"Cimatron is an excellent CAD/CAM system. It has powerful surface functionality, advanced intelligent NC, and strong re-enge capabilities." - Zhou Limin, General Manager.
Industry: Automotive, home appliance, electronics and high precision tools

Location: China

The Challenge
Like many in the mold making sector, Haier is under increasing pressure to produce more complex molds, more quickly and efficiently

The Solutions
Cimatron master solution

The Results
 • Increased productivity: A record number of molds were produced when seats of Cimatron were added
 • Reduced costs: Advanced modeling enabled more accurate data translation
 • Quicker time-to-delivery: Powerful modeling, surface and NC utilities improved production cycles
 • Streamlined design-for-manufacturing operation
 

Haier Mould is the most successful subsidiary of the megalithic Haier Group, which controls nearly 35% of China’s household appliance market, and boasts a sales network spanning 31 countries.

With an annual production capacity of 1200 standard mold sets and capability to build molds over 40 tons, Haier Mould services global industry-leading companies such as Ford, Toyota, Volkswagen, Mitsubishi, Honda, Nissan, Samsung, LG, Canon, and Sanyo.

Challenge: “Modern enterprises need to be outfitted with modern tools”
Quality, price and delivery time are of particular concern to mold makers, where margins and production cycles are shrinking while complexity is growing. Winning and maintaining customers depends on a company’s ability to keep ahead of these demands.

Haier’s philosophy is to achieve success and competitiveness through technological superiority. Therefore, the company’s policy is to invest in the top equipment, personnel and – of course – CAD/CAM software solutions.

Solution: “Cimatron has increased our NC programming efficiency”
In an effort to increase productivity, Haier turned to Cimatron for its advanced modeling, surface editing, surface repair and strong blend capabilities. “Cimatron is an excellent CAD/CAM system,” says Zhou Limin, Haier General Manager. “It has powerful surface functionality, advanced Intelligent NC, and strong re-enge capabilities.” Haier first installed Cimatron solutions in 1994 and has more recently upgraded to Cimatron and acquired additional seats.

Results: Cost Savings and Delivery Time, “this Is Where Cimatron Plays an Important Role”
Since adding seats of Cimatron, Haier engineers have improved development cycles and shortened production lead times. “We are especially pleased with the intelligent NC capabilities of Cimatron, which has increased the efficiency of our NC programming and editing,” says Wang Zenbao, manager of Haier’s CAD/CAM/CAE/PDM center.

Haier has also benefited from the advanced modeling of Cimatron. “Raw data is quickly and efficiently translated into a finished product. This ensures that costs are estimated with a high degree of accuracy for what are traditionally price-sensitive contracts,” reports Zenbao.

“In Addition to Cimatron’s Excellent Functionality, We Can Always Count on Strong Technical Support”
An important consideration of Haier’s in working with Cimatron is the ability to speak with Cimatron R&D directly, and the availability of Cimatron’s technical support representatives. “We use Cimatron because it is a leading CAD/CAM system,” says Limin, “and we can always count on Cimatron’s technical support.”

“… This Means Increasing the Number of Cimatron Seats”
The company’s productivity has drastically increased since it began the design and manufacturing process with Cimatron, resulting in a record number of molds produced. By maximizing machine tool utilization and accelerating manufacturing throughput, Haier continues to streamline their overall design-for-manufacturing operation. With Cimatron, Haier has honed its competitive edge in both local and foreign market. Due to all this, according to Zenbao, “Haier Moulds intends to strengthen its ties with Cimatron in the future.”