Reducing Manufacturing Costs With Design Optimization
Virtually all aspects of our lives can now be made easier by the use of computers. You can do just about anything with a computer, from accounting and personal banking to shopping, watching TV shows and even dating. Modern manufacturers can also be able to enjoy a long list of benefits by using computers. This can happen in a number of ways, and the most impressive is when they are used to cut manufacturing costs.
For instance, factories will reduce the cost of manufacturing through the automation of certain tasks. Manufacturers in countless fields and industries will also be able to cut costs by a system known as design optimization. This strategy can be best or most easily illustrated using the laser cutting industry as an example.
For example, let’s consider a rather busy laser cutting business that manufactures specialty components and parts from materials like aluminum, copper and steel. In order to cut manufacturing costs they have chosen to begin using specialized programs that will manage their design and manufacturing processes in such a way that it will save them a ton of time and money. For example, there is a wide range of software applications such as MRP (manufacturing resource planning), CAM (computer assisted manufacturing) and ERP (enterprise resource planning). These will plan future assignments, assess them for material needs, make sure that the supplies are ready to use, and use the laser cutter to cut most of the component parts in one single event. This might see a single piece of stainless steel moved through the cutting machine and used to complete numerous projects simultaneously, and the program will review and arrange all of the items in accordance with the program for design optimization.
Using this more cost effective strategy will radically cut manufacturing costs because it makes it easy for you to manage a single cutting procedure that subsequently might actually tackle several jobs at once. Remember, any CAM program would allow the laser cutting machine to be programed to operate in specific ways throughout the cutting process, and therefore ID numbers can be etched on each component to help staff identify which project they belong to. Additionally, some laser cutting machines can handle “nested” cuts. This involves stacking multiple sheets of metal into the machine, and instructing the laser to follow common cutting lines identified in a single plan. The computer will actually identify these opportunities and alert you to the specific needs of the job.
Another way that design optimization is put to work to lower manufacturing costs is to rely on the appropriate programs and computer systems to make sure that products are designed with the least number of components as is possible. This is something that is actually easily controllable and that can allow manufacturers to guarantee their production costs are kept to an absolute minimum without sacrificing the quality of their products. This would be especially beneficial in a field like laser cutting and all good programs will evaluate designs and demonstrate the best cutting methods and manufacturing process for any specific job.
Marc Anderes is the VP of Operations of Maloya Laser that is dedicated to Metal Manufacturing and <A href=”http://www.MaloyaLaser.com”>Laser Cutting</a> with advanced <A href=”http://www.maloyalaser.com/capabilities_equipment.php”>laser systems</a>, targeting medical, aerospace, scientific and transportation needs.