subject: Manufacturing Cost Reduction Via Design Optimization [print this page] Computers really are an amazing inventionComputers really are an amazing invention. They have changed everything from business to the way we learn new skills. You can do almost anything with a computer, from accounting and personal banking to dating, shopping and even watching TV shows. Modern businesses will also enjoy an endless list of benefits by using computers. One very impressive example of this is is when they are used to cut manufacturing costs.
For example, manufacturers will lower the cost of manufacturing through the automation of certain tasks. Manufacturers in many fields and industries will also reduce their expenditure by a system known as design optimization. This strategy is best or most easily illustrated using laser cutting technologies as an example.
For instance, let's take a look at a rather busy laser cutting business that specializes in cutting components and parts from materials like aluminum, copper and steel. To reduce manufacturing costs they have decided to start using specialized computer programs that will manage their materials and designs in such a way that it will conserve a lot of time and money. For example, a wide range of software packages are available including MRP (manufacturing resource planning), CAM (computer aided manufacturing) and also ERP (enterprise resource planning), that will organize forthcoming assignments, assess them for material requirements, make sure the supplies are made available, and then get to work using the machinery to complete the majority of the laser cuts in a single event. This might mean that just one piece of stainless steel is sent through the laser cutter and used to create four or five different component parts simultaneously, and the software will review and arrange all of the parts according to the design optimization program.
Using this more cost-effective technique will help to reduce manufacturing costs because it makes it easy for you to manage several jobs at the same time and in one single cutting procedure. Don't forget - any decent CAM program will allow the laser to be programed to behave in specific ways during the cutting process, and consequently identification numbers can be etched on the surface of each component to help people identify which project they belong to. Furthermore, many laser cutting machines are capable of handling "nested" cuts. This involves loading a number of sheets of the same metal into the machine, and then instructing the laser to follow pre-established cutting lines identified in a single plan. The computer software will actually identify such opportunities automatically and inform staff of the specific needs of the job.
Yet another way that design optimization can be used to cut the cost of manufacturing is to rely on the appropriate programs to make sure that all products are being designed with the least number of component parts as possible. This is something that is actually very controllable and that can allow manufacturers to ensure the quality of their products while also keeping their production costs low. This would be extremely useful in a field like laser cutting as all good programs will assess designs and present methods for concurrent development and the best cutting procedures and design features for any given job.
