Tecnomatix's latest workplace design technology goes on-stream at ATS Automation France

Citation

(2001), "Tecnomatix's latest workplace design technology goes on-stream at ATS Automation France", Assembly Automation, Vol. 21 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/aa.2001.03321cab.002

Tecnomatix's latest workplace design technology goes on-stream at ATS Automation France

Tecnomatix's latest workplace design technology goes on-stream at ATS Automation FranceKeywords: Tecnomatix, Assembly

ATS Automation France has selected eM-Workplace from Tecnomatix Technologies to help reduce the development time for its assembly systems. A specialist in the design and implementation of turnkey assembly systems for 25 years, ATS Automation (previously known as ALSTOM Automation), is now using the eM-Workplace module of Tecnomatix's eMPower Assembly software to optimise its workplace design.

In selecting eM-Workplace, ATS Automation hopes to optimise its workspace designs and reduce manual assembly cycle times. This will be done by using collaborative englneering techniques, based on eM-Workplace, to provide better line flexibility and reduce assembly times.

"The growth of our export activities and pressures to reduce costs and time-to-market require the implementation of powerful technology", says Laurent Jacquelin, development manager at ATS Automation France. "An increasing number of studies are available that look at the improvement of manual workplaces. These encouraged us to search for a dedicated software tool that would allow us to develop a collaborative engineering methodology."

Service suppliers such as ATS Automation France typically become involved in their clients' projects at a very early stage. "Today we need to fulfil the requirements of our customers' process planning departments. ATS Automation France now offers its clients a process planning consultancy service, and this has enabled it to expand its range of services to include the production of prototypes," says Jacques Pegoud, ATS Automation's marketing manager.

Two factors were particularly influential in ATS Automation's selection of eM-Workplace. First, the software is extremely easy to use. Second, it offers precise techniques for calculating manual operation times, as well as for improving human ergonomic conditions.

Using eM-Workplace, ATS Automation France can now offer complete studies of manual assembly workplaces. Besides taking account of ergonomic factors or handling the workplace layout and design, the re-design of manual assembly areas has already allowed the company to reduce its workplace design times by an average of 10 per cent.

ATS Automation France also uses eM-Workplace for graphic simulations of work areas. "The ability to provide a visual simulation of manual processes, taking proper account of workers' requirements, means that we can provide our clients with an improved understanding of their workplaces. eM-Workplace is a user-friendly decision support tool that helps us to sell our services more easily", says Laurent Jacquelin.

ATS Automation France now expects eM-Workplace to help triple the number of potential solutions it can explore. In addition, it should be possible to make a 50 per cent reduction in the time needed to produce a finished workplace architecture. A 20 per cent reduction is also expected in the number of modifications needed to the layout of the manual workstations.

Tests are currently being carried out at the Canadian headquarters of ATS Automation to standardise these tools and to develop the ability for transatlantic work collaboration.

For further information, please contact: Kate Lynch, Tecnomatix Technologies Ltd, 5, The Priory, Old London Road, Canwell, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands B75 5SH, UK. Tel: +44 (0)121 323 1309; E-mail: kate@tecnomatix.co.uk; Web site: www.tecnomatix.com