Increasing Material Efficiency

Cutting material waste or increasing material efficiency is often a top priority for most manufacturers. Optimation understands that where there is waste there is an opportunity for intelligent CNC nesting software, multiple strategies, and powerful tools you can use to cut waste.

1

AxiomVE^™

This revolutionary automatic nesting software with Vision Emulation^™ and Multi-Dimensional Combinatorial Nesting^™ stands apart in its approach. It considers better nesting combinations, looks at parts and angles as you would, and returns the optimal option in seconds or minutes. Automatically. Efficiently.

2

Nesting Software Strategies

There are several nesting strategies you can employ with Optimation software to achieve the material efficiency you want within your production requirements. Interactive, Automatic or Batch or Just-in-Time strategies are available to give you the flexibility you need. Maybe one or a combination of a couple would work best.

3

Cutting/Punching Common Edges

We can put identical part edges together and cut them simultaneously saving space. By setting the controlling parameters on a per-part or global basis, programming time is saved and material is not wasted. Consider common cutting (laser) or common punching (turret punch). Within each of these strategies there are a number of different tactics to calibrate the tool to your specific needs.

4

Schedule Management

Some manufacturers create batches of nests based on all order requirements due in the next day; shift. Depending on the part mix, the efficiency is high because of the large volume of parts and orders. Are you getting the most efficiency possible by looking out one day, one shift? What if at the end of that batch, you "discard" the nests that reflect lower efficiency (fewer parts to draw on), and re-nest them with the next batch?

5

Filler Parts

Filler parts are inventoried parts or parts used in a Kanban system. Either way they aren't needed urgently. By adding these non-priority parts to the order bucket and nesting only when scrap material is available, you can still hit your production due dates, and increase your material efficiency.

6

Right Sheet Sizes

Imagine having just a few parts to nest on a material that is infrequently used. The material would necessarily have a very low material efficiency. One technique is to set the cut off of the sheet at the minimum distance to the nest edge, and save the remnant for use in nesting later. Alternatively, the software will automatically look at multiple sheet size options, calculate the nest and efficiency and choose the best sheet size for you.

7

Same Parts

Some parts nest very well in conjunction with their own geometric shape. If these parts are pre-set in 180° pairs, their own geometry can be used to maximize optimal efficiency.

8

Nesting Beneath the Clamps

In the punching environment the clamp strip or dead zone is frequently not used for parts because of the concern of inadvertently punching the clamps. There's no need to waste 3 to 4 inch dead zone around the clamps. When automatically nesting beneath and between the parts the material is effectively used.

9

Parts in Parts

By nesting inside of parts/windows, and windows within windows, etc. you can obtain a rectangular material efficiency of greater than 100%. The parts nested inside of other parts are making effective use of voids, which would otherwise be scrap. It's easy because it is automatic.

10

Scrap Management

Having some scrap is virtually inevitable. The more realistic challenge is how to make the best use of whatever scrap may remain after a nest is created. Review these three strategies to see which is right for you.