Page 20 - MetalForming February 2012

Advances in software automation reduce labor content while increasing
machine efficiency on the shop floor.
BY JAMES LINDSEY
In today’s competitive business envi- ronment, producing parts more quickly and less costly gives sheet- metal fabricators an edge. Many busi- nesses are trying to get the most out of the machines on their shop floor by purchasing automated material-han- dling equipment such as sheet loaders/ unloaders, as well as investing in new machines that can rapidly cycle hits and change tools.
While new equipment may increase productivity, if businesses are still pro- gramming their machines with their outdated or original OEM manufac- turer’s software, they are not getting the full benefits from their machines. Recent advancements in software capa- bilities make it possible to automate the
James Lindsey is product manager, Sig- maTek Systems, LLC, Cincinnati, OH: 513/674-0005; www.sigmanest.com.
steps required to develop part designs and nests, and generate the required NC coding for plasma- and laser-cut- ting machines as well as CNC punch presses. This level of automation reduces manual data entry, which then reduces the required amount of man- power while increasing the accuracy of the CAD/CAM process.
To fully explain how automation can be integrated into the punching process, let’s first take a look at the individual steps involved and how each step can be improved upon.
MRP Integration
A good place to start this journey is at the beginning—incoming orders. Orders typically are received and entered into the business system using manufacturing-resource-planning (MRP) software. At most companies, this begins with printing out the orders and sending them to the sheetmetal-
nesting department. At this point, the programmer performing the nesting typically sorts the orders into differ- ent piles by material type and thick- ness, and due date. He then locates and manually imports the required CAD files, including adding the mate- rial type, thickness, quantity and due dates. This process can take several hours, depending on the number of orders being processed.
Now, due to new developments in nesting software, the order-entry process can easily be automated, thanks to a database transaction that sends data from the MRP system to the nesting software. By automating this step, the nesting operator can receive the data in minutes, including updated informa- tion on any changes made to due dates or to the quantities of each part order, or to react to orders put on hold. When orders are received, the data can be linked to existing engineering data to
Fabricators should implement standards for creating the geometry of formed features such as lou- vers and embosses in a 2D CAD file, to ensure the features are handled by the nesting software.
18 MetalForming/February 2012
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