These demanding jobs are becoming increasingly more customized, with strong pricing pressure and shorter lead times. Any changes in machinery or process can cause large production setbacks and eat away at your profits. So, what is the solution to managing this kind of work?
In today’s highly competitive environment, there are many shops that are currently struggling with being able to effectively control and successfully manage jobs that are comprised of multi-operation tube assembles and are becoming more and more customized, with tougher pricing pressure and shorter lead times. These jobs each a highly detailed process workflow along with the correct machinery and right tools in order to overcome the challenges. Any changes in machinery or process can cause large production setbacks and eat away at your profits. So, what is the solution to managing this kind of work? It is having a toolbox with the right tools inside of it. That is what can help make your shop stand out from the competition, to ensure your success throughout the production process so that the profit margins on these demanding jobs can be increased.
Inside The Tool Box
So, what is inside of the toolbox? A secure and integrate management and programming software suite like the BLM Elements that groups together production control, management, simulation, and programming tools to provide you with the capability of being able to see the end as part of the overall whole – without having to program every single job separately, whether the operation involves end-forming, bending, or laser cutting – which is a practical benefit that can save you a lot of money and time where multiple machine operations are necessary for production. For example, when started from a three-dimensional assembly model, these tools can be used to recognize and examine the different individual parts, analyze the necessary jobs for processing them, and automatically manage the production:
Artube 3 is a very powerful Lasertube CAD/CAM programming application that comes with numerous add-on modules which make it among the most highly advanced laser design systems that are currently offered. It has the ability to process all formats of CAD files: IFC, XT, IGES, and STEP. Part models that are created using other CAD program and then imported into the applications get transformed into native models. Once a part CAD model is imported, the user will have access to advanced libraries which include cut-bend and fitting options. The features may be applied to the model by just one click of a mouse, which simplifies complex operation that normally requires a lot of expertise and time to put together. The importing 3D model module is just as effective. With the Assembler module, a user can import complicated tubular structures, rather than just individual parts, which makes it very easy to manage assemblies. Multi-technology models, which may include bent tubes, may be imported as well. Bending operations are recognized automatically and managed by the part program being created and sent over to the bending system. The capability simplifies communication within a production cell. The 3D model is converted by the CAM module into CNC code and the part program is directly written without any manual operation needed.
VGP3D is a very versatile and simple bending management and programming system. The tube design is gradually displayed in the 3D model as the operator enters data of each of the bends with a very intuitive and simple sequence of operations. On the end of the programming operations, the real process of the part is shown by the 3D graphics simulator on the chosen bending system and also highlights any potential collisions that may affect part and production quality. Being able to import the bent tube 3D models and link to Artube for receiving part programs that are pared in advance is what makes this software easy to use and convenient.
PartViewer is a very powerful application that stimulates the Lasertube system part programs that allow a user to manage archived part programs as well as graphically display each one in 3D. Part programs may be filtered by customer, machine types, thickness, material type, size, section shape, etc. and accurately analyzes the costs and time of the job. That significantly simplifies the work of costing jobs and creating quotes for new work. It enables the modification of process parameters to see the impact on the system’s productivity immediately.
The Composer application manages part families that have parts with common features but vary in terms of feature locations and/or relative dimensions. The family’s detailed models are saved and can be called up easily and sent into production, along with parameter information that relates only to the variable dimensions. To select the part family and define measures an external ERP can be interfaced easily with the Composer.
ProTube can be used to achieve production management in the office. Efficiencies may be gained through the organization of machine programs into combinations of work orders and jobs can be sent to each system that is connected to the network. The job settings are contained in each patch that optimizes execution and quality times. Networked machines send information – including machine-related conditions such as job progress, event history, and operating state – back to Protube so that current production can be managed optimally. A production manager is able to use the integrated chat function for sending machine operators messages for timely communication. All jobs, work orders, and processed bathes are filed within the centralized server and at any time can be reopened to be updated or launched for production.
Owning machinery that has advanced software capabilities provides with your the benefits of help your shop be able to accurately cost jobs, reduce lead times through managing production, and use efficiency gains to increase capacity. The collective management and programming software platform is used to analyze, transfer, and gather real-time operations data which allows production operators and managers to troubleshoot and reduce downtime quickly. Multi-operation assembly workflow is smoother throughout the entire production process, which allows profitability to be the focus on your shop and for you to continue to grow your business.
