Digital Twin
Welding
Software
Laser Metal Deposition
Surface Treatment
Digital continuity is an important topic for us; thus, our methodology revolves around the usage of a digital twin. A 3D model of the physical assets is the base component of the twin and is working as a “data carrier” containing the necessary metadata and information. Physical behavior of the different components are analysed through suppliers data sheets and applied to the corresponding twin model. Kinematics of moving components are also defined, including inverse kinematics of robot manipulators. With the necessary mechanisms and kinematics in place, programming of the automated solutions in the twin is performed.
In a production setting, sensor and process data are collected and stored in the digital twin. This data can be used to analyze different parameters of the production execution, and thus improving efficiency.
Welding data is the main process that we capture data on in our own facility. Especially the laser welding equipment is monitored closely through an optical process observer, which enables us to locate errors in a weld in real-time during welding. This makes it possible to stop the welding process if something is out of the ordinary, and also help the operators to locate the errors to correct them.
Programming in the digital twin is often referred to as offline programming. A completed program may be ran as a simulation on a computer or on the physical twin. The ability to simulate the process is an excellent method to visualize how the physical objects will move and interact with each other, as well as detecting clashes and other irregulatities in the program before it happens in the physical world.
Modern production methods require modern software solutions. One of the key components and success factors in Prodtex is the 3DEXPERIENCE platform. In addition to utilizing the platform in-house, Prodtex is also a reseller of 3DEXPERIENCE through a partnership with Dassault Systèmes. Development of add-ons, support and training of personnel can be offered on-demand.
The 3DEXPERIENCE Platform is a Business Experience Platform created by Dassault Systèmes. It provides software solutions for every department in your company - from marketing, sales to engineering & production. With a single, easy-to-use interface, it powers industry solution experiences, based on 3D design, analysis, simulation and intelligence software in a collaborative interactive environment.
Dassault Systèmes offers industry-leading applications delivered on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform: Design & Engineering, Manufacturing & Production, Simulation, Governance & Lifecycle, 3D Design Experience for Professionals, as well as a broad catalog of services.
The platform are available both as an on-premise solution and on the cloud. The cloud is transforming the way companies do business, and 3DEXPERIENCE on the Cloud is no exception. Instant deployment, automatic updates and built-in security systems lowers the workload on IT administration significantly, compared to on-site servers and on-premise solutions.
CATIA is the world’s leading engineering and design software for product 3D CAD design. It addresses all manufacturing organizations, from OEMs through their supply chains, to small independent producers.
DELMIA helps industries and service providers connect the virtual and real worlds through the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform. This allows them to collaborate, model, optimize and perform their operations.
SIMULIA delivers realistic simulation applications that enable users to accelerate the process of evaluating the performance, reliability and safety of materials and products before committing to physical prototypes.
ENOVIA powered by the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, enables stakeholders across the enterprise to contribute in innovation, with a broad portfolio of technical and business applications.
Digitization of the workplace is more important than ever before. Automation of tedious and cumbersome tasks are necessary to give employees more meaningful and value-adding tasks, as well as achieving higher profitability for the company. We develop customized applications to automate tasks and processes in several disciplines, for both small and large companies.
Our applications are based on modern frameworks and are developed as cross platform web applications or basic Windows applications, depending on the customer needs. We use cloud-based databases to store all customer data, to make sure that the data is secure and easily available to all stakeholders.
Development of applications to automate handling and preparation of 3D data for automated production is one of our specialities. This is achieved by creating applications that run on-top of Dassault Systèmes software, combining it with external databases. With this approach, full digital traceability of the production data can be ensured, which makes it easier to handle new and future demands from class societies and authorities.
Robotic welding is one of our core specialties. Taking advantage of modern technology, automated welding processes has proven its capabilities by delivering top quality results. By including multiple welding technologies, we are able to implement efficient production methods on a large variety of manufacturable products.
This technology combines features from laser and traditional MIG/MAG. The laser heats material to the melting point and welding wire is applied to the welding pool. This method produces a weld seam with the characteristics of a traditional seam with the low heat input and high travel speed of the laser. This results in a precise seam, applied at high speed along with a low level of deformation. In many cases the laser-hybrid seam does not require any kind of finishing touch up work.
Laser welding methods result in deep and accurate welds that require less energy and resources compared to traditional welding methods. Laser welding is also applying less heat to the material due to a small HAZ (Heat Affected Zone). It produces a clean seam that often does not require any form of finishing work. This is a method that is very suitable for robotic handling due to the precision required for acceptable results.
The process of laser welding consists of a focused laser beam which heats the work piece material to melting temperature. The seam is created by the motion of the focused beam along the workpiece. Approximately 1 kW output power per 1,5 mm sheet thickness is required for a fully penetrated weld.
Gas metal arc welding is a traditional method of electric arc welding which consists of an arc created between a consumable metal electrode (welding wire) and the work piece. Gas is used to shield the welding pool from external gases such as nitrogen and oxygen, to prevent unwanted chemical reactions.
This is a well proven and versatile welding technology that can be applied in most welding scenarios. This welding method is also adaptable to automated applications. In most cases robotic handling provides both more precise and efficient production output compared to manual handling.
Laser metal deposition is a generative manufacturing method for metals. It is generally known as “laser metal deposition”, usually abbreviated to LMD, but can also be referred to as “direct metal deposition” (DMD) or “direct energy deposition” (DED).
Similar to traditional 3D printing, the LMD process utilizes heat to warm up and add a material to a component surface. The heat input in the process is light from a laser source, which creates a weld pool on the surface of the component. The added material is a metal powder that is automatically transported to the weld pool via a nozzle. Metal powder can be purchased in many different material qualities, depending on what use case or result the client requires.
The main usage area of LMD is not necessarily 3D printing complete components from scratch, but a rather diverse range of applications where only the imagination is the limit: repair of expensive components with high production cost, coating of structures with a protective layer against corrosion etc.
Surface treatment of steel materials is in most cases a necessity, to avoid degradation over time. Stainless and weathering steel is an alternative that can withstand the environmental impact, but these are more expensive than mild steel. Thermal spraying and painting is the traditional method for surface treatment, and while it being an effective way of protecting a material, it is a time consuming and health hazardous process.
Laser powder cladding or surfacing is a modern alternative to traditional surface treatment, where the laser beam creates a molten pool on the steel surface and a corrosion-resistant metal powder is applied. This results in a layer that is metallurgically connected to the base material, providing a pore- and crack-free coating of the steel surface.
Key advantages:
Automated, robotic process
Low exposure time and depth of laser (HAZ)
More resistant than thermal spray coating
Small to none post-processing of surface
Several different powder materials available
More and more components are manufactured from the ground-up in 3D printers utilizing an additive manufacturing approach, especially in polymer, nylon and composite materials. One of the big disadvantages of manufacturing components in a dedicated 3D printer is the space limitation of the build chamber. This limitation can be neglected by using robot-mounted LMD. The technology is not limited to vertical application either, which is the case with traditional 3D printers.
In the current setup, the LMD robot cell at Prodtex can produce components within a 3x3x1 meters bounding box, but this can be radically enlarged by mounting the robot on tracks.
Material layers, material type, weight, production time and thus price can be found before manufacturing through the use of digital twin and simulation software. Multi-material is also supported, which makes it possible to utilize inexpensive materials where needed, for example a mild carbon steel core with a stainless steel coating.
Cleaning metal surfaces is an important step in our manufacturing process. Surface corrosion, grease, oil or other unwanted impurities affect both the product’s aesthetics and material properties. Removal of such elements is typically necessary before final surface treatment.
By utilizing the same laser beam used for laser and laser hybrid welding, we can perform this cleaning process in-house at a very high pace. The process is handled by robots to ensure high efficiency and continuity. Also, handheld laser cleaning equipment is available for treatment of smaller and medium sized products.