NOMOS Glashütte, based in the eastern Erz Mountains, and its timeless watch designs is a world leader among watch manufacturers. The company manufactures precious mechanical watches offering utmost precision using high-tech methods as well as considerable craftsmanship. One example being the application of the traditional Glashütte "sun grinding" process, still performed by hand to this day. This is in sharp contrast to the CNC-controlled milling centers and a high-tech measuring device from ZOLLER that are also employed here - but mechanical watches are complicated items and are made up of a multitude of highly delicate components. Which explains why tools from a size of 0.29 mm are in operation here - this is where true precision is in demand.
Nothing less than optimally tested and inspected tools can act as the guarantors of high quality. The paramount requirement for a measuring machine is therefore maximum precision to enable the levels of accuracy demanded in the production of a mechanical watch to be achieved. "With the »smarTcheck« universal measuring device acquired barely one year ago, we have broken through into a new dimension in this respect", states Frank Höhnel, a technology expert at NOMOS Glashütte. NOMOS and ZOLLER - two names that stand for (German) precision.

Efficient tool management not only saves tool costs, but also speeds up NC programming and shortens positioning times - always assuming of course - that the CAM programmers are able to access real tool data. Bombardier Transportation has therefore implemented an integrated solution at its Netphen location, where body shells and bogies for rail vehicles are produced. This integrated solution comprises the TopSolid'Cam software from Missler and the Tool Management Solutions system from Zoller: a 3D CAM system and integrated tool management with the option of accessing real tool data. The new solution not only had to support CAM programming work, it also had to assist with the administration of tool inventory and storage location and the ordering system - as well as being able to communicate with the ZOLLER measuring machine. "We wanted a single source solution", stated CAM programmer Damian Sakwerda, "and we increased our efficiency in mechanical processing considerably thanks to TopSolid 3D programming and the integrated ZOLLER tool management system".

The new interface between ESPRIT and ZOLLER offers the CAM user simple and fast access to the tool data of the tools available in production. CAM programmers can access the tool data at any time in the TMS Tool Management Solutions and load them directly from the central data base to ESPRIT. "The availability of these data make manual entry of tool data into the CAM system obsolete and thus reduce programming time", according to Chuck Matthews, Vice President of DP Technology Corp.