Founded in 1937 in Colombes, in the suburbs of Paris, Mecachrome has become an essential player in very high-precision mechanics. The group designs, industrialises and manufactures complex parts for the aerospace, defence, premium automotive and energy sectors. By joining the WeAre group in 2022, Mecachrome strengthened its industrial standing in France and consolidated its position as a European leader, targeting a turnover of €750 million by 2025.
©Mecachrome
Mecachrome: 80 years of high-precision excellence
With 5,000 employees across 24 sites in seven countries, Mecachrome has a comprehensive industrial network, a capacity for continuous innovation and a culture of excellence recognised by major international customers.
Among its strategic sites is Montauban in Tarn-et-Garonne (France), which has been specialised in complex turning for more than 60 years. Covering an area of 27,000 m², 170 employees design and manufacture high-precision parts for Airbus, Safran, Thales, Collins and Kimball. This site operates on a build-to-print basis, covering everything from design to series production, including inspections and special processes.
Against a backdrop of industrial modernisation and digitalisation, the site has undertaken a process restructuring initiative. The integration of the TopSolid'ShopFloor solution is part of this initiative, aiming to ensure reliable NC programme transfers and increase the traceability of workshop operations.
An operational choice to strengthen reliability
Prior to this project, NC programmes were transferred over a Wi-Fi network, resulting in recurring technical issues: signal losses, incomplete programmes and uncertainty about the versions in use. For a site working with demanding customers, these issues were no longer tolerable.
“We wanted a simple and reliable solution that is tightly integrated into our TopSolid environment. TopSolid’ShopFloor met all three criteria.”
Thibaud Luvisutto, Manufacturing Manager
This tool was chosen for its native compatibility with TopSolid'Cam, its ability to centralise programmes and ISO files, to manage access rights by machine and to keep track of every user's actions.
A rapid integration and a cultural change
From a technical perspective, deployment took just a few days: software installation, machine wiring, profile configuration and initial training. But from a usage standpoint, the transition was more significant.
Sébastien, NC programmer, explains: “In the past, we transferred the files directly. Now, there is a workflow, a programme manager, validations... It is stricter, but we understand the gains in terms of traceability.”
The software imposes a more structured operating method, with steps that must be followed. For operators, this may seem less flexible, but the advantage is enhanced control of technical data.
A clear use and measurable advantages
TopSolid'ShopFloor is now used, via the Program Manager module, to centralise the management of the NC programmes, to trace transfers and to manage machine access rights. Every action is time-stamped and linked to an identified user.
“What I appreciate is that we have real visibility over transfers. If an anomaly occurs, we can identify the origin and learn lessons for the future.” Sébastien, NC programmer
The programmes are complete, errors have decreased significantly and operators can work with greater peace of mind. The site plans to extend the software's use to other modules, such as tool management or workshop supervision.
Towards broader digitalisation
“This is the first step towards a more connected workshop. We can see the potential to go further, without overloading the teams' daily operations”, concludes Thibaud Luvisutto.
With TopSolid'ShopFloor, Mecachrome’s Montauban site has gained in rigour, reliability and visibility over its technical workflows. A concrete step towards an ambitious modernisation strategy.
Want to learn more about TopSolid’ShopFloor and its new features? Let’s talk about it!
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