A CAM catalyst for French efficiency

Vincent Glatre, site manager at French subcontractor Métal Industrie, says: “The proprietary software supplied with our laser cutter couldn’t solve the complex programming required for these components, and generated more knockouts than parts on the sheet.”

The company urgently looked at several software systems, and the first tests with Radan’s powerful nesting module enabled the subcontractor to meet the order’s deadline.

Mr Glatre adds: “Beyond the immediate resolution of our nesting issue, we immediately saw a 10% reduction in cutting times, thanks to program optimisation.” Since then Métal Industrie has strengthened its software step-by-step to make it a productivity tool every bit as valuable as a new machine.

“In the early days we used the software that came with our machines, which was fine for simple cutting and common issues, but as we took on increasingly complex work we needed Radan’s automation features that were capable of optimising nesting to save costs on raw material and increasing productivity,” Mr Glatre says.

Métal Industrie was formed following the merging of three companies in 1993 which specialised in sheetmetal and decorative layout, and needed a dedicated laser cutting service to meet that particular requirement.

Moving from its 300m² workshop to 2,000m² premises in 2011 the company has invested in semi-automated cutting machines and high-end press brakes. Now operating 24 hours a day with 17 employees and new machines, it offers technical folding services as well as flatbed laser cutting.

“We also undertake tungsten inert gas or metal inert gas welding, with integrated trimming for quality finishes,” Mr Glatre affirms.

Processing around 2,800 tons of raw materials – mainly steel, stainless steel and aluminium in thicknesses ranging from 0.5mm to 25mm – the company often manages contracts ranging from one-offs to 10,000.

Like many businesses, the French company originally prepared its quotes on internally-developed spreadsheets, but simplified procedures by integrating Radan’s Radquote software, which mastered all the required technologies while also supporting other data necessary for accurate and functional costing, such as analysis and transport.

“Its full flexibility means we can adapt it to the specific needs of each company,” Mr Glatre asserts.

After investing in a new 170 tonne Trumpf press brake in 2017 Métal Industrie completed the Radan suite by installing the Radbend module, continuing a strategy of offline programming to detect any possible issues before work commences.

Radbend contains all machine and environment data such as the number of axes, type of stops, and tools, and the folding is simulated to verify the code ensuring there is no collision with the machine or tools. If there is an issue, the software assists with its resolution.

“For most parts, it’s an automated process,” explains Mr Glatre. “The operator simply pulls up the program and follows the various steps of the 3D image, starting with the correct positioning of tools to achieve the folding sequence safely.

“Radnest saves a lot of time, allowing us to fold many more parts than if the operators had to manage their own programming directly on the machine. Once the customer’s file is transferred to Radbend we get the developed file for cutting.”

Another step in the company’s software journey was to find a backbone for data centralisation and workshop monitoring: “We were using several programs for purchasing, scheduling, quotations with Radquote, and accounting – and communication between departments wasn’t easy.”

After looking at several ERP systems, Mr Glatre chose Workplan, which, like Radan, comes from Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence’s production software business.

“This exploits a database common to all services, centralising information without having to re-enter it. It fully interfaces with Radan, from quotation through to workshop program management,” Mr Glatre explains.

“It also saves considerable time while giving real-time access to every stage of our business. For example we can give customers an up-to-the-minute status of their order and touch pads in the workshop let all operators show their activity, from the cutting stage through to packaging the finished products.”

Mr Glatre says this gives management total control over the company’s schedule and means they can produce a balance sheet at any time to ensure the smooth running of the business.

Both Radquote’s quotation software and Radan’s nesting engine are automatically called up by Workplan, meaning users can see everything without leaving the software. And Mr Glatre cites an example of how the two software packages work together seamlessly and efficiently.

“It enables us to anticipate stock purchases based on previously signed orders and stock material. Two months later, Workplan automatically interrogates the Radan nesting engine, taking into account the geometric complexity of parts produced by laser cutting, and uses the data to make a quotation based on real and accurate information.”

He says the software’s strength is to make the entire business processes completely accessible and transparent: “Overall at Métal Industrie we are writing the future with both Radan and Workplan.”

Finally, the company has also integrated a sister product, Workxplore, a powerful 3D file viewer and analyser, which imports and analyses all file types and sizes at high-speed. It often takes less than half the time to open a file compared to the original CAD application.

Radan www.radan.com