Released on: August 8, 2008, 5:55 am

Press Release Author: Thomas R. Cutler

Industry: Software

Press Release Summary: Metal Fabricators Look to Optimation for Part Nesting

Press Release Body: For 30 years Optimation® has been the world leader in Part
Nesting for Optimized Material and Labor utilization. Consistently providing product
advancement leadership to industry, the company's new Nesting Technology, AxiomVE
make previous nesting methods obsolete. The new technology, Vision EmulationT,
allows the system to "see" the shape of parts, just as human eyes would view them.
When a person looks at a part, they see the whole shape and any special features on
the part. This information is then used to determine if the part will fit in an
area of the nest. Vision Emulation eliminates excessive trial and error as well as
excessive rotation.
Manufacturing journalist, Thomas R. Cutler, recently authored a feature article for
Industry 2.0 magazine titled, "Nesting Solutions for Metal Fabricators." In the
article Cutler cites Michael D Lundy, P.E. and CEO of Optimation
(www.optimation.com) who opines, "There are very few powerful automated nesting and
NC Programming software package for fabricators using laser machines (flying or
fixed optic, hybrid)." The nesting solutions for fabricators must work with part
designs. CAD drawings along with pertinent pre-programmed inputs and manufacturing
attributes must be imported into nesting solutions software. Lundy adds,
"Compatibility with a wide range of CAD formats is essential with any nesting
software."
An emergency stop is time consuming and may cause higher scrap. Collisions must be
avoided at all cost. Common cutting increases the possibility of a collision
because the laser head is moving nearer to adjacent parts; if those parts have been
cut free, they may bow up and collide with the head. Utilizing a collision
avoidance expert system in order to optimize the toolpath (by maintaining a
head-down position during rapid traverse whenever possible, avoiding tipped-up
pieces) is a reasonable quality expectation.
Providing a full-featured approach that allows the user to specify which parts can
be common edge cut when a part is libraried is also required, yet difficult to find
in many nesting and laser software solutions. Reading and applying key manufacturing
information marks for bend lines, weld lines, grain direction, part numbers, order
numbers, or anything needed with geometric marking and text etching should be on the
fabricators product expectation list.
Optimation offers benchmarking against any other method of part nesting; recent
benchmarks have show improvements up to 15% in material efficiency alone. As lean
efficiencies are essential, the most advanced nesting technology guarantees the most
important parts are always nested in the next available machine, providing advanced
information to integrated costing, labor reporting, and material inventory systems.
Because Optimation is strong financially and has the most advanced technology; the
company offers direct financing from its own capital resources.

Optimation
www.optimation.com
Michael D Lundy P.E.
Opti1@optinest.com
877-827-2100


Web Site: http://www.optimation.com

Contact Details: Optimation
704 NW Mock Street
Blue Springs, MO 64015
816-228-2100