Digital Manufacturing Engineering

Process development requires a team of engineers and support staff when creating work instructions, machine programs, quality plans, and test outlines.  Many tasks are dependent on successful completion of prior steps, and critical actions cannot be overlooked. FactoryLogix’ Task Flow Management permits organizations of all sizes to configure the sequence of operations necessary to ensure error-free process definition. Supervisors assign tasks across the entire development process, and may even assign segments of the process definition to specific individuals, who then have immediate visibility to their task responsibilities and in many cases directly hyperlink to a specific task. The result is automated orchestration of the factory office and collaboration that spans departments and buildings.

FactoryLogix takes a revolutionary approach to manufacturing process definition, a fundamental component found in any assembly environment. Engineers define the process, not the physical route, permitting for total freedom to apply the assembly process across disparate assembly lines where station counts vary and operations may be performed by a human or by machine. Products are also likely to incur assembly processes throughout its life, including rework and repair, RMA, and refurbishing. These processes are easily added to the assembly’s process definition, including on-the-fly steps for defining operations for one or more serialized units.

Parts are parts and assemblies are parts, and FactoryLogix treats them one in the same.  The system provides a configurable multi-level assembly structure and relates the factory’s internal build part number to customer numbers and to its AML/AVL, all under revision control. Its dynamic BOM handling supports revision changes and alternate parts as required, as well as configure-to-order (CTO) build environments. Sophisticated tools are also available comparing bills of material, as well as for Component Engineering for matching previously unseen part numbers to existing stocked items.

Bills of material (BOMs) are often provided to manufacturers that are all too often poorly formatted and filled with errors. FactoryLogix includes a powerful means to process almost any text or Excel BOM into the system without code or script writing. BOM headers are automatically recognized while users create steps of filtering activities to get the BOM in order via a simple graphical interface. The tool intrinsically understands all types of reference designator consolidations and extracts them automatically to make the BOM completely usable and intelligent. Best of all, once it has encountered a particular type of BOM, it remembers how to clean it. Consequently, it can import it instantly the next time a version arrives from that source.

Design data is essential for all manufacturing processes, including quality and test operations, assembly instructions, and machine programming. All leading MCAD drawing formats are supported and their content may be intelligently linked to work instruction steps to guide an operator to a specific region on the assembly. ECAD file importers auto-detect file types and transform the native file from the PCB design software platform into a product visual to then act as the foundation for a process design. Aegis importers have over a decade of evolution and as result support hundreds of legacy file versions. Even machine file formats and competitive file types are supported. And when ECAD is not accessible, Gerber files provide the design information using a highly automated and operator friendly means for capturing the board and shape information.

FactoryLogix provides a true process driven architecture for developing intelligent work instructions for all kinds of assemblies at the most granular activity level.  Its documentation engine leverages part and design data to develop rich, interactive support documentation to guide operators through sequential assembly steps. It enables ‘templating’ of documentation across every step in the process. These templates fully automate most visuals upon import of the design. Documentation supports clipboard, video, multimedia, hyperlinking to secondary documents or sites, and a full complement of annotation and graphical tools.

Beyond the documentation created in FactoryLogix, the software enables linking or embedding any type of secondary documents such as user manuals, ISO manuals, etc. These documents can be targeted for access through the paperless terminals by context or location.

The factory office is responsible for developing usable information for manufacturing operations, and FactoryLogix offers an extensive set of controls and approvals to confirm their readiness. The entire process definition or individual operations may undergo their own approval process, as well as for the BOM, CAD, and process flow used in a given project. Even production orders and broadcasted change notices may undergo a formal review and approval. The review process is accelerated by presenting the approvers an intelligent side-by-side view of the changes found between the new version and its predecessor. And should the approval cycle lag longer than expected, managers are immediately notified via an escalation email in order to take appropriate action.

FactoryLogix offers machine programming interfaces for virtually all machines on the market, stretching back to models produced in the late 1980’s. Perform simple and fast offline programming and library management for placement, printers, jet printers, ovens, AOI, AXI, dispensers, ovens, inserters, semi-auto inserters, and odd form machines. Hundreds of interfaces are available. Many modern interfaces interact directly with the software from the machine vendors, providing a seamless and rapid way to prepare production programs perfectly before ever sending them to the floor.