Product category:
Software, off-line programming, CAM, for metal cutting machine tools
News Release from: Sescoi International | Subject: WorkNC at Salomon
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 31 March 2008
Sportswear maker uses CAM to machine
skiboots
Sportswear maker produces about 200 molds per year and has set up a single machining sequence, to suit every ski boot design and to cut the ten different sizes available in each range.
Salomon continues to design its sportswear products in house in order to preserve the know-how for which it is renowned For this to succeed, each independent Business Unit (BU) is responsible for the conception and design of a range of products (cross-country skiing, boots, skis, fastenings, etc)
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 8 Jul 2008 at 8.00am (UK)
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Roland Favre, Salomon's production and workshop manager, said: "We work together very closely - on average, we produce about 200 molds per year, usually for models and prototypes, of which 25% are made in Rumilly, France.
These are created in Pro-Engineer CAD and our processes are such that we can validate and modify them in collaboration with the Engineering Department, and then break them down into sub-assemblies".
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He added about Sescoi WorkNC: "With WorkNC we have set up a single machining sequence, to suit every ski boot design and to cut the ten different sizes available in each range.
Mold build has dropped from 12 to five weeks over the past few years which just goes to show how well organized we are".
He continued, "25% of molds are produced in house, the remaining 75% are outsourced to mold and tool makers who are often equipped with WorkNC themselves".
* production strategy - Salomon's production strategy has evolved over the last few years.
Product development, material research and process development have been kept in-house whereas a large part of the batch production has been outsourced to Europe and Asia.
"Our objective is to preserve our expertise and know-how as far as innovation is concerned, allowing us to sustain our competitive advantage, and then rely on an international network of subcontractors for production.
We will end up by outsourcing 96% of our production, especially in Romania and in China," said Pascal Covatta, Plastics Technology Center manager.
"The common denominator is that we maintain control of product development.
In Europe, we supply all our subcontractors with the industrial tools required, whether these are molds, assembly or injection molding machines, and we also help to train their staff.
In Asia, our strategy is to work with partners/suppliers who have been selected for their skills and expertise, but again, we maintain control over design, specifications and the qualification of all the products".
* CAM at Salomon from 1988 to 2008 - from aluminium molds to resin molds, the 20 years of WorkNC collaboration between Salomon and Sescoi has resulted in machining times being cut nearly tenfold.
"Salomon was the first industrial customer to use WorkNC, which replaced mechanical model copying", explained Bruno Marko, CEO and founder of Sescoi.
"In 1988, it was a real gamble on the future and meant a radical change in their industrial organization.
We have always worked closely with Salomon in order to adapt the software to their requirements".
Sescoi told manufacturingtalk that it was true to say that for over 20 years Sescoi has supported Salomon throughout all its development and transformation processes.
In the past, Salomon has been a WorkNC pilot site for Sescoi, but today it has become a true partner.
All requests and any changes in the industrial process are subject to common development work with WorkNC adapting to the evolving requirements of the winter sports industry leader.
The word 'service' has real meaning as far as Sescoi and WorkNC is concerned.
Salomon's slogan is 'no limits'.
Covatta explained: "Innovation is a never-ending process.
Our products are also influenced by fashion trends, so we are obliged to change our product range every three years and push back our limits to encourage innovation.
We have to carry out trials and tests, start over again and reduce turnaround times".
Salomon introduced high speed machining (HSM) seven years ago and it had been using 4-axis machining for about two years".
Covatta said: "Switching to HSM did not cause any particular problems, WorkNC already had the functions we needed.
We immediately cut machining times by 30%, with our ultimate objective being 50%.
Preparation times have also become shorter and shorter, 2h programming for 34h machining time for a ski mold.
We have been working with WorkNC for 20 years and we have never had a collision caused by the CAM application, even when we run unsupervised machining at the weekends".
Covatta concluded: "WorkNC plays a key part in our quest for optimal performance.
It helps us attain peak performance from our machines, our tools and our staff.
Our partnership with Sescoi has always delivered mutual benefits, there are numerous advantages and we are yet to come across any downsides".
* About the Amer Sports Group - whether it is in sports equipment, specialized clothing, sportswear or protective equipment, the Amer Sports Group has a worldwide presence.
The Group owns a number of famous and prestigious brands such as Atomic, Mavic, Wilson and Salomon, whose shared aim is to be market leaders in the sports industry.
The company's key figures give an indication of the importance of the group, 6835 employees worldwide across five continents, and a turnover of EUR 1,793 million in 2006, of which 44% was achieved in Europe and 36% by Salomon.
A leader in French alpine equipment, with over 60 years' history and innovation to its credit, Salomon became part of the group in 2005.
The company's turnover is over EUR 600 million, with a staff of 1,425.
633 international athletes use Salomon's products and have actively participated in product development.
The company has registered 8192 patents since 1947, and nine gold medals were won at the last Winter Olympics by competitors using its Carbon Pro product.
Salomon has been a world leader since its inception.
* About Sescoi - for over 20 years, Sescoi has been developing software solutions renown for their quality, reliability, ease of use, and automatic features, as well as for world-class technical support and service.
Sescoi has established sales and support offices across the United States, Europe and Asia in order to serve thousands of local and international customers from a range of industries.
Sescoi's software solutions include the following.
* WorkNC, an automatic CAM/CAD solution for 2- to 5-axis milling.
* WorkNC-CAD, a uniform CAD solution for the entire manufacturing process.
* WorkXPlore 3D, an advanced 3D data visualisation, interrogation and analysis solution.
* WorkPLAN Enterprise, a new generation ERP solution for custom manufacturers.
* MyWorkPLAN, a cost effective and easy to use job management system.
With many years' business, engineering and software development experience, Sescoi understands customers' requirements, helps them master the challenges of new software implementation and build their business long-term.
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