Automation and smarter EDM manufacturing enabled by shop-floor metrology solutions
Takashi Sumikita – Head of sCMM Sales Japan, Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division
Sodick chooses Hexagon's solutions for Smart SITE
To enhance automation and ensure product quality in its customers’ EDM process, Sodick selected Hexagon’s TIGO SF CMM and PC-DMIS metrology software for their Smart SITE solution.
To help their customers increase automation and flexibility in their EDM production process, Sodick partnered with Hexagon on metrology solutions that ensure product quality and boost measurement efficiency, laying essential foundations towards a fully realised smart factory.
Sodick is an advanced technology company based in Japan that was founded in 1976. The company specialises in producing electrical discharge machining (EDM) machines, including the development of nonconsumable electrodes. They introduced numerically controlled (NC) EDM machines to the Japanese market and also manufacture CNC machining centres, metal 3D printers, injection moulding machines, noodle-making machines, and aseptic packaged cooked rice production systems. Sodick’s in-house manufacturing of linear motors and NC devices ensures high performance in their various machine tools, earning them high praise in the mould processing industry.
With approximately 600 employees and covering an area of about 50,000 m², the Kaga factory in the Hokuriku area is Sodick’s largest manufacturing plant in Japan.
In 2022, Sodick took significant steps to enhance automation and flexibility in the EDM industry. To further boost the Flexible Manufacturing System (FMS) they offer their customers, they developed the ‘Sodick Smart SITE’ at the Kago factory – a packaged solution designed to semi- or fully automate a customer’s EDM manufacturing process.
For die-sinking EDM, custom electrodes are manufactured using CNC machining centres to match the desired workpiece shape. The Sodick Smart SITE solution currently offered is a semi-automatic system that reads preprogrammed QR codes on electrodes and workpieces. This allows the automatic execution of NC, EDM and measurement programs without human intervention.
To ensure the utmost quality of these electrodes, Sodick introduced Hexagon’s TIGO SF shop-floor 3D coordinate measuring machine (CMM) and 3D metrology software PC-DMIS to obtain correction values for electrode machining adjustments and final electrode quality checks.
Sodick is an advanced technology company based in Japan that was founded in 1976. The company specialises in producing electrical discharge machining (EDM) machines, including the development of nonconsumable electrodes. They introduced numerically controlled (NC) EDM machines to the Japanese market and also manufacture CNC machining centres, metal 3D printers, injection moulding machines, noodle-making machines, and aseptic packaged cooked rice production systems. Sodick’s in-house manufacturing of linear motors and NC devices ensures high performance in their various machine tools, earning them high praise in the mould processing industry.
With approximately 600 employees and covering an area of about 50,000 m², the Kaga factory in the Hokuriku area is Sodick’s largest manufacturing plant in Japan.
In 2022, Sodick took significant steps to enhance automation and flexibility in the EDM industry. To further boost the Flexible Manufacturing System (FMS) they offer their customers, they developed the ‘Sodick Smart SITE’ at the Kago factory – a packaged solution designed to semi- or fully automate a customer’s EDM manufacturing process.
Solving skills shortages and ensuring product quality
The move towards increased EDM automation is primarily driven by the shortage of skilled employees the industry faces and aims to ensure stable product quality and enhanced process productivity.For die-sinking EDM, custom electrodes are manufactured using CNC machining centres to match the desired workpiece shape. The Sodick Smart SITE solution currently offered is a semi-automatic system that reads preprogrammed QR codes on electrodes and workpieces. This allows the automatic execution of NC, EDM and measurement programs without human intervention.
To ensure the utmost quality of these electrodes, Sodick introduced Hexagon’s TIGO SF shop-floor 3D coordinate measuring machine (CMM) and 3D metrology software PC-DMIS to obtain correction values for electrode machining adjustments and final electrode quality checks.
Figure 1. Hexagon’s TIGO SF shop-floor CMM shown here in the Sodick Smart SITE semi-automated solution with the Sodick high-speed milling machine UH430L (rear left) and the Sodick die-sinker EDM machine AL40G (middle).
“Overall optimisation of measurements has led to a 100% improvement in our customers’ Smart SITE measurement efficiency.”
Yuki Tsuda
Manager, Technological Development Section, Element Development Department, Machine Tools Division
Kaga factory, Sodick Co., Ltd.
“In mould manufacturing, precision to one micrometre (μm) is required,” says Yuki Tsuda, Manager of Sodick’s Technological Development Section. Also, it’s essential that customers can place their metrology equipment near production machinery while maintaining precision measurements. These are why we chose the specialised shop-floor CMM TIGO SF as an integral part of our Smart SITE solution.”
Integrating Hexagon’s metrology products into Sodick Smart SITE empowers Sodick’s customers to automate various tasks. This includes measuring multiple electrodes, acquiring correction/rework offsets for EDM, generating metrology reports and seamlessly saving quality data to their servers.
PC-DMIS easily integrates with Sodick’s JvMAS mould automation system used in machining centres, EDM machines, and 3D measurement machines, eliminating the need for multiple specialised software. PC-DMIS imports JvMAS settings seamlessly without manual intervention, resulting in impressive productivity improvements: “Overall optimisation of measurements has led to a 100% improvement in our customers’ Smart SITE measurement efficiency,” Tsuda says.
“The hands-on support from engineers with specialised expertise in hardware and software made a big difference and was key in getting the automated line, including the new CMM, up and running quickly,” he says.
Tsuda envisions their customers using measurement data from TIGO SF for ongoing machinery and tool maintenance. In addition, he’s looking to accelerate their innovation towards enabling even more sophisticated manufacturing by integrating FMS with a customer’s Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES). Combining IoT with ERP systems for mould manufacturing will enable more efficient planning, paving the way for a fully realised smart factory, and boosting the competitiveness of a customer’s operations.
Hexagon offers comprehensive hardware and software solutions throughout the manufacturing process. Tsuda looks forward to continued collaboration to tackle challenges such as labour shortages, traceability and reproducibility – with this collaboration extending beyond the further automation of EDM production processes to finding holistic solutions for these issues.
Integrating Hexagon’s metrology products into Sodick Smart SITE empowers Sodick’s customers to automate various tasks. This includes measuring multiple electrodes, acquiring correction/rework offsets for EDM, generating metrology reports and seamlessly saving quality data to their servers.
PC-DMIS easily integrates with Sodick’s JvMAS mould automation system used in machining centres, EDM machines, and 3D measurement machines, eliminating the need for multiple specialised software. PC-DMIS imports JvMAS settings seamlessly without manual intervention, resulting in impressive productivity improvements: “Overall optimisation of measurements has led to a 100% improvement in our customers’ Smart SITE measurement efficiency,” Tsuda says.
Expert support points to wider collaboration
“And I’ve been really impressed with the support we received during the implementation process. The Hexagon team was quick to assist, with thorough guidance on PC-DMIS file specifications and giving us in-depth suggestions to enhance safety measures and address other aspects.”“The hands-on support from engineers with specialised expertise in hardware and software made a big difference and was key in getting the automated line, including the new CMM, up and running quickly,” he says.
Tsuda envisions their customers using measurement data from TIGO SF for ongoing machinery and tool maintenance. In addition, he’s looking to accelerate their innovation towards enabling even more sophisticated manufacturing by integrating FMS with a customer’s Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES). Combining IoT with ERP systems for mould manufacturing will enable more efficient planning, paving the way for a fully realised smart factory, and boosting the competitiveness of a customer’s operations.
Hexagon offers comprehensive hardware and software solutions throughout the manufacturing process. Tsuda looks forward to continued collaboration to tackle challenges such as labour shortages, traceability and reproducibility – with this collaboration extending beyond the further automation of EDM production processes to finding holistic solutions for these issues.
Figure 2. The CMM is used to obtain correction values for electrode machining adjustments and final quality checks.
Figure 3. Yuki Tsuda (right) together with the Sodick Smart Site development team at the Kaga factory in Ishikawa Prefecture.
“I’ve been really impressed with the support we received during the implementation process … (which was) key in getting the automated line, including the new CMM, up and running quickly.”
Yuki Tsuda
Manager, Technological Development Section, Element Development Department, Machine Tools Division
Kaga factory, Sodick Co., Ltd.
