Customer Case Studies

The key is being able to manufacture products in an integrated system. For example, if a problem occurs during prototyping, if sheet metal, molds, and plastic molding are all handled by separate companies, the problem will have to be investigated individually, which takes time to coordinate and resolve. Our company monitors all processes and quickly finds the optimal solution, contributing to shorter lead times. Also, for products with short delivery times, such as prototype parts, we can guarantee delivery dates because we can complete many processes and manufacturing methods in-house, so I think there are parts that Kikuchi Seisakusho can manufacture. With a large number of processing machines, we have ample capacity, and depending on the industry, we can even handle jobs in quantities close to mass production.

I remember it was introduced around the same time I joined the company. So, it must have been someone else who decided to introduce it (lol). I believe it was first introduced at our Fukushima base.

At the time, our manufacturing partners sent us native data from high-end CAD systems and 3D data assembled in intermediate files. Because departments other than design, such as sales, materials, and production management, couldn't easily access the 3D data, we had a person in the design department who specialized in data conversion. This involved spending a considerable amount of time on pre-work preparation tasks, such as breaking down assemblies into components and creating 2D drawings. We also received requests from our outsourced manufacturers to convert data into specified intermediate file formats. At the time, we were using Pro/ENGINEER (now Creo Parametric), and I remember that converting to Parasolid data was particularly difficult.

The sales and production management departments calculate maximum dimensions and weight from 3D data. Being able to easily understand this has increased the speed and accuracy of estimates. At the time, 3D CAD was available through a network license, but we didn't use it much. 3D CAD inevitably had English menus and was difficult to operate, making it difficult for people in departments that don't use it frequently. After one or two in-house training sessions, employees quickly started using 3DTascalX. It was that easy to use. Also, the setup specialist mentioned earlier was no longer needed within a few years of implementing 3DTascalX. Furthermore, we have partner manufacturers install the free "3DXReader," allowing outsourced parties to view 3D data.

The design department often uses "design change mode." Since prototypes often require changes and modifications, being able to compare two parts and see the differences by color is extremely helpful. I also often use it for data conversion. I mainly use data conversion between STEP and Parasolid, as well as "solidifying" IGES data and the batch conversion function in "i2xPlus". I have not had many problems with 3DTascalX data conversion so far, so it is very useful.