NX in the Industrial Engineering Space

In complex industries, the most helpful tools are the ones that simplify processes. Recently, we examined Solid Edge in the automotive and automotive aftermarket industries and NX in the automotive industry.

Today, we’ll take a look at the effect of NX in the industrial engineering space.

The challenges in this industry are numerous; companies need to:

Launch products faster
Fulfill demands for customers for a range of products
Develop products using a variety of materials
Achieve low-volume, fast-turnaround production
Meet demanding precision requirements
Comply with standards

Solving complicated challenges requires an integrated solution. The associativity between NX CAD (computer-aided design), CAM (computer-aided machining) and CMM (coordinate measuring machine) applications allow engineers to eliminate errors and quickly adapt their coordinate measuring programs in case of design changes.

An example of NX for design.

4 Ways NX Affects Industrial Engineering

Complete Control

In nearly 80% of orders, a leading bearings manufacturing handles customization requests for their bearings. To maintain a competitive edge and continue creating customized pieces, the company needed complete control of the product from design to delivery.

They chose NX for CAD, Simcenter (CAE) for performance prediction, NX for CAM and Teamcenter for PLM (product lifecycle management) so that all stakeholders used the same data and workflows to make decisions.

Now, NX CAD allows their engineers to design new ideas rapidly and efficiently, while also handling design data coming from customers who use different CAD software. And the associativity between NX applications eliminates errors and ensures all files are up-to-date.

Manufacturing Integration

The same company needed NX CAM to aid with manufacturing their bearings. But, to accurately plan out a successful production run, it had to be planned out digitally.

“In the beginning, all the programming was done at the machine,” says their CAM engineer, who’s responsible for planning and control of production. “For each change, we had to check and modify the whole program, which was very time-consuming and prone to errors. The resulting downtime of shop floor personnel and machine tools cost us a lot of time and money.”

With the NX family of software, the company used NX CAM to reduce programming time by up to 80% by creating a digital model of their workpiece, tooling and machine.

NX used for manufacturing purposes.

A Digital Twin

A precision part manufacturer uses the capabilities of the NX family to digitalize their entire production operation. With CAD, CAM and CMM, they’re now in command of the entire process chain. This allows them to handle demanding quality requirements, develop quantities on tight deadlines and work with exotic materials that are typically difficult to machine.

“Using NX software to create a digital twin of both the parts to produce and the production equipment, we can develop and verify machining strategies well in advance of the production process,” says their managing director.

A digital twin helps develop and verify machining strategies.

Automated Processes

Using NX with CMM has helped this same company save time with their programming processes. Now, the same engineer who programs the machine tools is also in charge of programming the CMM, so that person knows which positions are critical. This leads to more efficient measuring processes.

According to their estimates, the automated NX CMM inspection programming capabilities have cut measuring equipment downtime by 80%.

An integrated solution, NX with CAD, CAM and CMM is a powerful tool for helping companies streamline their processes in the manufacturing industry. Integrating inspection programing and simulation with machining and design is a logical step toward digitalization, making it easier to provide customers with quality products.