Aluminum Components Time Savings Through Virtual Part Start-Up

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Hanomag Aluminium Solutions refines aluminum components. Based on a digital twin of the machinery using Siemens Xcelerator software, machine downtime during part start-up was reduced by 90 percent while simultaneously increasing the reliability of quotation calculations.

The demands on products are constantly increasing, as is their complexity. Especially in vehicle construction, there is a conflict between higher speeds and vehicle weights and the demand for reduced energy and raw material consumption. This can only be resolved through consistent lightweight construction. In addition to design, the choice of materials is a crucial lever.

Thanks to its low density and good strength properties, aluminum is a preferred material in aerospace as well as in the construction of rail and road vehicles. Specifically in automotive manufacturing, the lightweight metal is used in numerous areas, from combustion or electric engines to chassis and structural components to doors and body panels. Both cast and formed components are utilized in this process.

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Specialized Aluminum Parts Machining

Hanomag Aluminium Solutions GmbH specializes in refining aluminum components, primarily for the automotive industry. Since 2021, it has been part of the Hanomag Lohnhärterei Group and operates 26 chamber and continuous furnaces at its Kassel and Baunatal (Germany) locations. Additionally, the cylinder heads, engine blocks, subframes, and housing parts heat-treated there are mechanically processed on a machine park with nearly 40 4-axis and 5-axis CNC machining centers, all equipped with modern Sinumerik controls from Siemens. In addition, in-process measurements are carried out on coordinate measuring machines.

"We work exclusively on aluminum parts in three- to four-shift operations with varying annual quantities—from prototypes to pre-series to mass production," explains Dominik Köhler, production manager in Kassel at Hanomag Aluminium Solutions GmbH. "The components often undergo all processing steps until they are ready for installation, but some are only pre-machined."

Reducing Setup And Run-in Times Increases Productivity

The processing intensity of the parts varies greatly; processing times range between 75 and 540 seconds. Their average runtime is about seven years, with a downward trend. "For us as a contract manufacturer, it's important to reduce setup and run-in times when switching components," says Köhler. "It was equally important for our management to obtain reliable forecasts of exact processing times early on as a basis for binding offers."

The production manager was aware that these goals would not be easily achieved with the previous methods. "The creation and especially the optimization of the machine programs were carried out directly on the machines," he reports. "The run-in of a new component blocked the affected machine along with the assigned personnel for 15 shifts or five days."

Manufacturing Digitization As A Goal

This led Köhler to wish for these activities to be carried out as much as possible in parallel with main processing times. He approached all major manufacturers of CAM software, including Siemens Digital Industries Software, which covers the entire product lifecycle and the associated process chain with the Siemens Xcelerator business platform. This includes the NX software for computer-aided design (CAD) and manufacturing (CAM).

However, since most of the downtime was not caused by programming but by successive optimizations, purchasing CAM software alone would not have been sufficient. In order to carry out most of the component start-up in a realistic simulation specific to the machine on the computer model, a major digitization step was required.

Main Time Parallel Programming Thanks to NX CAM

The software manufacturer Hanomag Aluminium Solutions referred the project to d.u.h.Group GmbH for implementation. As a long-standing Platinum Smart Expert Partner of Siemens Digital Industries Software, this medium-sized German company offers its customers tailor-made solutions for designing efficient processes and driving forward digital transformation. In addition to software implementation, consulting, and training, this also includes customer-specific software adaptations and developments.

The manufacturing software specialists at d.u.h.Group developed five postprocessors for Hanomag Aluminium Solutions for use with NX CAM. These are configurable and can therefore cover the entire machine park in Kassel and Baunatal. This enables program creation in parallel with machining time based on 3D part data.

These are delivered by clients in various file formats. “The ability to import all common formats and thus avoid the loss of accuracy associated with using neutral formats was a deciding factor in choosing NX CAM,” reports Köhler. “Another was the software's ability to handle the often very large amounts of data resulting from the variety of machining operations.” In addition, there are functions for the automated creation of recurring machining steps based on geometric properties.

Virtual Machine Park Maps Exact Cycle Times

In order to be able to carry out not only NC program creation but also the run-in process in parallel with main production time in the office, the digitization experts at d.u.h.Group created a complete digital twin of the machine tools. To do this, they used the 3D design data for the machines provided by the manufacturers.

This alone is sufficient to create a very good computer model of the machine. However, this model cannot take into account the real-time behavior of the control electronics. As a result, it cannot simulate the machining process with sufficient precision to deliver a representative result that can be directly transferred to real-world operation. The software developers at d.u.h.Group therefore took advantage of the option to add the Siemens Virtual NC Controller Kernel (VNCK) to NX CAM. This allows the virtual machines to be operated and the machining simulation to be performed on the basis of the real control software.

“Our CAM experts created complete digital twins of the machine tools,” says André Fehn, Presales and Team Leader CAM at d.u.h.Group GmbH. “This enables a realistic digital representation of the movements of the actual machine tools with the exact speeds, accelerations, tool changes, and cycle times.”

With services such as staff training, installation, infrastructure optimization, and integration of customer processes, they also ensured a smooth transition. Programming, checking, and optimization of complex machining processes now take place at two computer workstations instead of directly on the machines. This also allows for the simulation of manually generated NC code, as well as direct feedback to the parts design department.

Virtual Running-in in One Shift Instead of 15 As Previously

Simulation in NX CAM based on the digital twin of the entire machine park has revolutionized the run-in process for new parts at Hanomag Aluminium Solutions. This now resembles a virtual commissioning process: Start-up initially takes place on the computer model. This helps to prevent collisions, reduce risk, and avoid scrap.

Only once virtual running-in has been successfully completed on the digital twin are the workpieces transferred to the real machine. Final optimizations are still carried out there. However, the time required directly at the machine has been reduced from 15 shifts previously to just one shift now. “The savings amount to over 90 percent, or around USD 12,800 per component,” emphasizes Köhler. “This alone has paid for the investment within a year.”

In addition, the precise calculation of cycle times has also greatly increased the accuracy and reliability of quotation calculations. This is a contribution to the company's competitiveness in a highly competitive market that should not be underestimated.

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