Latest NESTERwood™ release helps upholstery manufacturers shorten delivery times, save on materialManufacturers report higher material utilization and improved machine productivity
Ball Ground, Georgia, September 5, 2007 - Plataine, a premier provider of production optimization solutions, is reporting successful results achieved by leading upholstery manufacturers. Following implementation of the latest release of Plataine's NESTERwood Optimizer, manufacturers are able to streamline production processes, expedite manufacturing cycles, and reduce product cost.
“We are able to consistently achieve 10-12% higher material yields since implementing NESTERwood,” says Danny Border, CNC manager at Studio Q Furniture (formerly Quaker Furniture). “In the past, we were limited to conventional cutting methods which required a new sheet for every kit. NESTERwood’s Rolling Nest automatically optimizes the placement of pieces from multiple kits on multiple sheets of plywood, so we can use fewer sheets overall.” NESTERwood 6.0 supports both vertical and horizontal Rolling Nests, resulting in greater flexibility and higher material yields.
NESTERwood has helped Studio Q Furniture implement a true make-to-order production process. “Since the sheets are now fully utilized for the orders we ship, we no longer make parts to inventory, which eliminates the associated carrying, handling, and space costs,” said Gary Lail, president of Studio Q Furniture. “And since we can now utilize 100% of our machine capacity for existing customer orders, we are also able to complete orders and deliver them faster, which is what our customers are really pushing for.”
Manufacturers using NESTERwood are also benefiting from higher productivity of CNC routers. “NESTERwood creates tool paths that are highly optimized, so we are seeing increase in cutting speed. We not only complete the work faster but also get more productivity out of our existing machines, which means that we can increase production without buying new equipment,” says Kevin Holshouser, plant manager at Lexington Home Brands.
“We are now able to streamline the entire process,” adds Johnny Roark, Lexington Home Brands' CAD manager and product development engineer. NESTERwood version 6.0 automatically creates the G-code for the router, and the operator uses a barcode reader to load the manufacturing order and the corresponding G-code directly into the machine. “This eliminates manual data entry and the risk of making a mistake in the process,” explains Roark.
Another unique capability of NESTERwood is the ability to learn from experience to continuously improve results over time. “NESTERwood has been delivering great results from day one, but the amazing thing is that it keeps getting better as it learns from experience,” said Wayne Joyce, owner of Select Frame Shop.
NESTERwood Optimizer is available from Plataine and through authorized resellers worldwide. For more information visit www.plataine.com/nesterwood.
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