FOCUS ON DIGITALISATION
As online orders increase , there will still be space available in LaserCloud ’ s new production hall for more sheet metal processing machines .
Design and production checks department still had to check the feasibility of each part . What good is a digital ordering process if we need to intervene manually every time ? The web shop then becomes a one-way street ,” pointed out Joachim Deeg . His vision was to integrate a running cost calculation for the many single orders , along with a feasibility analysis , into the web shop so that everything could run as automatically as possible .
Specifications for the feasibility analysis
RockIT then integrated the cost calculation into the LaserCloud shop and referred to the Optimate start-up when it came to feasibility analysis . The cost calculation was quickly integrated and RockIT adapted the interface as well as the link to the Optimate solution .
“ We had estimates of up to two years to integrate the feasibility analysis into our web shop ,” recalled Joachim Deeg . “ But what manufacturing company can afford to wait two long years until the feasibility check for sheet metal parts is implemented in the web shop ? Optimate doesn ’ t think in terms of years , but in short sprints .”
The start-up ’ s software development team was able to implement the first operational programs within two weeks .
A set of specifications defined what LaserCloud expected from a feasibility analysis . It was important to Joachim Deeg that there was both a design and a production check .
“ Our goal was that when feasibility was checked i . e . once the part was ready to go , the stored STEP file could then be uploaded directly into our CAD program with a simple click to create the NC program . We then worked through all eventualities and determined what we would have to contribute from our side ,” he said .
Two LaserCloud employees were entrusted with technical clarification . Together with the
LaserCloud employees produce single and rush orders within twothree days , and delivery also needs to be kept to a minimum . Sheetmetal parts are delivered to regional customers in its own vans .
Deeg specialists in programming , design and work prep , topics such as laser processing , cutting and others were discussed . The inhouse bending department ’ s expertise was also indispensable to determining where it would be necessary to adapt the designed customer parts and what kind of feasibility analysis could be considered for bending .
“ In a project team here at LaserCloud , we kept interfacing with Deeg and then spoke with RockIT and Optimate and maintained the specifications . It was a challenge for us to translate all our technical expertise into this software philosophy ,” they told ISMR .
If a web shop user uploads their part to the platform as a design drawing in STEP or DFX format , the first step is the feasibility analysis . Specifically , it checks whether the part can be produced in terms of design ( including bending radius , contours and flange lengths ). The customer then enters the material and other parameters for the production test .
The sheet metal processor ’ s machine and tool data were stored for just this purpose . Based on these characteristics , the digital feasibility analysis checks whether the ordered part can be produced with the machines at LaserCloud . Initially , it was still unclear just how reliable this would be , and whether the orders would actually run as planned .
Of course , no-one wanted half the parts to be rejected by the feasibility analysis ; a balance had to be found . On the one hand , it was important not to reject too many online orders but , on the other , the company wanted to ensure that the parts that passed the feasibility check could actually be produced with a high level of reliability .
“ The fact that Optimate has in-depth sheet metal knowledge in addition to software expertise was a major advantage ,” highlighted the LaserCloud managing director ( e . g . in terms of the 3D feasibility of bent parts such as how parts are being bent and with which radius and minimum flange length ).
Should the Optimate feasibility analysis reject a part , it can be placed into a second shopping cart with non-calculable parts . In this case , an order is not generated , and the design data and entered parameters are sent to the design department for manual checking . Typical errors that are not passed through the design check are open contours ; duplicate contours ; multiple parts in a file ; incorrect line colours ; different sheet thicknesses in a part
Several smaller machines are available if a hole needs to be drilled or a thread needs to be cut in one of the single parts .
36 | ismr . net | ISMR February 2024