Proceedings of COBEM 2011 21 st Brazilian Congress of Mechanical Engineering Copyright © 2011 by ABCM October 24-28, 2011, Natal, RN, Brazil CASE STUDY OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A CAD/CAM SYSTEM FOR PLASTIC INJECTION MOLDS IN A COMPANY OF TWO WHEELS SECTOR IN MANAUS INDUSTRIAL POLE Larissa Albuquerque de Alencar, la.alencar86@gmail.com Nelson Kuwahara, nelson@ufam.edu.br Ivan Marcos de Araújo Lima, lima_ima@hotmail.com Fábio de Souza Pereira, fsp_91@hotmail.com Laurence Colares Magalhães, laurence_magalhaes@ufam.edu.br Payman Agahnejad, payman.agahnejad@siemens Amazon Federal University, General Rodrigo Otávio Avenue, n° 3000, Campus, Technology College Abstract. This work shows a research project that developed a case study and solution to a CAD/CAM system implementation process at a components manufacter by parts for motorcycles Company located on Manaus Industrial Sector. The project adopted the software NX 7.0 as computational tool. Given the absence of CAD/CAM system and lack of intellectual resources to operate these higher-level systems, it was noted the lack of local capacity to the production of plastic injection molds, and this situation requires the process to be outsourced. Considering this scenario, the company found itself in many difficulties concerning to the manufacture of parts and components, since their designs are coming from the matrix of outside, and most of them were sent in A3 printed boards. These boards were first sent to engineering sector for conference and adaptation, in case drawing changess were needed according to available machinery and tools at Manaus branch. Then, the boards were sent to the tooling sector, in printed format, for digitalization (modeling) on 2D (CAD) and subsequently programmed for machining (CAM). The main reason of sending parts for tooling at printed format instead digital was given by the incompatibility between the software used in tooling, TopSolid, and the used in engineering, AutoCAD Vision, causing long delays in the productive process, since the tooling should to redraw parts previously designed instead programming manufacture and machine it. The deployment process of CAD/CAM system has come a long way since the structuring environment (drawing office) used for modeling/projecting of parts and components produced by the enterprise, until its total implementation and operation. For this, the production process was divided into four stages: Training and staff qualification; Environment preparation to receive the new system; Study and Research in the enterprise and Knowledge application into company’s environment. At the end of new CAD/CAM system implementation process, positive results were obtained, since the new system abled great improvement in quality of parts and components produced by the company, since toolmakers and designers involved in the project received necessary training to operate the software and, the process became more streamlined. So new software enabled drawings received by engineering could be sent in digital format for tooling to be programmed for machining. The project’s main objective was also achieved, since the company can now produce its own plastic injection molds, eliminating outsourcing and reducing process costs. Keywords: Computer Aided Design, Computer Aided Manufacturing, Plastic Injection Mold 1. INTRODUCTION (Times New Roman, bold, size 10) This work presents the implantations of CAD – computer aided design/CAM – computer aided manufacturing, in a two wheels company of Manaus. This demand was due to the inefficiency of the used system in producing components and injection molds. Was realized the structuring of modeling environment and new system implantation in the company. The company found difficulties on components and parts machining, since these drawings came from an external pattern and, mostly printed in A3 boards. This boards were first sent for engineering sector for conference and adequation, if necessary modifications according with the machinery and tools available in Manaus filial. Then the boards were sent to the tooling sector, in printed format, for digitalization (part modeling), 2D (CAD), and later this parts modeled were programmed for machining (CAM). The main reason for parts being sent in print format (boards) for tooling sector is that the software used on engineering sector wasn’t compatible with the one used on tooling, leading in productive process delay, since the tooling redraw the parts, instead just programming for manufacturing and machining. The injection molds used in determined parts and components processes, were outsourced, since the software used by the company, while allowing the modeling, don’t have good performance and the designers and toolmakers responsible by it development don’t had adequate training in the software. Then, this study aimed to present the company process optimization by the implantation of new system CAD/CAM software, starting of the environment structuring (layout) until the new system implantation. The software used in the new CAD/CAM system was the NX 7.0 (Siemens PLM Software), since this allows that parts and components are