CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Online Archive
28 February 2013
Implementation Investments
CimatronE Saves Cutter Costs for US Mold Maker
CimatronE has helped streamline operations at Kentucky-based Quality Tooling, tooling and engineering providers to some of the leading automotive and appliance OEMs and suppliers.
Quality Tooling became a Cimatron customer after looking for ways to maximize the speed at which its machines operated. In many cases, several runs were required to complete a project and costly cutters needed to be replaced often due to the multiple runs and inconsistent feed rates and chip loads.
After a review of various CAD/CAM solutions on the market, Quality Tooling selected CimatronE as its software of choice. Since the business switched to CimatronE, the speed of production has more than doubled and cutters now last longer, resulting in significant cost savings.
Said Brian Alvey, Quality Tooling's Vice President: "Making the investment in Cimatron was a big move for us because we are a small company, but the investment was well worth it and has probably been one of the best we ever made. Whenever you go looking at what you are gaining, that investment is very minor because you will save thousands of dollars just in cutters alone."
"Cimatron keeps a fairly constant chip load and feed rate. Therefore, it maintains cutter sharpness. Parts are produced quicker because you don't have to go back and rerun things. If you cut one job in Cimatron, you may use two cutters. If you cut that same job with one of the lower-end software you may use eight cutters. That translates into major savings."
CimatronE has also provided Quality Tooling with a closed loop system to streamline the electrode process. Using the electrode templates saves programming time, and the simulation capabilities eliminate the need for double setups and the risk of electrodes hitting parts. If a change is made to the NC file, it automatically updates the electrodes, leaving less chance for error.
According to Alvey, the addition of CimatronE has brought in more repeat business, as customers have noticed that delivery times have improved: "We have to compete with the overseas market and anything we can do to make our products look better is important. Cimatron has helped us tremendously."
For more information on CimatronE, visit http://www.cimatrone.com.
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