manufacturing
Minoru Inaba
HIROSHIMA CITY, Japan--Through the introduction of computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) in the production of its dies, Mazda Motor Corp. Has been able to improve product quality. And now,
Mazda, which depends on outside die makers for 80 percent of its die supply, would like to expand its CAD/CAM ability to produce its own dies.
Generally, though, only a few mold and die makers in Japan are
computerized and able to receive computer data from the automakers.
"Good or no good, we can determine (quality and dimensions on the computer) before we start making production dies," said Hisao Yamazaki, manager of the company's Stamping Manufacturing Engineering
Department.
With that, Yamazaki and other Mazda engineers can determine the quality improvement aspect of CAD/CAM that is usually interpreted as a means to cut lead times and reduce costs.
Mazda engineers indicated that CAD/CAM's savings are obvious, although they cannot be measured in exact amounts of time. Officials reported that the company's capability to manufacture front-fender dies increased from 15 sets per month five years ago to 77 sets per month currently.
They had been doubtful about the cost benefits which CAD/CAM is supposed to bring about. Initial investments were said to be tremendous. Mazda uses International Business Machines 3084 and 3081K mainframes and 160
graphic terminals, IBM's 3250 and 5080, which serve more than 1,000 users at Mazda plants.
However, CAD/CAM's impact has been most obvious and immediate in quality improvement, Mazda engineers explained. Mazda computerized a good part of the flow of car design and manufacturing: front-fender imaging, clay model measurement, structural analysis, cabin package layout, engine parts drawing, engine room layout, plastic trim panel data processing,
stamping die patterns, stamping die numerical control (n/c) cutting path and stamping die n/c milling.
With stamping die information stored in a computer data base, simulated for structural analyses and used for machining at an accuracy of 0.05
millimeter, a drastic improvement from a 0.2-millimeter accuracy previously available, Mazda engineers said they no longer need to make dies by trial and error.
Mazda's CAD/CAM also was instrumental in expanding its model offerings.
The GLC, Mazda's best selling passenger car, had only two models in 1977, but engineers promised to offer five models of the car in the next model change.
With CAD/CAM, Mazda engineers can prepare two clay models for every candidate car model, for executives' scrutiny. Mazda only had been able to make one while larger car makers made three, engineers said.
Also, Mazda, which depends on outside die makers for 80 percent of its die supply, would like to expand its CAD/CAM to do this work in-house.
Meanwhile, of Japan's 700 mold and die makers, only a few have become computerized and are able to receive computer date from automakers. The majority still need physical models from which to copy.
One of the computerized few, Ogihara Iron Works Co. Ltd., Ota City, Gunna Prefecture, receives digital data from a number of United States and
European car makers, but still is in the talking stage with local car makers.
Ogihara, according to Ichiro Shuzui, managing director, supplies stamping dies for "every car maker in the world which you can name."
With the Univac 1100-71 and 1106 models, as well as Data General's Eclipse 5230, under which four Calma systems work, an elaborate CAD/CAM system put together at an investment of $4 million, Ogihara performs a quarter of its die drawing on its CAD/CAM, shuzui said.
But the company's CAD/CAM investment hardly is paying off, Shuzui added, saying that it will have to computerize half of its work before CAD/CAM makes money.
From a car maker's point of view, Shuzui explained, there is little incentive in giving out piecemeal orders for die making in digital form, and also it is very difficult to make minor changes on digital data. "It's so much easier to play with physical models--put a piece of clay on here, and take another piece from there," he added.
All in all, Shuzui predicted that it will be another five years before Japan's automotive die making eliminates the use of physical models.
The lead times at Ogihara were said to be 18 months five years ago and 12 months, at the longest, now. Shuzui said Ogihara is working to reduce its lead times to six months, and the key to this is to develop both "male and female" dies from the same computer data.
Automotive apparently is the local leader in CAD/CAM. CAD/CAM vendors, like Fujitsu Ltd. see little business opportunity left there for them. Fujitsu, according to Eiichi Hashimoto, manager of the company's Mechatronics Systems Engineering department, instead is targeting plastic mold
manufacturers estimated to be worth 31 percent of Japan's $3 billion mold and die output in 1981 and growing at a rate of 20 percent per year.
Pressing dies, according to Hashimoto, who cited government statistics, totaled 44 percent of 1981 output. Its growth rate is estimated to be 13 percent a year.
As a first step, Fujitsu in December will begin shipping CAD/CAM systems starting at $406,000 each, including a large Fujitsu mainframe.
Based on an injection mold CAD/CAM systems originally developed by Matsushita Electric Works Ltd., Fujitsu's new partner in this business, the new systems can automatically design the mold plate from the input of the core and cavity designs. It automatically manufactures n/c tapes for drilling, milling and wire cutting and ties in with Lockheed Corp.'s "CADAM" software for core and cavity designs.
Hashimoto said the CAD/CAM system, which has boosted Matsushita's design productivity three-fold, can be used in the production of home appliances, audio equipment, precision machinery and electronic devices.
Hashimoto said even small mold manufacturers purchased n/c machines in the 1981-1982 period, but their inability to supply n/c tapes quickly enough has resulted in idle n/c machines.
These mold makers, however, began ot realize that they should introduce CAD/CAM rather than merely try to raise the n/c's operational ratio,
Hashimoto explained.
But high prices may become the stumbling block for Fujitsu's CAD/CAM business, targeted at mid-sized mold companies with 20 to 99 workers, a group accounting for 33.8 percent of the industry. Fujitsu officials pay less attention to smaller companies, a 51.5-percent factor, as well as larger companies, a 14.7-percent factor.
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