The machine tool industry is global and aggressive. Besides highly competitive products, Finn-Power’s salesforce need exceptional presentation material. Pictures and videos support proposals, but the company’s machines are big, up to forty metres in length and several metres in height and width. Showing the whole machine in one picture was diffcult. A video lets the viewer‘walk’around the machine and see realtime operations, but it or a prototype has to be built frst.

Accurate simulation–building a virtual computer model–offers a more cost-effective solution. Specialist products were reviewed but instead of standalone applications, it was decided to fnd one system to be used by several departments, all sharing a common database. “We wanted a modeller that could be used for many purposes. Different packages would have meant more training, adding to costs” says Esko Petäjä, Finn-Power’s product development manager.

Visual Components was evaluated and selected. It offered integrated modules for creating models, dynamic simulation, and presenting them, and a central database. The affordable solution was easy to use, with many valuable functions. Featuring open systems ARChitecture, it interfaced to Finn-Power’s CAD system and a programmable logic controller (PLC). This enabled direct importing of design data and the company could connect 3DCreate to the PLC to prove a machine’s logic.

In the company’s marketing department Timo Aalto produces audio-visual sales presentations. Enhanced with a rendering package the virtual machines and simulated operations created on Visual Components are combined with real-world video, plus sound and text. The result is outstanding, movie-quality productions that set an industry benchmark. Without waiting for a machine to be built, operational behaviours may be simulated and shown dynamically, in any way the potential customer wishes.

“If the customer wants to know how their parts can be made on our machines, they send CAD details and we produce and send back an accurate simulation on video.Remotely, the sales force may also download presentations to their laptops from our intranet and an extranet,” he says.Visual Components also minimises risk. “Some operations are far too dangerous or impossible to flm with a normal video camera so we produce a simulation. Any operations that are hidden away or hard to access may also be simulated and made visible,” says Timo Aalto.

Now, with Visual Components and through highly realistic simulations, Finn-Power’s customers can see exactly what they are buying and how it works, and know the machine’s programmable functions will be fully tested and proven before delivery. Additionally, if the customer wants changes, they can be made in the sales Stage virtually, quickly and at minimum cost.