WOW Project #102 Exact JobBOSS Empowers General Metal Works Issue: Sales are declining and competitors are cutting into our business.
Vision: Implement lean and invest in cuttingedge machines and technology to reposition the company.
Results: Sales volume doubled, finished goods inventory was reduced 800%, lead times and set up times were cut in half, achieved ISO certification.
| Software Makes Hardware Happen |
Machine shops frequently spend $1 million or more for hardware, but in today's world of Computer Numeric Control, software drives the hardware that makes the money. In fact, software drives top machine shops as well as the machines they use. Shop floor control, Product Lifecycle Management, and other software applications help machine shops to cut costs, improve productivity and make themselves more profitable.
Software Puts Race Team In The Winner's Circle A race team shop increased its high tech horsepower with business management software that was put into place in mid 2006, then it added nine new Okuma THINC machining centers to expand its operations. The software the race team added was the Exact JobBOSS (www.jobboss.com) shop management program.
The Best NC Simulation and Verification Software You Never Heard Of The original way to verify an NC program was to run it on the machine, while you hoped that you didn't hear any loud thunks. Then offline verification programs such as Vericut (www.cgtech.com) and Predator (www.predatorsoftware.com) came along to allow NC programs to be verified - actually simulated - on a personal computer. Now it appears that verification is moving back to the machine at the same time that it is becoming an integral part of many of the CAM software packages in use today, and all of this is being driven by MachineWorks Ltd. in Sheffield, U.K.
NCL Multi-Axis Machining Software Now Available NCCS (www.nccs.com), the developer of NCL multi-axis machining software for the aerospace, automotive and turbo machinery industry, now offers new simulation features that are designed to let programmers visualize the entire machining process offline as it will occur on actual machine to view potential errors/collisions
Burlington Technologies Speeds Engine Component Design Canadian automotive engine component manufacturer Burlington Technologies, Inc. (www.burltech.com) says it has cut new product development time in half by using Solid-Works 3D CAD and PDMWorks Enterprise product data management software.
Mold Shop Leans On Software EIMO Americas Inc., a provider of plastic molding, tooling and related services, has overhauled the way it builds tools, with speed and cost-effectiveness recognized by both its domestic and foreign customers. Through lean manufacturing practices, continuous improvement and the use of Cimatron CAD/CAM software, the company continually eliminates waste and tightens processes through its entire business cycle from quoting to delivery.
Monitor In The Here And Now You can know what is happening right now on your shop floor, what happened five minutes ago, and what is likely to happen in the next few minutes. Real-time plant performance monitoring (PPM) systems give you the ability to do that, and to respond immediately to changes or problems in your manufacturing processes while creating and maintaining key performance indicators that will help you to optimize those processes.
3D CAD Has Become A "Must Have" The transition from 2D CAD to 3D CAD is not just another software upgrade. It requires the user to move from the world of 2D drafting to the world of 3D modeling. More than making 3D drawings, 3D CAD is about making models from which a wide range of information products can be generated. The laundry list of benefits 3D CAD vendors and experts talk about when promoting the migration to 3D CAD is almost exclusively focused on product design and development - areas where machinists rarely get to venture other than to inform engineers that their part cannot be made as designed. But 3D CAD is just as powerful a tool on the shop floor as it is in the engineering office.
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