Precision Timer uses Solid Edge to accelerate production processes, from design to delivery, by more than 30 percent
Precision Timer uses Solid Edge to accelerate production processes, from design to delivery, by more than 30 percent
Fashion panache and creativity behind the FIYTA brand
Shenzhen FIYTA Precision Timer Manufacturing Ltd. (Precision Timer), along with many other companies, is a part of the FIYTA Group. Every year, the Baselworld watch and jewelry fair, the preeminent event in the world of horology (the art or science of measuring time), is held in the famous city of Basel, Switzerland, with around 2,000 brands exhibited. Among the many pavilions, the “No.1 International Brand” pavilion is the most coveted exposition area because it brings together the top-of-the-line wristwatch brands and horological exhibitors from all over the world to display their innovative new offerings.
Currently, only the Chinese Star, a brand of the FIYTA Group, displays its products in the No.1 pavilion. FIYTA Group, a participant at the fair for four consecutive years, is highly regarded in the horological industry, especially for fashion panache and creative designs.
What is FIYTA Group’s secret to success? According to company management, it’s research and development (R&D). Not just any type of R&D, but rather highly disciplined, continuous R&D.
“Compared with precision manufacturers from other industries, the horology industry focuses on discrete manufacturing, with process as a supplement,” explains Zhang Mingtian, assistant manager of the Engineering and Technical Department, FIYTA Group. “The production process is mainly to treat the metal fittings and to assemble each component. The main difficulty that companies face in bringing horological products to market successfully is inefficient R&D, resulting in a long period from design to product delivery. Another significant challenge is that the watchmaker must satisfy both the regular consumer goods and the luxury goods sectors. The horological industry is driven by extremes in market demand. As a result, an enterprise needs to be able to quickly react, which means a short and highly efficient R&D process.”
R&D – the critical factor
Since its inception, FIYTA Group has solved the key technical problems of high- and low-temperature resistance (under vacuum conditions), anti-shock and anti-vibration performance, anti-magnetism and a seal for an extra-vehicular spacesuit watch. FIYTA Group has achieved a technological breakthrough in the mechanical chronograph watch, of which it owns complete, independent intellectual property rights, whereas its competitors purchase movements from specialized suppliers.
To accomplish this, FIYTA Group focuses on brand supremacy, emphasizing the right information management platforms and efficient training for its engineers. To address the company’s focus on innovation and quality, management pursued a strategy of adopting key capabilities, including superior product lifecycle management (PLM) technology, an advanced manufacturing system and comprehensive digitally driven quality management process.
With increasingly fierce competition across the global watch market, Precision Timer paid special attention to its R&D capability and efficiency. As the nucleus of enterprise information engineering and a critical tool for product design, computer-aided design (CAD) technology was the first thing the company addressed. Management felt that finding the right 3D design solution to meet its unique product development requirements and bolster its R&D proficiency was urgent. Mingtian explains, “By combining the features of timepieces with our own R&D requirements, and after an evaluation by our senior leaders, we chose a flexible and easy-to-use software solution that addresses all aspects of the product development process. We chose Solid Edge from Siemens PLM Software.”
