Product category:
CAM and software for sheetmetal, punching, profiling, EDM, etc
News Release from: Jetcam International | Subject: CAM - CNC punch presses
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 23 July 2007
CNC punching CAM stores tooling geometry
For CNC punching, heet metal working subcontractor has standardised on one CAM system that stores tooling data on geometry, not the nest, so changes are reflected across all nests instantly.
Lund Brothers, based in West Sussex, UK, and founded in 1898 is one of the oldest sheet metal manufacturing companies in the UK The company has used JETCAM Expert since 1998, to drive Wiedemann CNC punch presses
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 26 Dec 2003 at 8.00am (UK)
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While essentially happy with the system they were tempted to try a competing system in 2001 offered by their MRP provider.
Said Nigel Standen, director: "We were offered the other system at a very low price - the same as the annual maintenance for JETCAM.
We took it, letting the maintenance contract slip on JETCAM.
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The operator was trained, yet he still kept coming back with issues and limitations, such as the limited tool library and inaccurately tool selection during auto-tooling.
The product itself turned out to be very basic, with a price quoted to upgrade every time we needed a specific feature.
It was simply less fluid than JETCAM." After the trained operator left, CNC Programmer Alan Newell took over the programming for the CNC punch presses in 2004.
Newall said: "I had also been trained on the other CAM system, but I was taught how to use JETCAM by Nigel in half a day.
After this the other product just stayed in the drawer as JETCAM is just much easier to use, even though at the time the version we were using was several years older than the other system.
JETCAM is more accurate in the selection of tools that it offers you to tool a part, and tooling is applied to the geometry, not the nest.
This means that if we make a change to a part all the nests that use that part automatically reflect any changes".
In 2006 Lund decided to purchase an Amada EM2510 punch press with load/unloader.
Standen commented: "I asked Alan to make a choice first on the two systems in-house.
Once that decision was made I could decide whether to use one of those to drive all machines, or to run them in tandem with the software offered with the Amada.
At that time JETCAM did not have a post for the new Amada and we had initial concerns that they would not be able to drive the machine fully, however JETCAM assured us that there would be no issues.
It was also significantly cheaper than the other offering".
Newall added: "JETCAM's automation scored higher than any other system I've used.
Because some products require several types of form tools it is important the tooling data is set before going through the scheduling and freeform nest parts of JETCAM Expert.
I like the fact that I can dip in at any stage to manually make changes.
Adding parts manually to a semi-completed nest using bump nesting is particularly good.
It was not a difficult decision to make".
The new postprocessor was installed, along with the free-form nesting module and MRP facility.
A maintenance contract was also put in place, allowing Lund to download the latest version of the software.
The installation was performed onsite in one day, with the machine punching metal immediately.
After the acquisition of another business and the subsequent relocation of staff, Lund purchased a second license and a floating server license in 2007, allowing staff across the network to use the software.
With plans to purchase a CNC laser machine in the future Lund Bros see JETCAM Expert as an integral part of their manufacturing process.
Standen concluded: "The first license paid for itself within the first six month of use and we are seeing even more benefits with the second license and the new automation through nesting.
JETCAM is by far the easiest software that we've looked at.
You can program from 0% to 100% by hand or automation - it's up to you, not the system".
Benefits achieved from JETCAM are as follows.
* Chose to standardise on JETCAM over an already installed competing system and software bundled with the machine.
* Driving all advanced features of the Amada EM2510 CNC punch press.
* Tooling stored on the geometry, not the nest, so changes are reflected across all nests instantly.
* Ability to run totally automatically, yet with the capability to make changes at every level * Complex free-form nests can be quickly generated, with the ability to drag and drop more parts onto the nest manually using bump nesting.
* Operator trained in half a day.
* Initial license paid for itself within six months.
* Excellent support from UK distributor.
* Utilising floating license across two locations.
* Maintenance allows instant download of software updates.
Lund uses the following machine tools, * One Amada EM2510 CNC punch press with load/unload materials handling system.
* One Wiedemann Centrum 3000 CNC punch press.
Software installed is as follows.
* Two Expert Premium with MRP, free-form nesting on a floating server license.
** About JETCAM International - JETCAM International has been developing and distributing its JETCAM Expert range of CADCAM software since 1986.
In use in over 70 countries worldwide, JETCAM Expert software supports virtually every CNC punching, laser, plasma, routing, waterjet and flatbed cutting machine available today, allowing users to program any combination of CNC machines with a single CAM system.
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