New Release - Enhanced Printing Functions for Quoting and Estimating Software

Kentech Inc. is pleased to announce the release of version 13.3.0 of KipwareQTE® and version 6.3.0 of KipwareCYC®.

KipwareQTE® is our machine shop cost estimating and quoting software.
KipwareCYC® is our machining cycletime estimating software.

Both titles now have enhanced PRINTING options that allow for the printing to any device connected and registered with the operating system on the PC. This means that printing to any device ... including "virtual"devices such as PDF printers ... can be done for any printing option in either software title.

This new feature is shipping standard as of 3/5/2015 in both titles.

Kenney Skonieczny - President
Kentech Inc.

Please visit us at www.KentechInc.com for additional 

information and video content on all our 

Real World Machine Shop Software

Guidelines for Calculating Machining Hourly Rate

We tout this fact all the time in our marketing ... at Kentech Inc. we are MACHINISTS ... we cut chips, we programmed, we ran shop floors for years ... then we became software engineers and designers and built software products we saw were lacking during those years. What we refer to as Real World Machine Shop Software. 

As a result, many of our clients come to us to take advantage of that experience ... especially those just starting out. Since quoting and estimating is one of the first tasks a new shop needs to get right ... we get asked quite a lot of questions about these areas. Our KipwareCYC® ( machining cycletime estimating software ) and KipwareQTE® ( cost estimating / quoting software ) titles are two of our most popular titles. One of the "hot" topics we encounter during online presentations of these titles is often concerning the cost to charge for a machining or a shop rate. So we thought it was a good time to add a blog post with some guidelines we feel are simple enough ... but important enough ... that can get you to an accurate figure.

Since many shops will utilize an hourly rate as a basis for charging for machining time, this post is dedicated to some helpful guidelines on how to calculate that machining hourly rate. Below are some points we consider important when calculating the hourly rate for a particular machine. The areas requiring calculations include :

Equipment – Cost Per Hour of Operation ... a common formula :
(machine purchase cost + expected lifetime maintenance cost) / expected hours of operating life.

Direct Labor Cost per Hour ... a common formula :
(total annual labor costs + taxes + benefits + paid time off) / (total annual hours worked – breaks and training time)

Overhead Cost Per Hour  :
Any costs not directly involved in machining a part is overhead. These include costs for administrative staff salary, equipment, furniture, building lease, maintenance and office supplies. Calculate the annual costs of these, then divide by total labor or machine hours for the year. This will be your overhead cost per hour

Once the above costs are calculated … you can use the formulas and guidelines below to arrive at either a
“general” shop hourly rate or an hourly rate based on a specific piece of equipment.

General Machine Shop Hourly Rate ... a common formula :
Average overall shop rate = (average machine cost per hour + labor and overhead cost per hour) x markup

Machine Specific Hourly Rate ... a common formula :
(specific machine(s) cost per hour + labor + overhead cost per hour) x markup

Somewhat simplified ... and usually a work in progress as factors may change. It is important to gather all the figures in the formulas above as best you can ... as accurate as you can ... and to keep tabs on any factors that may change along the way.

Kenney Skonieczny - President
Kentech Inc.

You can check our all our Real World Machine Shop Software at our website :

www.KentechInc.com

New Brazil Distribution for Kipware® Announced

Kentech Inc. is pleased to announce our partnership with Mr. Ricardo Alexandre de Godoy and RG Assessoria for exclusive distribution of all Kipware® titles in Brazil.

RG Assessoria currently distributes and supports a variety of CNC related products including DNC software, simulation software, TopSolid CAM and GOelan products. We are very pleased that Ricardo and his team have included our Kipware® products into their lineup and look forward to a long and healthy future for Kipware®, RG Assesoria and all CNC clients in Brazil !!

For more information on RG Assessoria ... you can visit their website at www.rgaonline.com.br.

BETA Release - Chinese Version of KipwareQTE®

KipwareQTE® is going to China !!

Kentech Inc. is pleased to announce the BETA release of the Chinese Version of KipwareQTE® - Machine Shop Job Costing & Estimating Software. Thanks to the efforts of our new VAR in China ... Randy Gu ... we have finalized the creation of the Chinese interface for KipwareQTE® and are in final BETA testing as of February 25, 2014.

Final release is scheduled by the end of March with other titles to follow as available.

Kenney Skonieczny - President
Kentech Inc.

New Video - Machine Shop Cost Estimating with KipwareQTE®

Since 1986, for over 25+ years, KipwareQTE® - Machine Shop Job Costing and Estimating Software from Kentech Inc. has been assisting manuafacturers of all sizes not only WIN MORE WORK ... but WIN MORE PROFITABLE WORK !!

With a New Year upon us and all the possibilities that lay ahead ... are you ready to
STOP GUESSTIMATING and START ESTIMATING ??

We created a new training video that illustrates the process of creating a cost estimate and quotation using our KipwareQTE®. Why not give it a look?

Click the image above to view this new KipwareQTE® Video Presentation

Click the image above to schedule a live, online demonstration of our KipwareQTE® software.

Click the image above to go to our website and get additional information on KipwareQTE®

Kenney Skonieczny - President

Kentech Inc.

Live OnLine Demonstrations - Join In !!

As our various Kipware® titles grow in popularity more and more every day ... potential customers have really been reaping the rewards of our online, live demonstration through our use of Cisco Webex. The conversations usually start out with the client requesting a "trial"version of a title ... and when we explain that we can also offer a live, online demo ... they jump at the chance. They really get excited at the opportunity to see the software in action while they sit in the comfort of their office or from home ... with multiple members of their team if desired .... and to have the ability to ask questions and get answers in real time.

To cut to the chase ... a live Webex meeting allows the client to sit in his office while we sit in ours ... the client can view our PC screen on his PC screen and see the software title in action. Through the audio conference they can ask questions and get answers in real time.

You will see this icon at the bottom of all our product pages ....
Just CLICK IT to set up a live, online demonstration.

Cisco Webex is an online meeting service that we can set up in as little as 15 minutes. Here are some of the features and advantages of Webex :

• Webex meetings are completely FREE for anyone who wishes to attend.
• Webex is a web-based service and works with any browser ... so you can attend a demonstration from any computer (Windows, Mac, Linux, or Solaris) -- as well as your iPhone, Blackberry, or any other WiFi or 3G-enabled mobile device. 
• Users receive a link to log on for the video portion and a toll-free number to call to join a conference call ... this is the audio portion of the presentation. Users can also use the microphone on their PC instead of calling the toll free number.
• Webex meetings can accommodate from 1 to 25 participants ...  so multiple people can attend from either the same location ... or each one can log in from a different location.
• Because of the large number of Webex meetings we provide ... our Webex meetings are available to both US and international clients,

Some clients assume that this service is only for "professional" groups ... but we very often host online meetings for single clients who log in from the comfort of their living rooms or home offices.

Trial Versions VS. Live Demonstrations
Most often, users miss important features of software ... no matter how easy-to-use they are touted ... when "playing" with a trial version. Not to mention the loss of time and productivity as you fumble through learning a new software package. This may be due simply to the learning curve or the fact that the customer assumes it will work one way and when it doesn't they assume the feature is not there ... when in fact it just worked a different way. Live demonstrations allow the user to have all their question and concerns answered in one session ... and to get on with their decision making process armed with all the information they need.

And it's not just for sales ... it's for training too !!
In addition ... Kentech Inc. oftentimes utilizes Webex meetings for software training. Again ... a Webex meeting allows users to see the software in action so we can fully demonstrate HOW to solve the clients question ... using both audio and video. Webex training sessions within the warranty period are offered at no charge to the client ... and are most often offered free even outside the warranty period.

How can we offer live, online demonstrations ?
Unlike other software "companies" ( are they really companies? ) ... the developers at Kentech Inc. are not creating software as a hobby. Kentech Inc. is a real company ... with a real telephone number ... with real developers ... who has been creating and developing Real World CNC and machine shop software for over 25+ years. And our commitment to our customers and to our customer support is unmatched in our industry.

So if you have an interest in ANY of the software titles we offer ... we encourage you to set up a Webex meeting at a date and time that is convenient for you. I am sure YOU WILL BE PLEASANTLY SURPRISED !!!

CLICK THIS link to visit our Schedule a Live Demo Webpage

Kenney Skonieczny - President
Kentech Inc.

Live Webinar on Machine Shop Estimating with Kipware®

We would love to invite you to join us for a live Webinar demonstration of quoting and estimating with KipwareCYC® machining cycletime estimating software and KipwareQTE® job costing and estimating software ... this Thursday 10/10/2013 at 1:30 pm ET. Our webinars usually last between 20 and 30 minutes with Q&A session to follow.

Also ... our Kipware® business software titles are featured in our Stupid Deal of the Week this week. So come and join us ... get the scoop on quoting and estimating with Kipware® ... get all your questions answered in real time ... and if it feels right, save some serious $$$ with a Stupid Deal of the Week purchase of an individual Kipware® title or all our business titles in our Kipware® Suite bundle.

You can Register Here : http://www.kentechinc.com/webinar_registration.html

The webinar capacity is limited to 25 ... so don't miss out ... register early.

Thanks to all in advance ... hope to see ya Thursday !!

Kenney Skonieczny - President
Kentech Inc.

New Release - New KipwareCYC® Cut Length Calculator Features

On the heels of the release of the CLC SketchPad for KipwareCYC® machining cycletime estimating software  ( http://kentechinc.blogspot.com/2013/09/new-release-clc-sketchpad-for.html ) ... we have added another new feature to the Cut Length Calculator as well.

Version 10.1.0 gives user the ability to SAVE and RECALL operations calculated using the CLC conversational / fill-in-the-blank forms. This new feature will allow for faster length of cut calculations as user will be able to save commonly used operations ( e.g. - Peck Drilling in 303 Stainless ) ... then  recall them ... make any subtle changes to the data ... and rec-calculate the length of cut without having to re-enter all the information onto the form.

We have also posted a new video to our YouTube channel ( KTSoftware ) that demonstrates the creation of a sample cycletime estimate using all the latest features within KipwareCYC®.

As always ... many thanks to our Kipware® users for your feedback and support.

Kenney Skonieczny - President
Kentech Inc.

Accurate Machining CycleTime Estimating - The Key

No matter what system you utilize to create your cost estimates and quotes ... everything starts with an accurate machining cycletime estimate. The phrase ... "Oh, that should take about two and a half minutes to machine." ... is doing more harm to your bottom line than you are probably even aware. This type of guesstimating ... especially when it comes to machining cycletime ... is throwing the whole cost estimating process that comes down the line into question.

If the machining cycletime estimate is not correct ... you could be winning work ... but unprofitable work. And that's just what your shop doesn't need ... wasting time manufacturing parts that are losing you money. Taking machine time and employee energy away profitable work.

So what is the KEY to accurate cycletime estimating?

Having lived and "grown up" on the shop floor ... we realize that the MAIN KEY to accurate cycletime estimating is to utilize the cutting conditions and parameters that can actually be reproduced on your shop floor ... with your equipment.

It doesn't do any good to estimate using an RPM or SFM and feedrate that your shop floor can never duplicate ... or utilize a method of machining that your shop floor would never follow or duplicate.

Sure cycletime estimating software that has feature recognition and auto-determines the method of machining will get you a time quickly and get that estimate done quickly ... but what good is it if your shop floor would never machine the part using the method the software determined?

Cycletime estimating software that boasts thousands of materials and speeds and feeds is expensive and seems powerful and complete ... but if your shop floor can't duplicate that "book knowledge" speeds and feeds ... what good is it?

So Kentech's KipwareCYC® software is different? How?

It certainly is ... and I'm glad you asked.

First : 
KipwareCYC® is a database driven application ... utilizing a user-defined database for machine specifications ( max RPM, rapid rates, tool change time, etc. ) and user-defined cutting parameters ( speeds, feeds for various materials and machining operations ). This insures that the calculated times accurately reflect what happens on your shop floor ... the key to accurate cycleltime estimating. You create the database and input YOUR specifications and cutting parameters.

Second : 
Using the various outputs and travelers available from KipwareCYC® ... the more you use the software, the more accurate it becomes. For example : the Routing Sheet that is automatically created from KipwareCYC® provides the operator / set-up personnel with a complete list of cutting parameters and times for each operation as the part moves through the shop. This means he has a targeted RPM, feedrate and time for each operation. If any of those factors cannot be achieved ... a report back to the estimate creator will result in an adjustment to the database information ... perhaps a revision to the SFM or feedrate or chip load used for a specific machining operation. Next time ... the RPM and feedrate will be more accurate. So the more you use the software ... the more accurate it becomes.

Ugh ... Entering ALL that database information !!!
Actually ... a couple of points that may have crossed your mind. First ... we do ship KipwareCYC® with installed database information for common machines, materials and cutting parameters. But again ... this is just to get you started ... you really need to make the database information your own. Here is what we recommend.

Let's say today you receive an RFQ for a 316 stainless part that requires some turning. You gather the machine specs for the lathe you're going to use and grab the normal cutting parameters the shop uses for 316 stainless. One additional point here ... most shops use a common insert that works well for them for specific machining operations ... there really isn't a need for a dramatic, all encompassing speeds and feeds database with info you'll probably never use ... let's keep it simple and keep it real. So you enter that data and now ... 316 stainless is done !! Next time you get an RFQ the info is all there and ready to go. With this system ... you are building the database as you are preparing quotes and winning work !!! It's a win -win ... with long term benefits.

So ... the moral of the story is?
No matter how you are arriving at your machining cycletime estimate ... the one certainty is to insure that it is utilizing the cutting conditions and parameters that can actually be reproduced on your shop floor ... with your equipment.

If you are looking for a software application what will insure that key ... we invite you to check out our KipwareCYC - Machining CycleTime Estimating software HERE.

Kenney Skonieczny - President

Kentech Inc.

Quotation Tracking -- Why It's Essential to Your Business

Regardless of how or what you use to produce your quotations ... once they are delivered ... what next?

As essential as producing an accurate cost estimate and delivering it in a timely manner ... the "what next" is just as or perhaps even more essential to your business's bottom line. Having a tool that can help you understand ... really understand ... your quoting and estimating process can mean the difference between winning work and winning profitable work ... or simply spinning your wheels, losing money without even realizing it or just plain ole losing out to the competition.

And we are not just talking about following up on your quotes with your customer ... we're talking about really getting under the hood and inspecting your quoting and estimating process in detail.

Having lived and grown up on the shop floor ... Kentech Inc. has created a variety of real world machine shop software applications to address the needs we actually experienced during those years "in the trenches". Their designs are easy-to-learn and easy-to-use because they are stripped of all the clutter and useless functions no one ever uses. Their purpose is not to be the most expensive or to have the prettiest pictures ... their purpose is to enable and empower our users to solve the real world issues their shop faces every day.

Our KipwareTRK® - Quotation Tracking and Analyzing Software fits that mold exactly. KipwareTRK® is a powerful tool that will allow you to really get under the hood of your quoting and estimating process to get answers to questions like :

• Which quotes need to be followed up on?
• Which follow-up method works the best?
• Why are we winning work? ... Why are we losing work?
• Why are we winning more aluminum work and less stainless work?
• Why are we losing milling work but winning turning work?
• What industry is most of our work coming from?
• What quantity range do we most commonly win ... or lose?
• In what price range are we most effective?
• ... virtually just about any question you have can be answered with KipwareTRK®

Because KipwareTRK® is user defined ... it's capabilities are virtually limitless. What do we mean by "user defined"?

In KipwareTRK®, the user has the capabilities to completely set-up the software and it's criteria's. First ... the user can define up to (16) main criteria categories. Some examples might be :

• Industry
• Quantity Awarded
• Result
• Follow-Up Status
• Material
• Reason for Acceptance
• Type of Machining
• ... or anything else the user decides.

Next ... the user has the ability to define an unlimited number of sub-categories under each one of the (16) main criteria. Some examples might be :

• Under Industry : Aerospace, Prototype, Energy, etc., etc.
• Under Quantity : 1-50, 51-100, 101-150,  etc., etc.
• Under Result : Quote Awarded, Quote Delivered Late, Quote Too High,  etc., etc.
• Under Follow-Up Status : Email Required, Phone Call Required,  etc., etc.
• Under Type of Machining : Mill-Turn, Grinding, Milling, Turning, Waterjet, etc., etc.
• Under material : Steel, Tool Steel, Aluminum, etc., etc.

Because each one of the (16) main categories can have an unlimited number of sub-categories ... the power and detail available in KipwareTRK® is expanded exponentially.

But what happens with all that data?

Combine all that information with powerful sort ... filter ... and graphing tools ... and KipwateTRK® allows you to view and analyze your quoting and estimating process in ways never before imaginable. KipwareTRK® really allows you to get under the hood ... inspect the details ... and adjust your approach to quoting and estimating to insure that process extends beyond just delivering the quotation.

Make sense?

We invite you to explore KipwareTRK® in greater detail ... watch the video presentation ... or arrange for a live, online demo at the KipwareTRK® page of your website here : http://www.machineshopsoftware.com/KipwareTRK.html.

Did we mention that KipwareTRK® can also be used to track product through the shop? ... well that's a story for another post ... or can you visualize the possibilities?

Kenney Skonieczny - President
Kentech Inc.