WorkNC CAD CAM software used to produce BIW panels for SAIC, China

Shanghai Superior Die Technology Co. Ltd (SSDT) based in Shanghai, China is part of SAIC, one of China’s largest car manufacturers. The company uses Sescoi’s WorkNC automatic CAD CAM software to manufacture molds and dies for body-in-white (BIW) panels for its parent company. Owning the MG Rover brand and having joint ventures with Volkswagen and General Motors in China, SAIC produced 3.58 million vehicles during 2010. SSDT has a turnover of 1 billion Yuan, employs 850 people and produces 450,000 sets of BIW panels for SAIC annually..

<< It is critical that SSDT uses the best CAD CAM software for our applications. WorkNC was selected after our engineers carried out thorough benchmark testing. We have been delighted with the performance of the software, and the quality of the local technical support provided. >>
Mr Yang, General Manager of SSDT/SAIC, China

$126 million of investment at SSDT has allowed it to install the very best technology. As well as WorkNC CAD CAM, the company has installed other high level software packages such as UG, CATIA, Pam- Stamp, AutoForm, and SAP, giving it considerable design, manufacturing and production control capability. Additionally, the company has invested in several Makino CNC machines, large mechanical presses and a 2500 ton molding machine to give it the ability to offer its expertise in the design, development and sampling of BIW panels. According to Kai Chun, General Manager of SSDT, "“the company is committed to leaner production management methods, improved quality, higher safety standards and has a people-oriented management philosophy, aimed at improving customer satisfaction and promoting innovation".

WorkNC was first installed at SSDT in 2007 after an extensive evaluation of the CAD CAM systems available in China, and was selected for its ease of use and powerful toolpaths. Since then the software has become the principal CAD CAM package in use at the company. WorkNC is used to produce molds and dies for large panels such as car doors, hoods, trunk lids and interior floors.

Mr. Yang, General Manager of SSDT/SAIC, said, "Molds are an integral, important part of vehicle manufacturing; the quality of mold determines the quality of vehicle, so we pay a great deal of attention to our mold manufacturing capability. It is critical therefore that SSDT uses the best CAD CAM software for our applications, and WorkNC was selected after our engineers carried out thorough benchmark testing. We have been delighted with the performance of the software, and the quality of the local technical support provided, and this is why we have adopted WorkNC as our main CAM software".

WorkNC’s high speed calculation capability has created a considerable advantage for SSDT enabling it to achieve significant efficiency improvements in program creation, greatly shortening lead times. Furthermore, the software’s ability to float across multiple platforms, carry out calculations in batch mode overnight, and start a new program while calculation continues in the background, has had a big impact on productivity at SSDT. The new capabilities for parallel processing in the latest version of WorkNC CAD CAM will further enhance the speed of program preparation, cutting some calculation processes by a factor of ten. This is particularly important for the very large tools produced by SSDT where short programming times for the long toolpaths required have a big impact on cost.

Technologically advanced roughing and finishing toolpaths in WorkNC enable SSDT to achieve high metal removal rates by eliminating wasted movement, and keeping a steady load on the tool. This allows the company to run its machine and tooling combinations at maximum efficiency, extending tool life, and optimizing metal removal rates and finished part quality.

SSDT won the ‘Best Supplier Award’ for the third consecutive year at the Shanghai GM supplier conference in January 2011, and it recognizes that the adoption of WorkNC has played a major role in its success. The company aims to supply first class products by providing its customers with a first class sheet metal forming and mold manufacturing facility offering technology at a competitive price. It views Sescoi and WorkNC as a strategic supplier and understands the benefits it gets from the innovative developments in the software which keep it at the forefront of technology.