CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Online Archive
21 April 2011
Implementation Investments
Radan Customer Case Study: Punching and Bending Keeps Nichol McKay in Shape
Nichol McKay, which is based at Prestwick Airport in Scotland, manufactures components used in a wide range of products for a number of industries, including power generation, fork lift truck chassis, agricultural machinery, and earth moving equipment. Their CNC cutting machines are driven by the sheet metal software Radan, including an LVD press brake, two Amada and two Trumpf punches, four Trumpf lasers and two Messer Cortina gas profiling centres.
“Without the CNC programming that Radan produces for us, we just wouldn’t be able to carry out any of the work we do,” says senior engineer Tim Paterson. “We’ve used Radan, from Planit Software, for around ten years, and it’s absolutely essential to our business.”
Of particular importance to them is the accuracy with which Radbend – Radan’s offline programming for press brakes – generates bend allowances. “It has to be precision bending every time, so the welders can create perfect joints. If it’s not spot on, it can’t be welded. But Radbend helps to ensure that everything we do is totally accurate and repeatable.”
The software gives Nichol McKay full, accurate 3D model simulation of the bending process, including advanced features such as automatic bend sequence calculation, automatic tool selection and automatic finger-stop placement, offering simple programming and high productivity. As it programs and verifies bending operations offline it frees up valuable machine time and improves first-off reliability, reducing manufacturing costs. It is also used extensively to prove out prototypes for customers. Costly mistakes are also eliminated with automatic detection of collisions both with the tooling and the machine tool itself.
The parts made on the punches, press brake and lasers are manufactured from various types and grades of materials up to 15mm thick. They include panels for acoustic canopies to mask the sound of mobile generators used in public areas, and control boxes for the generators themselves. Before the parts are taken to the LVD press brake for bending into shape, they are created on the Amada or Trumpf punches, or the Trumpf laser cutters. “We generally receive customer information as a 2D drawing which we then draw in 3D using Autodesk Inventor where we design the sheet metalwork, include the mitres, corner reliefs and bend allowances. Radan flattens it and we add the toolpaths before saving it as a part on the nester ready for machining.”
With fluctuations of our raw material costs, Tim Paterson says efficient nesting is particularly important to give them the very best material utilisation. “We try to avoid passing on costs to our customers, and Radan’s powerful nesting software is just brilliant for keeping waste to an absolute minimum. It has saved a lot of money through material utilisation -- it would be impossible to squeeze any more parts out of a sheet when Radan produces the nest.”
Nichol McKay’s two Messer Cortina AR gas profiling centres are used to produce heavier products typically in 15 to 70 mm steel (and sometimes thicker), such as the bases for mobile power generators, fork lift truck chassis, and components for earth-moving equipment.
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