IF WE can build fixture mechanism quickly, we can shorten the time to validate and realize production impact early....

Wondering!!!! "Where is the relation between above statement and the Title?" Let’s first have a look in the below simple scenario...

Scenario: ** One of the leading Automotive OEM has given a contract to a Tooling Vendor for BIW Fixtures. The vendor has to design, validate, develop the tools/fixtures and installs the same in a very short time (less than the usual Lead Time required delivering the solution). He goes back to the WHITE BOARD to analyze his preparedness for this accelerated delivery contract and to find the bottleneck. He asks questions….

• Design Readiness? - Based on the requirement, the fixture design is available.
• Material Readiness?  - Materials are selected based on analysis.
• Validation of the Design? – In order to manufacture the fixture he needs to validate the design and its behavior in the virtual world. He realized the fixture has 1000+ of mechanical joints/connection and it is time consuming to define each connection behavior.
• Manufacturing readiness? – The tools are ready but awaiting the validation of the design.

So he got his HERBIE# in the system. “For validation of the fixture design, huge time & effort is to be spent on defining the mechanical connections.” How he can overcome this constraint…. The solution is available in DELMIA V6 – Mechanical Device Builder.

--Most of us are already aware these functions. However I would like share my experience on this topic.

Defining Mechanism & Building Devices in DELMIA V6 – Mechanical Device Builder

What is Mechanical Device Builder (MDB)? - Mechanical Device Builder/Device Building is a solution for modeling the mechanical systems that are typically used in the manufacturing process.

 Wizard Functions: Kinematic Builder and Device Builder commands are seen on selecting the arrow along the edge of “West: Shape & Representation” in Compass. Like ‘Wizards’ these commands brings down the complexity and pain of defining the kinematics and help building a device very quickly. On selection of each command set of tools and commands opens up and helps user to define kinematics or build devices in a very intuitive and faster way. With the integration of multiple functions/commands in the single bundle, user need not think for the required pre-requisites as the same can be  done on the fly using these wizards. Thanks to the DS R&D (DELMIA) team to bring such a useful tool for the user.

How to do? (The video has been taken while building the fixture device in V6R2013) – Refer the video showing the steps in building the fixture kinematic device.

Benefits: Some of the benefits which I find on using this solution in V6 are....

• Less number of mouse clicks required to define mechanism compared to conventional solutions.
• Easy to maneuver due to intuitive feedback mechanism in the toolbar status.
• Faster Turn around Time as Mechanism of complex tool devices can be build at shorter time.
• No need to search or scroll down the specification tree for selection of the device parts while defining the mechanism.
• No need to switch between multiple workbenches while building a device (mechanism & resource parameters) from scratch.

Some Tips for User: Most of you who have used these functions would know about this.

• Before starting with the definition and building the device, be clear with the intent/purpose.
• It is always good to explore the structure in V6 Navigator. It helps in streamlining the next action steps.
• Mechanism can be defined only under the reference. In case you have a Device Assembly with multiple Parent-Child structure, identify your device and open in new window to define the mechanism.
• The Parent resource definition should be defined before defining the Child resources in case both the objects are open in the V6 session.
• To control multiple mechanisms of tool devices, user needs to have control device and add the mechanism under the same motion group.

Pic: Exploring the device assembly.

Cheers!

 # Reference for HERBIE has been taken from the popular management book, The Goal – by Eliyahu Goldratt, where it has been used as an analogy to describe the DBR (Drum-Buffer-Rope) method in Theory of Constraints.

** Scenario has been reproduced considering a specific use case and to correlate the context with real life situation.