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Case Study / Software 10 MoldMaking Technology —— JANUARY 2016 Expanded CAD/CAM Usage Improves Processes, Standardization, Machine Use and Output For Omega Tool Corp., an Oldcastle, Ontario, Canada- based moldmaker, good isn't good enough. The company aims to foster a culture of continuous improvement and innovation, centering its focus on servicing and selling to customers who expect flaw- less execution. That execution requires the right technology, for which Omega says it seeks out the right partners. One such partner ended up being manufacturing indus- try consulting firm Harbour Results Inc. of Southfield, Michigan, which provides assessments and reports on the automotive tool, die and mold industry. As a result of a report identifying OEMs looking to consolidate their tooling spending with fewer suppliers, Harbour was asked to qualify key tool, die and mold shops that were manufacturing prod- ucts for Ford. This was done via a standardized two-day assess- ment eventually involving 180 different facilities around the globe, including Omega. As a result of this assessment, Omega contracted with Harbour to refresh its long-term business strategy with the goal of adding more value and enhancing its competitiveness. Some of its objectives included upgrading plant-floor equip- ment, improving machine throughput, establishing standards and implementing those standards on the plant floor. Omega also found a new ally in its endeavors in CAD/CAM supplier Tebis America Inc. of Troy, Michigan. Omega had already been successfully using Tebis software when in 2013 it called in a team of Tebis consultants from Germany to analyze Omega's processes and benchmark them against a global peer group. These experts offered recom- mendations in the areas of process, standardization, increased machine utilization and output. They wanted to explore ways in which an expanded use of Tebis software and its approach Images courtesy of Tebis America. In fve-axis machining of large parts like the mold shown here, the machine head often must be tipped to adjust the machining angle, adding complexity that can slow down typical CAD/CAM software. With Tebis, users can click on the machine head and simulate its operation, make adjustments on the fy, and send the amended or edited program back to the machine. to manufacturing could help Omega achieve the competitive- ness goals outlined in its five-year plan. The Simulation Advantage Omega wasn't using simulation at all until it acquired the Tebis simulation system, which is designed to optimize machine operations by enabling users to identify and avoid possible collisions between component and tool geometry, check tool lengths before NC program calculation, and inter- actively define the optimum tilt direction. In addition, the sys- tem's material removal simulation is intended to enable users to realistically assess surface qualities. Omega says all of this has had a tremendous impact on its operations. The software tools are particularly useful when the com- pany employs full five-axis simultaneous milling. They enable users to perform a detailed analysis of the tilt directions for the tool before they calculate an NC program, also taking head