Fri. Apr 26th, 2024

Production Data Management (PDM) – what is it, and why is it essential for manufacturers?

By sophia cook Mar 31, 2022
Production Data Management

The spectrum of currently available technological tools for manufacturers is impressively wide – and sometimes, it’s hard to figure out which features are really essential for the business and which are not. Production data management is one of these that basically every manufacturer should consider.

The manufacturing sector has changed radically in the last two decades due to the popularization of automation-based systems. The production capacity and tempo, the staffing demand, methods of error detection, quality control, and quality assurance – all these aspects have undergone a little revolution with the help of technological tools.

With the modern MES systems, manufacturing companies can reach new heights. The advanced software enables them to monitor the manufacturing processes and their effectiveness in real-time. Using it, they can also introduce advanced planning and forecasting demand to minimize financial risk and increase profit. But are they enough to fully modernize the manufacturing unit? We would suggest complementing the MES system with product data management modules, like paperless production, micro stops, and machine control.

What is production data management PDM?

Production data management is an extension of the traditional manufacturing system. It stores, processes, and organizes numerous parameters of the products, batches, and machinery. Its core purpose is to track and process all the production-related data (including the technical documentation and specifications, certification, CAD/BEAM models, material details, etc.) in order to streamline the information exchange between the platforms used by a particular manufacturing unit. Taking advantage of the PDM’s features, the manufacturers can send recipes and setpoints directly to the machines in order to save time and money.

Why is production data management system essential?

With all that data collected, classified, and organized within one system, the manufacturing company can identify the production costs, prevent downtimes, and find the budget holes. Having visualized production data at their disposal, the stakeholders can easily make sure they are all on the same page. The access to the production data repository streamlines collaboration, facilitating data exchange between project managers, quality assurance specialists, and engineers.

And last but not least, the product data management system is essential to an effective quality control strategy and configuration management. Based on its reports, the companies can identify weak points and areas for improvement in terms of cost-effectiveness, but also make their manufacturing processes more environmentally friendly.

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