CADMASTER has over a decade of parametric automation programming. If you are a company involved in "family of parts" manufacturer, you should contact us to see how we can help automate your CAD/CAM processes.
What is a "family of parts" manufacturer?
Any company who designs and custom build the same product over and over, with variations in the design. Here are some common examples:
Doors |
Windows |
Drills |
Reamers |
Machine Enclosures |
Injection Molds |
Cutters |
Valves |
Screws |
Connectors |
Piping |
Elevators |
Staircases |
Cabinets |
Bushings |
Pins |
or any of hundreds, even THOUSANDS of applications. If you have an application which involves common dimensions that vary, and you can describe the design rules and steps required to design and draft that product, then you proabably are a good candidate for this type of programming!
What exactly do you automate?
That of course depends on your needs. Usually we do the following:
INTERFACE We design an easy to use interface that allows the user to quickly input the data. (See example below) The data can also be extracted from a spreadsheet or database. Calculations can be used, as well as intelligence. An example of design intelligence would be using either 3, 4, or 5 hinges on a door depending on it's height.
DRAW PRINTS We completely draw the sheet(s) involved in the process. These can be either automatically sent to a laser printer, or any output device that you currently use.
BOM: Most companies require a Bill of Materials for each design job. We can also generate that, and print out a copy.
CNC CODE: If you have CNC machinery we can automatically create the nc code necessary for your manufacturing process.
How much faster will the software make us?
We have taken processes that previously required 4 to 8 hours of manual AutoCAD drafting time, and reduced them to 1 minute or less!
This is hundreds of times faster!!
Are there any other benefits?
Most definitely! These include:
Which CAD software do you use?
Most of our clients prefer using AutoCAD as the CAD engine. We have over 12 years experience writing parametric applications for AutoCAD. We can also use a different CAD engine if you wish. If you are contemplating an application where you want to distribute more than a few copies, then you may want to use a less cost per seat CAD engine. Please call to discuss the specifics of your needs.
Is the service expensive?
No! Actually NOT AUTOMATING IS EXPENSIVE! The complexity of your product design will ultimately determine the investment cost of the software. Typically, our clients spend between $1200 to $3600 to automate a component.
What is the typical return on investment?
This to varies from product to product, but let's run down a quick example. Suppose you spend 4 hours of design/drafting time to design a "widget". You produce just 3 of these a week. At a cost of $15 per hour, you are spending $180 per week, or $9360 per year. If you invested $3600 to automate that product line, then the return on investment would be less than 5 months!
CAN YOU AFFORD TO NOT AUTOMATE?
Is the software hard to use?
No far from it! Look at the example interface screen below. The person simply fills in the blanks presses the green checkmark, then the action begins! What could be easier?
Sample data collection screen.
But we're located on the other side of the world!
No problem. Most of our customers are not local! Between the telephone, Fax, Email, and internet we are able to service a company halfway across the world actually faster than a company located across town!
Where do we start?
Contact CADMASTER to discuss your product. For many of our clients we will typically have them send us a sample print from a product or component that they want to automate first. We then quote a price to design and write the automation software. Once design people and management see what the software does, and it starts paying for itself, we then start working on the next component. This method of step by step automation has many advantages.
Questions?
Please don't hesitate calling us to discuss the possibilities of automating your product design! CALL CADMASTER NOW (401) 434-2970!