Success Story Harburg Freudenberg - DSC Software AG

Always the right GRIP 

Machines for the Tire Industry 

Dr. Arne Gaiser, DSC Software AG 

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Success Story 

Harburg Freudenberger 

Harburg-Freudenberger Maschinenbau GmbH introduced SAP PLM for NX to manage 

machine and installation engineering data 

Direct integration features gain of information and time 

Until May of 2005, Harburg-Freudenberger Maschinenbau GmbH (HF) operated as 

ThyssenKrupp Elastomertechnik GmbH, and was a company of ThyssenKrupp. Today, 

the company belongs to the conglomerate Possehl, Lübeck. HF develops, manufactures, 

and markets machines and installations for the rubber and edible oil industry. Among 

others, the company supplies Michelin and Continental with machines and has for these 

technologies a market share of over 25%. The products are technically highly complex, 

and are individually customized to customer production requirements. In order to meet 

future market requirements, the special machine building company focuses on 

company-wide continuously integrated processes and systems.

Right mixing is the key 

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Whether a tire has a good grip during rain, snow, or ice, keeps the car on track at high speed, 

features abrasion resistance, and causes little wheeling noise is a question of the right mix of a 

variety of product qualities. The recipes for the rubber mix, tire makeup and tire pattern is a well 

sheltered know-how of the manufacturer. Thus, Harburg-Freudenberger Maschinenbau GmbH 

(HF) produces each machine in a way that each manufacturer is able to optimal realizes its 

product and process requirements. HF is able to realize the customer's complete production 

process, and provides machines and installations, from provisioning, mixing and processing 

raw materials, and semi-finished part production, raw tire production to final vulcanization. 

Figure: Tire factory–Machines and Installations of Harburg- 

Freudenberger Maschinenbau GmbH 

(Source: Harburg-Freudenberger Maschinenbau GmbH)

Edible oil technology 

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Moreover, HF develops and manufactures machines and installations for edible oil extraction. 

The program ranges from machinery and equipment for preparation of oilseeds to continuously 

operating screw presses, solvent extraction equipment, and systems for refining of edible oils. 

Figure: Pressing plant of edible oil technology 

(Source: Harburg-Freudenberger Maschinenbau GmbH) 

Figure: Triplex aggregate of rubber technology 


Figure: Tire mounting machine of rubber technology 


Figure: Tire heat press of rubber technology 


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Harburg Freudenberger

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Optimized development processes by 3D-CAD 

With the introduction of the SAP module PP for bills of material and production documents in 

2002, the PDM processes were analyzed. What emerged was that improvement potentials 

could not be used due to so far missing 3D CAD functions. 

Figure: Mounting an extruder head 


In October of 2003, HF decided for switching to 3D CAD system NX. Significant reasons were 

the option to generate and manage assembly structures, and the introduction of simultaneous 

engineering. „Assemblies designed in 3D can be checked for collisions and diffusions already 

in the development phase. This allows us to increase the quality of designs,“ explains Markus 

Voigt, Head of PLM Project at HF. An additional positive potential is the fast provision of 

models for mechanical production. Using the CAM module of NX omits to physically copy 

models realizing considerable savings in mechanical production.

No 3D without PDM System 

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It became quickly apparent that the improvements in product development HF aspired were 

feasible only by introducing an integrated PDM system. Beginning of 2004, HF decided for SAP 

PLM with SAP PLM Integration for NX. „Just as engineering functionalities, data management 

and process integration were important for us,“ explains the responsible Head of project. „NX 

data are company-wide accessible, and directly usable in logistic processes. The saving 

potentials are considerable. Up to 30 minutes daily, each engineer saves when searching for 

NX components. In that, SAP classification plays a substantial role by contributing to 

standardization of our products,“ explains Markus Voigt. „In addition, we save a lot of time in 

creating and maintaining BOMs. Due to missing part structuring, previously BOMs were 

manually created in SAP. Today this takes place automatically. The engineer works 95% in the 

CAD and only 5% in the SAP environment. Today work is managed by the graphical 3D model, 

previously it was the BOM,“ stresses Markus Voigt. 

Figure: Display of an extruder head in NX 


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Figure: Desktop display of an detached assembly structure in SAP PLM 

Integration for NX (Source: Harburg-Freudenberger Maschinenbau GmbH) 

Figure: Section of a project plan 


Introduction in less than 6 months 

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The solution was introduced in several phases meeting budget and schedule deadlines. An 

important element of the first phase was the starter kit. Resting on the basic installation of the 

integration, it served to transfer know-how to key user. „We were able to test our own 

requirements in an integrated environment, and check several process options. Together with 

our implementation partner DSC Software AG, we successively extended the basic installation. 

At the same time, CAD key user designed an engineering guideline which was continuously 

synchronized with the prototype. This enabled us to optimal harmonize our engineering 

methods with master data management and our logistic structures“, emphasizes Markus Voigt. 

In August of 2004, the solution approved by HF went productive. 

Figure: Documents content versions are filed, and also for each drawing page a secondary 

file in format TIFF (Source: Harburg-Freudenberger Maschinenbau GmbH).

Document management 

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The SAP system manages all NX models and structures. With the integration solution a 

Master-Model compliant work method was introduced. The Master represents the 3D model. 

Non-Master documents, such as drawings, are associatively linked to the Master. In sum, 

seven document types were introduced. 

Document type Description 

UGD NX drawing 

UGM NX models (single part and assembly model) 

UGN NX norm and standard parts 

UNC NX CAM 

UKI Cinematic models 

UFE FEM models 

UGX Further documents 

The document number is defined by an internal number assignment on creating a NX model 

(document type UGM). The number assignment for all other document types is external, and is 

set by the model. Master and NonMaster documents have the same number showing the 

association. 

Mapping of NX engineering functions 

in logistic structures 

HF attached great importance to map NX modeling techniques in SAP in a way that part and 

part structures are useable in downstream processes. For example, each single part of a 

welding assembly is mapped as a document in SAP, and linked to a material of material type 

"RAW". Via NX component attributes which are recorded by NX/Tools, size positions are 

created in the SAP material BOM on saving. 

Creating material masters and material BOM 

The engineering department also creates the material master for a NX model, i.e. basic data 

views and additional data. For a faster recording of relevant data, a DSC module provides 

defaults for specific fields. In addition, the material master is automatically linked to the 

document info record. 

On saving a CAD assembly, automatically a material BOM is created in SAP. Via a component 

attribute in NX, non-BOM relevant components in a NX assembly are able to be suspended.

Standardization and re-use 

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For reducing part variety and to standardize products HF employs the standardization solution 

3D-Pool by BCT. Part families released by the standardization department are additionally 

available in SAP. Currently, HF checks options to introduce the solution „aClass SAP“ by BCT, 

which not only manages part families but also any in-house engineered components in SAP. 

Directly using the SAP classification in this case, avoids maintenance efforts in two systems, 

and data redundancy. 

Consistent document management in the engineering process 

An essential basis for fast engineering processes is an automatic connection of objects in a 

Master group. Objects belonging to a Master group are equally treated in the process. For 

example, on creating a new version of a Master document (NX model), also all Non-Master 

documents, such as drawings, are versioned. 

Figure: Status linking between document types 


In order to automate the release process status linking and consistency checks were 

implemented. On transferring a NX drawing (UGD) for check, status linking comes into play. 

The related NX model (UGM) is automatically set to status „25 Check Request“. At the same 

time, a JT file of models and a TIFF file of drawings is generated, and filed to SAP. Based on 

the TIFF view, the checking person decides on check release. Following the successful check 

of the drawing, the model (UGM) is automatically set to status „30 Checked“. After updating the 

drawing header of the drawing (UGD) a new TIFF file is generated. On release of the model 

(UGM) then automatically the drawing (UGD) is set to status „40 Released“. In advance, 

however, a check runs. The model is released only, in case also the material BOM is released.

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This process definition automates reoccurring workflow as far as possible. Checks and 

conversion workflow are directly integrated in the process flow, and ensure consistent editing of 

documents. 

Changes with change management 

The change process starts with the creation of a change master record, and the assignment of 

the objects to be changed to this record. On versioning the Master document, all related 

NonMaster documents, such as drawings, are also versioned. Documents previously released 

are automatically set to status „50 In Modification“. On releasing the new version, the system 

sets the predecessor version to status „70 Historic“, this version then is invalid. Material BOMs 

starting with status 40 are history obligatory. Then changes are possible only via change 

number. The change number, and the change itself, is automatically transferred from the NX 

assembly to the BOM. 

Current status and outlook 

„Altogether, we made a step from person-related to system-supported information. The same 

direction is aimed at with the integration of the UGS check tool „Checkmate“ into the release 

process. On changing to release status, „Checkmate“ checks whether the models meet our 

engineering guidelines. However, we do not use the solution in a restrictive way. We release 

the documents also when this check was not successful,“, explains Markus Voigt. „However, 

we analyze all errors on a monthly basis. With that we expect further quality improvements. 

Ultimately, we want to achieve that each engineer is using „Checkmate“ before engineering 

release“. 

User contact 

Harburg-Freudenberger Maschinenbau GmbH 

Markus.Voigt@hf-group.com 

Information at: www.harburg-freudenberger.com

Success Story Harburg Freudenberg - DSC Software AG

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