In our previous installment on Siemens NX Mold Connect software, we learned that conducting an in-depth design for manufacturing (DFM) analysis using NX Mold Connect apps in the cloud makes the process easier and more streamlined — so much so that Samantha, a lead salesperson for the mold manufacturer, did not need to rely on her design team to perform the analysis and make recommendations to Oscar, a design manager who also works in procurement for the OEM customer, on the design of the power drill housing.
With the DFM analysis completed and data shared with Oscar in the cloud, Samantha soon received feedback and final design details from Oscar and is moving forward with the next phase: Gathering estimates from her suppliers so she can submit a quote for the mold build.
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As most mold manufacturers know, competition from other mold manufacturers in the U.S. and around the world — especially in low-cost countries — makes it even more important to hit the target with accuracy when it comes to generating a quotation. If a quote is too high, chances are good that the job will go to someone else. If it is too low, a job may be won but at what cost down the line? Samantha understands this, and she accesses the Tool Costing feature within Siemens’ NX Mold Connect to help ensure her quote is on target.
To begin, she goes back into the Feature Recognition tool, which she used during the DFM process to discover all the complex features in the part design that will affect the actual mold build. Because these features will impact the way the mold is designed, machined, and built, it is important to include them in the RFQs that Samantha will send to her vendors as well as in the final quotation she will provide to Oscar. Even her own company’s estimated labor and materials costs will be based on the final part design features.
The Tool Costing bill of materials shows each feature of the design. Image source: Siemens.
Once she imports the data from the Feature Recognition tool into the Tool Costing bill of materials (BOM) template, Samantha sees that every feature of the design is represented on her screen, showing her a list of every undercut, rib, and opening that can impact the cost of manufacturing the mold. The list also shows her measurements in addition to quantities of the materials and components required to complete the mold build. She uses this data to go out for bid to her vendors, knowing she is providing them with all the details they need to respond with accurate pricing, making the quote process more efficient.
Samantha realizes that the whole estimating process is much faster and more streamlined than it was before she subscribed to NX Mold Connect software-as-a-service (SaaS). She no longer must rely on email, file transfers, fax machines, or phone calls to relay RFQs to her vendors because everything is stored on the cloud and accessible to anyone who is authorized to work on the project, at any time, from any computer or smart device. There is also a notable decrease in miscommunications and lost communications because all the data is up-to-date and accessible on the cloud.
NX Mold Connect also improves transparency and visibility of materials used for projects to give Samantha and her team greater control over sourcing the necessary components required for the project. As a result, material waste is greatly reduced or eliminated, reducing costs.
NX Mold Connect alerts members of the team whenever updates are made to a project. Image source: Siemens.
Additionally, despite juggling several projects at any given time, Samantha knows she will stay on schedule regarding Oscar’s quotation because NX Mold Connect alerts her about any new RFQs received using a built-in messaging function. Similarly, the app will send email notifications whenever a member of the project team sends a message to others working on the same project. This feature helps speed up the quote generation process and reduce the quoting time, allowing her company to win a higher percentage of their submitted quotations.
Samantha sees that by using the Tool Costing app in NX Mold Connect, you’re never starting from scratch because it is possible to reuse templates that were created for previous jobs. After starting with a template, the tooling BOM is fully customizable and can be modified to accurately represent the mold assembly.
Perhaps best of all, NX Mold Connect helps ensure the security of sensitive data. Vendors can see only what they are given permission to see, so the OEM’s proprietary design data remains safe in the cloud.
Soon Samantha will have bids from her vendors, and she will download the quotes in Excel format. If she chooses, she can share that file with Oscar so he can review it; or she can finalize it with her team and submit the quote to him, in the cloud, and notify him that it is ready for his consideration. If the quotation is accepted, it is time to go to work on the mold.
Start at the beginning and read Oscar and Samantha's mold design success story.
READ THE NEXT CHAPTER: Now that Oscar and Samantha are moving forward with their project, they are using Siemens’ Connector to manage workflows in the cloud versus bogging down their desktop systems as they work with very large data files to get this project into production. FIND OUT MORE! >>