Automation Software as a Tool to Break Up Shop Bottlenecks

To meet the demand that comes with this growth, OCFab runs its multiple CNC machines overnight. The shop’s Trumpf TruLaster 1030 6-kilowat and TruLaser 3040 10-kilowat laser cutting machines are the workhorses of the operation, helping to put out approximately 600,000 pounds of finished material every month. To do this, though, OCFab keeps a sharp eye on how smoothly the shop is running.

When OCFab first began installing laser cutting units in 2007, the question was not whether or not a CAM software was needed. It was which one to use. OCFab has always appreciated the value in using technology to drive efficiency. After researching different options, the team brought on Lantek Expert 2D CAD/CAM automated nesting software (Lantek Systems, West Chester, Ohio) because of its customizability and exhaustive information storage. That same software (albeit updated) runs all the machines to this day.

Immediately after the laser cutting unit and its CAM software were brought online, OCFab began taking on more work almost exponentially. The machines were moving through material faster than the shop ever had before. This highlighted shop bottlenecks that had previously not been problematic. Mechanical Designer Justin Waldner said that the shop was essentially maxed out. There was no room to take on any more work; there were far too many issues with the production process that needed to be smoothed out first.

Waldner shared, “To stay profitable, we needed to get out PO’s out as soon as possible. Our jobs were quoted inconsistently and varied greatly in margin. We were not very reactive to market conditions." It was taking employees up to four days to draw up plans and material lists. At that point, the plans were almost set in stone, as it was so laborious to adjust them later.

As so much of this process was left to employees, OCFab began to sacrifice efficiency. “If that assigned person couldn’t figure something out, no one else could. It was a lot of overtime, a lot of sacrifices, a lot of unpleasantness,” said Waldner. Eventually the team realized that they needed to offload the job.

Fortunately, two solutions were available from the same developer of their chosen CAM system: MES (manufacturing execution software) Manager and Integra. MES handles shop workflow by automating job scheduling and tracking by monitoring machine availability, inventory, staff, and job priority. As it works, it displays each job’s status for easy reference. Integra automates the inventory and purchasing process. Industry costs are automatically pulled from online databases, shop efficiency metrics are analyzed and stored, and estimated costs are compared to true costs for each order – all without any human interaction. Waldner said, “It’s only been a little over a year since starting with this new system, but I can’t imagine not having it now.”

Integra excels when assembly plans need to be changed on the fly. “Sometimes we have to add tubing or update the purchased items list or edit the files somehow,” said Waldner. What had previously taken weeks to do by hand now takes only a few clicks within the Expert and Integra systems. “Once that information is uploaded, we can send out a quote almost instantly,” said Waldner. Sales orders are created right there in the software interface.

The new software conglomerate outdoes itself as a multi-job analyzing tool. If a certain job is comparatively low-volume, Expert flags it as an opportunity to nest parts from other jobs into the same material. Waldner said, “It’s a win for us because we fully use the material, and it’s a win for our customers because the prices reflect that conservative use.” Waldner estimated that 90 percent of the jobs that come through OCFab’s shop work directly off of Expert’s automated nesting, meaning they need no additional edits at all.

Throughout the machining process – from design to scheduling to production to shipping – OCFab’s software tracks every iota of data. Not only is this crucial for the tracking and documentation that so many certifications require, it is invaluable for in-house efficiency evaluation. Waldner said, “The traceability is unmatched. Now we know at a glance which parts need to go where for packing or welding, as well as if they’re already cut or upcoming.”

The result of this multitiered system is that production orders are made automatically, quoting has become a non-issue, and material waste has been all but eliminated. Waldner has come to rely on Expert and its complements MES and Integra so much that he has no problem running machines lights-out. And it’s fortunate he can, because the demand for OCFab’s work is only growing.