Digital manufacturing

Digital manufacturing integrates simulation, 3D visualization, analytics and collaboration tools to create simultaneous product and manufacturing process definitions, enabling industries to design entire manufacturing processes digitally, fostering collaboration between engineers and designers.

What is digital manufacturing?

Digital manufacturing is the use of an integrated, computer-based system comprised of simulation, 3D visualization, analytics and collaboration tools to create product and manufacturing process definitions simultaneously. Digital manufacturing evolved from manufacturing initiatives such as design for manufacturability (DFM), computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM), flexible manufacturing and lean manufacturing that highlight the need for collaborative product and process design.

Many of the long-term benefits of product lifecycle management (PLM) cannot be achieved without a comprehensive digital manufacturing strategy. Digital manufacturing is a key point of integration between PLM and shop floor applications and equipment, enabling the exchange of product-related information between design and manufacturing groups. This alignment allows manufacturing companies to achieve time-to-market and volume goals, as well as realize cost savings by reducing expensive downstream changes.

Related products: Tecnomatix | NX for Manufacturing | Opcenter | Teamcenter Manufacturing

Human-centered Digital Manufacturing

Understand the benefits

Digital manufacturing helps manufacturing companies improve productivity in planning and production processes, in the following ways:

50%

Reduction in design time

Increase speed-to-market: Digital manufacturing software accelerates tasks across all manufacturing disciplines, enabling faster product introductions and innovation.

30%

Reduction in project cycles

Reduce risks: Digital manufacturing tools improve quality and provide real-time performance feedback across the value chain, reducing risks to company reputation.

90%

Reduction in root cause analysis time

Improve margins: By fully employing the virtual realm before investing in actual production, digital manufacturing helps increase margins and optimize operations.

How digital manufacturing applications work

Digital manufacturing facilitates collaboration for a holistic view of product and process design

Digital manufacturing is utilized across industries. An automotive original equipment manufacturer (OEM) can design the entire manufacturing process digitally (tooling, machining, assembly sequencing, and factory layout) at the same time that designers are designing the next vehicle program. This enables manufacturing engineers to provide immediate feedback to designers if there are constraints in the part manufacturability. This collaboration between manufacturing engineers and designers creates a holistic view of product and process design.

A high-tech supplier can use a digital manufacturing system to create a 3D simulation of a complete production line and analyze the different production variants and concepts as part of the request for quote (RFQ) process. This transparency and precision in planning and proposal preparation help the company gain greater customer confidence and ultimately win the contract.

Current initiatives in the development of digital manufacturing tools involve improving user experience, so information is presented in the context of tasks performed, allowing users to make better decisions faster. Steps are being taken to provide direct connectivity with shop floor hardware, such as programmable logic controllers (PLCs), machine controllers and computer numerically controlled (CNC) machines. Unified platforms have also been developed to manage both PLM and manufacturing execution system (MES) information.