In intelligent ways to the perfect manufacturing solution
With the DMQP program, DMG MORI offers the perfect synergy of machine, peripherals and accessories for advanced machining with the highest quality standards.
As in many industries, individualization, automation and digitization are also a major trend for the machine tool industry, which DMG MORI, as an innovation leader, has been supporting and pushing for years. This is especially true with regard to the success story of DMG MORI Qualified Products (DMQP). After around 15 years, the partner program currently counts around 120 selected technology providers worldwide, who guarantee perfect synergy with DMG MORI manufacturing solutions for over 4,000 products. Christoph Grosch, Executive Director DMQP, talks in an interview about what innovative solutions the DMQP program currently has in store for the industry.
In the DMQP program, DMG MORI bundles the complementary expertise of selected technology partners to offer customers tailored solutions. How can this diversity be kept under control, Mr. Grosch?
Against the background of further increasing individualization requirements and the resulting technology complexity, the situation is indeed challenging. After all, the increasing number of equipment variations leads to over 90,000 technology combinations.
That is why we use a so-called “Recommender System” that works with artificial intelligence to derive suggestions for the solution configuration from machine, automation, digitization and DMQP products. This enormously simplifies and accelerates the individual decision-making process. Above all, we can thus ensure that users receive their individual machine solutions together with perfectly matched peripherals from a single source.
Is this Recommender System an internal tool or do customers actively use it?
The Recommender System is currently activated exclusively for internal processes. However, I can imagine that after a certain learning process, the intelligent assistance function will also be used in customer applications such as the new DMG MORI online configurator to support the combination of machine, automation, digitization and DMQP components into a perfectly matched overall system.
What specifically can the customer expect from the online configurator?
With the new online configurator, our customers and potential customers can intuitively put together the right production solution for their individual application at any time. The online configurator should be seen as an effective consulting tool. It finds suitable machine components or peripherals and explains clearly at each configuration step what contribution these products can make to the requirements-specific production solution. For the user, this results in a considerable time and cost effect in the information and exploratory phase.
How do you experience digitization specifically at the product level of the DMQP program?
Very intensively in two respects. On the one hand, components that used to be 1 and 0, i.e., just on or off, are now “smart”. The ability to capture, analyze and visualize data and derive adaptive functionalities from it opens up a host of new, highly interesting use cases and holds immense potential for improvement for our customers. A good example are the sensor and IO-Link components of our new partner ifm electronic. The specialists for system communication and control technology are an important key for the development of highly exciting new features, products and services. In the area of tool management, too, the intelligent combination of smart DMQP products offers new dimensions for holistic solution configurations. For example, the plug-in “DMG MORI Tool Management light” enables the exchange of tool data via VDME interface with the CAD/CAM systems from Siemens or Esprit, and in the future also from OPEN MIND Technologies and Tebis.
DMG MORI as a brand stands for high industry competence in the most important key industries. What share do the DMQP partners have in this?
First of all – and this is the DNA of the DMQP program – our customers receive high-tech as well as holistically designed and proven manufacturing solutions from a single source. The decisive success factor here is the product and technology expertise of the 120 or so partners in the DMQP program, evaluated by our development and application engineering experts. With the Swiss Mikron Tool SA and Utilis AG, for example, we have two competence partners from the medical technology sector in our portfolio. Both companies contribute their expertise in close cooperation with the Medical Excellence Center in Seebach to technologically highly demanding customer projects and major strategic projects.
In 2020, DMG MORI has made its production completely climate-neutral, and the topic of sustainability also has a high priority in the supply chain as well as for its own products. How does the DMQP program fit in here?
We are working intensively with our DMQP partners to expand the number of GreenMode awards. We are focusing on sustainable concepts and improving energy and emissions efficiency with the support of our DMQP partners.
Industry expertise and sustainability are just two aspects that have global significance for DMG MORI. How will the DMQP program develop against this background?
The global orientation of DMG MORI and thus also of the DMQP program is in line with the fact that we synchronize all our activities worldwide in a uniform and transparent manner. In this way, we ensure the same access to the technologies and the more than 4,000 products of our DMQP partners internationally. We want to continue on this path together with our partners.
The latest partners in the DMQP program include the following companies:
- Günther Effgen GmbH, Germany: tool partner for ULTRASONIC technology with conventional and high-performance grinding tools.
- Haimer GmbH, Germany: tool management around the machine tool – shrinking, balancing and presetting.
- Heule Werkzeug AG, Switzerland: tools for forward and backward bore machining in a single operation.
- ifm electronic gmbh, Germany: sensor technology, system communication and control technology.
- OPEN MIND Technologies AG, Germany: CAM software hyperMILL® for milling and turning strategies and special applications.
- LNS Group, Switzerland: Bar feeder magazines for DMG MORI turning/milling centers.
- Seco Tools GmbH, Germany: Tooling partner with special aerospace expertise.
- Sigmalabs, Inc, USA: Real-time monitoring for additive manufacturing systems.
- TDM Systems GmbH, Germany: Digital tool management for DNG MORI PLUGIN TOOL – the ideal solution for small and medium-sized companies.
- Tebis AG, Germany: CAD/CAM software and services.
- Utilis AG, Switzerland: High-quality and precise cutting tools for micromechanics, watchmaking and medical technology.