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Based in Nagoya, Japan, Kato Seiko is a group of metalworking professionals who specialize in stamping dies. The company's main products are automotive punch tools and dies, but it is also known for its multi-purpose processing technology for materials ranging from steel to resins, which can be machined or lathe-machined. In recent years, the company will turn to reverse engineering, leveraging 3D scanners and Geomagic Design X, making it its new core business.
Client: Kato Seiko Kato.Why does Kato Seiko use reverse engineering, and how does the process work?We interviewed Fumiya Ishihero, who leads these activities at Kato Seiko.location: Japan.
Challenge: How auto parts manufacturers are looking for new business opportunities.
Automotive component manufacturers need parts with specific angular grooves during the design phase, and 3D data of this shape is created during the design phase. However, since samples made in this way are hand-scraped to meet the needs of smaller radii, the product will have a free-form shape that cannot be quantified. Therefore, when the same part is needed later, we have no choice but to finely measure and quantify the part itself, and make a new part with the same shape. Ishiguro said.
Faced with this challenge, Seiko Kato began exploring reverse engineering techniques nearly 15 years ago. However, good results don't happen overnight.
We started with contour machining," Ishiguro explains, "When I joined the company, we got a 3D scanner and started a new approach. In the first few years, the process became difficult due to poor precision. The mesh data we got from the 3D scanner was inaccurate enough, and the surface of the machined parts showed a mottled pattern, so we had to polish the surface of each part by hand. ”
Hand polishing was a bottleneck in the company's reverse engineering process, and Ishiguro focused on improving accuracy and eliminating this task. After much research, he discovered Geomagic Design X. He immediately tested the software, but he wasn't immediately convinced that the results were accurate enough. However, he kept a close eye on the product, and ten years later, Design X became part of Kato Seiko's reverse engineering workflow.
Design X and Kato Seiko's craftsmanship meets Japan's high precision requirements
Design X itself has been greatly improved. I didn't know how to describe what I wanted to do, but the team at Oqton immediately understood and worked out a solution for us. This is very important, even if the software has the functionality you need, but you don't know that the feature exists, it is the same as none. Ishiguro said.
Design X enables Ishiguro to quickly edit 3D scanned mesh data, which is a great way to improve the efficiency of reverse engineering workflows. In addition to better data accuracy, the "polishing" that has plagued Ishiguro for years is no longer necessary. Machining and machine tool operations have become more efficient, and overall machining speeds have increased dramatically.
The Tokai area, where Kato Seiko is located, is home to many metalworking companies that provide services to major automotive companies. Competition is fierce, and customers have high requirements in Japan.
"In the past an error of one millimeter was acceptable, but gradually the tolerance became a third, then a tenth of a millimeter, and now we are competing with a tolerance of five percent," Ishiguro added, "This is the level of accuracy that major manufacturers can achieve with their top-of-the-line machines." Our machines can't match ...... themWe want to keep improving our skills so as not to lose the competition. ”With his experience and unique expertise, Ishiguro is now able to provide consistent accuracy. With the help of Design X, he found a reverse engineering process that could meet Japan's demanding precision requirements.
Kato Seiko's business is also growing with new orders for products related to 3D reverse engineering measurements. "We earned the trust of our customers and jobs started pouring in. If car production resumes, we will be able to expand further. It's really a new starting point. Ishiguro said enthusiastically.