PLM software for manufacturing ready for the IOT

The goal of any project involving PLM software is to improve product lifecycle management. In the example of a company specializing in the production of machinery and equipment for processing wires, ropes and cables, this must inevitably correspond with business growth.

What’s more, correct implementation will mean improving the entire product development process. The industry leader that chose Lutech for this important Industry 4.0 project had some very specific goals in mind.

First and foremost, improving product quality supported by greater integration between business divisions and optimizing collaboration through easier access to data. Lutech started out from these shared objectives to create a unique and complete platform for the management of product development data and information flows related 

As far as the technologies used are concerned, the preference was soon given to PLM tools such as PTC Windchill and PTC Creo and to appropriate integration and interconnection services between company areas, created by Lutech’s development team. The purpose of the integrations? Reduce time to market and facilitate business collaboration.

“The reduction in time to market was achieved by defining guided management paths, a unique and protected repository for shared know-how, and an automated workflow process for approval processes.”

The management and reuse of complex data and information flows had to be completely revised, also and above all to support the management and control of new product creation – (new) product lifecycle management into which the entire product development process also had to be incorporated.

Finally, as with any Industry 4.0 project, the application system designed by Lutech had to guarantee support for the company in continuous process and quality developments and allow it to incorporate any changes imposed by European and world regulations.

Incorporation of the solutions devised by Lutech’s development team ensured a high level of integration between the information generated and that used over the entire cycle. A logical path was created for the information, starting from the design division – i.e. both the technical and R&D departmets – through to the management system and right up to the manufacturing environment and, finally, service.

Lutech’s PLM partner solution, PTC Windchill, can be described as a “Smart Connected PLM”, as it is the first product lifecycle management platform to introduce important technological innovations that connect product development processes and data.

Specifically, among the advantages of PTC Windchill, the following should be emphasized:

• Intelligent distribution of rolebased PLM data to targeted stakeholders according to their needs.
• Connection of data from the operating product, using the IoT for fully closedloop processes.
• Complete digital definition of a multidimensional product: from requirements to service.
• Flexible and scalable deployment options as required, including cloud, softwareas-a-service (SaaS) and subscription.

With PTC Windchill, the client now has new capabilities for smarter product lifecycle management. For example, applications are role-based, search tools are optimized, and advanced intellectual property protection is guaranteed.

In greater depth, PTC Windchill’s new document management system immediately provides the necessary expertise to stakeholders inside and outside the engineering design department, better supporting critical decisions.

Furthermore, the simple and fast access to PLM data, within the flow coming from other company systems, faster and more efficient search functions and, finally, Daba (Design Anywhere Build Anywhere), which guarantees protection of intellectual property between internal and external collaborators, make it the most complete and innovative solution in the product development process.

PTC indeed provides the first IoT-supported PLM architecture, enabling the link between product generators and operational data. The use of the IoT technology, indeed allows access to data from the entire product lifecycle, from requirements to performance.

“Incorporation of PLM software with IoT technology allows completion of the lifecycle of the information along the whole business chain”.

The PTC platform can enable real-time fault reporting, using IoT to immediately provide error codes, data and analysis. The platform also provides a comprehensive view of device operation and real-time quality metrics. This ensures faster and more accurate improvements in design, production and maintenance quality.

Finally, the product lifecycle is completed by tracking requirements between the PTC Integrity and PTC Windchill solutions. This is olso thanks to PTC Windchill’s optimization through Performance Advisor, another IoT-based component that provides intelligent support and proactive fixes.

The client reported an immediate increase in data and information retrieval speed, increased productivity and optimization of the use of resources for cost reductions.

The facilitated management of repeatable processes and the rationalization of data complexity and data relationships throughout the product lifecycle has led to a clear decrease in time to market.

Ultimately, decisions are now made more quickly by the client, allowing them to anticipate future problems and scenarios thanks to the reference of a single source of certainty for product-related data and processes.