Product category:
CAM, CNC and production management software
News Release from: Radan Computational | Subject: Radbend software
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial
Team on 17 October 2007
CNC cuts lead times for navy supplier
Radbend CNC allows Aish to carry out all the programming for the press brake from the design office, enabling the machine to be in constant use.
Aish Technologies based in Poole, Dorset, specialises in the design and manufacture of multi-function and dual display consoles which are fitted to most British and many foreign naval platforms The company's sheet metal department is the cornerstone of its manufacturing ability and the use of Radbend CNC from Radan has been key to a decrease in lead times by as much as 25% in fabrication development
"With 80% of what we manufacture starting out as sheet metal, fast production set-up and machine efficiency is critical", explains Project Engineer Jon Beeching.
Radbend software puts the control back into the hands of pre-production, reducing machine redundancy and maximising profitability.
Radan software (Radraft and Radpunch) was first introduced at Aish in 1997 with the installation of a 45-turret Amada machine.
"Ease of use, increased sheet utilisation and the ability to integrate third-party software and create flat plan geometry from 3D, really sold it to us" Beeching said.
Aish upgraded its machine shop again in 2004, adding more capacity to its CNC line-up of Amada press brakes with a Trumpf laser/punch combination machine and the new V1300X brake press.
"Our purchase of a Trumpf V1300 brake press was a good time to call Radan back in to talk about Radbend CNC", says Beeching.
"It allows us to do everything we want and really proves itself when we are working on projects for the MoD as they require a trial form before going into full production".
"Many of the ruggedised enclosures we design and manufacture for them are mission critical, able to function under severe combat conditions so quality is paramount".
Radbend CNC allows Aish to carry out all the programming for the press brake from the design office, enabling the machine to be in constant use.
With full 3D model simulation, bending operations can be programmed and verified, improving reliability of finished parts, which in turn greatly reduces manufacturing costs.
With the Trumpf T6000L, for example, the company has seen sheet utilisation increasing by at least 25%.
In the drawing office, real flat part information is taken directly from customers' DXF and DWG files and a folding program is then generated with any additional information such as bend angles and allowances.
The geometry is created, including associated tooling, and the program setup sheets are issued to the shopfloor, where the program is loaded into the machine through the DNC link.
"The simple process enables us to produce quite complex shapes with relatively minimal effort", explains Beeching.
"We had one job recently involving a fabricated console housing four flat screens for the Navy which had numerous compound angles".
Different tolerances were involved to fit the flat screens, a potentially laborious job made easy with the use of Radan 3D.
When it comes to fabrication, the software is excellent for visualising the cut and weld lines, providing more choices of where and how to bend or cut before manufacturing a part.
Some of Aish's customers are now designing parts that can be imported straight into Radan, which reduces the manufacturing time even further underlining the importance of the software to the company's project management capabilities in meeting exacting requirements.
"Increasingly our customers are demanding shorter and shorter timescales and require a very fast turnaround, says Beeching".
"We were able to get some brackets for another customer out of the door on the same day they sent their design directly into Radan".
"They were delighted and so were we".
Aish plans to add another two licences of Radan 3D and another one each of Radpunch and Radprofile to its sheet metal capability. Request a free brochure from Radan Computational ...
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