Reducing Manufacturing Costs Via Design Optimization
Last Updated on Sunday, 20 May 2012 07:36 Written by admin Sunday, 20 May 2012 07:36
Computers can really offer lots of assistance to just about all areas of modern life. You can now do all of your personal banking, shopping, dating, scheduling, tax payments and much, much more with a computer program. A modern business can also receive a long list of benefits through its reliance on computers. This could happen in several different ways, the most impressive of which is the role computers can play in reducing production costs. For instance, manufacturers will reduce the cost of manufacturing through automation. Manufacturers employed in a wide range of fields and industries are also able to cut costs by a process known as design optimization. This strategy is best or most easily illustrated using laser cutting technologies as an example. For instance, let’s take a look at a rather busy laser cutting company that produces specialty components and parts from materials like aluminum, copper and steel. Imagine that they’ve chosen to cut manufacturing costs by using specialized programs that will manage their materials and designs in such a way that it will save lots of time and expense. For instance, there is a wide range of software applications including CAM (computer aided manufacturing), MRP (manufacturing resource planning) and ERP (enterprise resource planning). These will plan future projects, assess them for the materials needed, make sure the supplies are available, and get to work using the machinery to complete most of the laser cuts in a single event. This might see just one piece of steel moved through the cutting machine and used to complete four to five projects simultaneously, and the computer will have reviewed and arranged all of the componenets in line with the design optimization program. Using this frugal system will seriously cut manufacturing costs because it makes it possible for you to manage several jobs at the same time and in one single cutting procedure. Remember, any good CAM program will allow the laser cutting machine to be taught to behave in specific ways throughout the manufacturing process, and this means that barcodes and ID numbers could be etched on the surface to help staff identify which projects they belonged to. Additionally, many machines are capable of handling what are known as “nested” cuts which are done by loading numerous sheets of metal into the machine, and then allowing the laser to follow pre-established cutting lines identified in a single plan. The software will usually identify these opportunities and inform staff of the needs of the specific job. One additional way which design optimization is put to work to reduce the cost of manufacturing is to depend on the appropriate computer systems to make sure that products are built with as few parts as is possible. This is actually something that is highly controllable and which can allow manufacturers to guarantee their production costs are kept to a bare minimum while the quality of their products remains high. This is something very important in an industry such as laser cutting because all good programs will assess designs and present methods for concurrent development and the best cutting procedures and design features for any particular job. Marc Anderes is the VP of Operations of Maloya Laser that is dedicated to Metal Manufacturing and Laser Cutting with state-of-the-art laser systems, servicing aerospace, medical, machinery, scientific and transportation requirements.