advanced manufacturing article highlighting pinpoint information systems

w w w. a d v a n c e d m a n u f a c t u r i n g . c o m

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AMT Showcase n IT Project Management n Findng an automation systems integrator

20 November/December 2007 advanced manufacturing

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20 November/December 2007 advanced manufacturing

www.advancedmanufacturing.com June 2008 21

BY SCOTT BURY

Software system

points to the

path of success

for automotive

assembler In order to maintain their quality commitment

to Ford for assembling key automotive com-

ponents, Automodular needed to make sure

that all their people not only were fully quali-

fied and certified for the processes they per-

formed, but also that each person had all the informa-

tion needed to assemble each part, at the right time.

To make this happen in their plant in Oakville, Ont., Automodular turned

to PinPoint Information Systems to develop a software system to communi-

cate and verify information and track conformance to standards in real time.

Auto parts assembler Automodular is not a parts manufacturer. It buys no

materials; its business model consists of setting up state of the art facilities,

within close range of an OEM assembly plant, receiving component material

from the OEM’s tier I supply base, and assembling complex value-added

modules, and shipping in sequence to the assembly plant. In essence, Au-

tomodular sells complex assembly services to clients like Ford and General

Motors in southern Ontario, and the Midwest U.S.

Every two to five minutes each day, clients like Ford send orders to Auto-

modular electronically. The information in these orders include not only the

type of part, quantity and delivery date, but complete specifications including

exactly how the parts are to be assembled, torque tolerances and packaging

instructions. It’s up to Automodular not just to assemble the moduless, as and

when ordered, but also to ensure that all their employees operating any ma-

chines or workstations are fully certified to use that equipment to make the

part in question. And they also have to be able to prove all that for an audit.

Two and a half years ago, Automodular built a new 265,000-square-foot

plant in Oakville and recently completed a second 140,000 square-foot plant,

Jara Smrz (far left) and Corey Simon (inset) of PinPoint, along

with Automodular's Denis Thibodeau designed specialized

software for the auto assembler's Oakville plant.

Photography by Natural Selection, Juris Kornets

22 June 2008 advanced manufacturing

specifi cally to serve Ford of Canada. Today, that operation makes

instrument panels, power-train modules, front suspension and front

cradle for the Ford Edge, its twin the Lincoln MKX, and the brand-new

Ford Flex. “With those three models, and various options and builds,

there can be as many as 200 different variations of instrument panels

alone,” says plant general manager Denis Thibodeau.

The only way to guarantee that Ford gets what it wants, how it

wants it and when it wants it, is to be sure that every person involved

in production knows exactly what the order entails.

To ensure that all their equipment operators had the infor-

mation they needed at their workstations when they needed it,

Automodular turned to Burlington-based PinPoint, a company

they had used before to develop specialized software for its

Oshawa-based facility serving General Motors Oshawa Autop-

lex. PinPoint worked closely with the auto parts assembler, and

over eight months developed a unique, customized system that

they installed as the new plant was being built. When the fac-

tory went on-line, PinPoint’s system, incorporating state of the

art touch-screen technology at every workstation, was live.

The smart factory“The PinPoint system continuously receives broadcast mes-

sages from Ford, which describes what they need, when and

how they need it. That information has to get communicated to the

plant fl oor, right down to the fi ve different assembly lines,” explains

Corey Simon of PinPoint.

PinPoint’s production database sorts the information from Ford’s

order and distributes it where it’s needed. Product descriptions and

all the specifi cations each worker needs is delivered to that worker’s

touchscreen workstation.

But the system goes beyond distributing information: at heart, it’s an

"PinPoint ensures that we have completed our

value-added responsibility," says Thibodeau.

Contents page: move your mouse to

the bar top left and you can pull down

a contents page menu and quickly

find the feature you are looking for.

Find (Search) window: above

right, you can enter a keyword and the

search results will instantly appear

allowing you to navigate quickly to

that page. If you know the page num-

ber, just type it in the box to the far

right, hit enter and you are there.

Interactive stuff: Link directly to advertisers' websites, e-mail colu-mists and more, all with a click of

your mouse!

This digital version of advanced manufacturing is just the start. Please e-mail your comments to [email protected]

This digital edition sponsored by:

May/June 2008

Welcome to the latest interactive digital edition of advanced manufacturing magazine!

I hope you will fully explore and enjoy this user-friendly tool to help you get the valuable information you’ve come to

expect from advanced manufacturing for more than 9 years. To help you out here are a few simple user tips:

Welcome from

editor John Tenpenny

(Click for video)

Mousing around: See something you like? Click your mouse over that part of the page and it will quickly zoom into focus. Click again and you zoom back. Click and hold the corners of the pages to move forward, or hold down your mouse button and flip the pages. Also use your mouse to scroll up and down while reading.

D I G I TA L E D I T I O Nu


error-control system. When the worker arrives at the workstation, they

have to log into the SmartScreen client application, which then checks

with the production database whether the worker has the certifi ca-

tions necessary to operate the equipment at hand, and whether they

have the necessary training on the product being assembled. If not,

the system will not allow the worker to perform the assembly.

“The SmartScreen shows every worker the latest order information

and specifi cations needed by the customer,” says PinPoint’s Jarda

Smrz. “It makes sure that the second shift has the same information

as the fi rst, and also that someone coming back after a two-week

vacation is able to work with any changes or new information that

may have come in during that absence.”

Assuming the worker is qualifi ed, the SmartScreen provides the

worker with the information needed for producing that day’s orders.

“As the module moves down the assembly line to the next worksta-

tion, bar-code scanners ensure it’s the right part in the right place.

SmartScreens display the information about the order, which parts

the worker needs, where the fastenings and joints are and so on,”

says Thibodeau. “The screen tells the worker the number of parts

needed, where the fastenings should be and the torque required on

every screw. If anything’s missed, the software won’t allow the part

of move out to the next stage on the assembly line.”

This level of verifi cation and control persists to the shipping

dock. “The PinPoint system validates that the parts have been

taken from the line in the proper order to meet Ford’s assembly

instructions,” says Thibodeau.

The SmartScreen terminal also communicates back to the produc-

tion database. This keeps management up to date, but also provides

an audit trail for the customer. Management can use a simple web

browser to see all the information about production. “The vehicle in-

formation number (VIN) can tell you everything about the car, or at

least the components manufactured by systems in our database. It can

tell you who built every part and every assembly, and whether that

person was certifi ed to do the work he or she did,” Smrz explains.

PinPoint's SmartScreen shows every worker on the

Automodular line the latest customer order information.

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AMT Showcase n IT Project Management n Findng an automation systems integrator


It was a challenging year for the Canadian auto parts industry

to say the least, but manufacturers need to keep their eyes on

the future. That was the message at this year’s

Annual Conference & Exhibition, where the

theme was “Developing 2020 Vision.”

Keynote speakers at the two-day event held

at the Hamilton Convention Centre included

Ford Motor Company of Canada President

and CEO Barry Engle and Bo Andersson,

Group VP of General Motors Corporation.

The event also featured an innovation panel

moderated by the Auto21 Network.

“What doesn’t break you makes you

stronger,” noted APMA Board of Directors

member Jan Chaplin during the association’s

Annual General Meeting, which kicked off

the 2008 Conference.During 2007, the APMA certainly did it’s

best to strengthen the industry.

“APMA’s focus and services continue to

change to meet the ever-changing environment in which

our members operate,” said APMA President Gerry Fedchun.

“Through the continued support of its members, APMA has

been very effective in garnering attention for our sector,

affecting positive change and increasing government support

while APMA itself engages in activities which enhance the

competitiveness of its members.”

Several achievements were noted, including getting the

Federal government to allow the accelerated (two-year) write-

off for new machining and equipment and

a commitment by the Ontario government

not to support a Free Trade Agreement

with Korea, unless Ontario businesses have

equal access to the Korean market.

Also announced was the launch of a

strategic initiative — the APMA Market

Intelligence Program (AMIP). It is aimed at

improving the competitiveness of Canadian

automotive suppliers by providing a low

cost, high benefit, business planning

solution. The AMIP initiative will be

powered by the industry-leading market

intelligence databases and software of

AutomotiveCompass Ltd.“Competitiveness is based on innovation.

We are helping Canadian automotive

suppliers to improve the productivity of

their planning efforts,” said Fedchun. “The

AMIP innovation combines accelerating

the planning and information access and analysis process,

improving member support services and lowering member

costs.”In other announcements, the APMA and the Canadian

Tooling and Machining Association (CTMA) will use $1.2

million in provincial funding to increase

their competitiveness and strengthen

Ontario’s manufacturing base.

“This is about strengthening the Ontario

auto supply chain from beginning to end,”

said Sandra Pupatello, Minister of Economic

Development and Trade. “We’re investing

strategically to get car companies building

in Ontario, sourcing from Ontario parts

makers, who in turn get their tooling

designed and built here too.”

The CTMA will assess shortfalls in

software skills across the industry and work

with suppliers to identify solutions. This

will include testing and evaluating software

and developing new training programs.

The APMA will pilot cost reduction

projects at a number of auto parts companies

and share the results across the industry. The association

will also engage consultants with expertise in manufacturing

cost reduction and develop new business with Japanese and

European auto makers building vehicles in North America.

“This project is going to deliver targeted, tailored advice

to help our member companies boost competitiveness and

diversify their customer base,” said Fedchun. “It’s an important

step for our industry to adjust to the new realities of our

business climate.”

Auto parts makers encouraged at annual conference

to have a clear vision of industry going forward

Delegates gather to hear one of the many guest speakers

featured at the 2008 APMA Conference & Exhibition.

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Bo Andersson of General Motors

answers audience questions.

June08.indd 8


AMTShowcase

FOCUS: MOTION CONTROL , AUTOMATION AND PLM SOFTWARE

A DVA N C E D MA N U FA C T U R I N G T E C H N O L O G Y

Drive offers scalable motion control for electrohydraulics

The HNC100-3x digital servo drive from Rexroth is a freely programmable, bus-capable NC con-

trol for electromechanical and electrohydraulic drives. It expands the range of the HNC100 family

by offering control of up to four electrohydraulic axes in one unit. According to the company, the

increased computing power of the HNC100-3x shortens scan rates. Up to eleven freely configu-

rable digital I/Os increase automation flexibility. The customer can program the sequence via a

PC using the HNC’s WIN-PED software. The NC programming provides greater flexibility of the

HNC, and it can complement existing user know-how with its common platform.

www.boschrexroth.ca

Motion control system offers

closed- and open-loop

Festo’s single-axis position controller

CMMS-ST combined with stepper mo-

tors EMMS-ST for single- and multi-axis

handling units with loads up to 20 kg,

according to the company. The Servo-

Lite mode offers a full-feature closed-

loop servo system. This differentiates the

stepper motor controller CMMS-ST from

conventional controllers. Alternatively,

the CMMS-ST can also be used as an

inexpensive open-loop system for step-

per motors without encoders. This new

stepper motor series combines

long service life and full po-

sitioning functionality with a

low price. The two-phase hy-

brid stepper motor offers high

torque, a high degree of pro-

tection and an industrial con-

nector system. www.festo.ca

Servo motors feature

higher moment of inertia

Beckhoff Automation has extended its Drive

Technology range with the introduction of the

AM3500 series servo motors. According to the

company, these new servo motors have a higher

moment of inertia, making them well suited for

machine tool axes with stringent synchronism re-

quirements. The motor flanges, connectors and

shafts of the new AM3500 series are compatible with Beckhoff’s AM3000 motors.

The new AM3500 models are available with flange sizes three to six, torques be-

tween 1.9 and 15 Nm and rated speeds of 3,000 and 6,000 rpm.

www.beckhoffautomation.comAC servo motors offer smooth

motion at slow speeds

Baldor introduced the BSM R-series, a range of ultra-

compact brushless AC servo motors offering machine

builders an alternative to stepper motors and DC ser-

vos. Capable of delivering peak torques of up to 33.63

lb-in (3.8 Nm), combined with other interesting dy-

namic performance attributes of servo motors such as

fast acceleration, the new motors are packaged in small 1.6 and 2.4 inch (40 and

60 mm) square bodies. According to the company, special construction features

employed in the motors mean that their action is virtually ‘cog free’, providing very

smooth motion at slow speeds.

www.baldor.comSoft starters for the lower price range

The Siemens SIRIUS 3RW40 soft starters in the lower power range from 10-75HP @

600V expand the performance spectrum of the 3RW40 soft starters.

According to the company, they represent a very compact and

price-attractive alternative to start-delta starters. The soft-start-

ers will reduce the inrush current and mechanical stress that

usually occurs during standard direct on line starting of AC

motors. Features include overload relay, voltage control and

current limiting technology, integrated remote reset (with-

out additional module), programmable ON/RUN output and

fault output, and polarity balance.

www.ontor.com

AM_June08.indd 26

5/28/08

www.advancedmanufacturing.com June 2008 25

The system also provides critical feedback to the individual worker

and to the manager. At the workstation, the touch-screen shows pro-

ductivity data and real-time error rates; management gets an overall

picture of the production flowing through the plant, and over the

lunchroom door, a big-screen LCD communicates overall reports in-

cluding general productivity, new instructions and the overall produc-

tivity and error rates for the plant.

“All manufacturers struggle with the same quality control issues,”

says Smrz. “They have to ensure that all the latest, most relevant work

instructions are available at the workstations where they’re needed.

They also have to be able to guarantee that the people who built the

product are qualified to do that job. And they have to be able to track

each product back to the time, the place, the workstation and the

person who produced it.”

The importance of flexibilityHaving all the necessary information immediately helps Automodular

make changeovers from product to product relatively easy. This helps

keep the company nimble, able to accommodate the rapid changes of

today’s global economy.

“As Ford moves to more flexible manufacturing systems, where

one plant can build several different vehicles, they need their suppliers

to be able to do the same,” says Smrz.

“Automodular does not buy, own or manufacture parts,” Thibodeau

explains. “We are solely an assembler of our customers’ products. Pin-

Point helps us ensure that we have completed our value-added re-

sponsibility.”

Scott Bury is a journalist and educator based in Kanata, Ont. He regularly

covers high technology and manufacturing. You can reach him at scott@

writtenword.ca.

A new joint venture between Rockwell and

Dassault Systèmes hopes to redefine how the

mechanical engineer and the control engineer

will collaborate to reduce time to market and

drive down costs — making the virtual design

and production environment a reality.

The virtual design and production environ-

ment will help enable collaborative mechani-

cal and control design with bidirectional syn-

chronization. As a result, immediate feedback

will be available on design changes, thus

enabling the testing of various “what if” sce-

narios in order to continuously optimize man-

ufacturing operations. Customers will benefit,

because manufacturing operations will be

commissioned faster with optimal production

performance.

“Manufacturers are anxiously awaiting a

solution that can turn the idea of a virtual de-

sign and production environment into reality,”

says Kevin Roach, vice president of Software,

Rockwell Automation.

The joint solution will link manufacturing

design to factory-floor control by integrating

Rockwell Software RSLogix 5000 control pro-

gramming and configuration software with

DELMIA Automation PLM software from Das-

sault Systèmes. As a result, manufacturers

can expect to reduce the cost of engineering

and ramp-up time, and continually optimize

their manufacturing operations with an accu-

rate, real-time, simulation model.

Working together with customers, both

Rockwell Automation and Dassault Systèmes

have created complementary manufactur-

ing engineering technologies, built around

strong, object-oriented data models for repre-

senting devices and operations.

“Our benchmark research finds that over

75 per cent of best-in-class manufacturers are

investing in real-time interoperability between

PLM and plant-floor technologies. In addition,

our research on digital manufacturing indicates

the best-in-class are twice as likely as laggards

to hit their deadlines by starting manufac-

turing planning prior to design release, and

simulating facility and equipment operation

during design,” says Jim Brown, vice presi-

dent & group director of Product Innovation,

Engineering and Manufacturing Research for

Aberdeen Group. “Manufacturers of complex,

asset-intensive products like automobiles are

turning to holistic factory simulation to de-

crease time to full volume production.”

The interplay between design and manu-

facturing will help increase efficiencies in the

design process and ultimately minimize the

time between design and delivery. Engineers

involved in all stages of design will have the

ability to make adjustments in real-time, in-

corporating, preserving and augmenting

knowledge rapidly across various stages of

the production life cycle.

100’s

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