As industries embrace Industry 4.0, the need for intelligent, data-driven management of production assets—especially industrial fixtures—is no longer optional. Take the case of Dalian Tiding Heavy Industry, which recently implemented a digital transformation strategy using Siemens’ Teamcenter PDM platform to manage its custom-designed power-operated slab clamps. The result? A 37% reduction in downtime due to fixture failure and a 22% increase in overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) across their hot-rolling lines.
Before digitalization, Dalian Tiding relied on paper-based logs and fragmented Excel sheets to track clamp usage, maintenance history, and performance under extreme conditions—like temperatures exceeding 1,200°C during steel rolling. With Teamcenter PDM, every component now has a unique digital twin. Engineers can trace design changes, monitor manufacturing deviations, and analyze real-time usage patterns. According to their Chief Engineer, “We used to lose 15–20 hours per month just searching for missing records. Now it’s all centralized—and searchable in seconds.”
| Metric | Pre-Digitalization | Post-Digitalization |
|---|---|---|
| Downtime per Incident | 4.2 hrs | 2.7 hrs |
| Maintenance Cycle Accuracy | 68% | 94% |
| Design Change Traceability | Low | High |
To ensure reliability under thermal stress, Dalian Tiding integrated MSC NASTRAN simulation into the design phase. Using finite element analysis (FEA), they tested the slab clamp’s structural integrity at 1,200°C, simulating repeated thermal cycles over 5 years of operation. Results showed that the optimized design reduced stress concentration by up to 41%, significantly lowering fatigue risk—a critical factor in high-speed rolling mills where safety is paramount.
“This isn’t just about better tools,” says Dr. Li Wei, Head of R&D at Dalian Tiding. “It’s about creating a feedback loop between design, manufacturing, and field performance. That’s what makes us future-ready.”
If your facility still uses manual or semi-digital systems for fixture tracking, you're likely missing out on predictive maintenance opportunities, inconsistent quality control, and inefficient resource allocation. The integration of PDM platforms like Teamcenter—with robust simulation validation—is not just a technical upgrade—it’s a strategic shift toward resilience, scalability, and compliance in smart factories.
Whether you’re in steel, automotive, aerospace, or heavy machinery, the lessons from Dalian Tiding apply: digitize your fixtures early, validate with simulation, and let data drive decisions.
Ready to transform how you manage industrial fixtures? Let our team show you how Teamcenter PDM can be tailored to your specific workflow—from design to decommissioning.
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