The next step in the process after calculating and selling is to produce the needed parts in the most efficient and structured way, and for this we created aPPM the airCalc++ Production Part Manager.

Everything you set up and calculated in airCalc++ is passed trough a specially designed interface to the aPPM, so no need to reenter manually values or to re due the work you already did, everything can be reused. Using this interface input error can be avoided and a huge times save is guaranteed.

 

The heart of the aPPM is an extreme powerful and open template engine created in DotNet, with a endless quantity of customer created templates to simulate every imaginable part used in the production. A template is a generic piece of code, like a predefined structure, describing the part in every detail by using variables. Templates are structured like real parts, a template can be assembled by subtemplates, like real products are also assembled of sub parts.

 

Each template contains the following logical components:

 

Checker module

helps you to check the given input parameters for plausibility and to inform the user if some parameters are wrong or the selected part cannot be produced as a given parameter is out of limit. You can react, change some parameters in the graphical user interface until the warning or error message disappear.

 

Time manager

Enables you to define some work plans and working steps with time calculation for each possible machine and / or working space. This manager helps you to define where you can produce the parts, also is possible to manage as production places also “external places”. The time Manager is able to find the best work flow with the shortest expected production time.

 

Sub-parts manager

helps you to split some products in sub parts. As an example a panel is made by inner and outer sheet and insulation and some rivets.  The sub-parts manager helps you to split some products in more sub products using the main information given on the main product. Also the base material like sheets in kg can be calculated.

 

Printout manager

Permits you to create formatted printouts. Each part you produce is possible to print on some lists. You can create cutting lists, assembling lists, BOM lists, and some more. A graphical and modern layout designer helps you. Printouts are saved as PDF, Word or Excel files.

 

Export manager

Helps you to create some export-files. On these files you can write in parameters, codes, dimension and some other as you need. The files can be simply text files, csv files, excel files or xml files. You can create the layout of these files and you can control number of lines, format and content.

 

NC-Information file manager

Works for you by creating some special files for automatic machining. Simply you can give the type of NC File and the needed parameter values and the Manager creates some special files for you. Actually JetCam and Fleming Files are active, some for GEO, TOPS and others can we implement as need.

 

Drawing manager

Can interface your bill of material with a real CAD System. Actually we are supporting AutoDesk Inventor, Solid Work, Solid Edge, Pro Engineer, AutoCad is in planning. This manager permits you to create with one simple click all the drawings you need for a whole production day or AHU. Depending on your CAD System you have to create only once some parametric drawings in 3D and aPPM can use these drawings, filling parameters refreshing the drawing, save and print the result. To save money and time airCalc++ drawing manager is able to work as a background server. So it is possible to install a powerful PC as a server with one license of your CAD system and each one working with aPPM can create and print sets of drawings without having powerful PC and a license of the software on workstation. 

 

DataExchanger Manager can do some imports and exports from and to external ERP systems. So you can send and receive a bill of material to and from your management system. The data xchanger can work also over Internet using the SOAP / Web Service protocol.

 

With the aPPM integrated in your process you can reduce the engineering time up to 80%, information files for automatic machining are reducing elaboration time up to 60 %.

Compared with a “manual operated system” you can save 90% of all your manpower to prepare the production documents. And the most important advantage is the reduction of possible errors and faults on the documents and drawings.

 

Do not waist your time on manual created documents if they can be automated.