Is this you with your CAD/CAM or MRP / ERP software? |
For most machine shop and CAD/CAM software developers today ... it seems that the flashier the pictures and the more complex the user interface ... that would equate into the most innovative software. For most users of these products however ... the experience is best described as trying to get a drink of water from a firehouse. It's all just overkill .... there is just too much "fluff" there ... most of it is lost or never used ... and the bottom line results are never realized.
Take CAD/CAM for example ...
No one can deny that CAD/CAM is a great tool ... no doubt ... and most of the designs we use in the world every day would not be possible without at least the CAD portion of CAD/CAM. But one fact is clear to anyone living in a production world ... if a machine shop puts every job through the CAD/CAM system ... through the CAD/CAM programmer ... they are inevitably losing money. The simple part programming ... the programming actually done in 95% of shops in the real world every day ... does not require a CAD/CAM system ... nor a CAD/CAM programmer. Giving additional chip makers the capability to quickly and easily create G code programs for these simpler workpieces ... gives the shop a much higher level of efficiency ... faster finished part output ... and in the end a better bottom line. It's a simple fact. Of course not every workpiece can be accomplished with a simple programming tool ... those complex jobs will still require something equivalent to a CAD / CAM system ... but with other chip makers handling the simpler programming ... the "CAD/CAM guy" has more freedom and more time to devote to the complex programming tasks ... and the work flow and finished output is greatly enhanced.
Innovation is not always the most complex solution. |
Again ... no one can deny that these complex systems have their place ... and can positively effect a companies bottom line. The problems we encounter is that there a way too many "features" ... and as a result they are either missing the important "real world" features ... or these features are so under-developed the results they produce do more harm than good. It seems the developers are so concerned with the number of bells and whistles ... they never adequately develop the truly needed features. For example ... quite a few of the big $$$ MRP and ERP systems denigrate machining cycletime to a simple user input ... no auto-calculations ... just a field for a user input. WHAT ?? Anyone living in the real world knows that building a cost estimate based on an inaccurate time to machine the part is a recipe for lost profits. And anyone living on the shop floor knows that consistency and accuracy along with the ability to insure that cutting parameters used in cycletime estimates can be reproduced on THEIR shop floor .... is the key to machining profitability.
KipwareCYC® ( cycletime estimating ) and KipwareQTE® ( cost estimating ) are applications devoted to the tasks for which they were developed. Proven in-the-trenches for over 2 decades ... helping our clients around the world to not only win MORE work ... but win MORE PROFITABLE work. And after all isn't that the key ... winning work that is profitable ... not having the shop busy producing parts that are losing money.
Kipware® = a more logical approach |
Using real world tools like Kipware® conversational or Kipware® business software is the equivalent of turning down the flow of the firehouse ... more of that water can be captured and used for it's intended purposes.
CLICK HERE for more information on Kipware® software |
Kenney Skonieczny - President
Kentech Inc.