.uk

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Our partners in the USA, JobPack Inc will be demonstrating at the International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) from 6 - 13 September. The IMTS is one of the world's largest industrial trade shows, regularly attracting over 85,000 visitors.

The event takes place every two years at McCormick Place in Chicago and this year they are expecting around 1,200 exhibitors. JobPack will be demonstrating at Booth D3317.

Exhibition details:-
Dates 6 - 13 September 2006
Venue McCormack Place, 2301 S. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60616, USA

For further details about the event, including pre registering, reasons to attend and a full list of exhibitors please visit the IMTS website www.imts.com There is a section dedicated to International visitors with useful contact numbers and advice on where to stay in the area.

www.jobpack.com

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www.metav2006.de

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With just 10 minutes spent on the Seiki Systems Stand 5566 in Hall 5 at MACH 2006, visitors will be able to gain a fast track overview of how orders and workflow can be controlled and managed on the shopfloor to meet delivery dates and how utilisation of production equipment can be optimised using a range of individual modules that can be built-up as required to form a totally integrated manufacturing execution system defined by Seiki Systems as iMES.

Seiki Systems, which has some 6,000 CNC machines connected into its software, can provide a complete suite of production management software tools involving CNC machining for small to medium batch production each of which have been developed as separate modules to meet specific requests of customers. According to David Trowell, General Manager: "A typical machine shop can have 500 or so live jobs each with five or six operations spread across a host of different CNC machine tools." He then explains how the added complexity of shift patterns can make it so much more complex to comprehend what is happening in a live situation especially when the scene is constantly changing and the due date gets progressively closer. " At the same time companies are fighting to reduce costs and lead times and always trying to identify spare or unused capacity to improve utilisation and pay back. Here, getting up to date or unbiased information to make management decisions is very difficult and this is an important area that we address," he maintains.

Seiki Systems consider the modern theme of 'one-hit' machining in fact further compounds matters. "This is because from the start, parts are more valuable and complex, pf ten involving more expensive machine tools which become 'Key' production centres. These have to run at high utilisation and efficiency to gain any sort of effective return on investment," he says.

On the Seiki Systems stand visitors will be able to checkout the advantages of the various modules from a special enterprise resource planning (ERP) system developed for small manufacturing companies to four variants of direct numerical control. There will be dynamic 'real-time' work scheduling, shopfloor data collection which leads to machine monitoring and performance analysis, with the added support of remote status and information gathering, wireless transmission of data and alarm messaging. On-machine probing data can even now be analysed by Seiki Systems and analytic software is now available to satisfy any production management with its ability to provide up to the minute productivity data and overall equipment effectiveness (OEE).

www.MACH06.com

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Our partner in the Netherlands Widenhorn Industriele will be demonstrating at the Techni-Show '06 event from 14 - 18 March 2006. They will be showing all their software solutions which includes the Seiki product range. You will find them in Hall 8 Booth A103. For information about the company please visit their website at www.wia.nl

The last Techni-Show exhibition attracted over 55,000 visitors. Demonstrating at the show will be some of the main suppliers in the fields of industrial production, processing and treatment techniques of metals, accessories and appliances.

The exhibition address:-
Jaarbeursplein 6
3521 AL Utrecht
Tel: +31 (0) 30 295 2700
Fax: +31 (0) 30 295 2701

For further details about the show and for directions visit:- www.technishow.n

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Seiki Systems has set up a technical demonstration suite at the Tewkesbury site of leading UK production machining contractor Kenard Engineering to provide an on-site practical explanation of how different systems can be integrated and benefits that can be derived simply by monitoring day to day production activities on the shopfloor.

The setting up of the Seiki Systems iMES, Integrated Manufacturing Execution System, enables workloads across all CNC machines installed in the workplace to be graphically scheduled following either direct integration with an existing MRP system or for smaller companies, using enterprise resource planning (ERP). In both cases iMES enables real-time feedback with constantly updated predictions of workloads on machine tools creating dynamic information such as projected completion dates and performance reporting in a totally paperless environment.

Indeed, with the installation at Kenard Engineering, where some 18 CNC machines are in action, iMES has also been integrated with benchworking, painting, sheetmetal production and assembly areas to provide total day to day control of events on the shopfloor and gather 'real-time' data for management information and reporting.

For instance, visitors to the demonstration suite can be shown how a five machine flexible manufacturing system (FMS) with 72 pallets, which runs mostly unmanned through 24 hours a day at Tewkesbury, can be instantly and remotely interrogated for its past, current and future performance.

The use and benefits of real-time data collection was recently demonstrated involving the high productivity loading of the FMS when 1,828 mounting blocks were running through multiple fixturing set-ups and fed from the Fastems automation. These parts were then followed up by three batches of different chassis prototypes of 10, 20 and 150 parts, a batch of just four special valve bodies and then a batch of 200 plates for machining.

Each component batch had already been 'approved for production' by iMES because everything such as program, fixturing, tooling, material and inspection had been automatically confirmed as available and the batches depicted 'on schedule' for customer delivery. However, while 'real-time' production scheduling and monitoring are the major advantages of Seiki Systems' iMES, it is that 'what if?' function capability that sets it apart from competitor software. This can be used to determine the consequences of proposed changes in quantities, delays, panic requirements, general capacity or equipment availability. All these elements can be quickly and easily shown on the screen at Tewkesbury as part of the live demonstration of the true benefits of 'real-time' management information.

www.kenard.com

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We are delighted to be attending the WEAF Annual Conference and South West Aerospace & Defence Trade Show on the 8th February 2006. The event is being held at the Winter Gardens in Weston-Super-Mare. Seiki representatives will be there to answer any of your questions and to demonstrate our range of products.

Just some of the other companies demonstrating will be Rolls Royce, Airbus, Smiths Aerospace and Westlands. There will also be seminars throughout the morning and in the afternoon the WEAF Annual Conference. Should you wish to attend you will need to pre-register. This can be done by visiting the WEAF website (see link below) or by contacting Jamie at jamiew@seikisystems.co.uk for more information.

Visit www.weaf.co.uk

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