Automotive

EBZ SysTec
Integrated plant optimization delivers a significant edge

Product
EBZ’s customers
Tecnomatix include renowned
players in the
automotive
Business challenges industry.
Variety of models
Permanent adaptation of
existing production facilities
Shorter product lifecycles
Cost-optimized processes

Keys to success
Networked collaboration
Integrated plant validation
Ensuring component and
process quality
Data consistency
Open standards EBZ SysTec employs Tecnomatix to optimize planning and production pro-
as corporate standard for cesses. To meet these growing require-
ments, EBZ SysTec GmbH, a leading
Results optimizing manufacturing
services provider and manufacturer of pro-
Optimizing plant validation facilities, realizing time and duction systems and die shapes for vehicle
Time and cost savings of
cost savings of up to 30 percent body technology within the automotive
up to 30 percent for real for real commissioning industry, opted to use integrated digital
commissioning software solutions. Using the Tecnomatix®
Unprecedented pressures solution Process Simulate Commissioning
Increased planning process
Automotive suppliers are experiencing from Siemens PLM Software, the company
productivity
unprecedented pressures of competition: can simulate a customer’s production cell
Standardized processes changing customer demands, ever shorter as an entire, integrated concept and opti-
product lifecycles, increasing number of mize the production process.
product variants, reduced product launch
times and increasing pressure in terms of Headquartered in Ravensburg, Germany,
earnings. But quality requirements remain EBZ SysTec GmbH is an international sup-
high, making the challenges numerous plier engaged in the development, design
and varied. It’s therefore even more critical and construction of production facilities

www.siemens.com/tecnomatix
Digital solutions allow
production processes to be
optimized in advance.

for the automotive industry. The company commissioning – a particularly critical and
manages vehicle projects throughout the sensitive phase of the engineering process –
entire creation process. From planning to was rarely incorporated in this process of
design and robot programming through to optimization. However, it is here that last-
plant commissioning, EBZ provides its ser- minute component changes or a low num-
vices to OEMs and helps them improve ber of prototype parts can, for example,
their internal processes and workflows. produce unexpected delays, creating
havoc for project managers and serious
The automotive industry in particular is problems for the company. Every design
characterized by strong pressures in terms change or rework generates significant
of costs and innovation. For EBZ, one of extra work, increased costs, a drop in sales
the key challenges when working with its and possibly even a reduction in market
customers is the increasing variety of mod- share if these changes affect the planned
els and the constant changes in production production launch.
conditions. Every change request from the
customer means production systems have Separate processes as a source of error
to be adapted accordingly – modifications In the past, the departments responsible
that cost time and money. Suppliers are for engineering, electronics and robot
thus facing increasing pressure to signifi- programming generated their respective
cantly cut planning times. There is also less programs for real commissioning on a sep-
time available for validating and imple- arate basis. The people in charge did not
menting production systems. “Conscious meet up until the end of the planning and
of the pressures on costs, we endeavour to design phase – around two to three weeks
achieve high quality and maximum func- before real commissioning – to consult
tional reliability for all stages of perfor- with each other in the real facility. Previous-
mance,” explains Alexander Schmeh, ly, control specialists had no access to
managing partner of EBZ SysTec GmbH. precise, current engineering design data.
“There is neither the time nor the money Consequently, the level of maturity of the
for error-correction cycles. A validated software programs used in the facility for
plant function is therefore a vital prerequi- the robots and programmable logic con-
site for cost-optimized processes.” trollers in particular couldn’t be adequately
tested. Errors and information gaps
For some years now, EBZ has used digital weren’t identified until very late. This
solutions to optimize its customers’ meant the resulting control concepts and
production facilities. To date, real
“ Early collaboration between Engineering
Design, Electronics and Robot Programming
means time-critical conversion phases can
be implemented on time. This gives us time
benefits of up to 30 percent compared with
the traditional process.”
Alexander Schmeh
Managing Partner
EBZ SysTec GmbH

programs could only be tested and vali- Virtual commissioning – a new

dated in the real facility, which requires milestone in the engineering process
considerably more time. Using Process Simulate Commissioning,
EBZ can now simulate the entire produc-
“To ensure we could successfully meet our tion cell in a virtual environment, meaning
customers’ requirements, we needed to be plant commissioning can be tested and
able to plan flexible production facilities analyzed during the early development
with process reliability,” explains Schmeh. phase.
“That is why we decided to use integrated
software solutions. This opened up the A virtual 3D model of the plant is linked to
way for digital validation of facilities in real plant control and these are simulated
terms of virtual commissioning and analy- together with the robot programs. With
ses of different production strategies.” integrated simulation of the production
facility now possible, control, robot pro-
At the end of 2008, after carefully analyz- grams and the entire engineering opera-
ing the leading software suppliers, EBZ tion can be tested and optimized by the
opted for the Tecnomatix solution Process respective managers and programmers.
Simulate Commissioning from Siemens The programs communicate with each
PLM Software. EBZ thus extended its ser- other the same as in the real world, using
vice portfolio to include virtual commis- events. Either a virtual or external pro-
sioning. EBZ is successfully using other grammable logic controller from a real
solutions from the Tecnomatix portfolio, environment can be connected. The pro-
including robotics and automation plan- grammable logic controller is connected
ning for concept development as well as to the simulation software via an OLE for
simulation validation and offline program- Process Control (OPC) connection. Process
ming. “The decision to use Siemens PLM Simulate Commissioning is a flexible, open
Software was also based on our long- solution and can be used in conjunction
standing successful collaboration,” notes with any popular programmable logic
Schmeh. controller during virtual commissioning.
“This allows us to meet different
customer-specific requirements to opti- Automation departments thus have a
mum effect,” explains Stefan König, head common communication platform allow-
of Robot Engineering at EBZ SysTec GmbH. ing them to exchange information and
coordinate their work processes more
High maturity of plant programs closely. Standard definitions, signal recon-
This virtual commissioning process elimi- ciliations and other issues are discussed
nates problems that can otherwise only jointly and then tested accordingly. “Early
be discovered in the production facility. collaboration between Engineering Design,
Possible logical errors can be identified Electronics and Robot Programming means
and rectified long before the plant is con- time-critical conversion phases can be
structed and before real commissioning. implemented on time,” explains Schmeh.
Programmable logic controller and robot “This gives us time benefits of up to 30
programs that have undergone virtual percent compared with the traditional
commissioning are incorporated in the real process.”
production facility with a very high level of
maturity. So time-critical production pro- The Siemens tools can also be used for
cesses can be reliably put into operation. training operating staff. Before they
Programmable logic controller program commence their work, plant managers
changes are also implemented and vali- can prepare for real operation and identify
dated in the virtual model without any risk potential sources of errors. The tools can
to the real facility. also be used as a basis for joint communi-
cation between the technical departments
Close collaboration between design when collaborating with customers. For
and control engineering example, customers can now receive a
Process Simulate Commissioning gives the clear picture of the plant concept’s feasibil-
relevant technical departments at EBZ an ity and a real estimate of the cycle time.
integrated engineering concept that allows
parallel and networked collaboration. Consistent data model
Engineers from the Engineering Design, “Consistency from planning to virtual com-
Robot Programming and Control and missioning is one of the key benefits of the

The automotive industry in

particular is characterized
by strong pressures in
terms of costs and
innovation.
Solutions/Services Tecnomatix solution,” says König. Starting Virtual commissioning as a corporate
Tecnomatix from concept definition and planning benchmark
www.siemens.com/tecnomatix through to simulation validation and off- “Our aim for the future is that production
line programming with Process Simulate release will only be issued once the
and Process Simulate Commissioning process flows, cycle times and process
Customer’s primary business enables every plant to be commissioned scenarios have been validated by virtual
With over 800 employees virtually using the real logical program commissioning,” says König. “This will
worldwide, EBZ SysTec GmbH controller and robot programs. The consis- enable us to commission the customer’s
is one of the world’s leading tency of the software means the technical facility with validated engineering and
service providers and produc- departments can immediately incorporate high-quality software, which in turn will
ers of production systems and component cycles and point or process reduce commissioning times and generate
die shapes for vehicle body changes into virtual commissioning. corresponding cost savings.”
technology within the auto-
motive industry. EBZ supports König points out, “A simulated, validated The virtual commissioning process was
its customers in all markets function chain can reduce both our own used for two major projects of renowned
globally through local presence workload and also our customer’s work- automotive manufacturers in the first half
and site-specific know-how. load on site. This is because after creating of 2009. With such proven successes, EBZ
Its companies participate in the basic functions, attention quickly decided to make virtual commissioning a
vehicle projects throughout focuses on optimizing a component’s prod- fixed standard in its engineering chain.
the entire product creation uct quality, which also means the provi- Each future customer project will undergo
process – from initial concept sion of prototype parts can essentially a virtual commissioning process. “Just as
planning, design and simula- be avoided.” it is now an accepted fact that robots are
tion to manufacture of produc- programmed offline, so we need to view
tion facilities and die shapes. The up- and downloadability of the pro- engineering as an integrated process,” says
One of EBZ’s core specialities grammable logic controller and robot pro- Schmeh. “With the Tecnomatix solution
is the digital creation process grams means the current statuses of the from Siemens PLM Software, we can now
up to the construction of a virtual commissioning can be incorporated offer our customers an integrated plant
virtual body-in-white in which into and fed back from the real facility at optimization concept.”
the EBZ Group is one of the any time. This avoids any conversion
biggest service providers with expense in the various project phases.
a revenue of €140 million. Changes implemented in the real facility
www.ebz-gmbh.de/en/ can thus be incorporated and displayed in
the virtual commissioning environment.

Customer location
Ravensburg
Germany

Siemens Industry Software

Americas +1 314 264 8499 © 2014 Siemens Product Lifecycle Management Software Inc. Siemens and the Siemens logo are registered trademarks of
Europe +44 (0) 1276 413200 Siemens AG. D-Cubed, Femap, Geolus, GO PLM, I-deas, JT, NX, Parasolid, Solid Edge, Teamcenter and Tecnomatix are
trademarks or registered trademarks of Siemens Product Lifecycle Management Software Inc. or its subsidiaries in the
Asia-Pacific +852 2230 3308
United States and in other countries. All other logos, trademarks, registered trademarks or service marks used herein are
the property of their respective holders.
www.siemens.com/plm Z2 17473 2/14 C