From design to working device with FeatureCAM
Admesy was founded in 2006 by former Philips engineers who developed various spectrometers and colorimeters. Admesy now employs 46 people. In addition to its headquarters in Ittervoort, the company has offices in China, Japan and South Korea.
Admesy develops and produces high-quality light and colour meters for manufacturers of phones, laptops and tablets, among others, in Ittervoort, Central Limburg. With the help of Autodesk FeatureCAM, supplied by Cadac, Admesy is able to present a complete working prototype of a measurement system within a few days. The production of the approved types is also significantly faster. "This is important, because speed is crucial in the world of consumer electronics," says CEO Steven Goetstouwers.
Time-to-market
Color and light meters are indispensable in the production of electronic equipment with a display or LED. Each individual screen or LED, large or small, is checked for properties such as reflection, colour, uniformity, luminance and/or radiance.
The meters are usually integrated into the production lines and have to carry out the various measurements at a rapid pace. 'And new models have to be made regularly,' says Steven Goetstouwers. 'Not because they break down quickly, but because the manufacturers of, for example, mobile phones, laptops or e-readers always want to bring new models or variants to the market.
Devices with other specifications for which the spectrometer or colorimeter regularly has to be adjusted or rebuilt. We all know how cut-throat competition is in consumer electronics. Time-to-market is key to success. A manufacturer cannot and does not want to wait months for a component such as the spectrometer. We don't have to. Not only do we have a prototype ready within a few days for the customer to test, we can also build and deliver the meters here in Ittervoort very quickly.'
We focused on a niche. We focus purely on the high-end segment, on producers who put A-brands on the market. We develop and make meters with a very high accuracy.
Steven Goetstouwers
CEO Admesy
High-end segment
Admesy's achievements have not gone unnoticed. In less than ten years, the company has grown into one of the largest suppliers of light and colour meters in the world and can now count a large number of major electronics manufacturers as regular customers. 'We focused on a niche', says Steven Goetstouwers. 'We focus purely on the high-end segment, on producers who put A-brands on the market. We develop and make meters with a very high accuracy.
Of course, these are expensive devices, but a screen is just about the most important part for the user. The colours must be good, it must not flicker, the camera in the phone must take the best photos and videos, you must be able to use an e-reader in the sun, smooth beautiful images are essential for a game, the sensor in the smartwatch must be accurate, and so on. Measuring light and colour is therefore essential.'
Outside Europe
Names of clients he is not allowed to mention, figures he also prefers to keep indoors. 'I am sworn to secrecy. Let me put it this way, the vast majority of our sales are made outside Europe, especially in Asia and partly in the US. We only have one major competitor in the high end. Of course, we could focus on manufacturers of standard lighting and the products where the screen requirements are not so high. There are more parties active in that, but we deliberately choose not to. Admesy continues to work exclusively for top companies. Besides quality, our great strength is our speed of prototyping and delivery. Thanks to the fact that we have all disciplines in-house'.
Own hand
Steven Goetstouwers, who has been working for Admesy since 2012, means not only the engineers and software specialists, but also the production facilities. 'At first, we outsourced all the manufacturing work to a company in the Czech Republic. Fine when it comes to large series and relatively simple components, but not ideal if you make small series and like to prototype. Then you want short lines of communication between engineers and workshop. We first started working with a supplier here in the region and then brought our first milling machine in-house.
Over the years, our machinery has been further expanded. We now make most of the components ourselves, we buy most of the electronics. We assemble, test and transport the meters. This way we are less dependent on suppliers, we have everything in our own hands. As a result, we stay ahead of our competition and can respond to customer questions at lightning speed.'
Autodesk FeatureCAM
Software in the form of Autodesk FeatureCAM is an essential part of the success story. 'Perfect CAM software that translates the design into the program that controls the CNC machines,' explains Frank Smets, digital fabrication manager at Cadac. "FeatureCAM recognises operations, automatically chooses the most suitable milling strategy and tools and writes the program itself. A simulation then appears on the screen that provides insight into possible collisions and bottlenecks. If the simulation is approved, all it takes is a click with the mouse. In fact, you automate CNC programming, which saves you a lot of time.'
FeatureCAM's Role in Prototyping
FeatureCAM is particularly interesting for making prototypes and small series, says Steven Goetstouwers as he gives a tour of the spotless and air-conditioned production hall with warehouse, machinery, cleanroom and shipping department. 'Right up our alley. Customers always want a prototype and we like that too. It is always nice to concretise a design. Then you will see the imperfections and the improvement options more quickly.
With FeatureCAM, iterations and adjustments are very easy. Since we started using this software, the communication between the workshop and engineering has also improved. They are now working on the design together, simulating and testing it. Building a prototype takes less than a week. Recently, a potential customer was here asking if we could modify an existing spectrometer. Come back tomorrow, I said, then you can test. He thought we were fooling him. Another company needed six weeks to do that. Now, I'm not saying that we go through the entire process from design to prototyping within 24 hours, but we are fast. Thanks to FeatureCAM and the people at Cadac who introduced this to us.'
Securing expertise with the help of FeatureCAM
This autumn, Admesy and Cadac's specialists will take the next step with FeatureCAM. "It turns out that there are even more benefits to be gained and we want the program to land with all operators and engineers, including for the production itself. We want to secure the knowledge and record the working method so that everyone can use it. Also a standard feature of this software. It's good if they can all work with it. The great thing is that they can record their knowledge and craftsmanship in it. Milling specialists can hear what speed is best, how far they can go with tools. FeatureCAM will also secure this information for them. It's a combination with the best results.'