Costly product flow reconfigurations 0; Virtual factories 1. Manufacturing process simulation is saving companies thousands of pounds. And software vendors are integrating CAD to product simulation, to test multiple physical stress scenarios, reducing costly prototype tests. Malcolm Wheatley reports on a convincing scoreline.
At Airbus’ factory in Filton, a decision to replace a machining line with a Flexible Manufacturing System (FMS) in 2009 posed some awkward questions. Machining pre formed metal billets of aluminium, titanium or steel shipped in from external suppliers, the line typically took up to 15 hours to finish a given part — having in…
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