What’s Happening on the Shop Floor at 3DEXPERIENCE World

It is hard to believe that we’ve almost reached the end of 2022.  It seems like a few weeks ago, we were broadcasting the shop floor from Charlotte, NC, with the help of Ellison Technologies.  The shop floor area of 3DEXPERIENCE World has been a highlight of attendees for several years now.  It always starts with a debrief on the last day of 3DEXPERIENCE World as we start planning for the next year based on all the feedback we receive and exciting things we learn from you, the attendee.  From there, we start executing our plans and ideas for improving them.   This year is no exception.  We started right after the filming was done to try and make our first time back in person extra special by focusing on trends we are seeing and providing more immersive manufacturing experiences for everyone.

So let’s chat a little about what we are working on and hopefully add some excitement to stop in and say hello to the team building the shop floor area for 2023.  To start, we will break the area into sections and discuss some things going on in each section.

Let’s start in the machining fabrications areas.  Last year we had great success with our partners DN Solutions and Ellison Technologies.  This year we are continuing with two machines: a 5-axis mill and a multi-axis mill/turn.  The five-axis mill will be producing custom belt buckles designed by SOLIDWORKS Champion and industrial designer Jason Pohl.  The buckles will be 3D printed first using a MarkForged 3D printer.  The second operation will be done in the DN mill to perfectly illustration the fusion of additive and subtractive processes.  The DN mill/turn will be doing some advanced engraving on custom stainless coffee cups with a couple of surprises for attendees.

Along with DN, we have an amazing partner with Tormach; they have been with us since the first shop floor.  They will showcase some of the latest capabilities of its machines.  This year we will have custom machining of a boot on the Tormach 1100, and the Tormach plasma will make a musical buckle/phone holder.  Both are worth stopping by and chatting with the team to see how each are made.

Another area we have seen a big push in is automation and education.  To showcase this, we have a couple of areas worth of checking out.  First, we will have a Kassow cobot working with DELMIA offline programming to demonstrate how offline programming can help improve processes across a company.  Second, we have areas dedicated for some manufacturing-specific training sessions.  Sign up for CNC 101 classes with the Tormach xsTech routers to make a custom part you can take with you.  We have also partnered with Doosan and Ellison Technologies to have a Cobot 101 area so you can learn the basics of programming cobots.

With all that, we still have more!

Along with all the making, we also have software solutions to help drive processes and improve communication between the front office and production.  We will have education and showcases on ERP/MES, Lean processes, CAM, Robot Programming, Additive Manufacturing, Nesting, and our newest Dassault solutions, such as Diota for inspection and AR instructions.

We also have a couple more things up our sleeves but aren’t allowed to share.  You will have to attend to see the rest!  We look forward to seeing you all in person again and can’t wait to gain better insight into your current trends and challenges.

If you haven’t registered yet, the time is now! Click here and sign up today and we’ll see you in Nashville in February!

Michael Buchli
Michael Buchli has 20 years of design and manufacturing experience throughout the Midwest ranging from Aerospace to recycling systems. A number of those years were spent learning and understanding workflows and processes to improve efficiency and productivity. From running CNC equipment to welding and painting Michael has been hands-on in all aspects of bringing products to market. Michael is also certified in many areas of mfg and a CSWP. He has also written the CAMWorks Handbook.