Page 20 - MetalForming October 2013

Software for Manufacturing
Corporate Cost Center—Overseer of Two Sheetmetal-Fab Operations— Standardizes on Nesting Software
Imscorp, Lincoln, NE, owns a pair of manufacturing companies, each with its own set of sheetmetal-fabricating equipment, and a variety of sheet-nest- ing software products used to plot cut- ting operations. The two companies: SourceOne, a custom contract manu- facturer and powder coater, which also manufactures its own line of outdoor power equipment; and Bison, Inc., a manufacturer of sports equipment, out- door site furnishings and custom gym- nasium structures.
To make its sheetmetal-fabricating processes (laser cutting and turret- press punching) more cost-effective, Imscorp created a corporate cost cen- ter in a new facility to handle sheetmetal operations for both companies. It imple- mented a new MRP system, and then decided that to improve shop-floor effi- ciency and the companies’ freedom to select any brand of fabricating equip- ment, it would need to standardize on one nesting system and programming software.
Says Michael Kreuzberg, Imscorp production supervisor: “We did not want to have to use multiple software products to program different machines. We want- ed one solution for everything.”
As its software solution, the firm
selected Jetcam Expert, supplied by U.S. distributor NestOne Solutions, Duluth, GA, and purchased postproces- sors for each of its machines. Kreuzberg was surprised at how quickly the system was up and running.
“I started as a programmer with no background in laser or turret CNC pro- gramming,” he says. “After we decided on Jetcam, there was a two-day instal- lation and training program and we were producing parts within hours.”
After going live, sheet utilization increased by 15 percent (or more, in some cases). And, more efficient nests means that fewer sheets must be loaded onto the machines. Jetcam also stores remnant sheets for future use, further reducing waste.
On-time delivery also improved. Says Kreuzberg:
“About half of our workload is for high-volume repeat orders, with the remainder being smaller jobs with short lead times. Since we can go direct from CAD file to nest very quickly, our captive shop lead times went from several months to weeks or days, and our small-
er job-shop lead times went from weeks to days—even hours.”
Programming time also improved dra- matically, with Imscorp taking advan- tage of Jetcam’s automatic component creation, tooling and nesting. CAD files automatically are imported using the software’s single-component automat- ic processing function, with component files being created, tooled and ready for nesting in seconds. And, the company takes information from its MRP system into Jetcam to combine orders of the same material and thickness.
“The system paid for itself in less than 8 months,” concludes Kreuzberg. NestOne: 800/790-1640; www.nestonesolutions.com
New Costing-Software Version Offers Unique Features for Machining and Fabrication
MTI Systems, Inc., West Spring- field, MA, has released Costimator version 12 cost-estimating soft- ware, packed with upgrades and features that further enhance speed, accuracy and consistency for esti- mators. Included is a new layer of specialized and unique features for machining and fabrication.
Among its new upgraded features:
• Updated material wizard—Users can account for material drop (scrap), minimum lot charges and surcharges.
• New/updated cost models—Painting, routing, cycle time complete, waterjet, laser, shearing, end facing, surface work.
• Updated workcenter rates—New manufacturing labor rates have been added/updated to the workcenter database, offering OEMs new options to cost parts made in more than 31 countries and nine U.S. regions.
MTI Systems, Inc.: www.mtisystems.com
18 MetalForming/October 2013
www.metalformingmagazine.com