CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Online Archive
4 June 2008
Product News
Gerber Technology Launches First of New Series of Cutting Solutions
Gerber Technology launches the GERBERcutter Z7. The first in the new Z Series premium line of multi-ply cutting systems, the Z7 is engineered to meet the demands and business challenges of manufacturers in many industries including automotive, aerospace and apparel.
GERBERcutter Z7 combines precision with efficiency to consistently cut the most demanding materials to the tightest of tolerances. It maximizes throughput and yield while cutting intricate shapes, multiple-hole sizes and notches with high accuracy across a full range of material types and thicknesses, including bi-laminate foams, technical textiles and high-loft fabrics.
The Z7 is designed to help manufacturers meet continuous improvement initiatives and pressures within the supply chain for quality and turn time with more stringent requirements for reporting of performance metrics. With environmental concerns and energy consumption regulations mounting, a key value to the Z7’s design is its increased efficiency and reduced power usage.
“The voices of our customers were the driving force behind the features and functionalities of the Z7,” said Ron Ellis, product manager, Multi-Ply Cutters & Control Systems. As a component of Gerber’s “Voice of the Customer” (VOC) product development process, members of a cross-functional team met with companies in the Americas, Europe and Asia to interview and observe them. “Through our VOC work, our team identified solutions to needs that even our customers didn’t realize existed, just by virtue of our process. To see these features and functionalities in production today is really rewarding, and is a testament to the insight and expertise that comes from being in the business for 40 years,” added Ellis.
A key requirement for cut part quality is material stability. The Z7’s hardware and software systems were designed to work together to ensure piece-to-piece and bite-to-bite accuracy. Gerber’s CutWorks® cut path optimization software, digitally-controlled variable vacuum regulation, advanced electronics and a new conveyor design enable material to convey while under precise vacuum levels throughout the cutting process. Depending on the application, an integrated clamp bar is available for conveying material when not under vacuum.
“We’re particularly proud of CutWorks and the engineers behind it,” said Ellis. “This software ties together and automates so many critical functionalities and provides a great deal of benefit to our customers as it relates to quality, ease of use, repeatability and throughput.” CutWorks Cut Path Optimization software automatically maximizes throughput and material yield by calculating the most efficient cut path and part nest. In addition, buffer management functionality maximizes material yield. CutWorks files can be saved and programmed as QuickSets, which enable operators to quickly and accurately set up jobs.
The Quick Change Drill feature allows operators to change drill bits in seconds -- without tools. CutWorks automatically prompts the operator when a change is required and informs the operator of the required bit size. This feature can be done mid-job, saving minutes per cut file, and minimizing down time for maintenance.
The Z-Series features Knife IntelligencePLUS™, specially-developed software that anticipates knife deflection and automatically compensates to prevent it. This ensures accurate cuts from top ply to bottom and produces superior quality circles and notches to very tight tolerances. This feature enables more holes to be cut rather than drilled, which yields as much as a 10 percent improvement in throughput for hole cuts.
A growing challenge in many cutting rooms is operator turnover, because it affects both quality and throughput when operators are inexperienced. With this in mind, Gerber designed the Z7 to be easy to use. It features an intuitive touch-screen interface and software that accommodates preprogrammed cut files and machine settings, and provides easy access to job information. These features dramatically reduce setup times, operator learning curve and margin for error to ensure repeatable and predictable process control.
Powerful reporting capabilities make it easy to measure throughput and meet customer information and vendor compliance requirements. “We observed that many customers must rely on simple spreadsheets in order to quantify throughput and yield. With these new reporting capabilities, we aim to help our customers offer more value to their customers as it relates to tracking performance metrics,” said Ellis. “Reporting capabilities are becoming more and more important, especially for companies who are vendors in lean or six-sigma-focused industries such as aerospace and automotive,” he added.
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