subject: Manufacturing Cost Reduction With Design Optimization [print this page] Computers really are an amazing inventionComputers really are an amazing invention. They have revolutionized everything from business to the way we meet new people. You can use a computer for practically anything, from accounting and personal banking to shopping, watching Television and even dating. A modern business will also enjoy a long list of benefits through its reliance on computers. This can be seen in many different ways, the most impressive of which is when computers are used to cut the cost of manufacturing.
For instance, manufacturers will lower the costs of manufacturing through the automation of certain tasks. Manufacturers employed in a wide range of fields and industries will also reduce their expenditure by a process called design optimization. Design optimization is best illustrated by using laser cutting technologies as an example.
Let's consider a relatively successful laser cutting company that specializes in cutting parts and components from materials such as aluminum, copper and steel. To cut manufacturing costs they have decided to start using specialized computer programs which will organize their materials and designs in a way that will conserve a huge amount of money and time. For example, there are a lot of software applications available such as CAM (computer assisted manufacturing), MRP (manufacturing resource planning) and ERP (enterprise resource planning), that will plan upcoming jobs, assess them for material requirements, make sure that the supplies are ready to use, then get to work using the machinery to cut the majority of the components in a single event. For instance, this might see a single piece of steel passed through the laser cutter and used to cut parts for 4 or 5 different jobs at once, and the software will review and arrange all of the parts in line with the program for design optimization.
Taking this frugal approach will significantly reduce the costs of manufacturing since it enables staff to manage several jobs at the same time and in one single cutting procedure. Don't forget - all good CAM programs would allow the laser to be trained to behave in specific ways throughout the cutting process, and this means ID numbers could be engraved into each component to help you identify what projects they belong to. In addition, quite a few laser cutters can handle "nested" cuts which involve loading a number of sheets of the same metal into the machine, and allowing the laser to follow pre-established cutting lines identified in a single plan. Most programs used to cut the costs of manufacturing will actually identify such opportunities and alert staff to the needs of the specific job.
Another way in which design optimization is used to cut the cost of manufacturing is to depend upon the appropriate programs and computer systems to make sure that all products are being produced with the least number of component parts as is possible. This is something which is is actually easily controllable and that can allow manufacturers to guarantee their production costs are kept to an absolute minimum without sacrificing the quality of their products. This is extremely useful in an industry such as laser cutting as a decent program will evaluate designs and indicate the best cutting methods and manufacturing process for any particular job.
