Inception

The inception of AM North was driven by the need for a more efficient system to produce replacement and repair parts quickly and accurately. To address this, the company equipped itself with handheld 3D scanners by Creaform, allowing for the rapid capture of 3D data for reverse engineering and quality control. The adoption of DMG Mori 5 Axis milling machines and Selective Laser Melting (SLM) machines further enhanced their capability to manufacture complex parts from various materials, including stainless steel, titanium, and Inconel.

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Industrial companies in Northern Norway faced difficulties replacing and repairing parts despite having spare parts on hand. Traditional inventory management with physical parts creates challenges.

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AM North's Solution: Additive Manufacturing

• Digital Warehousing: AM North tackles this issue by "digitizing" spare parts. This means readily having access to Computer-Aided Design (CAD) and Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAM) files so manufacturing replacements can occur on short notice.
• 3D Scanning: AM North uses Creaform's handheld 3D scanners to quickly and accurately capture 3D data of spare parts. This data is used for:
  • Reverse engineering: Recreating the digital model of a physical part.
  • Quality control: Inspecting parts for defects.
  • Product development: Designing new parts.
• Advanced Manufacturing Equipment:
  • Selective Laser Melting (SLM) machine: For 3D printing of parts using metal powder.
  • DMG Mori 5 Axis milling machine (CMX 50U): For 5-sided machining of parts that were printed with additional  material for structural support.
• Management Solution: StartProto Manufacturing Cloud
  • Stores all part data: Raw materials and Tools, bills of materials per part, CAD/CAM files, setup sheets, etc.
  • Generates work instructions automatically when a part needs to be produced.
  • Schedules part production based on priority using intelligent scheduling algorithm.

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As AM North scaled its operations, the need for an part database and manufacturing execution system (MES) became obvious. StartProto software was introduced to manage the entire production workflow, from storing raw materials and CAD/CAM files to generating setup sheets and work instructions. StartProto's manufacturing cloud software addressed three main challenges:

• Centralized data: Scattered production information across spreadsheets made it difficult to obtain a holistic view of inventory, material needs, and ongoing projects. This hampered informed decision-making and efficient workflow optimization.
• Customizable machining: AM North's production processes catered to diverse client requirements. They needed a system that could manage the unique needs of each part, including the ability to define and customize various machining steps and routing details. Excel's limitations hindered this flexibility.
• Purchasing queues and work instructions: Manually generating purchase orders and production instructions for each project was a time-consuming and error-prone process. This inefficiency not only delayed production but also increased the risk of mistakes in material procurement and production workflows.

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StartProto's Role

StartProto software was introduced to manage the entire production workflow, from storing raw materials and CAD/CAM files to generating setup sheets and work instructions. This software solution addressed three main challenges:

1. Centralized Data Management: StartProto provided a solution for centralized data management, allowing AM North to store and access all production data in one place. This improved efficiency and reduced the risk of errors associated with decentralized data storage.
2. Customizable Machining Steps and Routing Details: The software enabled AM North to customize machining steps and routing details for each part, ensuring that the production process was tailored to the specific requirements of each component.
3. Purchasing Queues and Work Instructions: StartProto automated the creation of purchasing queues and work instructions, streamlining the procurement process and ensuring that the necessary materials and tools were available when needed.

StartProto provided a centralized platform for managing all production data, including raw materials, CAD/CAM files, and setup sheets. This centralized data management system reduced the amount of time spent preparing a part for manufacturing and ensured that all relevant information was easily accessible. Additionally, the software allowed for the customization of machining steps and routing details, enabling AM North to tailor the production process to the specific requirements of each part. StartProto also automated purchasing queues and work instructions, facilitating the order of procurement and necessary work that need to be completed. By addressing these challenges, StartProto has played a crucial role in enhancing the efficiency and productivity of AM North's additive manufacturing operations, enabling the company to quickly and accurately produce high-quality replacement and repair parts for its clients.