Ah, ‘tis the season. Sure, you traditionally hear that expression around wintertime, but we’re talking about a different season altogether: BCMC Season! Which means Shopping Season!
It’s that season when CMs start to study automation and equipment that gains automation. Whether you’ve been sitting on the thought for a while, or the demand is pressing on your mind, or labor issues have forced the thought, you likely go to BCMC or read “Component Advertiser” because you’ve been thinking about adding automation to your process. So to get started, you want to learn more about automation in the CM industry.
If you and I haven’t met before: we are Hundegger, an automated CNC wood saw manufacturer that distributes Hundegger CNC wood saws around the world. Hundegger has around 500 employees. Hundegger has customers in 59 countries and have delivered more than 6,000 machines. Hundegger is commonly considered the world market leader for CNC-controlled joinery machines.
Being in the wood CNC machine industry for 40+ years, we’ve picked up some nuggets of knowledge regarding CNC component saws. Having installed 6,000+ CNC machines in the wood construction industry, we’ve seen more than our fair share of automation innovations in material handling, manufacturing work flow, lumber optimization, future flexibility, greater production capacity, reduced labor requirements, and dramatic improvements in lumber yield, all designed to improve the bottom-line.
So even if you decide to get a saw that is not a Hundegger, that’s a-okay: after all, TRUE CNC saws aren’t the best fit for everyone. We’ll feel like we’ve done our job if you are able to make a more informed decision that does not keep you up at night wondering if you made a wrong decision.
This leads us to why we’re here today—we’d like to give you the 411 on CNC saws and automation: their pros and cons, the basics of what to expect from the CNC processes, the infrastructure, installation and cost, and maintenance. If these topics seem up your alley, then let’s go!
What is CNC
Computer numerical control (CNC) is a process for automating control of saws, drills, and milling tools through the use of software embedded in a microcomputer on the saw.
With CNC, each component is computer programed. Usually the program is written in an international standard language called G-code, which is stored in and executed by a microcomputer attached to the machine. The programing contains the instructions and parameters of the cutting tools, the feed rate of materials, and the positioning and speed of the tool’s components. This is why CNC machines have gained a prominent place in the manufacturing industry. Now more than ever, companies use CNC technologies to maximize productivity and automate their process.
CAD / CAM
Computer-aided design (CAD) is the use of computer-based software to design. CAD (BIM or component design) software is frequently used by engineers and designers. CAD software can be used to create two-dimensional (2D) drawings or three-dimensional (3D) models.
Computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) systems import geometry data from various design/BIM models and convert that data into “tool paths” (the motions that the tip of a cutting tool follows on its way to producing the desired geometry of the truss part) for a CNC saw.
Most CAM (BIM or component design) software systems are designed to be machine independent, allowing users to program their parts regardless of what equipment they will be cut on. In the wood truss component manufacturing industry, there are a few additional nuances (to be discussed).
CNC post processor
While CAD and CAM systems are very stimulating (to some people, anyway), there is an equally significant piece of the software trail. It covers the gap between the computer-generated “tool paths” as the CNC saw’s cutting tool produces the desired geometry. It’s called the “post processor” or “post” for short. Although it’s not as graphically interesting as CAD or CAM, there’s a lot more to the post than meets the eye. Understanding those capabilities can help your production and automation goal. Post processor software converts tool paths into CNC programs that can be read by a machine’s controller in a safe, consistent, and predictable manner. There are two types of post processors: open and closed.
At some level, a wood component CAM software is included in your truss design software. If you can design in CAD/BIM and the geometric cutting data can be transferred to your saw, you have a CAM conversion going on and there is some post processing occurring. If you are authorized to see and customize the post, you have a “open” post. If you are not authorized to see the post, it’s called a “closed” post.
Open or closed—why does it matter? Well, it depends on what more you intend to do. If you want fixed simplicity, then closed is fine. You’ll have the level of performance that’s been advertised and you don’t have to worry about making changes. But, if you think you’ll be interested in customization options, then you want open. With open post systems, you can have the software customized to fit your specific requests, and you won’t be limited to pre-determined tool paths. Vendors, resellers, and users can continue to make modifications and collaborate with other equipment by customizing the automation process over years as a business grows and the needs of the manufacturing process evolve.
Advanced posts can create additional functionality for their equipment even when the desired routines are not supported in the CAM system itself. For example, there already is enough data available in today’s CAD files to drive robots! The developers of open post processors have created a specialized module to drive a wide variety of six-axis robots. Think of it like this: if the data is in the CAD/BIM design program file, then you can use the CAM system and an open post processor to program a CNC machine to its full capability. This is the difference between a CNC saw and automation.
Connecting to CNC saws
Production manufacturing requires a high level of visibility to maximize efficiency. The CNC/CAD/CAM allows you to track your jobs with CAM “post processing.” With non-CNC equipment and generic or closed CNC post processors, you may get what you need, but you’re often stuck manually modifying software and equipment to get it to match up with your methodology and preferences. With open custom-developed CNC posts, you get much more. You can add or modify your preferences and practices into the post itself, allowing you to focus on designing your best tool paths or adding more automation equipment, such as infeed automation, tool changing robots, and production delivery systems.
Having more control over your project with this advanced technology leads to fewer errors, therefore resulting in faster production cycles and minimal revisions needed.
Machine automation started as a revolutionary innovation in the manufacturing industry. I still get calls today from CMs who say, “Hey Steve, we’re looking at automating our business and so we need a quote on your CNC saw.”
Hopefully, if you are still with me, you’re realizing a CNC saw does not mean you are magically “automated.” Once programmed properly, the right CNC milling machine can process multiple parts at a high level of precision. This can be done in a closed environment, a one-stop shop, meeting your basic production needs. Or, it can be done in an open environment, which makes a CNC machine a prime candidate for automating a plant.
Today’s CNC software platforms give CMs more than just end-to-end visibility and control of your manufacturing operations. They also let you use the generated data to implement improvements and move your business into the future. The right operating software optimizes production, improves flexibility, and boosts speed-to-market, giving you visibility and control over all of your processes. Combining the right CAD/BIM and CAM to automate the right CNC manufacturing process has been adopted and implemented by manufacturers globally.
With increased efficiency, CMs are able to take on larger and more complex jobs with less effort and less stress. With the right CAD/CAM, the right CNC machines can help stimulate the optimizing and processing of the model and help further your customization and your automation needs!
The bottom line
If we took the time to say everything there is to say about CAD/CAM/CNC, we’d be here all day. But if there’s one thing you take away from this article, let it be this: we truly believe a CNC saw is a great step at achieving automation in wood component manufacturing. Scratch that: the right CNC saw combined with the right CAD/design software and the right CAM/post processing can provide just about everything from “just what you need” to “more than you imagined.”
Of course I’ll have a lot more to say about CNC saws, but we’ll cover those topics on another day. If you’d like to learn more or jump ahead, just contact me directly or visit the Hundegger website.