Challenge

Improve data management to eliminate revision errors and rework costs while simultaneously shortening development cycles for production tooling (e.g., jigs, fixtures) for the manufacture of high-tech multifunction copiers and office equipment.

Solution

Add modeling, design, collaboration, communication, and data management solutions from the 3DEXPERIENCE Works portfolio on the cloud-based 3DEXPERIENCE platform—including 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS, 3D Creator, Collaborative Designer for SOLIDWORKS, Collaborative Business Innovator, and Collaborative Industry Innovator—to its existing SOLIDWORKS implementation.

Results

Cut development cycles by 25 percent
Eliminated rework and associated costs
Improved and automated data management
Replaced Microsoft Teams with the 3DEXPERIENCE platform as communications channel

Konica Minolta Business Solutions operates a network of 12 branches throughout Malaysia to support its growing customer base, including its production division of Konica Minolta Business Technologies Malaysia. The original Konica Minolta dates back to 1873, and the current company, established in 1981, draws from its rich history in focusing on providing innovative office and business solutions, including high-tech multifunction copiers, printers, and office equipment.

According to Mohammad Azwan, Senior Group Leader at Konica Minolta Business Technologies Malaysia, the company’s production and tooling division has used SOLIDWORKS® 3D design software for many years to develop the tools, jigs, fixtures, and machines used to manufacture and assemble components. The production team was looking for a system to resolve revision control and data management issues when it heard about the cost-effective and automated data management solutions available with the cloud-based 3DEXPERIENCE Works portfolio.

Konica Minolta Streamlines Product Development Cycles by 25 Percent and Eliminates Rework

Eliminating Rework

Konica Minolta designers sometimes used incorrect revision data because a file was improperly named or saved to the wrong folder, creating unnecessary and additional rework time and costs. “We had a lot of problems with data management, such as duplicated data, poor revision control, missing files, and many more [issues],” recounts Azwan. With 3DEXPERIENCE Works, the company completely eliminated the rework required to address data management errors, along with the associated costs and time delays.

Konica Minolta Streamlines Product Development Cycles by 25 Percent and Eliminates Rework

Related Resources

Using all of our capabilities on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, we have reduced our development time 25 percent—shortening design cycles from eight weeks to six weeks for jigs and tools, and from four months to three months for machine design.

Mohammad Azwan

Senior Group Leader

Accelerated Design Turnaround

Since implementing solutions from the 3DEXPERIENCE Works portfolio in 2021, Konica Minolta has developed 10 jigs and three machines for production while reducing its development cycles for jigs, fixtures, and tooling design, as well as machine design. “Using all of our capabilities on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, we have reduced our development time 25 percent—shortening design cycles from eight weeks to six weeks for jigs and tools, and from four months to three months for machine design,” Azwan says. Design reviews and workflows are also quicker because everyone is able to collaborate via the platform from any location.

Communicating with Ease

While the data management capabilities on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform have enabled Konica Minolta to optimize and shorten its development workflows, having a design and engineering environment in the cloud has also improved communications across the development team.

“We have standardized our development workflow and now use the platform to automate the review and approval process. We are no longer using hard copy reviews and approvals, and are communicating more effectively, realizing increased productivity due to better workflows and communications,” Azwan concludes.