NX

Teamcenter

Monier Technical Centre

Utilizing technology to safeguard company data and maintain competitive advantage

Industry Construction Business Challenges Ensure that a focussed IT team can provide full technical support for PLM software and associated hardware Increase the re-use of parts for cost reduction and speed Improve CAM processes Keys to Success Employ value optimization analysis Upgrade software in order to utilize new standard features Use Teamcenter to reorganize data and make it ready for export Extend web access to provide CAD data access for users outside the design department Increase implementation of out-of-the-box functionality to reduce reliance on local customization

Monier Technical Centre improves its use of NX and Teamcenter to support productivity and streamline workflows
Overhead protection The design of a roof has a significant influence on comfort within a building, and the tiles that comprise it are crucial to the way that it withstands extreme temperatures, water, snow and ultraviolet (UV) light. Having produced roofing materials for over 90 years, Monier Group is an acknowledged expert. As owner of the Redland brand in the United Kingdom (UK), the company makes research and development (R&D) a priority and uses state-of-the-art software to measure energy performance and condensation risk. Its testing facilities within Monier Technical Centre, in Germany and the UK, act as Monier Groups worldwide R&D competence focal point, and are where the organization conducts accelerated weathering tests to check wind loading and fixings, water tightness, fire performance and ventilation in order to predict the behavior of products many years into the future. Employing 9,000 people worldwide, Monier Groups in-house capability extends from product development and design through to testing and manufacturing. Product lifecycle management (PLM) technology from Siemens PLM Software

including NX software for integrated product development and Teamcenter software for complete PLM underpins every stage in this process. Monier Technical Centre teams in the UK and Germany use NX for the design and analysis of tiles, roofing components and chimney and ventilation systems as well as the development of tooling for the machines that manufacture these products. NX CAM is used to create the machine instructions for tooling, which is manufactured in the UK and distributed to the groups clay and concrete plants worldwide. Simon Reeve is the information technology (IT) manager of Monier Technical Centre Ltd., and was responsible for implementa-

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Results Quick, easy access to all parts All legacy drawings available in Teamcenter New tooling catalog for internal business units CAM processes speedier and more flexible Reduced license costs and simplified license management Greater innovation in sustainable roofing systems One of the immediate gains was that we were able to consolidate our licenses, and this immediately reduced our costs and simplified compliance management. Our aim now is to use NX and Teamcenter to manage as much as possible, so that future upgrades are simple and straightforward. The data we develop and manage using NX and Teamcenter represents the companys investment in R&D, and the competitive advantage it has built up over the years. This upgrade has improved accessibility and ease of use, so that this body of data is now providing even more value to the company and will continue to do so in the future. Simon Reeve IT Manager Monier Technical Centre Ltd.

tion of the companys recent NX and Teamcenter upgrades. Starting in 1985, we had been using various earlier versions of the software. We therefore have a significant investment in Siemens PLM Software CAD/CAM (computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing) and PLM solutions. We wanted to maintain the good product data management (PDM), which we already had; we also wanted to benefit from the latest functionality of the new software releases. One of the immediate gains was that we were able to consolidate our licenses, and this immediately reduced our costs and simplified compliance management. At the same time, Monier Technical Centre was upgrading server software, operating system, database and various support applications as part of a general IT upgrade. We knew that it would be a challenging time, so we did a huge amount of planning and allowed sufficient time to do thorough integration testing on a system running alongside our main system, says Reeve. This approach proved to be extremely valuable, as we were able to find and resolve some issues relating to the CAM data management process within the new versions of the applications before releasing them into the production environment. With support from Siemens PLM Software partner Majenta PLM, consisting of onsite consulting and staff training, we were able to optimize our CAM processes to significantly reduce programming times, utilizing the new application functionality. The upgrade was successfully completed over a long weekend in December 2010. Easy access to the design archive Continuity is crucial for Monier Technical Centre, so the ability to access historic data is very important. Teamcenter now

encompasses all drawing legacy data and legacy bills of materials (BOMs) from various business systems. As more information was imported into Teamcenter, the structure of internal folders was improved. This enabled data to be easily exported to an open source shopping application in order to create an internal tooling catalog for different business units. Reeve explains, In some cases, we are trying to find something we made so we can take it as a base part and re-use it, because this is more efficient. For example, on the tooling side, we make a lot of unique parts, yet we also reproduce many variables of the same thing. One of the problems we occasionally encountered was that we had parts stored in various locations, and it was possible to open an assembly and find something missing. Now that everything is stored in the same database, it is much easier. Even though technology has moved on, Teamcenter gives us access to all of our data from many years ago. We probably have 500,000 design files and can easily open old files, save them in a new format and re-use the information. Enhanced workflows Full, protected web access is now available for selected users of NX and Teamcenter. Monier Technical Centres design engineers travel worldwide. When they visit a plant for manufacturing trials of a new line, they can remotely pick up drawings and their own files from any location through a secure process. With their workstation laptops, they can safely take a file from Teamcenter, make amendments and re-import it as the latest version. Administrative and purchasing staff can access drawings held within Teamcenter, which is configured to show them only the latest version.

Solutions/Services NX siemens.com/nx Teamcenter siemens.com/teamcenter Consulting, including value optimization analysis and training Customers primary business The Monier Group is a leading, global supplier of building materials for pitched roofs, with operations in 40 countries. Products include roof, chimney, ventilation and residential energy systems. Continuously developing pioneering innovations for buildings, such as roofintegrated solar systems, the company utilizes the full potential of roofs in the interest of sustainability. In the UK, the company delivers total pitched roofing solutions through the Redland brand. www.monier.com Customer location R&D Sites in the United Kingdom and Germany, with around 130 plants worldwide Partner Majenta PLM

Teamcenter encompasses all design history and design changes and, in the long term, the software will be used manage all engineering sign-off from an in-house customized application. Over the years, Monier Technical Centres in-house IT team developed a range of special workflows and software packages simply because there was no suitable application available off-the-shelf, says Reeve. As technology has developed, we have gradually removed customization and continue to do so. Our aim now is to use NX and Teamcenter to manage as much as possible, so that future upgrades are simple and straightforward. Better CAM processes Some of the raw material blocks used for tooling have a significant value, so there is little, if any, room for error. It is noteworthy, according to Reeve, that CAM processes have measurably improved: The new versions of NX and Teamcenter implemented a new CAM management process and, although this required a major rewrite of CAM postprocessing routines and some

consulting help from Siemens PLM Software, it resulted in a reduction of programming times. We now have a clear view of all CAM files and CAM programming revisions, as well as a stricter change management procedure, with the option to save CAM revisions separately. This means that we can create a new CAM program or select any that we have previously used. Adding value Managing the groups design information is an important responsibility, notes Reeve. The data we develop and manage using NX and Teamcenter represents the companys investment in R&D, and the competitive advantage it has built up over the years. This upgrade has improved accessibility and ease-of-use, so that this body of data is now providing even more value to the company and will continue to do so in the future.

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